Valhalla's first sunrise revealed three problems before the light reached the roof of the hall.
The first was that Max had made the battlefield too flat. From the hall it looked impressive, a broad sweep of green beneath snowcapped mountains, but fighters standing on the field could see every opponent and every objective. There were no gullies to defend, ridges to capture, streams to cross, or woods capable of concealing an ambush.
The second problem was the feast.
Anna had recruited volunteers from Sanctuary to test the food, and they had consumed enough roasted meat to confirm that an endless banquet became less appealing when every table served variations of the same thing.
The third problem was that two volunteers had spent an hour arguing about whether dying bravely with a bow entitled someone to enter a hall everyone associated with close combat.
Max solved the third problem first.
