The Butcher's Bride
They were waiting to see if I would break.
Kaelen led me to a large, open-sided structure near the center of the camp. Smoke billowed from three massive stone hearths. The smell of baking bread and roasting meat hit me, heavy, hearty, and real.
"Olara!" Kaelen barked.
An older woman emerged from the steam. She was short and stout, with gray hair pulled back in a severe bun and arms that looked like they could wrestle a steer. She wore a stained apron and held a wooden spoon like a weapon.