Chapter 82: The Road of Stone and Sky
Leaving was a quieter, more surgical operation than their flight to Stillwater had been. There was no panic, only a grim, methodical packing. They were not fleeing a threat; they were walking toward one, armed with nothing but their wits and their worn, hard-won love.
Kaelen's preparation was military in its precision. He inventoried their supplies, calculated travel times between known waystations, and packed for every climate from coastal autumn to northern frost. He included weapons: his own knives, a short, sturdy bow for hunting, and a lightweight, reinforced leather jerkin for Elara. He also packed the family crests both the old and the new wrapped in lambswool. They were not weapons, but reminders.
