As the Sun eclipsed over the low mountains on the horizon, burning funeral pyres could be seen dotting the land like fireflies. The smoke from the burning casualties of war rose to the sky and then moved westward with the winds, raining ashes as it traveled. Another day of fighting, another victory for Ayyike. Tojo had not been present for the battle as he was still recovering from previous one. He could've fought back to back in his prime, but those years were long behind him. A piece of ash from one of the pyres gently floated in through his window where he now watched the sunset. It landed softly in his open palm, bringing it closer to his face he examined it thinking of the Occitan who besieged his village. "If they bring more men, we shall provide them more ashes", he said to himself. After one last look at the ashes in his palm he took a deep breath and blew them out the window back into the night sky.