A Shift in Balance

The wind shifted against my cheek, carrying the chill of the distant snow peaks. Until now, I had only held this vigil in stillness. Carefully, I tested the articulation of my right gauntlet. Steel plates slid over one another with a clean, low scrape. I adjusted my weight, pressing my palm firmly against the weathered limestone ledge beneath me. The coarse grit yielded slightly under iron. My gaze swept down across the fortress roofs and the cloud veil hovering above the lake. My posture held steady. I was no longer just positioned here; I was keeping watch.