Everything from this point wasn't difficult to piece together, and the revelation seemed less shocking the longer Northern dwelled on it.
Initially, he wanted to berate himself for not suspecting something of this magnitude. But how could he have? The possibility of Koll still drawing breath—let alone lurking within the Central Plains all this time—had never crossed his mind.
Now that he'd uncovered Koll's presence in the Central Plains, theories crystallized in his mind like frost forming on glass.
He reconsidered Rughsbourgh's elaborate scheme. Before, Northern had wondered how Koll had become entangled in this web of intrigue. He'd dismissed Koll as merely collateral damage—an unintended consequence of Rughsbourgh's machinations.
But now, the truth dawned on him with chilling clarity: that very plan might have existed because of Koll himself.
