Chapter Sixty-Nine: Walls and Foundations
The council hall was warm with firelight, the central hearth crackling against the cold of late winter. Snow clung to the boots and cloaks of the council members as they filed in, brushing frost from their shoulders. Kael sat at the head of the table, Lyria to his right, Druaka to his left, and Fenrik standing guard near the doors like a sentinel wolf.
On the table lay fresh maps sketched by scouts, showing the Hollow's walls and the surrounding forests.
Defenses of the Hollow
Kael's voice was low but carried easily, the kind of tone that quieted the entire chamber.
"The border sightings are too frequent to ignore. If adventurers or mercenaries come, they'll come first to test our strength. We'll be ready."
Thalos leaned forward, thick fingers pressing into the map. "We build watchtowers here, here, and here." He jabbed three circles along the wall's perimeter. "High enough to see through the treelines. Enough to signal the entire Hollow if trouble comes."
Lyria added, "And ballistae atop the walls. If they bring siege engines or ogres of their own, we'll need more than arrows."
Druaka grunted approval. "Stone at the base. Wood atop. Quick to repair, strong enough to stand."
Fenrik bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. "And patrols, doubled. No corner of the wall unwatched. If they come creeping, we'll smell them before they step from the brush."
Kael listened, nodding, his mind already pulling the threads together. "Good. We'll begin work tomorrow. Assign the dwarves to stone, the humans to wood, the elves to fletching arrows for the towers. By the end of spring, I want the Hollow ringed in eyes and steel."
A murmur of agreement passed through the council. The first fear of being watched had turned into determination — as it always did when Kael set the tone.
A Different Kind of Proposal
Just as Kael moved to close the meeting, Thalos cleared his throat. The giant's eyes flicked to the others before resting on Kael.
"There is… one more matter."
Kael frowned. "Speak."
Lyria leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly as if she'd caught a scent of something unsaid.
Thalos gestured to the plans laid aside on the far end of the table. "We've spoken, Kael, about what this Hollow is becoming. Not just a refuge — a nation. A kingdom, if you'll have it. A people need more than walls and markets. They need a heart. A place where their leader resides."
Kael arched a brow. "You want to build another hall?"
"Not just a hall," Druaka said, her deep voice cutting in. She slid the rolled parchment across to him. "A home."
Kael unrolled the parchment, his eyes tracing the sketched outline. His brow furrowed as the details came into focus.
It was vast — a great building set in the Hollow's center, part fortress, part sanctuary. Massive chambers lined its interior: a council chamber larger than the one they now sat in, private rooms for Kael, Lyria, and even Druaka if she wished, quarters for visiting leaders, libraries, armories, and training halls. A true keep.
A king's keep.
Lyria's lips parted in surprise as she leaned closer. Even she hadn't been told.
Kael looked up slowly, his expression unreadable. "You planned this without me?"
Thalos rumbled, "We knew you'd never ask for it yourself. But you'll need it. A leader cannot live forever in tents and borrowed halls. A king must have a seat that endures."
Druaka nodded, her tusks catching the firelight. "It will be a symbol. A place the people can look upon and know they are safe. That their king is not just a shadow in the woods, but a man they can find, a hearth they can gather around."
For a long moment, Kael said nothing. His chest felt tight — not with anger, but with something deeper, heavier. Gratitude.
At last, he nodded, voice quieter than usual. "You've given me more than I can put into words. I thought I was building for you, but you've shown me… you're building for me too." He clenched a fist against his chest, bowing his head. "Thank you."
The council members inclined their heads in return, some with smiles, some with solemn pride.
The Southern Wall
The meeting adjourned. Kael walked alone into the crisp night air, the snow crunching under his boots. The Hollow glowed behind him with firelight and laughter, but he turned toward the southern wall.
The walls loomed high, timbers dark against the moonlight. He ran a hand across the beams, testing their strength, feeling the vibration of life within the wood. Strong, but always needing work. Just like their people.
As he rounded the far corner, he froze.
An old woman stood just beyond the wall, her white hair cascading in long braids, her cloak heavy with frost. She leaned on a twisted staff, her frame stooped but her presence somehow commanding. Her skin bore the pale, silver tint of the elder elves, and her eyes glowed faintly like starlight.
She was not one of his people.
Kael's hand drifted to his blade, Umbra growling low at his side.
The old woman raised a hand in a gesture of peace, her voice carrying across the snow like wind through hollow trees.
"Peace, Shadowborn. I have walked long roads to find you."
Her words hung in the cold night air, heavy with meaning.