Chapter 148: War (Part 5)
As she climbed the stairs toward the command post on the eastern walls, Leah caught a glimpse of the aftermath of the battle that had taken place along the river. The dark humps of corpses could be seen on both sides of the river, still warm enough that the snow that fell on them melted. The fire on the sinking Gryphon II had spread to other ships, and, having run aground at the entrance to the forest, its flames had ignited the low-hanging, leafless branches of the Borderwoods. Several trees were already blazing, pouring smoke into the sky. The snow was picking up. Leah hoped it would be enough to quench the flames before they became a wildfire.
"What's all this?" said Olorus, behind her.
The command post was crowded with people. She recognized Pool and Borris-crewmen of the original Gryphon, since promoted to captains in the Athacean League. There was Cimon Endrus, as expected, as well as Hook with a shallow cut across his lower jaw. Standing beside him was Sif of the Cru.