The Riverlands dawned under a pall of silence. Where once morning horns had sounded to mark the watch’s change, now only the crackle of fires and the distant wails of the afflicted rose with the sun.
The fortress of Dunharrow stood firm upon its hill, but inside its walls, unity was crumbling. The lords who had ridden proudly beneath Cael’s banner now gathered in whispers, each nursing their own fears.
The sickness had become more than an affliction—it had become a weapon.
---
Discord Among the Lords
The council chamber that morning was thick with tension. Cael sat at the head of the war table, his flame-mark pendant gleaming faintly in the torchlight. Around him, the Riverlords argued bitterly.
Lord Alden struck first, his voice sharp as steel.
“The madness spreads, yet still you m
