Kenneth didn't pray to the gods; he knew they rarely listened to soldiers. Instead, he remembered the oath he’d sworn under the red banners of the Empire. The creature lunged.
"Meekhan’s a long way away, Lieutenant," Varit spit, though he was already checking the iron spikes in his boots. "Up here, there's only the cold and whatever spirits are screaming in the wind."
Kenneth didn't look back. "She’s the daughter of a freeholder who gave us grain when the pass was blocked last winter. Meekhan doesn't forget a debt."