Maeve was kneeling beside Ronan.
She had already checked him. James could see that she had, and that she had known before she checked. She had closed his eyes and had not moved him. The ruined shield lay on the stone a little way off where it had fallen when the straps finally gave.
Finn walked over and picked it up.
He stood holding it with the split face toward him, and did not put it down or hold it out to anybody. He just stood there with it, as if he had picked it up to do something and then could not remember what.
James stood over Ronan.
From there he could see the others properly for the first time. Darragh lay near the line where he had stepped in front of Ciara. Mara lay where the red had reached her, beside the ice wall she had not finished. Ren lay with the katana close beside his hand, back in its scabbard.
Behind him he had just added one of the Seven to his army.
