Chapter 44: The First Crack
The Great Hall of Silverfang Keep was quiet, the silence a stark contrast to the roaring festivities of the night before. The scent of roasted meat and spiced wine had been replaced by the crisp aroma of pine solstice used by the cleaning staff, scrubbing away the evidence of the feast. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, illuminating motes of dust dancing in the air, the only movement in the vast space.
Kael and Lyra sat at the head table, not on the dais, but at its edge, their chairs turned towards each other. Between them were scattered data tablets, half-empty mugs of kolfa, and the pleasant, shared exhaustion of a battle won.
