Page 150 of A Crown of Lies

The White Woman of the Wytchwood was so legendary, so feared, that tales of her terrifying power to portend the deaths of men were told as far away as Savarra.

And yet, here they were, sitting on the edge of her territory, preparing to enter her domain and shed blood there. Todiethere.

“We’ll make camp here,” Ieduin said. “But nobody better get comfortable. I’ll need crews working through the night to set everything up.”

Rowan frowned at the elf. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Going in there at night?”

Ieduin snorted. “It’s just a forest. I’m not scared of a few trees.”

“It’ll be dark, and we can’t have any lights,” Rixxis said. “That will give away our position.”

Ieduin nodded. “Thought of that.” He reached into his pack and brought out a small strip of wood. He twisted the top, and it emitted a dull, green glow. Ieduin tossed it to Rixxis. “When a Runecleaver and a would-be Shikami get their heads together, they can come up with some neat stuff. They developed those for the Crows about two years ago. We used them in this mission we did in the Bagrun Swamp. Twist the top, toss them in the murky water, and you’ve got a limited light source that lets you see, but not bright enough that the enemy can see you until they’re on top of you. Of course, we don’t have water, but the tree cover will do the same thing.”

“Nice.” Rixxis tossed it back to him. “How many do you have?”

“Couple hundred. They’re standard equipment. We need more than that, we’ll have to get a proper enchanter to make more, but it should be more than enough to get the job done here.”

Rowan nodded, his horse shifting impatiently beneath him. “Our people are going to be uneasy about being here.”

“Good thing we’re not staying long, then.” Ieduin brought his horse around and whistled, making a circular gesture with his fingers, the signal to make camp.

An hour later, they held their final strategy meeting, huddled around a table in the royal tent. The tension in the air was palpable, electric, and not in a good way. Rowan glanced at the space across from him, wondering what Ewan might say.

In Ewan’s place stood his son, Peter, and Tofi. Rixxis and Ieduin rounded out their war council.

Ieduin leaned against the table with a heavy sigh, looking at the crudely drawn map of the area they’d hastily put together. “The bandits have officially joined with the Trintan forces.”

“Any news of our scouts?” Rixxis asked.

Ieduin shook his head. He’d ridden up a ridge with a spyglass himself to get the lay of the land. The two forward scouts they’d deployed earlier in the afternoon had yet to report back. Rowan feared they might’ve been captured.

“They know nothing useful,” Ieduin said, eyeing Rowan. “Even if they give away our position, the Trintans aren’t equipped to rush us. They know we’re here, though, and they’re gathering for a skirmish. Their camp is here.” He pointed to a space that looked distant from the other side of the woods.

Rowan frowned. “And how do you plan to get them to come into the Wytchwood? They seem rather far away, and they won’t want to enter.”

Peter looked up from the map and signed, “We need to give them something to chase.”

“Exactly,” Ieduin agreed once Rowan relayed what he’d said. “Which is why we’re going to set up a two-stage feint. Part one: piss them the hell off. We’re going to send a small force to sabotage their camp when darkness falls. A little fire can do a lot of mayhem. We have the raiding team go in, cause enough chaos to get them riled up, and then they retreat to a line here. We’ll have a small force spread in single file to play the vanguard. They’ll engage and immediately fall back into the woods as if retreating, and that’s where we’ll have them.”

“Who do you have selected for the raiding team?” Rixxis asked.

Ieduin shook his head. “Haven’t decided yet, but they’ll have to be fast, and smart.”

“What about the Wild Hunt?” Tofi gestured to Rowan. “Are they not exactly what you need?”

“Absolutely not,” Ieduin said immediately. “We can’t put the king in the line of fire.”

“That’s exactly what you have to do.” The table creaked as Rowan leaned forward onto it, bracing himself against the surface. “Those bandits know us. It’s personal. They won’t chase just anyone, but they will chase us.”

“What if something happens to you?” Ieduin crossed his arms.

“You must trust me, Ieduin. Just as I’ve got to trust you. We all have our roles to play. This is far less dangerous than standing out with the vanguard. Let us do this.”

“What about father?” Peter signed. “While the Hunt causes chaos, some of us could locate and free him.”

“A rescue mission makes it far more dangerous,” Rixxis warned.

“But we’ve got to try.” Rowan stood up straight again.

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