Caelan POV:
Kieran’s already waiting in the yard when we step outside, leaning against the low stone wall near the gates with his arms folded and his posture loose. His expression reads easy at first glance, but his eyes are sharp, tracking everything at once, the treeline, the patrols, the faint shift in the air as Elara steps fully into the open beside me.
Rhydan stands a few paces away, straight-backed and alert, hands clasped behind him, looking like a man waiting for orders. They both straighten when they see us.
Not with ceremony, not with rehearsed respect, not with any of the stiff posturing the council mistakes for loyalty, but with something quieter and sharper. Rhydan’s natural protective attention that settles around Elara without crowding her. It’s subtle, easy to miss if y
