rm

first thing

che in her chest that had become so fam

war

he air, thick and earthy, as comforting as it was foreign. Her lashes

anket-real fur, plush and thick. Beneath her, the mattress gave slightl

't the fo

s snapp

didn't recognize-runes, maybe. Ancient. A fire burned low in the hearth across

oo fast. The

m. Heavy beams framed the ceiling. A carved wooden door stood shut to

as old. Time

not

looke

one had tended her wounds. Her arms were bandaged. The grime beneath her fingernail

d touc

arbone. The mark was still there-cooler now, bu

?" she whispe

arely broke

wasn't empty

coiled behind the walls. Like the breath

bare feet meeting p

er chest like a stone

asn't

t a pris

lder. Wilder. Boun

ort

just any

an stro

ed low and steady. The air tasted of iron and ash-like somethin

et, the cold stone biting at her sole

eded a

faintly when she passed. Every step echoed, even when she tried to move quietly. Her heart pou

d a corner

across their chests, blades at their hips. Their ey

ed to the other, n

at's

odded. "The girl

corridor twisted and opened into a larger hall-stone columns and arched cei

Urg

touched

ered, hushed

ared. I saw it w

d, breath

be. She shou

r collarbone, finge

l th

ll

t by the warriors or whispers-but by the stone itself. Like this

aning against the wall to catch her breath.

she whispered, eyebrows

, part of her

ith the g

ho'd foug

t her befor

r like it wei

spers were afra

t far before t

, eyes like sharpened steel. He didn't speak.

omm

ll

aze made it clear. Refusing wasn't an

in step b

walls were no longer polished. They were etched-scarred with ancient runes that

id nothing. Ne

lent, confident, controlled-spoke of discipline forged through war, not

iers. Protecto

sn't a

acks built li

d unreadable. No one bowed. No one smiled. No one offered comfort or

asn't ruled

uled by

omething-sat at

owing around her. Torches flickered like nervous

he hea

vo

mooth.

ud. It didn'

e western ridge. I want eyes on e

it stopped

use it w

ause it

e. A tone that didn

in its p

him yet, but sh

istened whe

ulse

ormous ironwood doors. Runes glowed faintly along

finally tu

ession w

meaning

En

ide

oice

he

ycan

deliberate-like the fortress

lungs forgo

through the

ast from t

hadow in

the

frame filled the room-tall, broad-shouldered, unapologetically lethal.

edge the warriors lining the stone walls wit

looked

his

ld. Stil

More restrained.

thousand decisions made too soon, of blood s

presence pulled the room into sile

at, neither o

breath

ide, itching to shield her mark, e

already

eady seen

lly spoke, i

sn't

ade drawn i

to tell me eve

ked the silenc

, all her stubbornness-cou

t even know what

s about to