The wagons waited in a row along the camp while the logistics crews worked through the supply crates two men at a time. They moved with the efficiency of soldiers who had spent the battle waiting in the hills for this exact phase. Their work only began once the killing stopped.
Three wagons stood ready, each assigned to a different category from the organized rows of goods. Food went first. Equipment followed. The trade goods came last, handled more carefully because their value was harder to judge and easier to lose track of.
Cedd crossed the camp from the tents toward the medical station. The logistics crews shifted around him automatically. Nobody needed orders to clear space for a senior officer moving with purpose.
He gave instructions as he walked. One order at each position. No wasted words.
"South perimeter. Check the tree cover below the ridge. I don't want stragglers hiding there."
