Lenora's POV
We returned to Ironbridge to find Kellan waiting.
He had stayed at the confluence settlement during the Verath trip, under a loose supervision arrangement that Yeva had implemented with her usual pragmatic efficiency. He had been helping with the settlement's supply management — practical, physical work that he seemed to find settling.
He heard about the capital hearing before we arrived. Tola's message system had been fast, and news in the confluence moved by word of mouth with the efficiency of small communities that have learned information is survival.
When he saw us coming across the bridge, he came forward. He looked at Bramwell first, which I understood — Bramwell was the Alpha, the authority, the measure of what was possible for him. Then he looked at me.
"She's i
