Chapter 15: Altair (4)

When Ferken came racing back with Luina limp and unconscious in his arms, the entire unit erupted into chaos. They had gone six months without a single injury. “Was it a Piniros? Did she hit her head?” “Move.” Ferken was normally quiet and unfailingly polite. The edge in his voice made the soldiers crowding around him flinch and step aside without thinking. He scarcely noticed. Ferken carried Luina into the barracks, laid her carefully on a neatly made cot, and closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself.