Arran felt a moment of apprehension when Snowcloud asked him what to do. He was anything but a strategic genius or a seasoned commander, and he felt a moment of doubt at his ability.Yet after the series of disasters Stoneheart's group had suffered, it was clear that they could not be trusted to lead — perhaps they had learned from their defeats, but Arran wasn't willing to take that risk. Not when his life was at stake.Snowcloud, meanwhile, knew even less of tactics than Arran did. For all her power, she lacked experience in real battles. And, seemingly aware of her limitations, she had now put the burden on Arran.Arran clenched his teeth, suppressing his anxiety. Of all of them, he was probably the best choice to come up with a strategy — something that did not bode well for their chances."The clearing," he said, turning to Stoneheart. "Does it have any exits other than the valley?"Stoneheart shook his head. "The surrounding hills are too steep, and the woods too dense. Perhaps

The fury of battle still coursing through his veins, Arran rushed through the valley, chasing the remaining raiders with an insatiable thirst for blood. Where he found them, they died, and each death further fed his rage.The bloodlust grew stronger with every kill, and the stronger it grew, the more eagerly he killed. Even with an army of a hundred thousand before him, he would have attacked without hesitation.Yet here, the enemy numbers were limited. And with each enemy he killed, it took him longer to find the next one. The search frustrated him, and he ran faster, killed more quickly, fearful of losing even a single one of his prey.When he reached the mouth of the valley, he could see tracks leading in all directions. Impatient to continue the massacre, he chose one at random, then rushed forward with the boundless strength that surged through his body.He caught the man who left the tracks within moments, then cut him down in seconds. When he heard muffled voices in the distanc

"So what's the plan?" Stoneheart asked.They were sitting at the edge of the camp, far enough from the others that they could talk in private. Even so, Arran could see the recruits and villagers occasionally shooting nervous looks at him, and he understood that they had seen the aftermath of the massacre."We can't fight them," Snowcloud said. "The main force will receive word of what happened soon enough, and when that happens, it won't just be a single raiding party that comes after us." Brow furrowed, she shook her head. "The only way for us to find safety is with your uncle."Stoneheart's face fell, and he sighed deeply, whatever hopes he had for Snowcloud's plan clearly gone. "He's over a hundred miles north of here, with thousands of enemies in between. There's no way for a group this large to pass unnoticed.""That's why I'm going alone," Snowcloud said. "By myself, I have a good chance of slipping past them, and I should be able to get there in a day or two.""You're leaving u

Arran ran until his lungs felt like they would explode, sprinting with all the speed he had in him. There would only be a single chance to get this right, and he would not let it go to waste.Along the way, he encountered a lone raider scout. The man died as soon Arran caught sight of him, body bisected by a Windblade.He briefly felt another stir of bloodlust as the scout fell, but with a ranged attack, the effect seemed weaker. Either way, he could not give into it — not now, with a far more devastating attack at the tips of his fingers.When he finally thought he had gone far enough, he paused for some moments to catch his breath. The wind was still strong — that was good. It would play an important role in the battle to come.If it worked, it would be a massacre that no sword could match. And if they were particularly lucky, it wouldn't just be the closest raiding parties that died. But either way, the attack would buy them days, not hours.Arran took a look around and soon found

"Just how many people are here?" Arran asked, his eyes wandering around the camp while Tuya guided him to the castle.As they passed through the camp, it seemed even larger than it had from a distance, spreading out in all directions like a city built out of tents. There were recruits everywhere, many of them wearing swords and carrying spears, and once more Arran thought it looked more like an army than anything else.Tuya's giant figure drew many looks from the recruits they passed, yet Arran saw reverence rather than surprise in their eyes — they were clearly already familiar with her, which meant the camp wasn't a new one."There are several hundreds of novices," Tuya said. "Each with a few hundred recruits.""But why are they here?" Arran asked. "And why so many?""The conflict between the factions has made the borderlands too dangerous for lone novices," Tuya said. "The Waning Moon faction has already attacked dozens of novices, killing many of them. Here, our novices are under