We all looked at Nyx. She did not care and kept chewing. Oh well, she probably deserved a treat after all the fighting.

“Good job Nyx, please don’t eat my minion next time.”

I had a feeling she only acknowledged the first half of my sentence.

“This was our first real battle! We need to celebrate our victory!” Helena suggested.

“We are still on guard duty.” I pointed out.

“Afterwards, obviously.” She corrected herself. “Maybe we can get some extra beer…”

“You should wait for Peter’s announcement before you make any plans.” Irene said. “Also, get that arm bandaged.” She said to Skadi.

“Yes ma’am.”

Irene left towards the forest. Maybe she was making sure that no more spiders approached.

“Thanks for protecting me.” I told my friends.

“We keep you alive, you raise an army! That is why we are a great team!” Helena said.

“I think I have something for your arm, Skadi.” Cassie said.

“It’s not that bad, but thanks.”

“STUDENTS, ASSEMBLE AT THE FOREST SIDE ENTRANCE!” Peter shouted.

We were already at the right place. Skadi’s wound did not require immediate treatment so we just waited here until the other students arrived. Some had minor wounds as well. I spotted Leo, who was accompanied by a skeletal wolf, his first undead. It was only tier two and not as cool as Nyx. Soon, everyone was gathered.

“Congratulations, you survived your first battle!” Peter said. “Now, before the rumour mill gets out of hand, this was not planned. Someone sabotaged the wards we placed around the camp. And lured those spiders here. This was not normal behaviour for them. Those monsters are called forest spiders. They vary in size. Some of them are capable of spitting acid and their bite is venomous. The queen is as big as a wagon but does not normally leave the nest. Irene is investigating the area. If anyone has been bitten, talk to Victoria.”

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A few students started to move. “Talk to her after my speech.” The students froze. “The venom is not lethal. Now, first years will clean up the camp. If you find a spider corpse that is not too damaged, you can drop it at the supply wagon. The others will be burned. Take care of your wounds. It is now 01:33. You will all get some extra beer to celebrate and calm down. We will start two hours later tomorrow. Guard shifts are cancelled for tonight. I will take care of our security. Second years assemble around my tent, you will get further instructions. Dismissed.”

“Good job.” Torben praised us. Then he left towards Peter's tent.

“Yes, more beer!” Helena said. “Let’s party!”

“I will grab some bandages, you get the beer.” Cassie suggested. “Oh, and I will take care of burning the remaining spider corpses.” She said with a grin.

I nodded and walked towards the supply wagon with Helena. “I saw your undead spiders, so cool! It’s a shame that I don't have any area attacks yet. I wish I could do the mist thing that Nyx does.”

My undead companion walked next to us. There was still a crunching sound coming from her mouth. She took her time devouring the spider.

“We have a lot to learn. Irene’s spell was incredible. One moment we faced a horde, then there was only ash.”

“She is really powerful, yes. I think she might be the strongest at the academy, after the headmaster.”

“He told me Irene would handle any problems. Do you think I was the target of the attack?”

“There is a strong possibility. But that move could have killed other nobles. So it’s an odd choice for an assassination. I suppose it could have been a test of the camp’s defences. It could be an attack on the academy itself. It could be another nation trying to weaken us.” Helena shrugged. “Let the teachers investigate. We will focus on drinking!”

“A shame that we don’t have some nice food to go with the beer. Do you think there will be any edible spiders left? What does spider taste like?” I wondered.

“I never had a forest spider. Frost spiders can be quite nice with the right sauce. It does take a skilled chef to prepare them though.” She sighed. “I miss good food. Maybe we will be able to hunt something tomorrow…”

The wagon was rather busy and it took us a while to get drinks. Afterwards we met the others at our tents. The spider corpses had been taken care of, in a way. Cassie had used them for our campfire. Skadi had wiped herself to remove the spider bits from her body. Cassie was applying the bandage as we arrived.

“We got beer!” Helena announced.

“How is the arm?” I asked Skadi.

“It’s fine. They did not get any venom into the wound, I think. At least I don’t feel anything. If it gets worse I will talk to Victoria.”

Everyone grabbed a mug. “To our first battle, may we achieve many more victories!” Helena said.

“To victory!” We clinked our mugs.

“Ah, beer is great after a fight!” Helena said.

“What is missing is a hot bath.” Cassie added.

“Mhm. Have you ever been to a hot spring? We have them in the north. It’s nice soaking in hot water, surrounded by ice and snow.” Helena said.

“Hot springs are amazing.” Skadi agreed.

“I have never experienced that. It does sound nice.” I said.

“Surrounded by ice? That does not sound too pleasant…” Cassie worried.

“Nonsense, that makes it even more relaxing! You are all invited during our next break!” Helena offered.

We spent a bit longer celebrating our victory. It felt good. I had stood my ground and contributed to our success. We had warned the camp and held until reinforcements arrived. Maybe it was the drinking, or Nyx purring softly, but when I crawled into my tent I fell asleep quickly.