"Is this what my no good brother has become? A soldier who falls asleep at pubs?"
Derrick's head shot up with a start and I laughed as the drink he had been resting beside spilled all over his table. "Ry!" He was out of his stool in a second.
Laughing, I embraced my younger brother, who had grown even taller in my absence. And bigger. He now carried twice as much muscle and my head only went up to his chin. When he released me I stepped back in shock.
"You're huge!"
One of the soldiers who had been sitting next to Derrick choked on his roast. "They feed us well. And this one has an appetite. He won a contest against everyone else in our station."
Just like Alex, I thought wryly. Some things never change.
"Did you just arrive today?" Derrick dragged me over to an empty chair.
"We did." I grinned. "I rode all night to get here."
"By the gods, Ry, Ferren's Keep is a good three hours from Tijan! You are mad! Weren't you riding two straight weeks before this?"
I waved his shock away. "It was worth it to see my favorite brother."
Derrick grinned, dimples forming at the corner of his cheeks. "You are such a bad liar, Ry. You only say that now because Alex is nowhere in sight… Where is that lug anyway? Why isn't he here visiting me with you?"
"He's coming tomorrow. He told me to tell you there was no way he was going to spend another night in the saddle." I snorted. "He had really bad sores from this last ride in the mountains and unlike us, he's not exactly warrior bred."
Derrick snickered. "Trust Alex to become a healer. That's about as dandy as it gets."
I yawned. "We shouldn't mock our poor brother just because he likes to be comfortable. I don't know about you, but there are certainly days I dream of leaving Combat behind and taking up something easier instead."
"But you never would."
"No. But it's a nice fantasy. Especially when Byron spends all his time ripping me apart."
"Is he worse than Sir Piers?"
"You have no idea." I took a bite of my brother's dinner, or what was left of it. "Besides, Piers always believed in me. Byron is just looking for ways to make me quit."
"Our commander out here is like that. But I think it's because he cares and doesn't want to see us unprepared."
"Byron doesn't care if I'm prepared or not, he just wants me gone."
"Surely he's like that with everyone?" That question came from one of Derrick's female comrades.
I smiled weakly. "Only the women. And one of my friends when he was with us. But, no, it's mostly me. The master loathes me."
Derrick looked amused. "Because you are stubborn."
I sighed. "Because I am everything he hates - but enough about my miserable existence, let's hear what life is like for a soldier in Tijan. How has the action been up north?"
I must have asked the right question because the next thing I knew, every single soldier in the place was bellowing over the other to tell me their wildest stories since coming into service. My brother and his cohorts had had quite the adventure in the year since they started and some of the older men had tales as far back as twenty.
I spent the rest of the evening listening to tales about Caltothian skirmishes and the pranks the soldiers liked to play against one another in their down time. It was nice to see how happy Derrick was with his new friends. While a soldier's life was certainly challenging, they clearly knew how to smile at the end of a long day.
Much glory was given to the mages, but it was the soldiers who were always the first line of defense. It was a fact I had tried not to ponder too heavily when I thought about Derrick. Especially when I remembered that he was stationed along the border where most of the fighting took place. Neither he nor his comrades seemed too concerned, or if they were afraid, they hid it well. But I worried. Because that was the only thing a big sister could do.
Still, it was meant to be an evening of festivity, not solace. My brother was one of the best in his year, and he was not a fool. He would be smart about any action he took and I knew he trusted me to do the same. I forced myself to smile and enjoy the rest of the night.
By the time I finally said my goodbyes and saddled my horse, it was easily two hours past midnight. I was fighting sleep and not looking forward to the three-hour trek back to Ferren's Keep. But if I missed the morning warm ups with the regiment, Byron would notice, and then I would be stuck cleaning the armory for the rest of my apprenticeship. So it was one night without rest, or ten months of polishing armor. I chose the former.
I just hoped the next day would carry on much faster than the first.
****
"You feeling alright, Ryiah?"
I just shook my head and then laid it back on the table while the others continued their morning meal.
"She didn't get any sleep." Ella patted my back sympathetically. "I don't think it agreed with her."