Brightblade's Fortress

Arran felt a brief surge of panic when he read Brightblade's message. It was almost time for Snowcloud to return, and for a moment, he feared Brightblade had summoned him because something had happened to her.

Yet his concern faded as quickly as it had come. If Snowcloud was in danger — or worse — then Brightblade certainly wouldn't respond by summoning Arran. Rather, she would enter the borderlands immediately, and anyone who had harmed Snowcloud would soon regret it.

Whatever the reason for Brightblade's summons, it had to be something different. And if he were to guess, Arran thought it would be something related to his training. With her new responsibilities, she'd had little time to be involved in that, and he knew the matter caused her some frustration — especially because the Matriarch still taught him several times a week.

But whatever the reason for Brightblade's summons, there was no point in delaying, and he sought out Jovan immediately.