Nathan’s POV
The first report arrived before sunrise. I knew it was bad the moment I saw the messenger. Experienced warriors carried themselves differently. Even when exhausted. Even when injured. This wolf looked shaken. Interesting. Very interesting. Because scouts rarely looked shaken. They lived in uncertainty.
Bad news was part of their job.
For one of them to appear frightened meant something had gone terribly wrong.
I accepted the sealed report without a word.
The scout remained standing.
Waiting.
Nervous.
A bad sign.
Very bad.
I broke the seal.
Read the message once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
The words remained unchanged.
Of course they did.
Because reality rarely altered itself simply because I disliked it.
The report detailed an attack on a border village.
