Morning had just started to slip through the trees of the Gray Forest.
Thin sunlight touched the dew clinging to the tents of the secret camp.
In the middle of all the noise, with mountain clan soldiers busy hauling firewood and unloading grain, Valerie walked slowly along the outer edge of the base.
“Check those rope knots carefully!” Vane shouted near the logistics cave, pointing at two young soldiers.
“Yes, Captain Vane!” one soldier answered at once.
Valerie stopped near a stack of empty crates, holding her map sketch in one hand.
Her eyes narrowed when she noticed a small ivory paper lying behind a bush, only a few meters from the rear guard post.
“What’s this paper?” Valerie murmured, lowering herself to pick it up.
The paper was coated with a thin layer of wax, the kind of waterproof material only made by the couriers of Oakhaven Palace.
On its surface were secret symbols and a layout of the western patrol route, the same route they had just discussed last night in the main tent.
“This important information could not have fallen here by accident,” Valerie whispered to herself, clutching the paper tight.
“What are you looking for back there in the bushes, Valerie?” Caleb’s deep voice suddenly came from behind her.
Valerie gave a small start, then turned around while quickly hiding the waxed paper inside the folds of her dress.
“Nothing, Caleb.
I was just checking the boundary stakes around our base.” Caleb stepped closer, his sharp eyes fixed on Valerie’s stiff expression.
“You never hide anything well when your face looks that obvious, Valerie.” “Listen, we have a serious problem in this base, Caleb,” Valerie said, pulling on the sleeve of Caleb’s leather cloak and leading him to a quieter corner behind the stone cave.
“What kind of problem?” Caleb asked, lowering his voice as his face turned tense.
Valerie took out the waxed paper she had just crushed in her hand and spread it out in front of Caleb’s chest.
“Someone in our camp leaked the patrol positions and the alliance plan to the enemy.” Caleb’s golden eyes went wide.
He snatched the paper with his thick, veined fingers.
“These symbols belong to my tyrant brother’s palace intelligence division!” “That means there’s a spy among our soldiers or among Varkas’s clan soldiers!” Valerie snapped, scanning the camp area with sharp, wary eyes.
“I’ll call Vane and Varkas right now and search this whole tent!” Caleb said firmly, turning to move off in anger.
“Don’t act rashly, Caleb!” Valerie grabbed his wrist with all her strength.
“There’s a traitor among us, Valerie!
If we leave this alone, tomorrow night’s attack plan could turn into a massacre!” Caleb growled, his voice full of burning anger.
“If you search the camp right now, that traitor will panic and start spreading news that their cover has been blown!” Valerie argued, staring straight into the wolf prince’s golden eyes.
“So you want us to just stand around while the enemy knows every single move we make!?” Caleb asked, raising his voice in frustration.
“Not stand around, Caleb, but trap them with bait!” Valerie said with a thin smile as a clever idea flashed through her mind.
Caleb frowned, forcing his emotions back.
“What kind of bait is living in that head of yours?” “We leak false information on purpose, something tied to a time, then we watch who leaves camp to send a signal,” Valerie explained at length.
“False information about what?” Caleb asked again, growing even more curious about the human girl’s thinking.
“About moving the three grain wagons into the eastern valley pass tonight,” Valerie answered, tapping the waxed paper in Caleb’s hand.
Caleb went quiet for a moment, weighing the idea, then a faint smile finally touched his mouth.
“Your mind is always full of dirty little traps, Valerie.” “That’s called turning a situation to your advantage, Wolf Prince!” Valerie shot back, giving him a teasing wink.
“Fine then, how do we spread this fake bait?” Caleb asked, folding the waxed paper again.
“Gather the captains and senior officers for an emergency meeting one hour from now in the main tent,” Valerie ordered in a steady, commanding tone.
One hour later, the mood inside the main tent was tight and uneasy.
Vane, three mountain clan officers sent by Varkas, and a veteran soldier named Garin sat around a wooden table now covered in hill region maps.
“What sudden matter made us gather while the sun is still this high, Prince?” Garin asked, stroking his thick gray beard.
“There’s been a change in the plan for storing our three grain wagons,” Caleb replied, crossing his arms over his chest while looking over every face in the room.
“Wasn’t the grain already safe in the back cave, Prince Caleb?” one of Varkas’s clan officers asked in surprise.
“Enemy scout dogs were seen moving toward the back cave this morning!” Valerie cut in, interrupting with a deliberately panicked face.
“What!?
Enemy scouts already near the logistics cave!?” Garin shouted, springing up from his wooden chair in shock.
“Calm yourself, Garin!” Vane said sharply, while glancing at Valerie, who gave the tiniest eye signal.
“That is why all the grain inside the cave will be moved tonight at ten o’clock to the eastern valley pass,” Valerie continued, pointing to a remote spot on the map.
“Why move it to the eastern valley pass?” another Varkas clan officer asked, frowning with suspicion.
