The pale dawn light crept slowly through the cracks in the stone base, scattering a thin golden sheen over the dusty map table.
Valerie rubbed at her heavy eyes, then straightened her worn dress, already stained with dry soil.
In the corner of the hall, Caleb was already standing tall, tightening the leather straps on his chest guard, while Vane was busy checking the tip of a wooden arrow he had just finished sharpening.
“You’re awake already, Valerie?” Caleb asked, turning his stern face toward where she had been resting.
“How am I supposed to sleep properly when we’re ambushing the enemy wagon at dawn!?” Valerie shot back as she stood and walked toward the stone table.
“All the preparations were finished an hour ago.
You don’t need to be that stressed,” Caleb said, rubbing the stiff side of his neck.
“I’m stressed because all our lives are on the line today, Caleb,” Valerie muttered, making Vane stop his fingers in the middle of arranging arrows.
“Trust our instincts and physical strength, Miss Valerie,” Vane said from the corner of the room, sounding sure of himself.
“Instincts and muscles won’t matter if you forget the order of the plan we laid out last night,” Valerie replied, glancing back and forth between Vane and Caleb.
Caleb moved closer to the stone table and lightly tapped the chalk map that had already started to flake.
“Our memory is sharp, Valerie, especially when it comes to something this important.” “Good.
Then let’s go over it one more time before we move out of the base.” Valerie leaned forward over the table.
“Say your part first, Caleb, so I can be sure your head isn’t empty when you fight!” Valerie gave the wolf prince a sharp look.
“My job is to lead the main ambush at the mouth of the western tunnel and tear apart the front escort line,” Caleb answered, a slight smile touching his lips.
“And don’t forget to leave some of the escorts alive so they can run away,” Valerie cut in quickly.
“Yeah, yeah, I remember.
I’ll only cripple their horses and chase off the rest of the frightened soldiers,” Caleb muttered, waving one hand lazily.
“Then your part, Captain Vane?” Valerie turned to the old soldier standing straight beside the pillar.
“I am responsible for securing the grain sacks and carving the twin claw emblem into the tunnel wall,” Vane answered in a steady voice without hesitation.
“Perfect.
Make sure the carving is deep enough that rainwater can’t wash it away,” Valerie said, nodding with satisfaction at the captain’s answer.
“Now let’s move before the sun climbs too high above the tunnel,” Caleb said, drawing his great sword and slinging it across his back.
The three of them stepped out of the ancient stone base, moving through the narrowing dark corridor until cold border wind finally hit them.
Dead trees with bare branches stood rigid along the hillside, framing the sight of a wide stretch of dry land.
Valerie wrapped her cloak tighter around herself to block the morning wind that pushed hard through the thin fabric.
They walked low and careful, following the cracks between the steep cliffs that hid them from the enemy watch towers.
After almost an hour, they reached the upper cliff directly overlooking the western tunnel route.
That tunnel was a narrow gap between two rocky hills, the only entrance and exit path for the kingdom’s logistics wagons.
“We made it right on time.
The road below is still quiet,” Vane whispered, peering out from behind a patch of dried bushes.
“Good.
Now help me set this sulfur fuse around that old tree root.” Valerie took out two cloth sacks filled with homemade explosive powder.
“Can this little tied thing really bring down that cliff, Valerie???” Caleb asked, his face full of doubt.
“Don’t underestimate chemical reactions, Caleb!
This sulfur powder will create a hard blast strong enough to rip apart the weak soil structure above the tunnel!” Valerie explained as she tied the hemp cord to a wooden peg.
“If this thing fails to explode, I’ll climb up there and bring that cliff down with my own two hands,” Caleb muttered, making Valerie let out a long breath.
“Save that big strength of yours for holding back the fortress guards later, stubborn wolf,” Valerie hissed, tapping Caleb’s solid arm lightly.
While Valerie and Vane finished setting the explosive fuse on the upper cliff, Caleb stayed alert at the edge of the drop with his golden eyes fixed on the bend in the road.
Then suddenly, the wolf ears hidden under Caleb’s thick hair twitched lightly, catching a strange vibration coming from far away.
