Chapter 13: The Watcher at the Edge of Flame
The message arrived just past dawn.
A hawk, ash-colored, circled twice before landing on the outer watchpost. The scroll tied to its leg bore no crest—only wax smeared into a jagged circle.
Leon stood with Yundar and two of the manor's old captains as they read it.
He didn't say a word until Yundar handed it to him.
"Movement spotted near Hollow Vale. Unnatural shapes. Eyes like glass. Flame without smoke. Ten reported. Three survived."
Beneath that, in messy handwriting:
"It was looking for someone."
Leon folded the message once. Then again. Then tucked it into his belt.
The ride south took them through forest first, then fog. They moved in a tight column—five riders total. Leon led, Yundar second, followed by two scouts and a mage from the northern academy. Young. Pale. Dressed for ritual, not blood.
None of them spoke.
The forest changed after the third hour.