Chapter 31: The Cracks Appear
The young Graxian boy slept by the fire, his bruises dark against his skin. His name was Finn. His story spread through Vance Haven like a soft wind. It was a small thing, one boy running away. But it was a crack in Varg's wall.
Alistair did not shout his victory. He did not use Finn for a speech. He simply let the boy rest. He had Thora find him a job helping with the wood, something peaceful.
Meanwhile, Roric kept watching Varg's camp. The news he brought back was good. After Finn ran, two more warriors left in the night. They were not caught. Varg was angry. His shouts echoed in the canyon. He punished the warriors who stayed, making them train harder.
Varg's idea of strength was breaking his own people.
Back in the main Graxian camp, things were changing too. The hunters who worked with Alistair's people saw the new watchpost go up. They saw it was strong, built by both clans. They came back with more game and fewer injuries. They told stories of the Blue-Skins' sharp eyes and quiet steps.
The story of the healed trees was told and retold. Some Graxians went to see the place for themselves. They touched the scarred bark and saw the flower on the rock. They saw that the Earth-Shaker's power could mend, not just break.
Grok, the Graxian chief, saw all this. He was a wise leader. He saw his people were divided. He saw that Varg's way led only to blood. He saw that Alistair's way led to full bellies and strong walls.
One evening, Grok came to Vance Haven alone. He stood at the gate, a massive figure in the fading light. Alistair went out to meet him.
"The clan is tired of Varg's anger," Grok said, his voice a low rumble. "They see his strength is empty. It builds nothing. It only breaks."
He looked at Alistair, his dark eyes serious. "You have been patient, Earth-Shaker. You have shown us a different path. My people are ready to walk it."
"Where is Varg now?" Alistair asked.
"He hides in his canyon," Grok said. "His followers are few now. Maybe ten. They are the most angry, the most stubborn. They will not change."
"What will you do?" Alistair asked.
Grok was silent for a moment. "I will go to him. I will offer him one last chance to lay down his axe and rejoin the clan. For the old times."
"And if he refuses?"
Grok's face hardened like stone. "Then the clan will see that some sickness cannot be healed. Some branches must be cut to save the tree."
Alistair nodded. He understood. A leader sometimes must do hard things to protect his people.
Grok turned to leave, then stopped. "You should come with me, Earth-Shaker. You should see this. It is because of you that we are strong enough to face this poison within us."
Alistair agreed. He would go. Not as a warrior, but as a witness. The next day, they would go to Varg's canyon. They would see if the crack that had started with a runaway boy would break the rebel apart for good.