Darius had ridden out of the castle well before the first light spilled across the horizon. The cold bit at his cheeks and the wind clawed at his cloak, but he welcomed the solitude. He was alone, it was faster that way. He had instructed one of his staff to give the letter he had written for Serena before he left.
To him now, Serena was a high-ranked delegate and would be treated as such. Invitations and notices would be given by letter to her officially.
Darius tightened the reins, his horse responding with a soft huff and quicker steps. The border inspections had become more frequent. After the attacks they had been dealing with, Darius was in no position to take any chances. The delegate of Dawnbreak arriving here was a crucial event, and there was to be no mistakes.
Serena was already enough work on his plate, but having an attack? It would be the nail on the coffin. He knew what the outcome would look like. Ironshade would be seen as weak, his leadership would be questioned even further and scrutinized more.
Darius shook his head. He needed no distractions now, he had a long ride ahead. The sun was already atop his head when he arrived at the first checkpoint.
The outerlands of Ironshade had fewer people in them. They were the poorer people of the pack that stayed here; housing was cheaper. A few miles from here would be the massive forest known as their hunting grounds, and there no one was allowed to live.
"Alpha," the guards greeted, their voices dipping with respect as they bowed their heads.
Darius reined in the horse and let his gaze sweep across the post. Every warrior was in place, eyes alert, and weapons clean.
These warriors lived here as well, being rotated every one moon or so. Arguably, they had the most important and dangerous job of the pack. They were the first line of defense.
"Is there any problem, and has there been any sighting of them?" Darius asked.
The man shook his head and gave a full report of the past few days. Nothing seemed off. Darius nodded, acknowledging the man’s hard work.
"Very well then. Be extra vigilant. We’ll have a visitor soon from our northern sister. I believe a messenger will be sent to inform us of his arrival."
"Yes, sir," the guard said.
Darius rode on and inspected each and every squad. They were stationed about twenty meters from one another. He approached the last station, and they all seemed more lax than the rest. One man leaned against his spear like it was a walking stick. Another chewed lazily on a twig.
"It’s Alpha Darius," one of the men said.
The others looked up slowly, sluggishly straightening like boys caught misbehaving. Darius frowned, the tension in his brow settling deep. He pulled the reins tight and brought the horse to a halt.
"What is the meaning of this?" he boomed.
The man who had alerted the others to his arrival brought a hand to his chest and bowed his head slightly. "Nothing, sir. Everything has been peaceful around here, no sightings and no mishaps."
"That your excuse for lounging around like drunk humans on a holiday?" he asked, his tone darkening.
The man looked up slowly and then grinned at Darius. "No need to get your fur in a bunch. We’re doing our best while you remain idle in your big, tall castle."
"No need to get your fur in a bunch, Alpha. We’re doing just fine while you rest easy in your big, tall castle."
He didn’t finish the grin.
In a blink, Darius closed the space between them. His fingers locked around the man’s collar, and with a single, controlled motion, he lifted him off the ground.
"Not everything is a joke around here, Liam." Official source is novel·fire·net
The man’s eyes widened, like he wasn’t expecting Darius to know his name. "We have a visitor in our borders and another one coming soon, so I expect all of you to sit up before you find yourself idle and working in the mines with no pay."
The man tried to pry himself off of Darius, but to no avail. He could not get his fingers in between Darius’.
"Do I make myself clear?"
The man gave a rigid nod and exhaled shakily. Only then did Darius let go, releasing him with a shove that sent him stumbling back. Liam dropped like a cut string, catching himself just before he hit the ground. Dust clung to his trousers as he rose, brushing himself off in sharp, irritated strokes.
"You," he said, pointing to a woman standing off to the side, a rough-looking soldier with a jagged scar across her chin. "Give me the report."
Liam’s jaw twitched. He opened his mouth, clearly ready to reclaim his pride, but Darius shut it with a single raised hand. The warning in his eyes said everything: Not another word.
"Alpha, there have been no sightings of any of those rogues. It has been quiet. Though, we’ve seemed to notice this sort of message carved onto the tree bark," the woman said.
She felt for it in her pocket and brought out a piece of tree bark that had been carved out, and she presented it to Darius.
He ran his hands over the grooves of the carved-out wood. It was an anvil drawn into it. "How far away is it from the borders?"
"Forty meters, give or take," the woman said. "Close enough to mean something."
Darius grunted and then mounted his horse. He slipped the wood into his satchel and held the reins.
"Keep your eyes peeled. We have a delegate from Dawnbreak arriving soon. Make sure to look out for a messenger if one is sent this way."
The guards nodded and saluted to Darius, to which he nodded. He glanced at Liam, who kept his gaze averted. He sighed and squeezed the horse’s sides to make it move.
As soon as he was out of their line of sight, Darius ran his hand through his hair and sighed. No matter how hard he worked, that curse worked harder.
Darius rode on, trying to keep his mind off of how Liam had spoken to him. His words were barbed, aimed to hurt Darius’ pride. But he had dealt with this over and over again.
It had been worse when he assumed leadership, just before his father passed away. The glares, the disrespect- he noticed it all. But as time went on, they were muted, reduced to hushed whispers, never really going away.
Why must you make a mess of things, Father?