Chapter 96: Reclaimed Ground

  Moravin began testing pressure.

  The contact was sustained but non-decisive—enough to stretch the outpost without committing fully. Arrows skimmed the outer walls; small bands moved forward and back. Nothing decisive, yet every movement carried weight.

  Laurent’s squad held tight, positioned just behind the first line of contact. They were not at the very front. Seven strong, two leaders hovering nearby, ready to intervene—but the actual line was manned by Pelin’s second company, stationed to cover the perimeter and respond to sudden escalations.

  Lirien’s presence was felt rather than seen. She moved along the inner positions, hands on the walls, eyes scanning points of possible collapse, stabilizing areas beyond Laurent’s immediate control, directing the fallback zones silently.

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  Laurent observed, patient. He didn’t push forward. He didn’t engage beyond orders. The squad learned from the pattern—movement, hesitation, and the consequences of overreach.

  The enemy prodded. Nothing more. The line bent where it had to, but no one broke.

  Laurent let the moment stretch. Squad discipline wasn’t like a trained army, but their respect for him made them work together, and that was enough.

  Salen, trembling slightly, steadied herself beside the wall, absorbing the rhythm of controlled tension. She wasn’t at the front either; her role was to hold position and maintain composure where others might falter.

  Beyond the walls, Pelin’s second platoon remained visible and ready, covering escape routes and reinforcing points of potential breach. Osmel watched from the inner command tower, adjusting reports and coordinating reserves. The other Vanguard moved along the flanks—silent, present, a deterrent in case the enemy committed.

  Laurent’s eyes swept over his small team. Seven, patient, positioned correctly. Not heroes. Not reckless. Reaction, containment, survival.

  The probe continued. The outpost held. The enemy tested. Nothing more.