The first light of dawn came thin and gray over the temple grounds, the kind that made the soot and blood on the walls look even darker.
Smoke still drifted from the direction of the outpost, thinner now, more like the last breath of a fire than a proper plume. Inside the wards the wounded were already being moved.
Two of the temple guards had cuts that needed stitching. One of Kaelara's fighters had a deep bruise across the ribs from a shield rim and was breathing careful.
Aiden's left forearm carried a shallow slice he had not noticed until the adrenaline started to fade. Nothing fatal. Nothing that would keep them from standing a watch later.
Marta Vey arrived while the last of the stretchers were still being carried into the side hall. She wore the same plain coat she always did for early reports, hair tied back, face unreadable.
