Chapter 15 - The Armory Trap
Fenrik threw the nursery doors open with enough force to splinter the hinges.
Commander Vance stood outside, his armor dented, blood dripping from a shallow cut on his forehead. "Alpha, thank the gods. A second infiltrator bypassed the outer gates using an old drainage tunnel. They didn't target the well—they set fire to the winter grain silos and the weapon caches!"
"Where are they?" Fenrik demanded, stepping out into the torch-lit corridor while Revna secured the nursery behind them, leaving two loyal elite guards stationed at the door.
"We caught one, but the other set the charges and escaped into the lower ravines," Vance reported grimly, turning to lead the way down the stone stairs. "The fire in the grain silos is contained, but half our winter provisions are ruined. If a second siege comes, we won't have enough food to last through the deep freeze."
As they hurried down toward the lower courtyards, the acrid smell of burning ash filled the air.
Flames flickered against the dark stone walls of the armory, where pack warriors were frantically forming a bucket brigade to put out the remaining embers. The snow falling from the sky hissed as it hit the heated masonry.
Fenrik stopped at the edge of the courtyard, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "This wasn't just a sabotage mission. Vane Kale is trying to starve us out. He knows he can't beat us in a direct fight, so he's trying to break our endurance."
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"Then we don't wait for him to starve us," Revna said, stepping out into the cold night air beside Fenrik, her cloak fluttering in the wind. Her golden aura pulsed steadily beneath her skin, illuminating the snow around her feet. "If Vane wants a war of attrition, we take the fight directly to his doorstep."
Fenrik turned to look at her, a fierce, approving grin breaking across his face. "Pack the horses, Vance. By dawn, the Bloodmoon pack rides south."
