After that.
The future feels abstract when the present contains so many variables. Clan politics shift like weather patterns. Alliance structures built on foundations of mutual distrust. Personal connections form despite strategic logic.
After that, I figure out what comes next.
"One crisis at a time."
Kaelgor nods as if that's exactly the answer he expected. Practical. Focused. The thinking that keeps people alive in dangerous circumstances.
He understands. Professional to professional.
That's something.
"The prisoner needs medical attention," I say, changing the subject.
"Thorne will survive."
"Injured prisoners don't provide reliable information."
"Pain motivates honesty."
Heldrik's philosophy. Simple. Brutal. Often effective.
But not always optimal.
"So does trust."
Kaelgor looks at me with those rust-red eyes that seem to see through surface intentions to underlying motivations. Whatever he finds there doesn't alarm him, but it clearly interests him.
"You're not what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
"Another Heldrik."
Fair assumption. Most people assume family resemblance extends beyond physical characteristics.
Usually they're right.
"Disappointment?"
"The opposite."
Too much history. Too many conflicting loyalties. Too many reasons why trust would be dangerous for both of us.
But not impossible.
Maybe.
The day bleeds into evening while Kaelgor and I work through intelligence reports and territorial maps. His knowledge of mountain passes proves invaluable. He marks routes I didn't know existed, identifies chokepoints where small forces could halt larger ones, explains seasonal variations that turn reliable paths into death traps.
Professional collaboration. Nothing more.
Yet.
Heldrik retires early, as is his custom. The camp settles into night watch rotations, with guards posted at strategic intervals and signal fires burning low on the surrounding ridges. Most of the men gather around the central fire pit, sharing stories and rations while maintaining the easy camaraderie that develops between soldiers who trust each other's competence.
They don't include Kaelgor in their circle.