“Someone’s coming from the east,” Caleb hissed, freezing in place.
“Is it the grain wagon we’ve been waiting for?” Vane asked, gripping the handle of his dagger.
Caleb sharpened his hearing and tilted his head slightly to the left to make sure of the sound source.
“No.
These footsteps are too light for an iron wagon with chains.” “Then what are you hearing, Caleb?” Valerie asked, stopping the movement of her hands as she tied the explosive cord.
“It’s the stomp of patrol soldiers’ iron boots.
About ten of them, and they’re moving fast,” Caleb said, his eyes growing even sharper as he spotted a thin plume of dust rising behind the hill.
“TEN PATROL SOLDIERS!?” Vane’s eyes widened in shock.
“When was their usual patrol schedule supposed to pass through this route, Captain Vane???” Valerie asked in a panic, her voice turning tight at once.
“There shouldn’t be any patrol in the western tunnel until later this afternoon, Miss Valerie!” Vane said, clearly rattled now.
“Damn it!!
THEY MUST HAVE TIGHTENED SECURITY BECAUSE OF THE BORDER INCIDENT YESTERDAY!!!” Caleb roared, gripping his sword so hard that his knuckles went white.
“Calm down, Caleb!
DON’T PANIC!!!” Valerie shouted back, trying to steady the wolf prince as his battle instincts started to flare.
“How am I supposed to stay calm, Valerie!?
Those patrol troops will reach this tunnel mouth in less than five minutes!” Caleb snapped, lowering his body into a spring ready stance.
“If we fight them out in the open now, the sound of clashing blades will carry all the way to the main fortress,” Vane whispered, voicing a very real tactical concern.
“I can slaughter those ten soldiers before they even get a chance to scream for help, Vane!” Caleb growled, his eyes burning with Alpha fury.
“NO!!
DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID, CALEB!!!” Valerie screamed, rushing forward and planting herself directly in front of Caleb’s huge body to block him.
“WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR, VALERIE!?
IF THEY PASS THROUGH THIS TUNNEL, THEY’LL FIND THE SULFUR BAGS WE PLANTED!!!” Caleb shouted in frustration, his breath coming hard in the cold morning air.
“Listen to me first, crazy wolf!!
If you butcher them here, their blood will soak into the tunnel ground and the grain wagon will turn back because they’ll get suspicious!” Valerie snapped, locking eyes with Caleb’s blazing golden stare.
Caleb loosened his grip on his sword a little, stunned by the human girl’s logical explanation.
“Then what are we supposed to do!?
We can’t just leave them alone!” “We’ll lure them into the forest ditch trap on the west side of the tunnel,” Valerie said, pointing toward the thick bushes about a hundred meters from where they stood.
“The forest ditch trap we dug yesterday afternoon?” Vane asked, trying to remember the spot she meant.
“Yes, the ditch trap covered with branches and dry leaves!” Valerie answered, turning to look at both wolves with complete determination.
“Can that narrow ditch even hold ten armored soldiers?” Caleb asked, still unsure whether the simple human made trap could work.
“Our goal is not to kill them in the ditch, Caleb.
It’s to trap them and throw them off balance without causing a big bloody mess,” Valerie said sharply, not accepting any argument.
“But how are we supposed to drag ten trained soldiers away from their main patrol route and into the bushes???” Vane asked, frowning in confusion.
Valerie gave a thin grin as a reckless idea suddenly flashed through her mind.
“We’ll use the one thing they’re hunting for right now.” “You mean…
a human!?” Caleb said, his eyes opening wide as he caught the madness in her idea.
“NO!!
I WILL NOT LET YOU BECOME BAIT FOR THOSE WILD WOLVES, VALERIE!!!” Caleb roared, his voice booming across the quiet stone hills.
“STOP ARGUING, CALEB!!
WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR A LONG DEBATE!!!” Valerie shot back, not backing down at all from the prince’s pressure.
“THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS, VALERIE!!
IF EVEN ONE OF THEM REACHES YOU, THEY COULD KILL YOU IN AN INSTANT!!!” Caleb snapped, grabbing Valerie by both shoulders with hands that trembled from worry.
