"Yes. But their control is fragile." She moved her hand lower on the map.
"Here, in Hollowfang Valley, old battlefields remain littered with rusted weapons and unburied bones. Some say the spirits of the fallen wander at night, whispering in the wind."
Kael frowned. "Spirits?"
Selena smirked. "I don't scare easily. But the North is full of places like that. Take the Shattered Spire, for example—an ancient tower split by lightning. It's said the strike wasn't natural but divine punishment."
She flipped to another note.
"There's also Bloodpine Grove, where the trees bleed red sap like open wounds, and Blackthorn Ridge, covered with poisonous brambles sharp enough to pierce steel."
Kael swallowed. "And people live near those places?"
