Chapter 41: New Land, New Leader

It took Violet more than a full day to get across Ipsit to its border with Basharr. As dawn rose over the pass to Toreva, with smoke still hanging in the air, she rode her horse into her homeland. Hestia and Olivia were with her. They'd found her outside the gates of The Bastion, brought her to the stables, and their friend had given them three horses. Fatigued by the war and rejected by Curzon, the animals were just as despondent as Violet.

Neither the dead nor the living had hindered their progress after that. The dead were too occupied with Curzon's orders and the living were too busy fleeing.

Violet let the maids guide her, needing to be alone with her thoughts and tears. They rested during the afternoon then kept going, riding through the night.

Violet could hardly believe it'd only been five days since she'd last been at Toreva. The town smoldered but the dead ones had moved on. No doubt to other towns, perhaps even the capital. She prayed Eloy might be spared, her family safe, b