“Because the eastern valley pass will be covered in thick fog at that hour and will be very hard for enemy patrol horses to reach,” Valerie answered, her tone calm and fully convincing.
“Only the people in this room are allowed to know this information,” Caleb said, his intimidating baritone rolling through the tent.
“If the enemy finds out about this grain transfer, I will personally cut off the head of whoever leaks it!” “Yes, Prince!
We will keep this secret with everything we have!” Garin said, nodding hard while clenching his fist against his chest.
“Meeting over.
Return to your posts and act like nothing happened!” Caleb ordered, waving the officers out.
The officers bowed respectfully, then left the main tent one by one.
Valerie moved closer to the gap in the tent cloth, watching the movement of each person who had just stepped out.
“How was it, Valerie?
Did you see any doubt on their faces?” Vane asked, stepping up beside her.
“That old soldier named Garin…
he asked too many technical details about the grain transfer earlier,” Valerie murmured, her eyes never leaving Garin as he hurried toward the medical tent.
“Garin has been a veteran with me since the first coup war in the palace, Valerie!” Caleb said, unable to believe that his old soldier might be a traitor.
“Blind trust is the biggest opening in war, Caleb!” Valerie shot back, turning to face Caleb’s golden eyes with firm resolve.
“But Garin risked his life when he saved me from the enemy archer encirclement before!” Caleb argued, still defending the loyalty of his subordinate.
“The past does not prove someone’s loyalty when their family is being threatened or when they’re being paid in gold, Caleb!” Valerie answered, not backing down.
“Enough, both of you stop fighting already!” Vane cut in, easing the tension between them.
“How are we proving it tonight?” Valerie drew in a long breath and straightened the dirty hem of her dress.
“Tonight at nine, the three of us will hide on the western crossing hill, the place where pigeon signals or smoke signals are usually sent.” “If Garin or anyone else steps onto the western hill at that hour, then your accusation is proven, Valerie,” Caleb said, his voice lower now, carrying deep disappointment.
“And if it is proven, let me handle what comes next calmly, without making a scene,” Valerie suggested, lightly patting Caleb’s strong arm to ease his temper.
Night fell and wrapped the Gray Forest in thick darkness.
Cold air blew hard, carrying the rustle of leaves and the howl of wind between the stone cliffs.
Right at nine o’clock, the secret base looked almost silent, with most soldiers already resting inside their own tents.
On top of the dark western crossing hill, Valerie, Caleb, and Vane crawled behind thick leafy bushes.
Caleb used his sharp hearing and night vision to watch the area below.
“There’s a human figure moving toward the cliff post,” Caleb whispered, his golden eyes flashing in the night.
“Is it Garin?” Valerie asked, leaning forward slightly.
“Yes…
it’s Garin,” Caleb replied, his voice heavy and bitter as he watched the veteran soldier move slowly while carrying a small torch covered in thick cloth.
Garin stopped at the edge of the western cliff and looked left and right with a very nervous expression.
He removed the cloth covering from his torch, then swung the orange glow three times toward the valley below.
It was a secret signal for the enemy courier waiting in the dark.
“Why would you do this, Garin!?” Caleb whispered, gripping his fingers so tightly that his knuckles went white.
“Wait, Caleb!
Let him release the pigeon so we have physical proof!” Valerie held Caleb’s shoulder so he would not jump down in anger.
From under his thick cloak, Garin pulled out a small messenger pigeon tied with a red string.
He tied a thin rolled slip of paper to the bird’s leg, then got ready to release it into the open air.
“NOW, VANE!
SHOOT THE BIRD!” Valerie hissed, barely keeping her voice down.
THWIP!
The arrow Vane fired cut through the night darkness in a flash, slicing straight toward the messenger pigeon’s wing just as Garin let it go.
The bird crashed down onto the ground several meters in front of Garin, along with the rolled paper.
“What the hell is this!?” Garin shouted in panic, jerking backward in shock when he saw his pigeon shot down from the dark.
Before Garin could even draw his sword, a black shadow leaped down from the stone cliff above and landed hard in front of him.
Caleb stood tall, his Alpha fury surging in raw waves.
THUD!
“C-Caleb…
Prince!?” Garin screamed, his voice shaking hard as his legs went weak and he dropped down onto the rocky ground.
“How dare you sell your own brothers’ blood to the enemy, Garin!” Caleb roared, grabbing Garin by the collar and lifting the veteran off the ground with one hand.
“Prince…
forgive me!
Please forgive me!” Garin sobbed, tears falling from his wrinkled eyes.
Valerie and Vane climbed down from the stone cliff and approached them.
Valerie picked up the small paper roll near the dead bird, then opened it beneath the moonlight.
“He wrote that the three grain wagons will be moved at ten o’clock tonight to the eastern valley pass with minimal escort,” Valerie said, reading the message in a cold voice.
“Why would you do something this disgraceful, Garin!?” Vane snapped, pointing his bow at the veteran’s face.
