Chapter 300: Inside the Walls

Seren watched, her arms crossed, her expression curious. She had seen him use the bird before, just minutes ago actually, but she still found the process fascinating. The way he could control a creature with nothing but his thoughts, seeing through its eyes as if he were there himself. It was a kind of power she still couldn't fully wrap her head around.

Darion activated Borrowed Sight. His vision immediately changed. The forest around him disappeared from his perspective, replaced by the bird's view. For a moment, everything felt strange. The bird's vision wasn't exactly the same as his own. Its field of view was different: wider, with a slightly different focus. Its head movements were different, quicker and more precise. Even judging distances took a little adjustment, his brain recalibrating to the new perspective.

Darion had used this ability before, though, some minutes ago, actually, so he quickly got accustomed to it. He focused, his mind settling into the bird's body. Alright. Let's go.

The bird took flight. Darion deliberately didn't make it fly too quickly. That would immediately look suspicious. Instead, he kept its movement natural, normal altitude, normal speed, occasional wing adjustments.

It didn't fly directly toward anything. It behaved like a bird simply moving through the night, drifting on the breeze, following its own path.

Darion kept reminding himself of one important thing. Don't make it look like it's being controlled. If a guard happened to look up, the bird needed to look completely ordinary. It couldn't hover, couldn't fly in straight lines, couldn't do anything that would draw attention.

It flew toward Vrethka, the settlement gradually growing larger through the bird's eyes. The walls, the watchtowers, the torchlight, all of it drawing closer with each flap of the bird's wings.

The bird approached the outer wall. Darion slowed it slightly, guiding it to a natural gliding pattern as it passed over the fortifications.

He spotted several guards. They were standing on the wall and around the nearby towers, their armor glinting in the firelight. Some were watching the surrounding forest, their eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Others were talking amongst themselves, their voices too low to hear from this distance.

Darion carefully guided the bird past them. Nobody reacted. Nobody looked up. The bird simply continued flying, its wings beating steadily, its movement completely ordinary. It passed over one of the watchtowers, and Darion got another look at Vrethka's defensive structure from above. More guards here than before. He took mental notes, cataloging everything he saw. More torches. More patrols. They're on high alert.

He continued inward. The bird passed over the wall, and now it was officially inside Vrethka.

Darion's attention sharpened. Alright. Show me what you're hiding.

Darion guided the bird deeper into the settlement. This wasn't the area he had observed earlier. During the previous scouting attempt, he had mostly focused on the training grounds, the supply storage, and the prisoners. This time, he deliberately moved toward another section, a part of the settlement he hadn't seen yet.

Residential buildings passed beneath the bird. Narrow streets, larger houses, storage buildings, small courtyards, all of it spread out like a maze. People were moving around despite the late hour, their figures dark shapes against the torchlight. Some carried supplies, others walked in small groups, their voices carrying faintly on the night air.

Darion noticed how organized everything was. Vrethka didn't feel like a temporary military camp. It was a functioning settlement, with homes and businesses and people who lived there. But there was clearly something unusual happening tonight. The military presence was simply too strong. Soldiers were everywhere, their armor glinting in the firelight, their weapons close at hand.

Eventually, the bird landed on the roof of a large building. Darion settled it there, its claws gripping the tiles. From the rooftop, he had a wide view of the surrounding area. He scanned everything carefully, his eyes moving from building to building, from street to street.

Something immediately caught his attention. A group of warriors was gathered near the large building beneath him. There were several of them, he counted at least six, and they were clearly armed. But these weren't ordinary soldiers. Their armor was noticeably better, heavier, more detailed, more decorated. Their weapons were also of higher quality, polished steel, custom hilts, the kind of equipment that cost more than a common soldier's yearly wage.

Darion studied them. Officers? He watched their behavior. They weren't standing in formation. They were gathered together, speaking with one another, their postures relaxed but alert. One seemed to be doing most of the talking, his hands moving as he spoke. Others occasionally responded, nodding or shaking their heads. Another warrior appeared to be giving directions to someone nearby, pointing toward a different part of the settlement.

Darion narrowed his eyes. Commanders, maybe. If he was right, this could be exactly the kind of information he needed. Regular soldiers could tell him how many troops Vrethka had. These people might know why they were preparing them.

