Torabar does not move. Lord Fyne remains seated. Sembral folds his hands together and waits.
The doors close.
The quiet that follows belongs to them.
Sevrin's attention moves between those who remain. "How many?"
"Five," Torabar replies. "Those who understand."
Sevrin inclines his head. "Then speak."
"Morrath."
Lord Fyne’s voice follows, his posture composed. "We continue to rely on it in limited capacity," he says. "Small deployments. Enough to influence movement where necessary."
Sevrin turns toward him. "And the eastern routes?"
"They remain under control. The goldmines continue to produce. We have used Morrath to regulate the trade flow. Caravans that resist do not reach their destination." A brief pause. "The Threns have grown more aggressive in response. Their use of the undead has increased."
Sembral exhales slowly. "They are pushing," he says. "Testing what we can hold."
Torabar inclines his head once. "They believe we are limited."
Sevrin's fingers press lightly against the table. "And are we?"
"Yes," Torabar says, and the word holds. "At present you are able to call upon only a small number at a time. Enough to disrupt. Not enough to command anything larger."
"And to change it?"
"The gate must be opened."
No one looks away.
Lord Fyne 's voice follows, quieter. "With the gate open, Morrath will answer fully."
Sembral nods once. "It becomes an army."
Sevrin lets the thought sit. "And without it?"
"We continue as we are," Torabar says. "Measured use. Increasing strain."
Lord Fyne folds his hands together. "The Threns will not retreat. They have committed themselves too fully."
Sevrin's attention shifts. "And what of its current use beyond trade?"
Torabar answers, his voice careful. "Under the Yorali arrangement, a portion of Morrak deployment has been reserved for border security oversight. They manage movement along the eastern routes as agreed."
Sevrin's attention moves. "Security?”
The word carries weight.
Lord Fyne does not flinch. "That was the term used. It has allowed for consistency in trade enforcement without requiring direct Veynar presence at every point of access."
A small pause follows.
"Reports indicate resistance has been reduced," Torabar says.
Sembral's hands tighten slightly. "At a cost," he says, quieter now.
