Their camp extended past the village’s grounds in an unordered menagerie of tents and lean-tos surrounding the buildings that never burned down. It sounded boisterous from our vantage. Akisma and I lurked in the shadows while Melyiana scouted the perimeter.

“No capture, no surrender,” I said to Akisma, looking towards the collection of fires.

“Does Velador know that’s your doctrine for the evening?” Akisma asked without turning my way.

“Velador doesn’t ...