Tyrus arrived at the Cinderrow command post later that afternoon with a small case in one hand and the expression of someone who had already been inconvenienced before entering the room.
"You brought me from a functioning laboratory to look at photographs."
Hans turned the display toward him.
"Yes. How were they?"
Tyrus stopped complaining, flicking his hair. "Mildly interested."
"Only mildly?"
"Kordula remains more interesting when she is annoyed."
"I thought you two were rivals."
"Rivals, not enemies."
Matilda pushed the photographs across the table.
"These came from all four inner approaches."
Tyrus set his case down and picked up the first one. The Cinderrow root occupied most of the image, exposed where artillery had opened the road.
"How fresh?"
"This morning."
He moved to the Aldermere photograph.
"And this?"
"Same."
Hans brought up the Kingswell recording.
"I thought it might be Hive growth. A new mutation. You've been cutting enough of that apart lately."
