I got the message during breakfast. A formal summons from the Crimson Assembly requiring my attendance at Eldermarch Palace. Two items on the agenda hit Graymoor square in the face: the ongoing Corvin Strait dispute with Alpha Cyrus's territory and the growing Moonless Order threat that multiple packs were now reporting.
"Perfect," I muttered, tossing the paper onto the table. "Just what I needed today."
I spent the next hour getting ready. I took Elder Maren with me—she had the steady presence the Assembly respected—and a solid group of our best fighters for show. Before we loaded up, I pulled Callum aside in the main hall.
"Keep the house tight while I'm gone," I told him. "Double the western border watches. Any Moonless movement, I want to know immediately. No hero shit. Observe and report."
Callum nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"
I glanced toward the stairs. "If anything weird happens with the tether or the seal, handle it. I'll be back by evening."