“They won’t get the chance to touch me because you and Vane will be hiding above the ditch cliff to shove the giant log down when they enter the trap zone!” Valerie barked, shaking off Caleb’s hands with a sharp push.
“Even so, this is still way too dangerous for a human woman like you,” Vane added, also voicing his disagreement with the reckless strategy.
“Do you trust me or not!?
If this plan fails, you can blame me for the rest of your lives!” Valerie threatened, staring back and forth between Caleb and Vane with eyes shining full of resolve.
Caleb clenched his fists hard, fighting between his pride and the deep fear for the safety of the girl in front of him.
“Damn it…
you really are the boldest woman I’ve ever met in two worlds!” “Take your positions above the ditch cliff right now!
HURRY!!!” Valerie ordered, pressing her hand against Caleb’s hard chest to shove him into motion.
“Vane, follow her instructions!
But if even one soldier gets within three steps of Valerie, I’ll jump down and tear that man’s chest apart without mercy!!!” Caleb snarled, turning and sprinting fast with Vane toward the thick brush.
Valerie drew in a deep breath, trying to settle her heartbeat that was pounding like war drums.
She stepped out from behind the thick bushes and walked slowly into the middle of the dirt path the enemy patrol would cross.
Down below, the dust kept rising higher, mixed with the clatter of iron armor and the heavy rhythm of boots growing clearer by the second.
Less than two minutes later, ten dark skinned wolf soldiers bearing the tyrant’s emblem on their chest guards came around the bend in the hill.
They moved in two straight rows with long spears pointed forward.
Their steps all stopped at once when they saw a lone human girl in a worn white dress standing in the middle of the dry road.
“STOP!!!” shouted the patrol commander at the front, lifting his right hand into the air.
“Look at that, Captain!
There’s a human woman wandering alone in this border land!” one soldier beside him shouted, his face full of shock.
“WHAT IS A HUMAN DOING ON THIS DRY LAND!?
WHO ARE YOU!?” the patrol commander barked, his voice echoing off the stone cliffs.
Valerie pretended to panic, her eyes going wide and her body shaking on purpose where she stood.
“I-i’m just a lost traveler…” “A LOST TRAVELER!?
DON’T LIE TO US, HUMAN!!!” the commander yelled, drawing his sword from the sheath at his waist.
“GRAB THE GIRL!!
SHE MUST BE A SPY SENT BY THE REBEL TROOPS!!!” another patrol soldier shouted, pointing his spear forward aggressively.
“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!!
PLEASE!!
DON’T HURT ME!!!” Valerie screamed in a completely believable terrified voice, turning around and running as fast as she could toward the western bushes.
“DON’T LET HER GET AWAY!!
CHASE THAT GIRL!!!” the patrol commander yelled, his face lit with hunting hunger.
All ten wolf soldiers charged after Valerie without thinking twice.
Their predator instincts were fully hooked by the fear of a weak human running alone into a small patch of forest.
Their iron boots thundered against the dry ground, kicking up thick clouds of dust into the air.
Valerie raced through branches that scratched her arms, but she ignored the pain.
Her steps stayed precise because she had already memorized every inch of the ground they had marked yesterday afternoon.
In front of her, a spread of dry leaves covered the deep wide artificial ditch.
Valerie jumped over the ditch with the last of her human strength, landing a little awkwardly on the hard ground on the other side, her knee hitting a stone.
Without wasting a second, she turned and screamed as hard as she could toward the upper cliff.
“NOW, CALEB!!
PUSH THE LOG NOWWW!!!” Valerie shrieked until her throat burned.
Up on the cliff, Caleb and Vane poured every ounce of wolf muscle they had into shoving a giant tree trunk that had been held in place by hanging stones.
The log rolled downward at high speed, slamming into the front rank of the patrol soldiers who were still running blindly.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?” the patrol commander yelled, half terrified out of his mind as the huge log came straight at them.
“LOOK OUT!!
IT’S A TRAP!!!” shouted a soldier in the back row who tried to turn around.
But it was already too late.
Their own speed shoved the middle and front ranks forward, and they all plunged straight into the deep ditch hidden under the dry leaves.
