CHAPTER 21: THREADS OF BETRAYAL

Scene 1: A Hidden Message

Eira awoke to the sound of hushed voices outside her tent. The coals of the previous night’s fire still glowed faintly, reflecting a dim light on the tensed faces of the refugees. Something was amiss. She moved outside, Kael also followed in step beside her, his hand instinctively brushing his sword hilt.

“Eira, there’s something you should see,” said Alric, a scout who had recently joined their ranks. He handed her a small, weathered parchment. The edges were frayed, and the ink looked as if it had been roughly written in haste.

She read the message aloud: “The queen knows where you are. You have a traitor among you.”

A cold chill ran down Eira’s spine. Her first instinct was denial—these people had fought alongside them, endured hardships together. But the message was clear. Someone had betrayed them, and the queen’s army would be closing in soon.