Morning came to Thorne Territory under a sky that already felt wrong. The light was there, pale and thin over the hills and cleared roads, but it carried none of the ease that usually came with dawn.
From the upper defensive platform near the central line, Noel could see how much of the territory had changed in only a short time. Trenches cut through open ground where there had once been grass and decorative paths. Wooden stakes and reinforced barriers marked the narrow approaches. Outer sections of forest had been thinned just enough to deny cover without stripping the land bare.
Mages stood in layered positions, checking the stability of barrier circles traced across roads, slopes, and shallow valleys. Dwarves moved through the heavier structures with carts of metal, stone, and mana cores. Elves held the higher watchpoints, their messengers already moving between posts with a speed that made the whole territory feel alive.
