Confirming the trap

As the horde slumbered deeply, their heavy bodies sprawled across the cave floor, lulled into a sense of temporary safety, Volk remained silent in the shadows.

His sharp eyes flickered in the dim light as the last of his soldiers succumbed to exhaustion. But while they rested, Volk's mind was anything but idle.

His thoughts churned like a storm, cold and calculating, sifting through countless possibilities, weighing risks and rewards.

His earlier words, filled with confidence and conviction, had been nothing more than a facade.

The harpies would eventually find them if they really searched—and Volk knew that all too well. His plans had always been fluid, adapting to the ever-changing circumstances around him.

The truth of the matter was, Volk had not been playing for time at all; rather, he had been playing for opportunity.

He needed no rest. He needed no reprieve from the battle that was to come.