A shallow hollow offered brief respite from the grueling march, its sparse cover of trees shielding the group from prying eyes but doing little to dispel the tension rippling through them. Theodoric ordered a halt, his voice sharp as he directed the guards to set a loose perimeter. No one argued, but Cassie caught the murmurs as soon as they settled.

  “It’s reckless,” one noble muttered, his voice low but laced with disdain.

  “We’ve lost too much already,” another replied, her words edged with quiet fury. “And for what? His pride?”

  Cassie scanned the cluster of nobles: Cedric, Callen, and three others. Her sharp eyes locked briefly on Cedric. He leaned against a nearby boulder, arms crossed and smirk half-hidden, but his posture practically invited confrontation.

  “They’re right, you know.”

  Cassie stiffened as his voice carried over the hushed conversation, louder than it needed to be. Several heads turned, the murmurs silencing as Cedric pushed off the rock and stepped into the clearing’s center.

  Theodoric, seated on a flat stone with his sword across his knees, raised his head. His expression remained calm, though Cassie could see the faintest tightening of his jaw.

  “Go on,” Theodoric said evenly.

  Cedric paced a few steps, his boots kicking up loose dirt. “We’ve fought tooth and nail for days now. Beasts, traps, sabotage. And through it all, your only plan seems to be dragging us further into the jaws of death.”

  Several nobles nodded faintly, their unease manifesting in subtle shifts of body language. Theodoric rose slowly, his movements measured.

  “This isn’t the time for theatrics, Cedric,” he said, his voice cold but controlled.

  “Theatrics?” Cedric laughed bitterly, spreading his arms as if to encompass the battered group. “Look around. Supplies gone. Men injured. Everyone here questioning whether following you was a mistake.” His gaze sharpened, and his tone turned venomous. “Maybe this was your plan all along. Thin the herd. Eliminate rivals under the guise of misfortune.”

  A hush fell over the clearing, heavy as a blade poised to strike.

  Cassie’s hand drifted toward her dagger, but before she could speak, Hildiger stepped forward. His broad frame seemed to darken the space, and his glare cut through the tension like a knife.

  “Enough,” Hildiger growled, his voice low and icy. “We don’t have the luxury for this kind of infighting.”

  Cedric met his gaze, his bravado faltering.

  “You’re right about one thing,” Hildiger continued, taking a deliberate step closer. “This is dangerous. Men will die. But if you think for one second that anyone here would follow you in his place, you’re a bigger fool than I thought.”

  The silence turned suffocating. Cedric’s smirk returned, though it seemed more forced than before. “I’m not suggesting mutiny, Captain,” he said lightly, but his words carried an edge. “Just pointing out that poor leadership gets people killed.”

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  “Then consider this,” Hildiger replied coldly. “Questioning command in the middle of hostile territory gets people killed faster.”

  Cedric didn’t respond. He stepped back, his smirk fading entirely as he returned to the group. The nobles avoided his gaze, their earlier mutterings quelled for the moment.

  Cassie glanced at Theodoric, whose expression remained unreadable. His composure was a mask she couldn’t quite penetrate, but the strain around his eyes betrayed the toll Cedric’s words had taken.

  She had assumed he was simply holding back, waiting for the right moment to act. But now she wasn’t so sure.

  “We need a new plan,” she said quietly, stepping beside him.

  Theodoric’s gaze flicked to her, his brow lifting slightly in question.

  “Something to steady them,” she continued, her voice low enough for only him to hear. “They’re scared, and they need direction.”

  “And what do you suggest?” he asked, his tone clipped.

  She straightened, addressing the group at large before he could object. “We’ve been doing this all wrong,” she said plainly. “We’re exposed, and we’re reacting instead of acting. That needs to change.”

  A few of the nobles turned toward her, their expressions wary but curious. Even Cedric tilted his head, though his gaze was skeptical.

  “Our scouts have been tracking the path ahead, but they’ve been predictable. We need staggered rotations to keep Dietrich guessing. Our supplies have been too centralized, making them easy to sabotage. From now on, we spread them in separate caches. And our perimeter? It’s too thin. Either we widen it or rotate in fresh eyes more frequently.”

  Theodoric crossed his arms, studying her intently. “You think splitting the group will make us stronger?”

  “I think it will keep us moving,” she replied. “Right now, we’re a target standing still. That won’t last.”

  There was a pause as the group absorbed her words.

  “She’s right,” Hildiger said at last, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We can’t afford to stay exposed.”

  One by one, the guards and nobles gave reluctant nods of agreement. Even Cedric, though clearly dissatisfied, said nothing further.

  Theodoric exhaled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Fine. Cassie, you’ll oversee the scouts. Hildiger, handle the inventory. Callen, you’re on the perimeter.”

  The group began to disperse, their movements brisk as they set about their tasks. Nearly two dozen guards remained, enough to hold a perimeter but stretched thin. A handful of servants worked quickly, salvaging what they could from the last sabotage.

  Cassie caught Theodoric’s gaze before she moved to the treeline, his faint nod acknowledging her efforts.

  Hours passed as the camp reorganized, the faint hum of activity lending a fragile sense of purpose to the group. Cassie worked with the scouts, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon as they mapped potential routes and marked areas of interest.

  As the sun dipped low, painting the forest in hues of orange and shadow, she caught a faint wisp of smoke on the horizon. It curled upward like a dark thread, too deliberate to be natural.

  Her chest tightened. A signal fire.

  Dietrich’s faction was nearby. Too close for comfort.

  Cassie didn’t report it immediately. She hesitated, watching Theodoric from a distance. If he had a plan, now was the time to show it. But his orders had been the same from the start: keep moving.

  The group’s morale was already stretched thin, and the knowledge would only fan the flames of distrust. Instead, she made a mental note of its direction, deciding to inform Theodoric when the time was right.

  As night fell, she returned to the camp, her thoughts heavy. The faint glow of their dwindling firelight cast long shadows over the clearing, and the quiet murmur of conversation had all but disappeared.

  Theodoric sat alone near the center, his sword balanced across his lap as he stared into the flames. Cassie hesitated before approaching, her steps slow and deliberate.

  “Anything?” he asked, his voice low.

  She considered her words carefully. “…Nothing urgent.”

  He nodded, though the weight of his thoughts was evident in his expression. The smoke lingered in her mind, a silent reminder of the dangers closing in around them.

  For now, she kept it to herself. But the fire’s faint glow felt colder than ever.