Chapter 4 — Chapter Three

Elowen

Three tall arched windows pierce the wall of the council chambers, framing mountains painted in hues of orange and brown. Torches in black iron sconces flicker between them, casting restless shadows, while a low fire smolders in the curved stone hearth, its faint crackle mingling with the scent of charred wood and cold stone. A massive oval table, etched with crude carvings of wolves mid-howl, dominates the space. Four men stand around it, their gazes snapping to me as I cross the threshold.