The night was quiet, but Kael knew better than to trust silence.
He stood on the tower long after the others had gone to rest, eyes fixed on the dark hills beyond the fort. The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth—but beneath it, something else lingered.
Danger.
Behind him, soft footsteps approached.
"You're thinking too loudly," Selene said, resting her bow against the stone wall.
Kael glanced at her. "You hear it too."
She nodded. "Scouts. Not soldiers. They're watching us."
Kael's grip tightened on the railing. The king was no longer just reacting—he was planning.
"We can't let them learn everything about this place," Kael said. "If they map the fort, we'll be surrounded."
Selene's eyes sharpened. "Then we strike first."
Before dawn, Kael gathered Ryn, Selene, and Lyra.
"There are eyes in the hills," Kael said. "We remove them before they bring back information."
They moved swiftly through the forest, staying low, stepping where leaves wouldn't crunch. Selene led, silent as the wind.
Soon, they found them—three scouts hiding among the rocks, watching the fort through small lenses.
Ryn grinned. "Sloppy."
Kael raised his hand. "No killing unless we have to."
Selene's arrow flew anyway—pinning a scout's sleeve to a tree.
Kael rushed forward, disarming the others before they could draw blades.
"Who sent you?" Kael demanded.
One of the men trembled. "The king… he wants to know how many you are… how strong…"
Kael felt a cold anger spread through him.
"You will return," Kael said, "and tell him this: We are not hiding. We are growing."
They tied the scouts and sent them running.
Back at the fort, Kael watched the sunrise.
"This was just a warning," Ryn said.
Kael nodded.
"The storm is coming."
And this time, it would not be small.
(To be continued)