Chapter 510: The Ones Who Leave First

Sophia turned slowly toward Ronan.

"Do they have any serious injuries?" she asked quietly.

Ronan shook his head at once.

"No," he said. "Nothing serious. Mostly small cuts. Bruises. A few strained muscles." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He paused.

"They should be fine in a few hours. By morning at the latest... that’s what Marta said."

Sophia nodded.

Then she frowned slightly.

"I don’t see how that’s an issue then."

Ronan exhaled softly.

"It’s an issue because they’re still in the medical facility," he said. "They can’t move immediately. And this..." he gestured vaguely toward the table, "this search for Tobias is urgent."

Silence followed, but it only lasted for a moment before Orion spoke up.

"How about we announce the results tomorrow?" he asked them. "The trainees who would be going can rest today, but then they’ll have to leave tomorrow at night."

Caspian’s head snapped up.

"At night?"

Orion nodded.

Caspian frowned deeply.

"Families have already started planning celebrations," he said slowly. "You know how it is. This placement test means a lot. If the trainees leave at night, the celebrations won’t even last. The celebrations start at night, Orion."

"Then we can push it to midday," Orion argued.

"But that is not done," Caspian argued.

Orion leaned back slightly in his chair.

"Alright then, what exactly are you suggesting we do?" he asked quietly. "If they must hold the celebration at night, then tell us what should be done."

Caspian opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because there was no real answer to that.

Orion’s gaze remained steady.

"We don’t know what situation Tobias is in," he continued. "From my estimation, he’s been gone a while, and that already raises flags that he could be in a dangerous situation."

Ronan nodded.

"I understand the families," he said. "I really do. Everyone in the pack will be celebrating those who passed. Those who have what it takes to join the ranks."

He paused.

"But Tobias is an essential member of this pack too." His voice lowered slightly. "Almost all the information we get is from him. And then again, if someone has what it takes to join the ranks, then they must be prepared for anything and at any time too. We cannot wait for partying into the night, Caspian. We need to move fast."

"Honestly, I think Tobias didn’t just wander into the west blindly," Ronan said.

"We don’t think he did," Orion told him, then winced softly.

Lie.

He corrected himself. "I don’t think Tobias wandered into the west blindly..."

He faced the council. "Which of you thinks he went to the west blindly?" Orion growled, hating the fact that he had just told a lie himself.

Eldric coughed slightly, and Orion sighed, not even the least bit surprised.

"If you were..." Orion paused, then shook his head. "For the one who thinks Tobias went to the west blindly, Tobias went to get information about the Silver Creek pack and also the plague, so he infiltrated the west and did not move in blindly."

Eldric just played with his feather earring, looking everywhere else except at Orion.

Madam Tyler shifted in her seat.

Then she muttered softly, almost to herself.

"The enclave really is two-faced."

Several heads turned toward her.

She raised her gaze slowly.

"Publicly," she said calmly, "they persecute this pack. They hunt us. They treat us like criminals."

Her lips thinned.

"And yet, they still send letters. Still send messengers. Still ask for our help regarding the plague."

Daniel let out a short breath through his nose.

"The enclave has always been two-faced."

Mary folded her arms slowly.

Then she turned to Orion.

"Are we starting this search only because it’s Tobias?"

Orion shook his head.

"No."

His answer was immediate.

"In case Silver Creek needs help," he said. "We’re sending more people."

Mary tilted her head slightly.

"It’s been months," Orion added quietly. "They still haven’t replied."

The weight of that statement lingered.

"We shouldn’t forget what the Silver Creek pack did for us," he said. "They stood with us when it mattered."

His voice grew firmer.

"As their allies, we extend help. Whether they’ve asked yet or not."

Mary nodded slowly.

"If you’re looking for someone to go with the trainees," she said carefully, "I want to go."

Several heads turned toward her.

Sophia looked up first.

"Mary—"

Mary raised a hand gently.

"I know I’m not much of a fighter," she said quietly. "I know that."

Her gaze shifted to Orion.

"But I can move freely in the west."

Orion watched her closely.

"I won’t need a disguise either," she added.

Mary lifted her chin just a little.

"The enclave won’t recognise me," she said. "Not like this."

She gestured faintly at herself.

"At my hair. Or what I look like now."

A corner of her mouth lifted.

"They still think I look the same as before. Frail. Small. Easy to overlook."

"And they won’t register the fact that I’ve changed," Mary continued quietly. "That I’ve gained some muscle and that my hair is as low as a... well, it’s low," she said with a laugh.

Orion studied her for a long moment.

The hall remained silent.

"You’re sure?" he asked finally.

Mary nodded.

"Yes."

Orion exhaled slowly.

"We’ll still assign someone from the guards," he said. "Someone experienced."

Mary nodded again.

"That’s fine."

Orion turned his attention to the rest of the table.

"Any objections?"

No one spoke.

One by one, they shook their heads.

Orion nodded once.

"Then we stop here for now," he said.

He rose slowly from his seat.

"You should all get some rest. We’ll continue planning tomorrow."

Sophia turned to him with a frown. She noticed no one argued or objected to the fact that the meeting was over, when she thought they would be staying for longer.

She was about to speak up when a knock came at the door.

"Garrett, get in," Orion said.

The door opened as Garrett walked in, then turned to Brynhild.

"Rita is outside. She said to tell you Raina is awake and hungry," he told her.

Brynhild stood up immediately. She didn’t even need to be told twice.

"I have to go," she said without hesitation.

Orion nodded at her, and without a glance backwards, she walked out of the hall.