Page 201 of Salt Between the Wolves

"We move."

The words emerged colder than intended. Garrick's expression hardened.

"Soren—"

"We move."

The second interruption was sharper and left no room for argument.

Several warriors immediately began preparing their horses. No one argued, and no one spoke.

Garrick remained exactly where he was, watching him with the same look he had worn in Red Creek and the same look Kael had given him before that. The comparison irritated Soren more than it should have.

Eventually Garrick turned away. He was neither satisfied nor convinced, merely outvoted.

The captain mounted his horse without another word.

That should have felt like victory. Instead, something settled heavily in Soren's stomach, a feeling he ignored as quickly as it appeared.

Three hours later they entered the ravine.

And every instinct in Garrick's body began screaming.

The ravine narrowed gradually, though at first no one paid much attention because the road remained passable and the cliffs on either side were not unusual for this part of the region.

Pine trees clung to the rocks above, while the sky had long since disappeared behind dark stone, leaving only a narrow strip of grey visible overhead.

Soren rode near the front, and Garrick had moved closer sometime during the last mile, offering yet another warning that Soren chose not to acknowledge.

The silence felt wrong, not because of anything visible, but because there were no birds, no distant animal calls, and nothing beyond the steady sound of hooves striking stone.

Garrick noticed it first, as Soren suspected he would.

His hand drifted toward his sword before he spoke.

"Soren."

The captain's voice was low, urgent enough to draw Soren's attention.

Soren turned, but he was already too late.

A horn sounded above them, echoing once and then a second time before chaos erupted throughout the ravine.

The first arrows came from both sides, and a horse screamed as one of the riders behind Soren vanished from the saddle before anyone fully understood what was happening.

The second volley followed immediately, arriving without warning or hesitation as the ravine exploded into motion.

"SHIELDS!"

Garrick's roar echoed against the cliffs while more arrows rained down and more screams filled the air.

The horses panicked, several rearing violently while one slammed directly into the rider beside it.

Stone shattered above them, and when Soren looked up, he immediately realized his mistake.

Huge rocks crashed down the slope, making it clear that the ambush had been prepared not hours ago, but days in advance.

The realization struck him instantly.