Kane
The wind cut through the trees like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. The border of Ithrador was always cold this time of year, but tonight, it felt different. Heavier.
Fallon moved beside me, silent and focused. I watched the way she scanned the darkness, every movement deliberate, every muscle coiled. It was how a warrior should beâalert, prepared, relentless. And yet, a part of me wished she didn't have to be.
We had been assigned to scout the border for any signs of the Brotherhood's forces. There had been whispers of movement, of shadows slipping through the trees like ghosts. If they were here, it meant trouble. The Brotherhood never made idle threats.
We traveled in silence for a long time, the only sound the crunch of frost-covered leaves beneath our boots. The forest was dense, the moonlight barely reaching us through the thick canopy.
Fallon exhaled slowly, her breath visible in the cold air. "You hear that?"
I listened, my grip tightening on the hilt of my blade. At first, there was nothing. Just the wind and the distant rustle of leaves. But then, I heard it. A shift in the darkness. Subtle. Calculated.
We weren't alone.
Fallon's eyes met mine, sharp and unspoken questions passing between us. I gave a slight nod. Whatever was out there, we'd find it.
Moving soundlessly, we veered off the path, keeping low as we made our way toward the disturbance. My fingers twitched, itching to draw my weapon, but I held back. Not yet.
The moment stretched, tension thick in the air. Then, a blur of movement.
Fallon reacted first, a dagger flying from her grasp and embedding itself in the nearest treeâjust inches from a shadowy figure's head. A warning shot. A damn good one.
The figure stilled. A hooded man, half-shrouded in darkness. But I saw the insignia stitched into his cloak.
Brotherhood.
"Step into the light," I ordered, voice like steel. "Slowly."
For a moment, I thought he would run. But then he moved forward, the dim glow of moonlight revealing a scarred face and cold, calculating eyes. He was young, maybe not much older than Fallon and me, but his expression was one of someone who had seen far too much.
"You two must be the Valdyrs I've heard about," he said, voice smooth. "The ones causing so much trouble for my brothers."
I didn't react. Didn't give him the satisfaction. "What are you doing here?"
His lips curled into something resembling a smile. "Scouting, same as you."
"Liar," Fallon snapped, stepping closer. "Your kind doesn't scout. You infiltrate, you destroy. You kill."
He tilted his head. "Is that not what you do as well?"
I could feel Fallon's fury simmering, barely contained. I reached out, gripping her wrist just enough to keep her grounded. She stiffened but didn't pull away.
"Enough games," I said. "You've got one chance to walk away before we put you in the ground."
The Brotherhood assassin exhaled a quiet laugh. "Oh, Valdyr. You should know better than to offer mercy."
And then he moved.
Fast. Too fast.
A blade flashed in the dim light, aimed straight for Fallon. She twisted, barely dodging the strike, and in the same breath, her sword was in her hands, slashing upward. The assassin leapt back, avoiding the deadly arc by mere inches.
I was already moving, my own weapon drawn. The fight exploded in a flurry of steel and shadows, the three of us locked in a deadly dance. The assassin was goodâbetter than most. But he wasn't better than us.
Fallon struck hard, relentless in her assault, while I moved to cut off his escape. He parried, ducked, countered, but we kept closing in. A strike to his ribs made him stumble, a well-placed kick from Fallon sent him crashing against a tree. He gasped, blood dripping from his lip, but his eyes remained defiant.
"Go ahead," he rasped. "Kill me. Another will take my place."
Fallon raised her sword, fury blazing in her eyes. But I saw itâthe hesitation. The weight of what came next.
I stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn't look at me, but she didn't strike either.
Instead, I turned to the assassin. "Tell your brothers that Ithrador is not theirs to take."
His smirk faltered. Just for a second.
Then he was gone, disappearing into the darkness like he had never been there at all.
Fallon let out a slow breath, lowering her weapon. "He'll report back."
"I know."
She turned to me, her expression unreadable. "We should have finished him."
"Maybe."
A pause. Then, softer, "Why didn't you?"
I didn't have an answer. Or maybe I did, but I wasn't ready to give it. Instead, I sheathed my weapon and started walking. "Let's move. We're not done here."
Fallon hesitated only a moment before following.
The night was far from over, and I had a feeling this was just the beginning.