By dawn, the corrupted bodies had been moved beyond the settlement walls.
Moonridge did not burn its dead near the houses. Evander explained that the valley winds changed too quickly, carrying smoke down from the ridge and through every open window. Instead, the bodies were laid beneath a canvas shelter beside the northern watchtower, where the ground had been cleared of snow and lined with salt, iron filings and crushed juniper.
Zinnia stood outside the shelter while Anya worked.
The healer had changed from her herb-stained sleeves into a thick leather apron, her black braid tucked beneath a woollen scarf. Two younger assistants moved around her in silence, passing knives, glass jars and clean cloths. The dead scout who had spoken with Veyr’s voice lay nearest the entrance.
Sentinel A
