Later that night, Yuan Yi walked alone through the camp, pausing now and then to check on the wounded. Her steps were soft and steady lacking the arrogant demeanor of typical leaders.
Fighters sat around their campfires, listening to the crackle of burning wood as if it were the only warm thing left in their lives. A few bowed their heads to her, while others avoided her gaze entirely. Most of them just stared at the flames.
She stopped beside a young man whose arm was wrapped in makeshift bandages. "Change those," Yuan Yi said. "The herbs they used will rot before dawn."
The man blinked, startled that she addressed him. "Y–yes, envoy."
"Yuan Yi will suffice," she corrected him gently before moving on with her inspection. Behind her, two figures watched from the shadows. Zheng Huang and his second-in-command, Lian Ho.
