The training grounds were empty when I finally made my way outside, the last of the warriors having retreated to their quarters for the evening meal. The mist from the morning had burned off hours ago, replaced by the golden glow of a setting sun that painted the sky in shades of orange and pink. It should have been beautiful. Instead, it felt like the calm before a storm.

I walked the perimeter alone, my boots crunching on the gravel path that circled the main field. The mud pits had been drained and covered, the shield racks secured, the weapons locked in the armory. Everything was in order—neat, organized, prepared...