"Your Majesty." Serena dipped her head. "The four riding teams you provided were the absolute best and it showed. Your mages have been healing the cleansed dragons as they landed and showed my mages the techniques used. I could not have done this without your help. Every dragon and man on this field is alive because your forces were here."
The queen received the report the way she received everything. With composure. Without comment. Her blue eyes swept the field once, counting her dragons, confirming her riders, assessing the operational status of her force with the automated thoroughness of a commander whose body performed post-battle inventory the way other bodies performed breathing.
She gave a nod. The nod was acceptance.
Then Serena turned towards the wall to where Shadowclaw warriors and mages stood.
THUMP.
Fists thunderclapped chests from every wolf, every archer, every guard, every officer, and every mage.
Then Beta Griffin Sharpe spoke.
