I headed down the narrow stone steps into the basement, the air getting cooler and damper with every step. My boots echoed a little too loud in the quiet. Kalia followed close behind, her steps softer, like she was still half-expecting something bad to jump out.
At the bottom I found the heavy iron door I'd been told about. No fancy lock—just a thick bar I could slide by hand. I lifted it, pushed, and the door groaned open.
Inside… damn.
Piles of coins. Gold mostly, some silver mixed in, stacked in rough wooden chests and spilling onto the floor in places. Not palace-level wealth, but for a clan this size? Enough to make a real difference. Enough to fix a lot of what got broken.
I crouched, ran my fingers through one of the nearer piles. Cold, heavy, real. My stomach did a weird flip—not greed exactly, more like… relief mixed with guilt. This was here the whole time while people slept in damaged huts.
I scooped a decent handful—then another—until the small leather pouch I'd brought felt satisfyingly heavy. Not greedy heavy. Just enough.
"Come on," I told Kalia, standing up. "Keep following me. We've got people to see."
She nodded once, quiet, eyes flicking between me and the gold like she still wasn't sure what I was doing.
We climbed back up, through the chief's hut, out the front. I didn't stop to talk to anyone who tried to bow or ask questions—just kept walking south toward the girl's hut. The one I'd left them at earlier.
When I rounded the last bend and saw them still standing there—exactly where I'd told them to wait—air left my lungs in a long breath. They hadn't run. They hadn't been dragged off. Still here.
The boy was leaning hard against the wall, face pale, legs trembling under him. Looked worse than before.
Kalia saw him at the same time I did. She made a small sound and hurried forward without asking. Dropped to her knees in the dirt, hands already glowing soft green as she pressed them to his shins.
I watched the boy's face. The tight, pained lines around his eyes and mouth started to loosen almost right away. His breathing evened out. He didn't say anything—just closed his eyes and let his head tip back against the wood.
I turned to the girl. She was staring at Kalia and her brother, arms wrapped tight around herself.
I pulled the pouch from my belt, stepped closer, and held it out.
"Here," I said. "Consider this payment for the damage to your house. And… yeah, I know it's not enough on its own. I'll talk to the builders later—get them to put up a new one. Proper this time."
Her hands shook when she took it. The leather clinked. Her eyes filled up fast; tears spilled over before she could stop them. She clutched the pouch against her chest like it might disappear.
"Thank you," she whispered. Voice cracked. "Thank you… Chief."
I just nodded. Didn't know what to say that wouldn't sound stupid.
Behind me Kalia stood up, brushing dirt off her knees. The boy's color was better already. He gave a small, tired nod my way.
"Done?" I asked her.
She wiped her hands together. "Done."
"Good. Let's head back to the hut. I need to sit down and figure out how bad the rest of the damage is… and what the hell we're going to rebuild first. That last rebellion tore through too much."
She nodded again—calm, steady—and fell in step beside me.
The walk back felt longer. My head was already spinning with lists: roofs, walls, food stores, the well that got cracked… Too much at once.
We reached the chief's hut. I pushed through the door to my room, dropped into the chair at the desk, pulled out a blank sheet of rough paper and a piece of charcoal. Started scratching the worst spots I could remember, trying to make some kind of order out of the mess.
I didn't hear the door open again.
Didn't hear it close either.
Just felt the air change—someone in the room.
I turned fast in the chair.
A bunny-woman stood there. Tall. Curves that damn near made the doorway look small. Huge chest, even bigger hips and ass. Ears up, eyes locked on me.
She took one slow step forward, then another.
"Ragnar," she said, voice low and warm, like we'd known each other forever. "It's been a long time."
Ragnar eyes widened, "Bella? Is that you?"