Chapter 438 - After the Ashes, the Quiet

Camp had settled into a hush, blanketed beneath the soft golden warmth of late afternoon. The tents stood in orderly rows, slouched like weary soldiers themselves, their flaps tugged half-open to invite the breeze. The aroma of cooked broth and baked root still lingered faintly in the air, though the fire pits had since been covered to smother the embers. For once, there was no shouting, no marching, no clash of swords—only the steady rhythm of sleep.