.Chapter 25-1
Simone
The meeting dragged on for hours as they decided that several battalions from all packs would mobilize against Aerith Kingdom, but that would be only the second part of the plan. It took them forever to talk numbers, provisions, the best route to guide that many people without being
detected.
Kane was impressive during the meeting, I had to admit. After a few clever comments about supply lines and defensive positions, everyone had accepted his participation and even started
asking for his opinion on strategy.
“The eastern approach has fewer patrols,” Kane explained, pointing to a spot on the map spread across the table. “But the terrain is rougher. We’d need to move slower, but we’d have the element
of surprise.”
“What about the river crossing here?” Elonso asked, leaning forward to study the route Kane was
indicating.
“Treacherous in winter, but manageable if we time it right,” Kane replied without hesitation. “The current is strongest in the early morning, but by midday it calms enough for a careful crossing. There’s a ford about half a mile downstream that’s shallow enough for foot soldiers.”
“You really know this area well,” London said, sounding grudgingly impressed despite his earlier
hostility.
“I should,” Kane said dryly. “Got very well acquainted with the local wildlife.”
“Speaking of wildlife,” Finn interjected with a grin, “did you run into that territorial mountain cat on
the north face?”
Kane’s mouth quirked up in what might have been amusement. “The big one claimed the entire north face. Took me two weeks to figure out a route around his territory that didn’t involve becoming lunch.”
I had to keep my jaw from falling off my face when I saw my father actually laughing at Kane’s response. My father! The man who barely tolerated strangers was chuckling at Kane’s dry observations about territorial disputes between mountain cats. When the hell had they gotten to
know the cat?
“Mountain cats are territorial bastards,” Dad agreed, shaking his head. “We lost three scouts to that same one last year before we learned to avoid the area entirely.”.
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Chapter 25 1
“He’s got good taste in real estate, I’ll give him that,” Kane said. “Prime hunting grounds, natural wind breaks, multiple escape routes. If I were a mountain cat, I’d claim it too.”
“Did you try to negotiate?” Dash asked with obvious amusement. I had absolutely no idea what
was going on.
“Once. He was not interested in diplomatic solutions.” Kane touched a faint scar on his forearm that I hadn’t noticed before. “Turns out mountain cats don’t respect royal authority.”
Even Elonso cracked a smile at that, and I realized Kane was systematically winning over every person in the room with his self-deprecating humor and obvious competence.
Though he had earned some of my respect back once he started describing the horrible things he’d faced out there. Enhanced beasts that hunted in coordinated packs, terrain that shifted without warning due to unstable magical barriers.
“The worst part wasn’t the creatures,” Kane said when Jensen asked about the beasts. “It was the traps. Apparently Kellan’s people have been laying magical snares throughout the mountain. Took me weeks to learn how to detect them.”
“What kind of traps?” Saul asked, his healer instincts clearly engaged.
“Binding spells that hold you in place while the beasts close in. Disorientation magic that makes
you
walk in circles until you collapse from exhaustion. One particularly nasty one that created false paths leading straight off cliffs.”
The room erupted in laughter, which clearly wasn’t the reaction Kane had been expecting. He looked around in confusion as even my normally serious father started chuckling.
“Those aren’t Kellan’s traps,” London said, wiping tears from his eyes. “Those are ancient. Been there for decades.”
“The witches who used to live in these woods set them up ages ago,” Finn clarified. “Before they moved deeper into the mountain.”
“Remember when I forced you to undo the traps for me?” Dad asked Mom, nudging her with his elbow. “Back when we hated each other?”
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