The column moved out at first light.
No ceremony left in it now, just riders, gear, and the steady beat of hooves cutting down the northern track. They left the headland like it had always been part of the plan to leave, like they were simply continuing something paused rather than ending anything.
Aria stood in the tower arch and watched them go.
Five months ago, she’d stood in the same place for a different departure. Back then it had felt like a door shutting behind her old life, locking it out for good. Today, the feeling was different. Softer, steadier. Like watching people head home after a long stay, knowing the road back wasn’t a question anymore. Five hundred miles didn’t feel like a wall now. It felt like something love could cross without breaking a sweat.
Vael rode at the f
