Chapter Ten: Tangled Triangle[edit | edit source]

On their wedding night, Ivin Choerkin and Kinesee, bound by tradition but not intimacy, sleep restlessly, with Ivin consumed by worry for Rinold’s capture in the southern forest. A morning summons from Maro brings news of a rider, Mekrin, who reports Daksin Ravinrin’s failed rescue mission: 110 men, including Daksin and the Wayfinder, were incapacitated without bloodshed by yellow-eyed natives and captured, leaving 60 men under Seredon Tutlif at Green Mountain. Kinesee, asserting her new role as Lady Choerkin, insists on joining Ivin to hear the news, revealing her sleepless night and sharp resolve. At a contentious clan-blood meeting, Ivin proposes sending 1,500 warriors south led by Polus Broldun, but faces opposition from lords prioritizing the northern Tek threat. Kinesee, emboldened by a pigeon message from her father, Solineus, announces his discovery of 60,000 Emudar in Mulshahar and his plan to sail upriver via the Monsoon Strait to reunite the clans. She proposes traveling to Molikîn with Morik to study Helmveline’s ancient maps, leveraging Solineus’s trade ambitions to secure the Ironwing’s support for matching the clans’ warrior count. Sedut complicates matters by insisting Meliu accompany Kinesee, citing her ancient map’s relevance, sparking Kinesee’s ire due to Meliu’s past with Ivin. Despite personal tensions, Kinesee’s strategic gambit sways the council, who agree to send 1,500 warriors under Polus, contingent on her securing Helmveline’s commitment, while Ivin remains at the wall to face the Tek. As Polus and Ivin affirm their brotherhood, Kinesee, proud yet furious at Meliu’s inclusion, grapples with the tangled dynamics of duty, jealousy, and her pivotal role in uniting the clans and rescuing their kin.

WoG Chapter 9 — Tethered Silks
WoG Chapter 11 — Archiver's Work
Whispers of Ghosts — Main Chapter Listing