"...You will settle into Greece's soil with the knowledge it was your selfishness that laid them there."

"Please leave me be, Brunhild," Torhyl insists, hands half-heartedly swatting away her second-in-charge's.  

Brunhild stands, retrieving her hands and stiffening her spine.  "Enough, Commander, you listen to me now.  You relinquished your right to instruct me when you purposefully pushed yourself to your limit...twice."

Torhyl's brow raises, her eyes meeting the glassed over vision of Brunhild.  "I see someone learnt how to count."

Brunhild chest sharply bounces against each sharp intake she exhales.  "Are you seriously finding humour in this moment Commander?  Hm?  You find the potential loss of your people's future funny?"

Torhyl's molars grind together and bind her jaw shut.  "You speak of me like I'm dead, Brunhild, do you expect tears will fix me?  I'm neither your child, nor a corpse.  Now leave me."

Brunhild's lips pull tight, the muscles in between her brows pull together and cave.  "If you die, just know your corpse will be surrounded by the people who pledged their lives to you.  And you will settle into Greece's soil with the knowledge it was your selfishness that laid them there."

Brunhild turns away from her commander and back to the camp they managed to piece together overnight.  Other soldiers stand around the large flame, warming their hands and sharpening blades with pieces of stone.  The darkness surrounding them hid most things - like how despite being home their faces noticeably hung.  Brunhild thought the darkness hid her too, but the illumination radiating from the flames reflect the tears streaming down her face.

---------

Torhyl remains by the separate small fire Brunhild sparked to keep her warm.  One hand is extended trying to absorb the warmth from the flames and the other weighs against the wound festering at her side.  The more she stared into the dancing amber the more she felt her mind drifting with each straying ember.  Strategy and politics empty and are replaced by her body's impulses.  Her side pulsated following the rhythm of her heart, her fingers shake as her nerves react to the pressure of her environment caressing exposed muscle and flesh.  Torhyl felt all senses at once, those previously silenced by the joy of new companions, success and potential of new hope, now scream into the void of her mind over...and over.

Your fault.

Selfish.

Ignorant.

Useless.

 The skin of her face tightens at a new sensation and her fingers dancing at the barrier of the flames gently wipe away the traces of tears.  Her voice gently whimpers out Brunhild's name into the crackles of the flame.  She wanted so badly for her friend to come and hold her.  Brunhild always knew what to say and if she didn't, she knew how to show the words through her touch.  But the cold air surrounding the commander remained empty of company.  And usually, that was a feeling Torhyl cherished, but tonight the weight of 4 generations of her history crying out her name through the blood-stained soil, the cloak of gravity itself felt too much to fight.  And that night, even her hands weren't fast enough to catch all of her tears.

----------------

At dawn, the troops hid glowing coals from previous night's fires, pouring loose soil over the crisp red embers.  Torhyl watched them, each one rubbing the sleep from their eyes as they did so.  Torhyl envied them.  Despite being able to rest on solid ground for the first time, Torhyl's body wouldn't allow her the pleasure of a full night's rest.  The flow of pulsating blood seemed to carry the pain from her once isolated ribs across her entire circumference with only the space between beats being her only relief.  

Despite this, Torhyl new that the longer her body remained in that position the less likely it would be that she would be able to stand.  Using a boulder behind her head as a brace, Torhyl pulled herself off of the ground.  The action alone seemed to drain her energy, her vision pixelating and her balance faltering to stabilise.  

Torhyl remained hunched over the rock until her body's gravity leveled enough to walk before scanning her surroundings.  Her eyes fell upon a long stick.  Taking a few steps towards the stick, she began to bend down.  Torhyl's hand instinctively clutched her ribs, eyes squeezing shut and sharp drawls of air push through the tiny spaces of gritted teeth.  

Her hands meet the rough texture of wood.  Torhyl's eyes peel open to meet another icy gaze.  

Torhyl props the stick under her armpit and straightens her shoulders.  "Thank you, Brunhild"

"You shouldn't bend like that, it'll tear the seal."  Brunhild mutters blankly.

Torhyl nods, not meeting her eyes.  "Are the men ready to travel on?"

"It's not the men you should be worrying about not being able to make the journey to the Capital."

Torhyl places a hand against Brunhild's cheek.  "Your heart is pure, Brunhild," Torhyl pulls together a thin smile, "Don't let our enemies see that."

Bruhild's previous hard gaze falters, her eyes flitting over Torhyl's face.  Blush brushes over her cheeks as she gently pushes Torhyl's hand away.  "Compliments will not make me forgive your stubbornness any quicker."

Torhyl lets out a light chuckle, which she quickly stops after shooting pain ripples through her ribs. 

Brunhild positions her body beside her Captain, resting a stabilising hand against her hip.  Torhyl with the aid of Brunhild slowly walks up to her troops.  Once she was comfortably stood in front of the rows of soldiers, Torhyl gave Brunhild a grateful nod causing her to step away.

"I wish I could have the words to ease your minds,"  Torhyl begins, her eyes glancing over the fallen faces of her men.  "But I too have been kept awake by the screams rising from the soil.  My...Our people, our families...our husbands or wives, the people we have visions of holding when we returned to this place now are the ghosts we hope to dine with at the table of Thor's mighty army."

The scene in front of Torhyl blurs together like a brush drawn across an oiled canvas.  She wipes her eyes slowly.  "You expect me to be strong, level-headed....calm even...or maybe I expect that only of myself..."  Torhyl looks up again, locking eyes with one soldier.  "But I'm afraid I'm going to let you down."

Her eyes fall to her feet.  "I feel it all so strongly.  The sadness...but most importantly...the anger."

Lifting her eyes for the last time, a tear falls down her cheek onto her jaw pulled tight.  "We can all recite our sacred oath: 'Show mercy and seek justice'.  But today...I break my oath.  I seek justice...but there will be no mercy at the edge of my blade for the person who did this."

The treaty is broken, my friends.  The rules have changed."