They did not linger after the attack.
What had once been a measured journey became something sharper, more purposeful. Orders passed quickly through the column before the sun had fully risen, and by the time the first light broke across the horizon, the camp had already been struck.
No one complained.
No one questioned.
They moved with the formation changed.
It was subtle at first - small adjustments in spacing, shifts in who rode where - but by midday, the difference was unmistakable. The column had tightened. Scouts ranged farther ahead. The Queensguard rotated more frequently, their positions no longer fixed but fluid, adapting to terrain and visibility with constant precision. Frost Fire's efficiency was shown clearly.
At the front of it all, Killan and Aya rode.
