Aware. Waiting.
In his pack, the carved Fenryn figure and the braided bundle of forest plants that smelled like leaves and flowers.
He checked the communication stone one more time.
A message from Lyra, sent in the narrow window when signal penetration through the temporal field was best — the early morning, which he'd told her was the clearest transmission time.
Five days estimated until Inquisitor arrival. Settlement is ready. Cael is performing protocol drills daily. Vessa's outer network is functioning. Aldric's support force is twelve hours out — they'll arrive within twelve hours of our engagement. Freda says she worked on the transit rune adaptation with Morgana and she wants to know if it held in the field. Tell Morgana she said well done. The child is well. We're all well. Find him and end this.
He read it twice.
