A few people stopped to watch as the group made their way down the street. Some nodded as Mike passed. A couple of older women stood in a doorway, tracking the procession without a word.

  "So who do you think is going to stand out most? I mean obviously Torren is huge and green but they know that ahead of time so..." Liam asked.

  "Nah, Torren's definitely going to be the one," Parmo said. "They'll see Shai and Rika and think they've got the measure of them. Sure they have animal features but look like us for the most part. And then Torren walks out."

  "Rika's going to have them before that," Liam said. "The second she opens her mouth."

  "Ok, fair," Parmo laughed.

  "My money's on Torren opening his mouth being the biggest shock," Paul added. "We've met him, got to know him. I think he'll say something today that shocks us all over again."

  "Man, that's totally going to happen isn't it?" grinned Liam.

  Lee was half listening, half watching Ste, who had been glancing sideways at the council group every now and again with an expression he was trying to keep neutral.

  "What's up with you?"

  Ste looked at him. "Nothing why?"

  "Your face says otherwise."

  Paul drifted over. "Yeah what's going on?"

  Ste exhaled. "See that woman. The one with the notebook." He nodded toward Diane without looking directly at her. "I know her. Sort of. I played against her at a Warhammer tournament a few weeks before all this."

  Paul looked at Diane. Then at Ste. "And?"

  "And nothing. Wasn't expecting to see her here. That's all."

  "Fair enough," Paul said.

  They left it at that, Lee not totally convinced Ste was giving them the full picture.

  The group continued walking, Ste joining back into the conversation about who was going to shock the council most. By the time they reached the turn off to Murray Street he'd visibly relaxed.

  Diane looked up from her notebook mid-step, glanced across the group and stopped.

  "Oh, it's you. The guy I beat at that tournament the other week. Didn't expect to find someone I recognise in the group going to meet the villagers."

  Ste closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah. Hi."

  Lee looked from Ste to Diane then over to Paul. "So that's why he didn't go into specifics." He grinned.

  "Nah man, she plays the most OP army that also counters mine. It was bullshit dude."

  "Wow. Man, you sound like Paul when he loses lane in league..." Liam joked.

  Paul smirked. "Fuck off, we all know that never happens."

  Diane had already fallen into step with them, notebook tucked under her arm. "To be fair it wasn't close. Your Tyranids never made it across the board."

  "Because you spent the entire match running away," Ste said. "That's not a strategy, that's just refusing to play."

  "It's called kiting and it's completely legal."

  "It's cowardly is what it is."

  "Sounds like a you problem."

  Parmo turned to Liam and made a slow popcorn scooping gesture. Liam pressed his lips together.

  "The Tau are broken," Ste said. "Objectively. The army is overtuned and playing them into Tyranids and acting like it's skill is—"

  "Git gud," Diane said pleasantly.

  "They're a bit broken to be fair," Mags said, to no one in particular, and went back to walking.

  Everyone looked at her.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  She didn't look back.

  Paul lost it. Then Liam. Lee was looking at the ground trying to hold it together and failing. John had drifted close enough to catch it all and was grinning with his hands in his pockets.

  Frank glanced over at the noise, took one look at the situation and faced forward again.

  "Do you see what I'm dealing with," Ste said.

  "It's ok mate, just admit it. Nothing wrong with losing to a better player," Paul said.

  Diane had a daft grin on her face.

  They walked on for a moment, the laughter settling.

  "So you're the five lads I've heard about," Diane said. "The ones who figured out magic first."

  "Yeah thats us." Liam smiled.

  Her notebook was already open. "I have so many questions."

  "Somehow I'm not surprised," Ste said, and for the first time since she'd appeared he looked almost comfortable.

  They crossed the barricade and headed out across the open ground.

  "Feels weird coming out here with so many of us," Parmo said.

  "Yeah, probably. Get used to it, once we know what's safe out here it won't just be us," Paul said.

  Mike looked over at the group of lads. "Around here fine?"

  "Yeah, this should do," Lee said.

  They spread out loosely across the grass and waited.

  A few minutes passed before the treeline moved.

  Shai stepped out first, one hand resting on the hilt at her hip, eyes moving across the group methodically. She took them all in, face giving nothing away, until her gaze found the five and settled on Lee for a moment. He smiled. She nodded once, then turned back to the trees.

  "It's clear."

  Rika came out of the treeline, wings tucked close, Torren ducking under a low branch a step behind her. The council took them in. A few shifted. Diane drew a quiet breath but nobody noticed.

