First Command from Hella
Teacher,
I feel a little surreal right now. Things are getting chaotic in the capital. Doraal is taking over as 4th Hand and there's a lot of shuffling going on. I didn't think that would include me but it does.
The Empress, in the grace of her shade, has decided that I've "come far enough along for a flower in a greenhouse" and she said it's time to temper the strength I've gained.
I've been given command of 400 soldiers - wizards, mounted archers, light cavalry and 4 fists of mystics and scouts. Almost everyone here is a fresh graduate from training or the war college. A few officers are experienced and Alwen is coming as an advisor.
She said that I need tempering but this force needs shaping from the very beginning. She wants me to operate as a raiding force and that I'm a leader but expressly not a general - I'm to fight along with them, not simply direct them.
I'm not scared of the fighting. We fought plenty of dangerous things before with way less help to count on. I'm scared of letting these folks down. I'm so young compared to them. Still, I remember what I learned even when it wasn't something you expressly taught me.
I managed to snag Alder, he gave me a notebook of his camp recipes. I even managed to convince Alwen to take me to Dal's father's restaurant and spent a few days learning there too. Food together, cooking for each other… it was always something that kept us close even when things were hard or scary. It might not be much to build on, but it'll be a good start while we travel to the front.
This feels fast. I'm worried something bigger is happening that I can't see, but you know I'll do my part as good as I can. It feels like a lifetime ago that I stole bread and ran away from home but, even with all the hard stuff, I wouldn't do it any other way.
Be safe, I promise to be safe too.
Hella
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