But Heiko didn’t have time for bitterness.
Not now, when all these innocents were looking at him with fear, but also hope.
“Double the patrols,” he ordered the pack leader. “Reinforce the outer defenses. I want messenger ravens ready at every post. If you see so much as a shadow past that treeline, I want to know about it.”
The elder nodded.
--
The camp buzzed with the sharp rhythm of preparation. Hammers struck iron, sharpening weapons long dulled by peace.
Leather armor was fitted, arrows bundled, and warriors moved like rivers of motion between tents, firepits, and training grounds.
The scent of steel, sweat, and tension thickened the air, and amidst it all, Prince Heiko stood like a storm given form—calm on the surface, but restless beneath.
He had spent the last twelve hours
