The night grew later inside the old stone base, leaving behind cold air that seeped in through the cracks in the cave walls.
The candle wick on the stone table had burned down low, casting long shadows that danced across the chalk marked map.
Valerie was still sitting upright with her fingers interlaced, thinking about the next move after tomorrow’s logistics ambush had been fully planned.
To her, cutting off the enemy’s food supply was only a small physical win, and it would not last long if their position on the border stayed isolated without support from the local people.
“We can’t just hide in this stone base and hope your brother’s army falls apart on its own after their logistics wagon blows up, Caleb,” Valerie said, breaking the silence in the underground hall.
“Then what else are you planning, Valerie?” Caleb leaned his straight back against the stone pillar near the table.
“Isn’t cutting off Oakhaven Fortress’s food supply enough to throw their defense into chaos?” “The fortress may go into chaos, but the villages around it will take a much worse hit if the tyrant troops start raiding people’s homes for scraps of food,” Valerie said, staring straight into the wolf prince’s golden eyes.
“My people on this border have already been used to suffering since the coup happened,” Caleb muttered, making the mood inside the stone room feel even more sorrowful as the weight of the past rose up again.
“They know what war means.” “They are not enduring because they are used to suffering, Caleb,” Valerie cut in firmly.
“They are only trapped because they thought their prince was dead.” “Then what do you want, smart human?” Caleb stepped closer and folded his arms on the stone table.
“Should I just walk into the village square and shout that I’m still alive?” “Of course not, that would be suicide,” Valerie said, shaking her head.
“We only need to whisper a story in secret and let it spread from mouth to mouth.” “Rumors without proof will never move the heart of a skeptical wolf nation, Miss Valerie,” Vane added from the corner of the room.
His hand had stopped sharpening the wooden stakes.
“We’ll make the physical proof tomorrow afternoon, right after we take down that iron wagon carrying the grain supply,” Valerie said, leaning forward toward both wolves.
“How can a broken wagon in the middle of the western tunnel prove that I’m back?” Caleb frowned, still not following.
“We’ll leave a very specific mark on the tunnel wall, something only ordinary people would recognize as your sign,” Valerie said, tightening her fingers lightly on the stone table.
Caleb froze for a moment before he slowly began to understand what she meant.
“My father’s Alpha clan symbol,” Caleb whispered, his voice trembling a little from restrained emotion.
“A pair of claw marks that were always carved onto the shields of the royal guard.” “Exactly,” Valerie nodded.
“Let the surviving escorts see the carving and report it upstairs in a panic.” “Isn’t that too risky, Miss Valerie?” Vane said, setting his dagger aside and walking toward the table.
“The enemy will tighten border security everywhere if they know Lord Caleb is here.” “That’s exactly what I want, Captain Vane,” Valerie said with a thin, mature smile.
“Let the fortress troops split their attention because they are too busy panicking and searching for us.” “If they are panicking over an invisible enemy, then their internal defense will weaken somewhere else,” Caleb said, narrowing his eyes as he realized where this trap tactic was heading.
“Good.
Seems your hunting instincts are finally useful for understanding guerrilla strategy, Caleb,” Valerie said, folding her arms in front of her chest with a satisfied look.
“Don’t underestimate an Alpha, Valerie,” Caleb muttered, annoyed, which made Valerie laugh softly because his stubborn side had shown up again.
“I’m used to ripping an enemy’s throat out directly, not trapping them with rumors.” “So once the symbol is found and the rumor starts spreading, who’s going to make sure the message reaches the farther villages?” Vane asked, wanting clarity about their communication chain.
“We need informants who will never be suspected by the fortress guards, and the border villagers we met this afternoon are the best answer,” Valerie said, pointing to the village mark on the dusty map.
“The silver haired old woman we met in the ruined house this afternoon?” Caleb guessed.
“Not just her, but all the old women and children who are used to wandering around those dry wheat fields,” Valerie said, meeting Caleb’s gaze with a steady look.
“Why them, Valerie?” Caleb asked, genuinely confused.
“They don’t have the speed or strength to run if a checkpoint inspects them.” “Exactly because they look weak and helpless, Caleb,” Valerie said, revealing one of the most basic laws of intelligence work.
