Chapter 541: WATER LINE RULES.

“Two quarters per water point.”

Kael spoke directly and in an instant—

“But that would…”

Aelindra’s face turned grim.

And Kael—

“Yes.

One Velmourn Quarter will share the same Water Point with the Stonefang Quarter.”

He nodded, knowing exactly what Aelindra and the other elders feared.

The elders wanted to complain, they wanted to say it was too soon, but they too understood that.

They had already brought the Stonefangs inside the Wall. No matter what they felt about it, the fact of the matter was that the Velmourns and the Stonefangs were in an alliance right now.

It was in the best interest of both parties that this alliance… becomes as strong as possible.

And that cannot happen if both sides were separated all the time. Not to mention, allying together meant that Velmourn and Stonefang armies would join together and become one force. One way or another, the two sides did need to come together, and they needed to do it fast.

So separating the Water distribution, fearing collisions, wasn’t ideal.

Yes, the Elders had now begun to see Kael’s vision without him saying anything. The efficiency of the Council had definitely increased after there was no person trying to constantly target the one who gave most of the ideas.

“If it’s just one Velmourn Quarter, it cuts the crowd size,”

Korvan commented, already counting the numbers in his head.

“It makes blame easier,”

Morvain nodded, understanding what the commander was trying to get at.

“If something happens, we know where it started.”

Korvath nodded at those words.

Tarevian’s mouth opened, then shut again.

He hated that it all made sense. He glanced at Nymeris for some help, but the oldest elder stayed silent. Everything happening here had already left her jurisdiction. They had gone against everything their history stood for and Nymeris…

She thought it was better for her to stay silent.

After all, even if she disagreed with everything that was happening here, she had… no strong reason to back her thoughts.

Maybe it was just the thoughts of an old woman who was having a difficult time adjusting to change.

“What about the collectors?”

Aelindra asked another question.

Before this, the snow collectors had only been Velmourns, a specific group of people that had years of experience.

Were they going to add Stonefangs into the mix as well?

“Collectors stay the same,”

Morvain answered with a straight look on her face.

“No Stonefangs will be allowed in the clean zones.

Not today.

Even if we wish to promote unity, snow collection is a complicated work. It is better to assimilate the Stonefangs into the existing Seven Veins first, and once the unity grows stronger and the crisis is averted,

we will rediscuss the topic again.”

Zakaar quickly translated those words and when Gruumak understood, he glanced at Morvain.

Then—

“Vornak’shul nar’draal. Vornak’shul zul’kaan. Nar’shaar.”

He spoke.

Kael smiled and nodded at his words, understanding what he said. As for the others, they looked at Zakaar.

“Chief says… our people not go out. They stay inside. No trouble.”

And those words made several elders blink.

Even Tarevian and Nymeris.

The Stonefang Chief was agreeing to restrictions without being forced…

This was not something they expected.

“Good.”

Morvain exhaled slowly.

“Then we move to the line.”

And the meeting continued.

By mid-morning, when the sun was completely out—though still not visible—the Water Wardens were already working.

The Water Houses burned like little hearts in the cold city—stone rooms with smoke rising in steady lines from their vents.

Inside, workers moved silently and carefully, but their speed still wasn’t something to scoff at. After all, they had been doing this for years.

And outside—

The city was being rearranged.

The Council guards (only Velmourn soldiers for now) hammered stakes into the frozen ground and stretched rope lines between them.

They used old boards to make narrow lanes and posted signs—not fancy ones, just blunt words painted in thick black strokes.

“WATER LINE RULES.”

The rules were clear.

No weapons drawn.

No cutting.

No touching.

One container per person.

Speak only when needed.

If a fight starts, both sides lose water.

That last rule made people stop and stare.

After all, losing water was not like losing pride.

Pride could be swallowed.

Losing water… could not.

Morvain made sure the rule was repeated by voice too.

Her Heralds went through the quarters, shouting the order in a loud, steady rhythm.

“Weekly water! Two quarters, one point! Obey the line! Break the rule, lose the water!”

People did not like it, but they listened.

They understood why this was happening.

Of course, the Stonefang Quarter had a separate herald—Zakaar.

Kael walked the water point that was supposed to distribute to the Stonefang Quarter himself before the line formed and, with his hands behind his back, his eyes began scanning everything.

He checked the guard placement, the lanes, the distance between the two quarters’ entry paths.

He paused near one corner and looked at the ground.

“Move this rope three steps,”

He ordered.

“Hmm? Why? Is there an issue?”

The guard tilted his head in confusion.

“The turn is too sharp,”

Kael pointed out.

“If people get stuck here, they’ll press together. Pressure becomes pushing, and pushing becomes… fighting.”

The guard swallowed and moved the rope.

Time passed and when the first pots finished boiling, the Water Wardens poured the hot water into sealed containers.

Steam rose in thick clouds. People began to gather behind the ropes, eyes fixed on the containers.

