The border brief at dusk was short and sharp.
Torren laid out the new rotations on a wide map spread across the council table. Red marks showed the increased coverage along the southern and eastern lines. Asher asked few questions. When he did, they were precise. I stood to the side and listened, absorbing the practical shape of the defense we were building. No one challenged my presence this time. The shift from the first meeting was small but real.
When the captains left, only Asher, Orrin, and I remained. Orrin placed a narrow wooden box on the table and opened it without ceremony. Inside lay several older pages protected between thin sheets of clarified hide — the fragments Asher had mentioned.
“These are the pieces we trust most,” Orrin said, his voice dry. “Copied from sources tha
