The guildhall's largest room held eleven seats, three route maps, two sealed cases, and enough floor space for Ash to move every marker.
Hajin took the head chair until Eirwen's twelve Shards lifted it aside, leaving the seat beside the others with its worn back facing the wall.
Eirwen touched the map and said, "The map isn't a throne, because this journey can't begin with one person pretending every road ends at his hand."
Hajin looked at the empty place and replied, "Then the first decision belongs to whoever knows the next road best, and the rest of us listen."
Eirwen pulled the Alder route toward herself, while Juna marked the northern ridge and Loccy measured the space needed for supply wagons.
Vella laid a gold thread over the medical line, Ferra arranged the instruments, and Rumi plus Nari stood opposite one another across the map.
Didi kept the Crown seal wrapped beside her hand, while the Watcher sat at the far end with Ash against her side.
