Same chamber. Same twelve elders in their semi-circle, same stone walls, same torchlight. But the crowd had more than doubled—warriors and villagers pressed together around the perimeter, spilling into every gap, everyone craning to see.
Korin sat at the center of the elder arc like he'd always owned it. Spine straight. Face composed. He watched them enter and didn't bother hiding that he'd already decided how this would go.
Mira sat off to the side, expression giving nothing away.
Faelyn had stopped expecting anything else from her when she was that way.
They stopped in the center of the room. Same formation as before — Faelyn between her two chiefs, the three of them saying everything without opening their mouths.
We stand together. Still... Come at us.
Elder Mara rose and the room went quiet before she'd even drawn breath to speak.
"Three days have passed."
The room was already silent before Mara opened her mouth.
