Kael stands in the council hall, gesturing toward the charts, her scarred arm catching the slanted afternoon light, the room tense with anticipation.Old Sekani weeps in his council chair, hands gripping the armrests, as amber light casts warm shadows.Kael stands firm in the dim council hall, her scarred arm resting on the table, eyes resolute.Renna's hands rest on the chart's northern edge as Kael's scarred fingers trace the southern route lines, both focused under the warm lamplight.Kael sits against the grinding table, her scarred arm resting on her knees, the flickering oil lamp casting a warm, heavy light on her face.Kael pins diagrams and DNA helix to the stone wall, scholars watching in shadow, sea indifferent beyond the windows.Old Sekani grips the armrests, tears streaming down his cheeks, as the lantern light highlights his grief.At dusk, the storm-lit sea ripples, wooden vessels in construction line the slipways, workers hunch under cordage, lanterns flicker, and smoke drifts.
