Chapter 289: The Warning

Seren’s expression changed, her eyes widening. "Scouts?"

Darion nodded. "Two of them. They were in a tree near the outskirts of Percvale, using perspective glasses to observe the castle grounds. They had been there for hours."

He explained everything in chronological order, his voice steady. He told them about the hunt, about summoning the undead bird, about spotting the figures in the tree. He described how he had hidden and approached them, how he had used Borrowed Sight to watch them without being seen. He repeated the conversation he had overheard, the words still fresh in his mind.

"They mentioned a name," Darion said. "Vrethka."

When he said the name, Garren’s expression shifted. There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, a hardening of his features. "Vrethka?"

Darion noticed his reaction. "You know it?"

Garren nodded slowly. "I’ve heard of them." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Vrethka is a relatively small settlement. It isn’t some massive kingdom or powerful city. However, its people are known for being fierce warriors. They have some of the most resilient warriors in this territory."

He explained what he knew. The settlement had survived several conflicts over the years, their warriors gaining a reputation for being aggressive, disciplined, and extremely willing to fight. They didn’t necessarily have overwhelming numbers, but their strength came from the quality and mentality of their fighters.

"The war they mentioned?" Darion asked.

Garren nodded. "Most likely. Vrethka has been involved in several conflicts over the years. If they recently won a war, it would have strengthened them considerably."

Darion told them what the scouts had said about Vrethka’s victory. They had gained soldiers, weapons, supplies, confidence, and possibly territory or resources. The scouts clearly believed their side was stronger than ever.

Garren’s expression grew darker. "That’s bad."

Seren looked between them. "How bad?"

Garren explained that a victorious army was dangerous. They had experienced soldiers, momentum, and confident commanders. Their men had just survived a real conflict and knew how to fight. They would be emboldened by their success, eager to build on their momentum.

Darion remembered the scout’s words: The Baron won’t know what hit him. He didn’t repeat the line immediately. Instead, he told them that the scouts appeared confident they could defeat Percvale.

"But why?" Seren asked, leaning forward. "Why would Vrethka attack Percvale?"

That was the question none of them had properly considered yet. Seren pointed out that Percvale had never fought Vrethka. There had been no dispute over territory, no trade conflict, no assassination, no insult between nobles, no stolen resources. Nothing that would justify an attack.

"What did we do to them?" she asked.

Darion had no answer. "Nothing."

Garren thought about it. "As far as I know, nothing."

Seren frowned. "Then why?"

Darion explained that the scouts never mentioned any specific grievance. They didn’t talk about revenge or some past incident. They spoke about Percvale almost like it was simply a target. That bothered him more than if they’d had a personal reason.

"If they wanted revenge, at least I’d understand it. But this? It seems like Vrethka simply sees Percvale as an opportunity," Darion said.

Perhaps they knew Percvale was rebuilding. Perhaps they had heard about its resources. Perhaps they believed Darion was weak. Perhaps the recent changes in Percvale had attracted attention.

"I don’t know why they’re targeting us," Darion admitted. "But they’re definitely watching us."

Garren asked how many scouts Darion had seen. "Two," Darion replied.

"And you didn’t see anyone else?" Garren pressed.

Darion shook his head. "No."

Garren didn’t look relieved. "That doesn’t mean there aren’t any."

Darion agreed. Two scouts could simply be the visible portion of a larger operation. They might have others stationed deeper in the forest, hidden from view. There could even be scouts already inside or near Percvale, blending in with the civilians.

Garren pointed out that if they were watching the castle, they may already know about the guards, the number of knights, the farmland, the road, Percvale’s layout, and even Darion’s movements.

Darion realized something else. The scouts knew he had been away all day. That meant they had been monitoring him personally. They knew his habits, his routines, his absences.

The three of them fell increasingly quiet. The weight of the situation settled over them like a heavy blanket. This wasn’t some distant political problem. The enemy was already nearby. Someone had been sitting in a tree outside their territory, studying them, planning against them.

Darion looked toward the windows of the great hall. Outside, Percvale continued its ordinary routine. Farmers were working in the fields, workers were moving around the castle, guards were patrolling the walls. People were living their lives, unaware of the threat that was gathering against them.

They don’t even know there’s a threat.

He thought about how much had changed in Percvale. They had worked hard to get here, rebuilding from nothing, creating something new from the ashes of the old. He didn’t want all of it destroyed because some settlement decided they wanted what Percvale had.

Garren finally broke the silence. "We need to prepare."

Darion nodded. Seren agreed. But they didn’t yet know how much time they had. So they needed information first.

They discussed potential immediate plans: increasing guards around the castle, watching the forest approaches, sending their own scouts, keeping civilians unaware until they knew the scale of the threat, inspecting the walls and defensive positions, making sure weapons and supplies were ready, and having the knights remain prepared for immediate deployment.

Darion didn’t want to mobilize everyone unnecessarily. If Vrethka wasn’t attacking immediately, openly preparing for war could reveal that they had discovered the scouts.

"If they think we know nothing, let them keep thinking that," Darion said.

The meeting eventually fell silent. No one had a perfect answer. They didn’t know when the attack would come. They didn’t know how many soldiers Vrethka had. They didn’t know why Vrethka had chosen Percvale. They didn’t even know whether the two scouts Darion had encountered were the only ones nearby.

Yet one thing was certain. Someone was preparing for war.

Darion looked at Garren, then at Seren. Neither needed to say much. They had to prepare.

Percvale had spent months trying to rebuild itself. Now, they might have to fight to keep everything they had built.