It was very early the next morning, and the Ravenscroft estate was already as lively as could be, countless servants and soldiers alike making a stir before dawn.
Orders had already been passed through the night, and by sunrise the courtyard was alive with movement as people gathered in neat lines.
Men and women wearing dark armor gathered in lines, their suits gleaming faintly under the pale light. Horses were being saddled, wagons rolled in one after another, and the banners of the various Houses that sent their support decorated them.
There was a thick scent in the air, one Morena couldn't quite name, but she knew it well.
Morena walked slowly upon a slightly elevated platform near the front of the crowd and stood, her eyes gazing upon each and every soldier that was ready to fight and die for the city.
Her cloak rested on her shoulder over her armor, and in her hand she held a new spear that had been remade for her, heavier than the previous one, longer.