  The elders followed. Merin first, then Yara, then Koss, who was already looking at the group with a slight smile.

  Then a man with wolf ears and a tail stepped out of the treeline.

  He was broad across the shoulders, steel cuirass catching the light, leather armour underneath worn and well fitted. Black wolf ears sat above black hair shot through with white, long and swept back. Two scars crossed his face, one running over his eye, a smaller one across his nose and cheek. A long curved two handed blade sat across his back, the handle visible above his right shoulder. His eyes moved across the group slowly.

  Frank straightened slightly without seeming to notice he'd done it.

  A second figure came out behind him. Where Torren was enormous this one was lean, medium height, a long black coat settling around him as he cleared the treeline. Beneath it, loose fitted clothing, nothing that suggested armour, the grin he was sporting suggested he didn't think he'd need it. Mohawk, muted green skin, two small tusks, one of them chipped. A scimitar at his hip.

  For a few seconds nobody moved as both groups stood and took each other in.

  Koss's eyes moved along the group, unhurried. They slowed on the five, dropped to wrists, then lifted to find Shai. The grin widened slightly.

  Shai's tail went still.

  Mike stepped forward.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you all. The lads here," he nodded toward the five, "have told us a great deal about the help you've already offered. Without it we'd still have no idea where we are or what we're dealing with. So on behalf of everyone in Monkhaven, thank you."

  He bowed his head. A few of the council followed. Frank gave a single nod.

  The boys looked at Mike, then at the village group, and did the same.

  Rika grinned.

  "I'll introduce everyone," Mike said. "Though I suspect they'll do a better job of explaining what they bring to the table than I will."

  He went through them. Frank, Gary, Diane, Mags, Terry, John, Janet. The people he'd pulled together to help work out what comes next — a soldier, an engineer, doctors, teachers, people who knew how to keep things running. He kept it brief.

  "And these five," he said, turning slightly, "are the ones who made first contact with your guard captain."

  "Hey, name's Liam."

  "I'm Ste."

  "Hey everyone, I'm Brendan."

  Rika snorted, then straightened up when Shai stared at her.

  "His actual name is Parmo. I'm Paul."

  "Name's Lee, nice to meet you all."

  Koss looked at Shai.

  Shai didn't give her the satisfaction and kept her eyes forward.

  Merin stepped forward. "I'm Merin, I oversee trade and general affairs for the village. Matters that affect Stonehall as a whole tend to find their way to my door."

  Yara spoke next. "Yara. Village protection, I direct the guard."

  Koss smiled at the group. "And I'm Koss. If Merin handles what affects the village and Yara handles what threatens it, I handle everything in between. The people, mostly. Who needs what, who's best placed to help, making sure nobody goes without what they need." She paused. "They also come to me when they don't want to bother the other two."

  Merin gave her a look before continuing.

  "These two," Merin said, gesturing to Kai and Ronan, "accompanied us from the village. The forest between here and Stonehall isn't always predictable."

  Kai gave his name and a nod. Nothing else.

  The grin on Ronan's face hadn't moved. "Good to meet you all. Name's Ronan."

  "And these three," Merin said, "are the ones who made contact with your men."

  "Name's Shai. I'm one of the guard captains of Stonehall."

  "Hi, I'm Rika and I handle scouting for the village." She glanced at Parmo. "I'll also be teaching Brendan here to use a bow."

  Parmo looked at her. "That's news to me."

  "It shouldn't be." She smiled. "We agreed."

  "Did we?"

  "Maybe? Either way its happening."

  "Ok..." said Parmo, laughing.

  A few others laughed alongside him.

  Then Torren stepped forward.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you all, my name is Torren of the Ironwood." His voice was warm and unhurried and carried easily across the open grass. "I'm a member of the guard under Shai here, though if I'm honest that is not what best describes me. I love to cook, to tend to growing things and love nothing more than to sit with a good brew in pleasant company." He paused, seeming to consider. "I've also been very much looking forward to meeting you all. I brought something to share, if the occasion presents itself."

  Diane coughed, then squirmed a little in place. She tried to hold it in and failed, a laugh escaping before she could stop it.

  "I'm so sorry," Diane said. "How rude of me."

  Torren looked at her and laughed. "Ah. Yes. That is more the reaction I usually get. Don't worry yourself on my behalf. Laughter is a wonderful thing for the soul."

  This set Diane off again.