Timeline: TC1853.03.20 (Three days after previous recruits)
Location: Seven Peaks Territory, Eastern Valley
The woman arrived at midnight.
Raven woke to the defensive network's alert—not alarm, but heightened awareness. Someone was approaching the valley with a spiritual signature that was deliberately muted, footsteps that made no sound, a presence that tried very hard to be invisible.
Professional stealth. The kind that came from years of practice at not being noticed.
Through the Verdant Spire's enhanced perception, Raven watched the figure move through the forest beyond the southern wall. The living barrier's mycelial network tracked her movements through ground vibrations and air displacement. The thorns oriented toward her position but didn't activate defensive protocols.
Because the woman wasn't attacking. She was observing. Studying the defenses with analytical precision that suggested she was cataloging weaknesses, escape routes, and optimal approach vectors.