Aelindra stood near the distribution table with a hard, almost expressionless look on her face. She had lived through too many winters to be sentimental.

She pointed at the containers and spoke to the Wardens.

“Do not make mistakes, measure every container carefully.”

“Yes, Elder,”

The Wardens answered.

They would not dare to make mistakes today—not when they would be the ones distributing to the Stonefangs.

And then—

It happened.

The Stonefangs finally arrived.

They came in a group. One Stonefang from one Family. There were about 400 Stonefangs here; each had brought their own containers.

Their containers looked crude compared to Velmourn’s sealed flasks that were thick, hard vessels made to survive hits. Theirs were… uneven. Some had leather skins, some were carved horn, some were metal cups strapped to belts.

But the Stonefangs did not care about appearance. The water was supposed to be stored in the Sanctuary anyway; what the container looked like did not matter.

Yes, the Stonefangs were clearly very different than the Velmourns.

They didn’t whisper much, neither did they fidget like the Velmourns did. They just stood together, with broad shoulders, unreadable faces and… eyes that moved constantly, not nervously like Velmourn eyes, but like hunters, ready to act the moment something happened.

Obviously, the Stonefangs were still quite wary and considering how around sixty of these broad-shouldered warriors—men Kael knew were part of the Stonefang Army—were here, it was clear they had come prepared for a battle.

Velmourns, on the other hand, were much different.

Most of their army men had already gone to the Wall, so the people gathered here were… comparatively weaker.

Families, the women, the old, but even then, it didn’t mean the Velmourn showed any less fierceness.

Older men held their sticks as if they could scare off these giants using them. A few young soldiers who had come kept hands near sword hilts even though the rules said no weapons drawn.

Kayden was here too.

He stood near the Velmourn entry path with a sharp look in his eyes.

If something happened, he was prepared to fight back, even if it meant giving up his life to protect his people.

And it wasn’t just him; even Morvain, together with Korvath, was here as well, and behind them walked…

Kael and Lavinia.

Yes, almost all of Velmourn’s main firepower was here.

Kael’s presence alone did something strange to the crowd.

People who hated everything that was happening—both the Stonefangs and the Velmourns—quieted when they saw him.

Morvain saw that, but she didn’t say anything. She just stared at Aelindra and—

“Begin.”

She ordered, and the doors to the Water Point opened up.

That was the cue.

The Velmourns and the Stonefangs were now supposed to leave their groups and stand in line, together.

And that… did something to the crowd.

A low murmur spread.

Some Velmourns looked angry.

Some looked terrified.

On the Stonefang side, a few warriors shifted, their faces hardening. Some even thought of taking out their weapons but—

But then Gruumak stepped forward and—

“Vak’tor.”

He said a word Velmourns did not understand but, in an instant, they all noticed the change.

The Stonefang line went still.

It was absolute obedience out of respect and… fear of their chief.

And for the first time, Morvain understood something clearly.

If Gruumak wanted to control his people, he could.

And that…

It made her feel safer and… uneasy at the same time.

After all, if these people could be controlled… it meant Kael had not brought a harmless tribe inside the Wall.

He had brought an army that could be disciplined.

The Matriarch looked at the Dragon Rider with a solemn look on her face, then, she shook her head. This wasn’t important, not right now.

She just focused back on what was in front of her.

The ropes opened.

The guards signaled.

And the two streams of people began moving.

Velmourns from one group. Stonefangs from the other.

They entered different lanes at first, separated by rope. But those lanes ran side by side, close enough that people could see each other’s faces clearly. Close enough to smell each other. Close enough to hear breathing.

A Velmourn woman clutched her flask and stared at the Stonefang beside her like he was a nightmare that had stepped out of winter tales. The Stonefang looked down at her once, then looked away.

A Stonefang youth stared at a Velmourn soldier’s gloves—the neat stitching, the clean leather. The Velmourn soldier stared back at the Stonefang’s scars.

No one smiled.

No one spoke.

Even the children, the few that had come, were quiet, sensing what the adults felt.

The air was thick with tension, with… harsh memories each side had about the other.

Every winter raid.

Every scream.

Every body dragged away.

Every friend lost on the ice.

All of it stood in the line with them.

Kael watched from near the front with calm, steady eyes.

Lavinia stood slightly behind him, her gaze moving over hands and shoulders, reading tension like a book.

Morvain stood off to the side with Korvath with a firm face, but her fingers clenched inside her sleeves.

This was the first true… encounter between the two sides.

Not on a battlefield.

Not with swords.

With water.

And… survival.

And as the line crawled forward, one step at a time, rope creaked in the wind, containers knocked softly against belts, breath rose in pale clouds, and as Velmourn and Stonefang stood side by side, waiting for the same water, under the same rules…

The tension grew so high it felt like the whole city was holding its breath—

Waiting to see who and what would break first.

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