Kael woke in the darkness before dawn.
The longhouse was silent. He sat up, checked his sword, and listened. Outside, the courtyard fire had burned down to ash. The woman, the boy, and Liang Hong would be in one of the smaller buildings by now, asleep.
He stood and walked to the storage room.
The bandits had left dried meat, hard flatbread, and two waterskins. Kael ate methodically, chewing the tough meat until it softened, washing it down with water. He filled one waterskin, tied it to his belt, and wrapped the remaining food in cloth.
The sky outside showed the first gray hints of dawn.
Kael stepped into the courtyard. The bodies from yesterday still lay where they had fallen. He walked past them, through the gate, and onto the road heading west.
He looked back once.
The stronghold sat dark and quiet.
Then he turned and kept walking.
---
The road stretched ahead, empty and uneven.
Kael walked at a steady pace, scanning the trees on either side. An hour in, he stopped.
