Chapter 16The city gates stood open through Midwinter night so the people of the valley could come in to watch the ambassadress’s return. The open gates also allowed the Defenders who’d been wandering the land in the waning year to return to the training hall in time to take part in the morning’s crossings. Thorat heard them come in and take their places beside him – first Sunna, then Forlan and Ferrent. As the first birds of morning began to sing, Sovara sounded the ceremonial gong to break the silence. They bowed to Anara together, then turned to greet one another.
Sunna reported that the gates of the dragons were all more or less where they’d last been, as far as she could tell, but that the roads had been rough in the north and that the villages were less friendly than usual, which wa
