After some time, when she had enough strength, Lavinia sat on a nearby stone, resting her head on Kael’s shoulder while he held her hand. Just a few meters away from them, Eira continued to heal the injured, though her energy reserves were now running out so the healing was slower.
After all, the little thing was still only three days old.
Surprisingly, Bloom and other Spirits were not next to Lavinia, but Eira instead, the little things kept talking with each other and the beautiful sight could only be appreciated by Kael and Lavinia.
Korvath, Morvain, Gruumak, Kayden, Aurelia, and the others had gathered near them as well, this was no time for personal space, Kael and Lavinia understood that.
Lavinia kind of preferred that, being able to claim Kael all for her own, while everyone else stood next to them was quite gratifying.
The battlefield was still being cleaned behind them, the soldiers had started counting bodies. The dead were separated and positioned respectfully, the wounded were healed.
Kael and others watched it all.
That was when Kayden looked at Kael and—
"So... what’s next?"
Korvath frowned.
"Kayden."
The Commander of the Watch stopped him, then, he momentarily looked at Kael and—
"I think we should rest for now.
This can wait."
He spoke, trying to protect Kael.
The boy had suffered enough, he had seen him push his limits and kill hundreds of enemies, and considering what sort of man he was, it must have taken a toll on him.
Others could see what Korvath was trying to do as well and honestly, none of them were against it.
They all understood things from Kael’s perspective, how many responsibilities he had shouldered all this while—
And this...
This was the only time he was able to get some form of rest.
And they did not wish to ruin that by putting the weight of future questions on him.
But—
"No."
Kael shook his head.
Korvath frowned, Kael on the other hand, looked at the battlefield, at the broken gate, at the mountains beyond the wall, then back at the people around him.
"We should talk."
Others blinked, a little surprised, even Lavinia, tired as she was, raised her head to look at him and Kael—
"The outsiders still haven’t appeared."
He continued.
Korvath’s expression changed at those words, others were no different, Kael looked beyond the Wall and—
"They gathered the tribe, did something to them so they lost their minds and turned into mindless soldiers who only craved blood, but—
Even after doing everything they had—
They still haven’t appeared themselves."
"Cowards."
Kayden snorted.
The Translators began translating the conversation into their leaders’ heads.
Gruumak agreed with Kayden’s remark.
"Maybe."
Kael did not exactly agree.
"Or maybe they are waiting."
He did not know, heck even now, he was half expecting them to appear out of nowhere, this time with something even worse than the army of mindless men.
"That means this might not be over."
Kael spoke and not a single person sitting there liked those words.
But no one denied them either.
After all, they could see it as well, there was a very strong possibility that this wasn’t over.
Kael looked at all these people, then, he revealed something.
"My eyes will cover the entirety of the Heights in less than a day."
Everyone turned toward him and he continued.
"Once that happens, I will know everything that happens inside the Heights. Every army movement, every strange gathering, every hidden force, every message that moves through the snow.
Once that happens, only then will we be... comparatively safer."
"If that happens... it would change everything..."
Morvain understood the implications the quickest.
After all, she had seen it play out before, in the Velmourn City, once Kael’s eyes covered it, no truths were hidden from him.
If this happened with the entirety of the Heights, then no matter what the enemy was planning, the moment he or she appeared, they would be able to react accordingly.
"It would, once my Magic grows enough to cover all of the Heights, we would be able to see enemy movements and prepare for most of their attacks."
"Most cases?"
Morvain narrowed her eyes at those words.
"My eyes cannot see everything. There are restrictions.
We should always prepare for that."
Kael nodded with a solemn look on his face. After all, he was already fooled by the enemy once, he had no intention of making the same mistake again.
"I understand."
Morvain nodded.
Kael nodded back, then—
"Also."
He spoke up, looking at every single person around him one by one.
"The Heights cannot remain like this."
He announced.
"The tribes here have fought each other for too long. Every winter forces the tribes to fight for their people’s survival, the lack of food and resources have created a strong generational hatred that was now used against us.
The Heights’ people were used to hurt the Heights’ people and that cannot be allowed anymore."
He took a small pause as he looked at the soldiers cleaning the battlefield, then—
"Today, Velmourns, Stonefangs, Cindersteps, Borealis, Rimewood, Shardpeak, and Emberfolk fought together against a common foe.
They managed to defeat mindless monsters that were far worse than anything they had encountered so far.
That alone, is proof.
Proof that if all these tribes can come together for a cause in a matter of days, then the same cause can be used to unite them."
"Unite... them?"
Kayden blinked.
Kael looked at him, then at others.
"Yes."
He nodded.
"All Tribes of Ashen Heights, united under one banner."
He announced and as he did, Lavinia stared at him, her tired eyes widened a little because this...
This was her plan.
A functioning, united Heights.
A... Kingdom built around Kael’s Authority.
She thought she would be the one who would need to push him toward it, that Kael would resist, or dislike the subtle and slow manipulations to achieve what they wanted.
But...
To think he was going for it himself.
Kael, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking, looked at her.
Their eyes met, Lavinia smiled, Kael looked back at the people and—
"From now onwards—
We will build a proper city.
Then more than a City if needed.
A Kingdom where every single Tribe has a place."