EPISODE 13 : THE TRAITOR’S SIGNAL
910 Words
The estate had never been this quiet.
Not because peace had returned, but because every soul hidden among the mountains felt something was wrong.
Asher stood beside one of the stone terraces overlooking the valley below. Morning mist drifted through the forest, concealing the narrow trails that led to the estate. Usually, birds filled the silence at dawn.
Today, there was nothing.
Even the wind seemed unwilling to move.
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You're awake earlier than usual."
Asher turned to see Vivian carrying a basket filled with fresh bandages and herbs. She offered a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I couldn't sleep."
"I don't think anyone did."
She glanced toward the forest.
"The scouts should have returned before sunrise."
Asher frowned.
"They're late?"
Vivian nodded.
"They've never missed a report before."
The uneasy feeling in Asher's chest grew heavier.
Before either of them could speak again, hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard.
A young guard sprinted toward the main hall, his armor stained with dirt and blood.
"We found one!"
His desperate shout drew everyone outside.
Lucas, Cedric, Lady Seraphine, and several captains arrived almost immediately.
The surviving scout collapsed to one knee before them, barely able to breathe.
"Your Majesty..."
Lucas knelt beside him.
"What happened?"
The scout struggled to speak.
"The eastern patrol..."
He coughed violently, blood staining the ground.
"They're all dead."
A stunned silence followed.
Cedric's expression darkened.
"Did you see who attacked them?"
The scout nodded weakly.
"They never showed themselves."
His shaking hand reached into his cloak before pulling out a broken arrow.
Its shaft was carved from black wood.
Wrapped around it was a strip of dark cloth embroidered with the image of a silver wolf.
Lucas stared at it without saying a word.
Lady Seraphine quietly closed her eyes.
"The Black Wolf Clan..."
The scout managed one final sentence.
"They already know where we are."
His body went limp.
Vivian immediately checked for a pulse.
After several heartbreaking seconds, she slowly lowered her head.
"He didn't make it."
No one spoke.
The weight of the loss settled over the courtyard like a storm cloud.
Lucas rose to his feet.
"Seal every entrance."
Captains rushed to obey.
"Move every civilian into the lower tunnels."
More guards scattered throughout the estate.
Within moments, the peaceful sanctuary became a fortress preparing for war.
Asher watched everything unfold with growing disbelief.
"They found this place..."
Cedric answered quietly.
"They shouldn't have."
Lucas turned toward him.
"Someone talked."
The words froze everyone in place.
Lady Seraphine looked shocked.
"A traitor?"
"There is no other explanation."
The estate had remained hidden for nearly twenty years.
No outsider knew the secret paths through the mountains.
No army could have marched here by accident.
Someone had led them.
Asher felt his stomach tighten.
He remembered the strange servant he had noticed two nights earlier lingering outside the library after everyone had gone to sleep.
At the time, it had seemed meaningless.
Now...
"I'm not sure," Asher said slowly, "but I think I saw someone where they weren't supposed to be."
Lucas looked at him immediately.
"Tell me everything."
Asher described the servant as best he could.
The brown cloak.
The scar beneath one eye.
The nervous way he kept looking over his shoulder.
Cedric's face paled.
"I know exactly who you're describing."
"Who is he?" Lucas asked.
"He joined the estate less than a year ago."
"Where is he now?"
One of the guards hurried back into the courtyard.
"We searched his quarters."
Lucas didn't need to ask.
The guard swallowed.
"They're empty."
Before another order could be given, a deafening explosion shook the mountain.
The ground trembled beneath everyone's feet.
Smoke rose from the western watchtower.
"They've breached the outer gate!" another guard shouted.
Chaos erupted.
Steel rang against steel somewhere beyond the walls.
The sounds of battle spread through the valley.
Lucas drew his sword in one smooth motion.
"They're moving faster than expected."
A second explosion echoed across the estate.
This one was closer.
The enemy wasn't testing the defenses.
They already knew exactly where to strike.
Asher looked toward the smoke.
"They're heading for the inner courtyard."
Lucas's expression hardened.
"They're heading for you."
The Alpha King's silver eyes swept across everyone gathered before him.
"They've sacrificed surprise for speed."
Cedric understood immediately.
"They're trying to capture the prince before we can move him."
Lucas nodded once.
"Which means..."
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"...their commander is already inside our walls."
As though answering his words, terrified screams suddenly echoed from the eastern corridor.
A guard stumbled into the courtyard with a sword buried deep in his back before collapsing face-first onto the stone.
Slow, confident footsteps followed.
A tall man dressed entirely in black emerged through the drifting smoke.
He wasn't wearing armor.
He didn't need to.
His calm smile suggested he had already won.
His golden eyes locked onto Asher.
"So..."
he said softly.
"We finally meet, Your Highness."
Every warrior in the courtyard raised their weapons.
Lucas stepped forward, placing himself between the stranger and Asher.
The man's smile widened.
"Good."
He rested a hand on the hilt of his blade.
"I was hoping the Alpha King would save me the trouble of looking for him."
The mountain fell silent.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Then, with a single step, the assassin vanished from sight.
The battle inside the hidden estate had begun.
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