Chapter Fifty-One: Silent Heads edit

Meliu, frustrated by Tek archer raids and arson attacks on Winter Home’s supplies, searches for Istinjoln priests but finds only Ilpen, who returns the Codex of Sol, reigniting her quest for answers amidst the Silone’s precarious survival. A Hidreng messenger summons Ivin to Iro’s tent, where he discovers the severed heads of key Tek commanders and the Bishop’s handmaiden, a chilling Edan warning. Iro, attributing the act to the Edan, declares the Hidreng and allied nations will withdraw, granting the Silone safe passage south but warning of hostility beyond Hidreng borders due to the Rot’s spread. Ivin, shaken, informs Solineus, who suspects the Edan are pressuring the Silone to leave Winter Home to avoid starvation. In a contentious clan council, Solineus proposes consulting Inslok or the Volvrolan to clarify the Edan’s intentions, urging the clans to encourage southward migration to alleviate Winter Home’s food strain. Amidst heated arguments, Rikis and Pikarn volunteer to join Solineus’ ride to New Fost, while Ivin stays to maintain order.