Page 199 of Salt Between the Wolves

"They wanted witnesses."

The words settled heavily between them. It hadn't been a raid, a robbery, or even a battle in the usual sense. It had been a message.

Soren understood immediately, and the realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Fear.

That was what Vargan was spreading—not soldiers or armies, but fear itself. He was doing it one settlement at a time, one road at a time, and one ally at a time.

The old wolf was teaching the region that standing beside Ironfang came with a price, and people were learning the lesson far too quickly.

For a long while neither of them spoke.

Then Garrick rose to his feet.

"We'll leave at first light."

Soren nodded.

The captain turned toward the stairs, but halfway there he stopped without looking back.

"There are wolves who would follow you into hell."

The words lingered in the darkness.

"But even wolves need a reason to believe they'll come back."

Then he walked away, leaving Soren alone with the rain. The silence felt heavier than the pain.

Chapter 24: The Ravine

Soren

The lead arrived shortly after sunrise when a hunter from one of the nearby settlements came into camp. He was middle-aged, nervous, and clearly eager to be useful. He claimed to have seen armed men moving through the northern woods the previous evening—not villagers or traders, but fighters in a group large enough to matter.

By the time the man finished speaking, Soren was already reaching for his sword belt.

"We move."

The hunter visibly relaxed, as though grateful to have delivered the information and survived the experience.

Garrick did not move, and Soren noticed immediately.

"What?"

The captain folded his arms.

"I don't like it."

The answer only sharpened Soren's irritation.

"Why?"

"Because it's convenient."

The hunter shifted uncomfortably, but Garrick ignored him.

"They attack a patrol, disappear without a trace, and suddenly someone knows exactly where they are."