Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1644

Carissa finally reunited with Violet, Cynthia, and Bun. Seeing their young faces again made her feel strangely distant, as if lifetimes had passed since they were last together.

They had all entered the new recruit camp and were now going through basic military training. For most new soldiers, the drills were grueling. But for them, it was a little more than light exercise.

While the rest of the recruits collapsed onto their shared bunks at the end of the day, gasping for breath, Carissa and her friends still had the strength to go for a run. Afterward, they would lie on the sand, gazing at the stars above and speaking quietly of their plans.

Bun lay on his back with a stalk of grass between his teeth and his hands behind his head. Still puzzled, he asked, "Cari, I just don't see how we can trust a dream. We've come all this way and joined the army, but we haven't truly seen battle. Do we have to go this far, all for a dream?"

"We have to," said Violet and Cynthia at once.

Cynthia nudged him with her elbow. "Why shouldn't we go this far? It was a dream sent by a deity, Bun. If not for that, how come you and I only ever dream of petty little things like sneaking around or stealing food? We've never dreamed of anything grand like the fate of a kingdom."

"Even if nothing else comes of it, we'll still gain something from the experience. It's good to see more of the world," Violet added.

They all nodded at that, acknowledging it as true. They had spent most of their lives at Meadow Ridge and rarely ventured far from it. What did they really know of the world? Joining the army, even just to see how vast and complex things could be, was already worthwhile.

"So, the plan is to wait for Rod to earn some merit, right? But he's only in training now. How's he supposed to earn merit or become a commander or general?" Bun asked.

"No need to rush. The two kingdoms have already begun to test each other. Skirmishes have started, and before long, real fighting will break out again. When that happens, Rod's unit will go to the front. With his skill, he'll distinguish himself. Once he's promoted, he'll be able to select soldiers from the new recruit camp. That's when we'll follow him," Carissa replied calmly.

"Strange, isn't it? Out of all of us, Rod was always the worst at fighting, and now we're meant to follow him," Bun muttered.

"You sound jealous. Rod may not be the strongest, but he works harder than anyone else. If Cari chose him for this, there's a good reason. Stop doubting," Violet said.

Bun shrugged. "Fine, you're right. We'll do as Cari says."

And sure enough, within a few days, the armies of the two kingdoms clashed at Hollow Ridge. That location lay within Starhaven's borders, so for a battle to break out there meant Westhaven had seriously violated the border agreement.

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