“Overconfident tyrant soldiers would never waste time interrogating a little child or an old grandmother.” “They’re the perfect message carriers because they blend into the background of poverty on this border,” Vane said, his eyes widening again at the depth of the human girl’s strategy.
“Exactly.
They can whisper to each other while washing cloth by the river, or while gathering dry sticks by the roadside,” Valerie said, giving a very clear picture of how information could spread among the oppressed.
“But we need to give them something first if we want them to risk their lives spreading word of my existence, Valerie,” Caleb said, remembering how fragile his people’s condition was because of hunger.
“We already gave them silver coins this afternoon, Caleb,” Valerie said sharply.
“And tomorrow we’ll give them the whole grain supply from that wagon.” The stone hall suddenly went very quiet because both wolves were stunned.
“Give the whole grain back to the village?” Caleb said in disbelief.
“Doesn’t this base need long term food supplies too?” “We are only taking one third of the total load for our logistics needs here,” Valerie said firmly, shutting down Caleb’s urge to hoard supplies.
“The rest has to be left in the tunnel so the villagers can loot it.” “That’s extremely clever, Miss Valerie,” Vane said with a nod.
“Hungry villagers will rush straight for the grain that gets left behind.” “And while they’re eating that grain in hiding, they’ll know the First Prince was the one who fed them,” Caleb whispered, his eyes shining with emotion and a growing fire in his chest.
“That is the heart of the hope we are building, Caleb,” Valerie said, her voice warm against the cold underground night.
“A resistance that starts from the sympathy of ordinary people.” Caleb looked at Valerie with an expression that was hard to read.
There was admiration, respect, and something even deeper starting to grow inside him.
“Smart human, you really do know how to move a nation’s heart without spilling too much blood.” “I’m just using common sense, something tyrants in my old world kept forgetting, Caleb,” Valerie said softly, looking away from his golden eyes because her cheeks had started to feel warm.
“But still, if I had only relied on wolf instincts, I might have rushed that fortress alone and ended up dying stupidly,” Caleb said as he stepped closer and took Valerie’s fingers from where they rested on the stone table, holding her hand with a gentleness that clashed with the size of his palm.
“Let go, Caleb!” Valerie hissed softly, glancing around awkwardly.
“Captain Vane is watching us!!!” Valerie tried to pull her hand away, but Caleb held it for a few seconds more before finally letting go with a faint smile.
“I think I should check the tunnel entrance area one more time to make sure there is no night water seepage, Lord Caleb, Miss Valerie,” Vane said, clearing his throat softly before bowing respectfully.
He walked out of the hall with heavy footsteps on purpose, giving the two of them privacy.
Valerie let out a long breath after Captain Vane’s figure disappeared into the darkness of the stone corridor.
“You really can’t turn off that protective instinct of yours, not even in front of your veteran soldier.” “Vane has been my trusted man since I was a child, Valerie,” Caleb replied, his voice suddenly dropping into something deeper and full of emotional vibration.
“He knows I would never let someone precious to me stay in danger.” “Focus on tomorrow afternoon’s fight, stubborn wolf,” Valerie said, trying to pull her tactical authority back into place after that brief physical closeness.
“The success of that logistics sabotage is the key to this whole rumor plan.” “All the sulfur powder bags are ready, the ambush route is locked in, and your instructions are already carved into my head,” Caleb replied with certainty, making Valerie nod in satisfaction at last.
Valerie stood from the cold stone chair and stretched her human muscles, stiff from spending the whole day walking through the rough border route.
“I need to rest for a while.
Wake me up three hours before dawn so we have time to set the explosive fuse on the tunnel cliff.” “Sleep on the fur cloak bed Vane prepared in that corner over there, Valerie,” Caleb said, pointing with a protective look.
“I’ll keep watch over this candle wick until dawn.” “Don’t fall asleep and let the candle go out, Caleb,” Valerie warned as she walked toward her resting spot.
“I hate waking up in complete cave darkness.” “I have perfect night vision, smart human,” Caleb chuckled, giving her a warm smile as she moved away.
“Darkness will never hide you from my sight.” Valerie opened her dusty cloak and folded it neatly before lying down on the thick warm fur spread out for her.
She closed her eyes in the silence of the night, letting her thoughts slowly sink into the steady rhythm of Caleb’s breathing as he kept watch in the dim light of the silent base hall.
Tomorrow, the whisper would finally begin.