Darion focused on the group. He attempted to read their lips. It was something he had managed before, back in the forest near Percvale, when he had watched the scouts from a distance. He had gotten better at it over time, learning to piece together words from the shapes of mouths and the movements of jaws. But this time...

It was difficult. They were too far away. Their faces weren't always turned toward one another. Some were partially blocked by other warriors. And they were speaking quickly, their words tumbling out in a rush.

Darion concentrated harder. He caught fragments. Nothing useful. A word here, a few syllables there. But nothing he could confidently piece together. Come on. He tried again, focusing on the warrior who appeared to be doing most of the talking. The man's mouth moved rapidly, his expression animated. Darion watched carefully.

He caught something that sounded like a name. But he wasn't sure. Then another warrior stepped in front of him, blocking the view entirely. Fuck.

Darion waited. The warriors shifted positions, their conversation continuing without pause. He got another angle, a better view of the speaker's face. He tried again. This time, he caught a few more movements. He thought he recognized a word. Then another. But the sentence was still impossible to understand.

Darion's frustration grew. Why are they talking so damn fast? He adjusted the bird's position, making it hop along the roof to get a better angle. The bird moved carefully, its claws scratching against the tiles. It reached the edge of the roof, closer to the warriors below. Better angle. He focused again.

Still nothing. The warriors continued talking, their words lost to the distance. Darion could see that whatever they were discussing was important, the way they leaned in, the way their hands moved, the way their expressions shifted. But he couldn't hear it. And without being able to hear them, lip-reading wasn't enough.

Darion finally pulled his attention away for a moment. He thought about what he had actually accomplished. The bird had already given him a lot. He knew Vrethka had a substantial military force. He knew they were stockpiling supplies. He knew they were preparing for a campaign. He knew there were prisoners from Harrowhold. He had seen their training grounds. He had seen their commanders — or whoever these heavily armed warriors were.

In reality, the bird had been extremely useful. But Darion still felt like he was missing the most important piece. Why? He knew what Vrethka was doing. He didn't know why. And that was what he needed. He needed to know how this whole situation started.

Why did Vrethka attack Harrowhold? Why did they win? Why were they now preparing to move again? And why did they send scouts toward Percvale? Why Percvale? Why?

Those answers were somewhere inside this settlement. But the bird couldn't simply fly close enough and listen without risking discovery.

Darion tried one final time. He moved the bird to another rooftop, closer to the warriors. From here, they were slightly nearer, their voices a little louder. He focused, watching their mouths, their gestures, trying to piece together what they were saying.

Nothing. The distance was still too great. Darion's frustration slowly built. I need to get closer. But getting closer was dangerous. The bird could only do so much. If it flew directly into the middle of the group, someone might notice its unnatural behavior. And if they somehow recognized it as undead... the entire purpose of using an ordinary bird would be ruined.

Darion sighed internally. Maybe this isn't such a great idea after all. He didn't mean the bird itself, the bird had been useful. He meant relying on it to uncover the information he actually needed. He had seen a lot. Honestly, more than he expected. But now he needed something specific. He needed to hear.

Darion stared at the warriors. I need to hear what they're saying. Seeing wasn't enough anymore. He needed actual information. Names. Places. Orders.

Reasons. Something that told him how all this shit started. He needed to know what happened between Vrethka and Harrowhold. He needed to know why Vrethka was preparing another military campaign. And most importantly... he needed to know why Percvale was their next target.

Darion's frustration deepened. I can't find that out just by watching. He needed sound. But the bird couldn't give him that from this distance. Darion began thinking of another method.

Just as he was about to pull the bird away, something caught his attention. He looked at the warriors again. Something was strange. Darion focused on their heads. At first, he thought the darkness was simply making their faces difficult to see. But now he realized...

They were wearing masks. Every one of them.

Heavy, decorative masks covered their entire faces. Some had elaborate designs, carved patterns, painted symbols, intricate details that caught the torchlight. Others looked almost ceremonial, their surfaces smooth and polished. None of the warriors' actual faces were visible.

Darion stared. Masks?

Suddenly, his earlier frustration disappeared. A thought entered his mind. If their faces were completely covered... then he didn't need to worry about identifying their expressions. More importantly... the masks might be the key. Darion's eyes narrowed. An idea began forming. A very different approach to getting closer.

He looked at the masked warriors again. Interesting. The frustration was gone. Darion had just found something he could use.