Shadow Heir
Here at— Chapter 17 would naturally be the “dawn raid" payoff to the tension in 16, starting with their stealth approach, then the clash, then the chaos when the shadow cages crack open.
Chapter 17 — Fire in the Snow
The first light of dawn barely touched the valley when Eolan swung into the saddle. Frost rimed the leather straps, and the breath of the warhorses hung in clouds. Behind him, a hand-picked band of riders shifted in the cold, their armor muffled with furs to dampen sound. No banners, no horns—this was not a march, but a knife in the dark.