Cliff sat in his room, his mind racing. He reviewed the numerous topics discussed during the council meeting earlier that day. So many decisions to make, so many issues to resolve, but some would have to be set aside, at least temporarily.
It had only been a week since the enemy's attack, yet the atmosphere in the fortress was eerily calm. Not even an insect dared to break the heavy silence. But Cliff knew this calm was only surface-deep; the tension in the air was palpable.
During this brief respite, however, the fortress remained in constant activity. While the soldiers used this time to recover their strength, the artisans were a different story. They were in a frenzy of work. The joy of working with metal again was evident in every move they made, and an impressive number of monster and demon hides were already being transformed into leather armor.
