Editing Battle of Breaking Iron (section)

==Will there be more fighting?==

Clear Moon shook his head.  "I don't know, my girls.  I can't be sure.  But I know that if they call again, I'll answer.  When the day was done we were feasted in the manse and given license to enjoy ourselves for a week of celebrations.  I've served before, and usually when the engagement is finished we're ready to leave and their ready to be rid of boarding us.  I don't know... but this time was different.  I was sad to leave the place.  It was peaceful there.  When we left they gave us all provisions for the journey home and gifts to every person that served; horse blankets and cloaks and a belly full of beer."

"There were many speeches on that day, about our nation, our land, and our people.  I don't remember that many of them; I've no head for high talk of that kind.  I remember the Storm saying that 'We are the Murakan, and we stand as one man against all who challenge our freedom'.  'Stand as one man', he said, and I could feel that he meant it, that he was ready to defend this land again and again from anything that challenged it.  I could see in his eyes that he loved the land, like a true son of Hiparkes, and would die before he saw it dirtied.  That's why he fought, that's why we all fought, and that's why I'll fight for him, for all of them, any day!"

His children looked up at him from the floor of the room, their faces filled with wonder at his words.  He smiled at them, and they saw that tears were filling his eyes, twinkling in the light of the glowing coals in the fireplace.  "You see, my precious girls, I don't have to be afraid for you any more.  I used to hear bad news from the south, and think that I'd die like my brothers did, leading a useless charge against an outmatched enemy while the real battle was fought by the exalted generals.  I don't feel that way any more.  Now we're lead by our own, and they will not waste a drop of this land's blood."

He pointed to the brand on his shoulder.  "The night before we left, I heard that some of the fangs were making brands captured swords to remember the fight.  This sun here is their sign, you see, and it stands for their high god, who gives them authority and lights our way.  When my fang heard, we thought we'd show our loyalty by making our own."

Lianor asked, "Did it hurt much?"

"Oh, it did.  It did.  We all took the brand and laughed about it, and decided that when we rode out of the manse in the morning we would all tear off our right sleeve to show them as we left.  The funny thing was, it wasn't just one or two scales that I saw with the brand in the morning.  I stopped at the gate and looked back to see if I could find anyone else that had taken the fire that night.  I stayed and checked them all, because I couldn't believe it.  Every one of them, every last man in the whole legion, rode out that day with only one sleeve, and when the sun rose it shone of five thousand reflections in the flesh and blood of the Marukan."