Chapter 13 - The Ice Pass Ambush
The wind howled through the jagged peaks of the Ural mountains like a pack of starving wolves.
Beneath the frozen crust of the glacier, deep within the dark, dripping stone tunnels of the ancient smugglers' path, Cedric and his elite strike team moved in absolute, synchronized silence. Their breath plumed white in the freezing air as they navigated the treacherous, ice-coated ledges.
At the head of the column walked Evangeline. Wrapped in a heavy white-and-grey fur cloak that blended seamlessly with the snow, she moved with quiet, deadly confidence, guiding the wolves through turns even Garrick had thought were dead ends.
"The artillery ledge is just beyond this vertical shaft," Evangeline whispered, pausing beside a narrow opening in the rock face where the faint sound of Russian guards shouting could be heard above.
Cedric nodded. He signaled to three of his top shadow-trackers. Within seconds, the team scaled the icy wall with silent efficiency.
Up above, on the cliffside fortress overlooking the Iron Pass, General Orlov stood by his heavy iron cannons, watching the valley below where the decoy forces of the northern coalition were marching into position.
"Let them come," Orlov sneered to his lieutenant, crossing his arms. "When they reach the center of the pass, light the fuses. I want every single wolf buried under an avalanche of stone and fire."
"General," a panicked voice interrupted from behind.
Orlov spun around, but it was already too late.
With a deafening roar that shook the ice walls, Cedric burst out from the hidden tunnel opening, his silver gauntlet flaring with blinding runic light. Before the guards could even draw their swords, Cedric swept his arm in a massive arc, sending three of them flying over the edge of the cliff.
Orlov stumbled backward, drawing his broadsword with shaking hands. "You... you're supposed to be at the bottom of the pass!"
Cedric stepped out of the shadow of the stone archway, his golden eyes burning with absolute death. "Geography was never your strong suit, Orlov."
Before the general could raise his blade, Evangeline stepped out behind Cedric. She didn't hesitate; with a swift, practiced motion, she hurled a heavy iron dagger straight through Orlov’s shoulder, pinning him instantly to the wooden support beam of his own artillery tower.
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Orlov screamed in agony, sliding down the beam until he hit the snowy floorboards.
Down in the valley below, seeing the artillery positions suddenly go silent and the Romanov banners fall, the main northern army roared in triumph and surged forward, breaking through the iron gates of the outer fortress in a matter of minutes.
