Ridgebrook had known fear before, but never like this—never fear steeped with pride, disbelief, and the stirring sense that something inside the village had changed forever. When Liam and the militia walked back through the gate, the villagers didn't erupt into cheers right away. For a long breath, they only stared.
Blood on spears.
Mud on armor.
The smell of iron and sweat.
And none of their own missing.
Then the wave broke.
Old men cried openly.
Mothers hugged their children so hard they squeaked.
Refugees whispered prayers of thanks.
And a few simply sank to their knees, overwhelmed.
Liam felt the weight of every gaze on him. He wasn't sure he deserved it. But he accepted it. He had to.
Vlad strutted proudly at the head of the militia, dripping enemy blood from his gauntlets. A boy offered him a bowl of stew with shaking hands, and Vlad took it with a sniff. "Tribute is unnecessary," he said.
Then he ate the stew in three huge bites.
The boy stared. "I—I just thought you looked hungry."
"I am always hungry," Vlad said gravely. "But food will do."
Sun Tzu approached, shaking his head. "You should not reward fear."
Vlad shrugged, wiping his mouth. "Fear keeps men attentive."
"Fear also causes panic," Sun Tzu countered.
"Then we punish panic."
Sun Tzu exhaled slowly. "One day, Vlad, your existence will give me wrinkles."
"You're welcome."
Liam almost laughed despite exhaustion.
Sun Tzu turned to him next, his tone shifting like a blade refocusing its edge. "Chief. We must analyze now, while the memory is fresh."
They gathered in the longhouse with the militia, Lira tending minor injuries in the corner, Orin leaning against a beam with her spear still in hand. Sun Tzu stood before them.
"You fought well," he began. "But do not mistake this for victory. Rathmore's test is complete. He knows now that Ridgebrook will not fold."
He pointed to a hastily drawn diagram. "Our ambush succeeded because the enemy was complacent. They will not be so again."
Militia members shifted uneasily.
Sun Tzu continued. "Expect a force of forty to sixty next. Trained soldiers. Steel armor. Better formations."
Liam felt the air chill. But Sun Tzu didn't waver.
"We have two days. Three at most."
Lira stopped tying a bandage. "That soon?"
"They will march the moment their survivors return," Sun Tzu said. "Pride demands retaliation. Rathmore will make an example of us if allowed."
A silence hung like frost.
Then Vlad stepped forward, excitement gleaming. "Good. Let him come. The more men he brings, the more skulls we collect."
Sun Tzu closed his eyes. "I beg you to never speak like that in a morale meeting."
"Why? It's motivational."
"It is horrifying."
"Same thing."
Liam coughed. "Focus."
The room steadied. He didn't realize until now how much the militia looked to him for certainty. His voice didn't waver when he spoke.
"We're still alive. We still have ground. And we proved today that Ridgebrook isn't prey."
Heads nodded, hesitant but growing.
Liam turned to the crowd. "We will prepare. We will strengthen the walls, sharpen weapons, and set more traps. And when Rathmore comes again, he won't find frightened villagers."
He stepped up on a crate so everyone could see him—awkward, but necessary.
"He'll find wolves."
A cheer didn't erupt, but something better happened:
Spines straightened.
Jawlines firmed.
Eyes sharpened.
Lira watched him with a strange look, equal parts fear and admiration.
Later, when the crowd dispersed, she found him by the water barrels wiping mud from his arm. She took his wrist gently.
"You scared me," she whispered.
"I scare myself," he admitted.
She smiled softly and leaned in, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek. "You came back. That's what matters."
For a moment, the world shrank to her eyes, her breath, her fingertips. But when she lingered too long, Orin appeared behind them, stiff as a spear.
"You're supposed to rest, Chief," Orin said sharply. "You took a hit to the shoulder."
"I'm fine," Liam replied, but Orin's glare flicked to Lira before returning to him.
"You should let me check it. Lira has enough to do."
Lira raised an eyebrow, but Liam sighed. "Both of you, please—no fighting."
"We're not fighting," Lira said sweetly.
"We're not," Orin growled.
Both women stared at each other in a way that absolutely meant they were. Vlad passed by just then and muttered, "If you two kill each other, may I have the winner?"
"Go away, Vlad!" both snapped.
He walked off grinning like a fox.
As evening crept in, Liam finally opened the Ledger again, shielding it from view.
Three days until next summon.
But another line now pulsed beneath it.
[WARNING: HOST IN HIGH-RISK ZONE]
[RECOMMENDATION: SURVIVE UNTIL SUMMON ARRIVES]
He swallowed hard. "Yeah. Working on that."
He closed the Ledger just as Orin jogged up the watchtower stairs to relieve the scouts. In the fading light, he could see she was pushing herself too hard. But he didn't call her back. She needed this.
At the edge of the village, Vlad leaned on the gatepost, sharpening his blade with exaggerated care. "The next wave will bleed nicely," he said to no one.
"Optimism is not encouraged here," Sun Tzu replied from the shadows.
"It will be when I'm proven right."
Sun Tzu sighed deeply. "Every conversation with you is a trial."
The night deepened.
Liam was halfway to the longhouse when shouts cracked through the dark.
"Someone's coming!"
"Open the gate—but slowly!"
Two shadowed shapes staggered down the road, lit by torchlight. One collapsed face-first in the dirt. The other tried to drag him farther, failing.
Liam, Vlad, Orin, Sun Tzu, and Lira converged instantly.
The surviving messenger looked up, blood frothing at his lips.
"H-help… they're… marching…"
Liam knelt. "How many? Tell me."
The man convulsed, gripping Liam's arm.
"Rathmore… tomorrow…"
He went limp.
Orin cursed under her breath.
Sun Tzu closed the man's eyes.
Vlad smiled faintly.
Liam stood, heart pounding so hard he felt it in his teeth.
Tomorrow.
It was coming.
Their real war was coming.
And Ridgebrook had one night left to become ready.
The wolves had shown their fangs.
Soon, they would bare their throats—or their claws.