Anya grimaced, shifting slightly on the cot. "I pushed myself too hard," she admitted with a weak chuckle. "I was jumping and dodging so much during the battle that I strained a muscle in my stomach. Well, I'm too old to be that flexible anymore... not in my prime."
Rhino frowned. "You should have rested," he scolded gently. "You can't fight if you're injured."
Anya let out a tired chuckle. "I know, I know," she said. "But I couldn't just stand by and watch my Valkyries fall. They needed me."
Rhino's expression softened. He understood his mother's fierce protectiveness of her people. It was one of the qualities he admired most about her.
"Just rest now, Mom," he said, his voice soothing. "I am the prince of Fjorland, your son. Let me lead the Valkyries."
