One side of the lower palace entrance had cracked from when the mountain ridge beast had forced its way in, and several guards were already tying ropes around the broken wood to keep it from falling apart before proper repairs could start.
The attack had ended, but nobody felt like it was a normal victory.
There had been losses.
Some males had died.
Some were badly injured.
The number was not as terrible as it could have been because Isabella had warned Kian early, and because the village had prepared before the enemies came. But a life was still a life. A male who had stood guard at dinner yesterday would never return to his female again. A young hunter who had laughed with his brothers near the cooking fire would not wake up. Some homes were silent now in a way that made even the morning air feel heavier.
Still, the village had survived.
The palace had not fallen.
The women and children were safe.
And Isabella had delivered three babies.
