"Hmm?" Anne turned and focused her faraway eyes on Kyle. His guitar lay on the floor next to him and he rubbed his hands together.

"She's not exactly the soldier type, is she, Shira?" Kyle grinned and Shira gave a small smile in return. "I mean, I can't exactly imagine her bashing someone's brains out. And if she did, she'd apologize right afterwards, wouldn't you, Anne?"

Someone giggled loudly.

"Kyle," Anne said. "You're being silly."

"What's the matter? Aren't you excited?"

"I don't get excited over battles." Anne finally smiled. "And it might not be a battle. It might be nothing."

"It's not nothing," Kyle said surely. "By tomorrow night, I'll be full of tales about how our side kicked the ass of the enemy." Kyle picked up his guitar and started strumming. The chords came together in a tune, and Kyle started singing recklessly.

"Other men sing of noble death,
Of martyrdom sad and sweet.
But I'll come back with victory songs
And a pile of corpses at my feet."

Anne caught Shira's eyes and shook her head.