By the time Vinnandra got to the Brienda fortress, it was well into night. However, it was hardly obvious that it was night with the way the atmosphere was lit with a fire so blazingly bright it threatened to scorch her skin.
The side of the fortress was a fiery yellow and red, illuminating the fortress from a distance. So even though Vinn was still a distance away from the side of the fortress Astrid was supposed to be at, it was well illuminated, and the figures scampering there stood out to her like ants from her vantage view.
Multiple dragons and riders whipped past them, causing Zalreth to slow down in the event of a collision with another dragon which they already knew from experience was not a good thing. The checkpoint was no different, and it was already on a tight lockdown, disallowing anyone who was not a military rider from entering.