The border negotiation had been scheduled for two weeks.
Alpha Brennan of the Westreach pack had requested a formal meeting to discuss the territorial implications of the Blackthorn-Voss alliance on his eastern boundary; this was a legitimate concern that was diplomatically presented and required both alliance partners to attend the inter-pack discussion jointly, as stipulated by the new governance protocols. I had seen it on the schedule since day four and had noted it with the practical attention I gave to every obligatory event and then filed it away.
What I had missed, what was not on the schedule when I reviewed it on day four, was the accommodation detail that appeared in the briefing document three days before the meeting.
Westreach Keep was a six-hour ride. The meeting was sched
