The announcement came at the evening meal, in the spacious hall where Frosthold gathered to break bread and share news.
I sat at Kaelen's side, as I had for the past several days, my place at the high table becoming familiar if not yet comfortable. Elara sat on my other side, her warm presence a buffer against the assessing stares that still followed my every move. The hall buzzed with conversation, the clatter of utensils, and the crackle of the great hearths—the ordinary sounds of a fortress at peace.
Then Captain Torvin rose from his place among the warriors.
He did not need to call for silence. His standing was enough. The conversations died, heads turned, and eyes fixed on the scarred leader of the Mountain Watch. He waited until the last murmur faded, until the hall was utterly still, before he spoke.
