Get the tower to where it can see them coming again -- the sentry tower is fortified later on and Qadira can still use her telescopes. So I'm thinking she has a more active role when it's fortified. Also there would probably be landing pads for gryphons, and those entrances would be sealed off during war. I have another sentry tower item somewhere.
What exactly are spiked walls and city gates keeping out if armies fly? There should be a bit of exposition somewhere explaining this. Could usefully be done in this edit.
Thelma's "sentry tower was fortified" paragraph is a big unwieldy since Q is still doing that, and how does T know? The Q mention about fortification is the important story beat, so maybe I can just keep it to "the sentry tower *is* fortified" ("for some reason"?) and describe swell damage instead. Idk, needs work.
More of a sense of friendship between Ryden and Qadira -- makes sense because of Thelma and their close proximity in the sentry tower. This makes chapter 16's central theme just about perfect. Look into the thelma trying to get close to the Orlovs thing too -- can potentially pair these.
Both Q and T were captured and there should really be something that explores this commonality. Obviously this AND merging into a shared tree isn't enough to combine them, but still.
I'm thinking Thelma being friends with Ryden (and having no other friends) was a power play. Getting close to the Orlovs. Might want to mention that somewhere in the later segments of Thelma.
Thelma's last line of her message needs to fit in better with when they join.