“AAAAAARGHHH!!!” the patrol soldiers screamed over each other as their heavy armored bodies collided and piled up at the bottom of the steep ditch.
The two soldiers left at the edge of the ditch tried to pull out their swords and leap across toward Valerie.
But before they could even move their feet, a huge black shadow dropped from the top of the five meter cliff with terrifying speed.
Caleb landed with a brutal impact, driving his clawed hand straight into the first soldier’s chest and sending him crashing into the stone wall where he collapsed unconscious at once.
Without any pause, Caleb spun and grabbed the second soldier by the neck, smashing his head into the hard ground until the iron helmet bent and the soldier went limp and helpless.
“VANE!!
COVER THE DITCH WITH THE ROOT NET NOW!!!” Caleb roared as he stood protectively in front of Valerie, who was still gasping on the ground.
Vane, still on top of the cliff, quickly cut the holding rope of the thick root net.
The giant woven trap, full of forest thorns, dropped down and covered the entire ditch surface, sealing eight soldiers inside the dark hole where they were already tangled on top of each other.
“LET US OUT!!
YOU BASTARD!!
GET US OUT OF HERE!!!” the patrol commander yelled from the bottom of the ditch while trying to cut the root net with his dagger.
“Shut your mouth or I’ll throw this giant stone into your heads one by one!!!” Caleb growled, his voice carrying the terrifying dominance of an Alpha, while lifting a chest sized cliff stone above his head.
The shouting from inside the ditch stopped all at once.
The trapped patrol soldiers below froze in fear, hearing the threatening tone packed with that overwhelming Alpha presence.
“Who…
who is that man…
that presence…” one soldier whispered from the bottom of the ditch, his voice shaking hard.
“Don’t waste time threatening them, Caleb!
We need to get back to the tunnel before the grain wagon passes by!” Valerie urged, standing and brushing the dirt off her ruined dress.
Caleb hurled the huge stone aside, shattering it into pieces against the ground.
He turned and looked Valerie over from head to toe, checking every inch of her body with deep worry in his eyes.
“Are you okay, Valerie!?
Did you break any bones when you jumped over the ditch!?” Caleb asked in panic, his voice suddenly turning soft and full of worry.
“I’m fine, Caleb.
I just got a small scratch on my knee,” Valerie said, trying to smile to calm the wolf prince’s mind.
“Your knee is bleeding, Valerie!” Caleb gasped, his face twisted with panic when he saw a red stain soaking through the fabric near the bottom of her dress.
“IT’S JUST A LITTLE SCRAPE, CALEB!!
DON’T OVERREACT!!!” Valerie cried, slapping her own forehead in exasperation at his overprotective behavior.
Vane jumped down from the cliff with perfect balance, landing beside them both while wiping sweat from his forehead.
“All the patrol soldiers are locked inside the ditch, Miss Valerie.
It should take them at least five hours to get out of that root net.” “Excellent, Captain Vane.
Our ditch trap worked without needing to spill much blood on the main road,” Valerie said, praising the veteran soldier’s hard work.
“Your tactic is truly amazing, Miss Valerie!
I’ve never seen a non magical trap this effective for taking down trained wolf soldiers!” Vane praised, his eyes shining with deep admiration.
“Don’t praise her too much, Vane!
This reckless girl almost made my chest split open by turning herself into bait!” Caleb muttered, folding his arms over his chest and turning away with a pouty look.
Valerie laughed brightly at the wolf prince’s sulking behavior.
“Thanks for the exaggerated concern, Wolf Prince!
But now it’s time for us to finish the main mission.” “Let’s head back to the western tunnel.
The grain wagon has probably already gotten closer from the east hill,” Caleb said, trying to hide the thin smile that almost appeared on his lips when he heard Valerie’s laugh.
The three of them ran quickly back along the rocky cliff, leaving the trapped patrol soldiers inside the darkness of the forest ditch.
The morning sun kept climbing higher, sending warm light that burned the border dust in gold.
Valerie looked straight ahead with a sharp gaze full of new confidence, knowing that her human tactics and strategy had proven capable of overcoming the raw ferocity of this strange world.