“Prince Caleb already treated you like family!” “My wife and child…
the enemy took my wife and child in Oakhaven Fortress!” Garin cried, his voice breaking painfully in the silent night.
“They threatened to burn my family alive if I did not give them information about Prince Caleb’s movements!” Caleb froze for a moment.
His grip on Garin’s collar loosened slightly, though his face was still full of anger and disappointment.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this from the beginning, Garin!?” Caleb asked, his voice rough with pain.
“I was scared, Prince!
I was so scared they would kill my child before our troops could take the fortress!” Garin said at last, bowing low on the damp ground before Caleb’s feet.
Valerie watched Garin cry hard into the dirt.
She stepped closer to Caleb and gently squeezed the wolf man’s fingers to calm the storm inside him.
“Your leak put hundreds of soldiers in this camp in danger, Garin,” Valerie said, staring coldly at the veteran soldier in front of her.
“I know…
I’m ready to accept death from Prince Caleb tonight!” Garin gave in, squeezing his eyes shut against the ground.
“Death will not make things better, Garin,” Valerie cut in, her face suddenly sharpening with thought.
Caleb and Vane both turned to look at Valerie with furrowed brows.
“What do you mean, Valerie?
He’s a spy who has clearly committed betrayal!” “A captured spy is the strongest weapon for breaking the enemy’s defense from the inside!” Valerie explained, a tactical smile appearing on her lips.
“You mean we use Garin to send the next false message?” Vane asked, already starting to follow the human girl’s line of thought.
“Exactly, Captain Vane!” Valerie exclaimed, her eyes shining with sharp intelligence.
“The enemy in Oakhaven Fortress is completely sure the ten o’clock grain transfer to the eastern valley is real!” “They’ll definitely send their main ambush force to the eastern valley to seize that grain!” Caleb added, seeing the huge opening in the enemy’s defense.
“And while their main force rushes out to ambush the empty eastern valley, Oakhaven Fortress will lose half its guards!” Valerie finished the tactic in one breath.
Garin lifted his dirt stained head and stared at Valerie in disbelief.
“A are you really not going to kill me, miss?” “Your life will be spared under one absolute condition, Garin!” Valerie said firmly, stepping one pace closer to the veteran.
“Say the condition, miss!
I’m ready to do anything to make up for my shameful mistake!” Garin answered with complete sincerity.
“You have to keep acting like your cover has not been exposed and follow every detail of the message I write for you to send to the enemy!” Valerie ordered, staring into the old soldier’s eyes with crushing firmness.
“Yes, Miss Valerie!
I swear by the names of the clan ancestors, I will follow all your orders!” Garin promised, bowing again until his body nearly touched the ground.
Caleb let out a long breath, flicked his leather cloak, then looked at Garin with the steady gaze of a future king.
“Stand up, Garin!
Vane will escort you back to the medical tent and watch every move you make until tomorrow’s operation is over!” “Thank you for your mercy, Prince Caleb…
Miss Valerie…” Garin whispered, trembling as Vane helped him stand.
“Take him back to the base, Vane,” Caleb ordered, lifting one hand slightly.
“Yes, Prince!” Vane answered, guiding Garin away from the western hilltop.
Now only Valerie and Caleb were left standing together on the western crossing hill.
Moonlight broke through the night clouds, lighting Valerie’s face as she stood calm in the middle of the cold mountain wind.
Caleb stepped closer and stood right beside Valerie, staring at the dark valley below them.
“I almost made a huge mistake by executing him in anger, Valerie.” “Emotion is the biggest enemy of a leader in war, Caleb,” Valerie said softly, looking into the golden eyes of the man beside her.
“How can you keep thinking this clearly when everything suddenly goes chaotic?” Caleb asked, his voice full of deep admiration.
“In my world…
I got used to living in a place full of lies and betrayal,” Valerie replied, wearing a bitter smile that hid the pain of her past.
Caleb paused, then placed his big warm hand on Valerie’s shoulder.
“Here, you do not have to face those lies alone anymore, Valerie.” “Thank you, Caleb,” Valerie whispered, feeling the warmth spreading from the wolf prince’s palm.
“Your success in catching the spy did not just save our base.
It also gave us a shortcut to taking Oakhaven Fortress tomorrow night,” Caleb praised, looking at Valerie with real gentleness.
“And tomorrow night, your soldiers will start seeing me not as a weak human anymore, but as a real part of your alliance,” Valerie said, her confidence lifting high.
“They already respect you today, Valerie the strategist,” Caleb teased, a thin and very charming smile touching his lips.
“Don’t start calling me that weird nickname again, Wolf Prince!” Valerie grumbled, pretending to be annoyed as she folded her arms over her chest.
Caleb gave a soft chuckle, a laugh that warmed the cold night above the stone cliff.
The betrayal that had almost torn their struggle apart from the inside had now been twisted by one human girl’s sharp mind into a deadly trap for the tyrant’s army.