For Irene, there was something so unbelievably strange about seeing people who hadn't been at the battlefield with them the entire time. They seemed so clean and hopeful. Faces not streaked with dirt or monster blood began to feel novel.
She fantasized about taking a bath with sweet-smelling soap and being able to submerge herself completely in warm water. It sounded like a luxury, even though it was something she had once gotten used to.
There were many aspects of her life she realized she took for granted.
Occasionally she was reminded that they were only a couple of short months away from winter. Being cold for months straight as she was before sounded so awful compared to the somewhat warm sleeping conditions she had gotten used to.
If it was for the kingdom, she could do it.
