In the Elder’s Hall, the Elders were mid-discussion when suddenly—
BAM
The double doors burst open with a loud slam.
"Lord Kael, you can’t ju—"
The guard’s voice was heard, but the man in question did not care. He simply stord into the hall, his cloak still fluttering from the wind outside. Behind him was Lavinia, who seed sowhat shaken and was currently being pulled by Kael.
The sudden incident made the Elders straighten in alarm, their conversations stopping mid-word as their eyes turned to him.
Morvain, seated at the center, raised her eyes, unfazed but curious.
"Dragon Rider Kael,"
She said calmly.
"To what do we owe—"
"The Drakthar have arrived."
Kael revealed without bothering with any formalities.
"Ten warships, each with their royal crest. Heading toward Ashen Heights as we speak."
The room fell silent. Even Nyris, the oldest among the Elders, blinked, her disbelief clear on her face.
Morvain too narrowed her eyes.
"...What?"
She tilted her head, thinking she had misheard.
"They will arrive at the East Coast within 10 minutes."
Kael continued. His words were clear and urgent.
"We do not have ti,"
He spoke.
"You were supposed to be positioned at the Wall on the West. How do you kno—"
"I’m the Hero. I see more than others do.
And I do not think that is what you have to worry about right now."
"..."
For a mont, Morvain turned silent.
Kael’s words were unbelievable. This had never happened before. Why would it happen right now? Honestly, if it were anyone else, she would have already dismissed him in annoyance, but Kael...
She didn’t think he would lie about sothing like this.
"Are you sure about it?"
She asked slowly.
"We saw them before we ca here."
Kael nodded with a solemn look on his face. Even Lavinia nodded, albeit slowly. She was clearly out of her usual touch.
Not that anyone noticed. The Elders were too busy thinking about what they just heard.
"Why now?"
Tarevian Velmourn, the Voice of the Commonfolk, muttered with a frown.
"Why after twelve hundred years?"
He questioned out loud.
And very quickly, everyone got the answer.
What was different now and the long years before?
The answer was standing right in front of them.
The Hero.
The Summoned Hero escaped Drakthar to co to Ashen Heights—to co to the Velmourns. In the eyes of the Dragonborns, this would be their worst nightmare.
This... could potentially revive the Velmourns their ancestors put down after so many sacrifices twelve hundred years ago.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that this was a national-level threat to them.
But...
"How did they know?"
Aelindra Velmourn, the Warden of Provisions, narrowed her eyes. There was no need for any further explanation. Everyone knew what she was talking about.
"There were no rchants,"
Tarevian muttered in a solemn voice.
Yes, the Elders of the Iron Council knew that the rchants were Drakthar people who had co to spy on them.
They weren’t fools. For rchants to continuously co here every two to three months without fail was enough of a giveaway. After all, they truly had nothing valuable enough for the rchants to co all this way for.
Sure, Velmourn weapons were stronger than weapons made of normal tals because of their Dragonborn Ash.
But that was it.
Constantly coming here for twelve hundred years just for Velmourn weapons was ridiculous. They even gave them more raw tals found in the rest of the mainlands when they said they didn’t have enough materials.
What made them even surer was the fact that none of the rchants they t ever gave them stronger, better tals, almost as if they were trying to restrict them.
Honestly, it didn’t even seem like they were trying to hide the fact that they were spies. After all, deep inside, even they knew Velmourns needed them.
The food they brought every two to three months saved hundreds of lives. Velmourns couldn’t possibly call them out. They could only limit the information they gave them—but even that wasn’t easy. After all, hiding things beca tough if the spies stayed with you for weeks and asked whatever they wished.
Not that Velmourns actually cared. They knew Drakthar only wanted to keep an eye on them so that they did not beco a threat.
And... Velmourns knew their condition better than anyone.
Threat to the Dragonborns?
They were barely surviving in this stone coffin. How could they ever beco a threat? In Drakthar’s eyes, their current condition was actually perfect, and since the Velmourns knew they wouldn’t act, they decided it was better to get rations these people offered and let them be.
After all, in a good way or bad, it was at least good to know why and when they were being spied on. Even if they couldn’t control most things, they could still regulate so information if they really had to.
But this...
If the Drakthar ships were truly here for the Hero, it would an that rchants weren’t their only spies.
They had more.
And these were ones hiding right under their noses.
Traitors.
In an instant, the Elders’ faces turned solemn.
This wasn’t good—if the Drakthar ships were actually here, this would an they had a traitor amongst their people. There might even be more than one.
"This is an accusation with a weight that you do not understand, Kael,"
Suddenly, Morvain stared at Kael and spoke with a solemn look on her face.
"If you’re wrong—"
"I’m not."
Before the Matriarch could continue, Kael answered.
"N—"
And as if on cue—
SLAM
Another door burst open.
This ti, it was a young subordinate rushing inside, panting. His face was pale from the cold and the news he carried.
"Matriarch!"
He called out. Everyone turned towards him.
"Speak,"
Morvain ordered with a grim look on her face.
She had a feeling that she wouldn’t like where this was going.
"T-Ten big ships... from the East have been sighted, heading directly for us. T-They have D-Drakthar crests on them!"
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Absolute silence fell over the place.
The Elders went dead quiet. Kael stood still, showing no reaction on his face. He was more worried about Lavinia, who was now holding his hand even more tightly as the guard brought the news.
It was here.
This was really happening.
Kael, knowing what was going on in her heart, held her hand tightly as well. He continued to stare at her, and when she finally looked at him, he nodded reassuringly.
Lavinia nodded back nervously.
During this exchange, the Matriarch turned towards the guard and—
"You said ten?"
"Yes! Ten big ships, much larger than the ships rchants use when they co here!"
Once again, the Elders gasped, their expressions hardening at the ridiculous situation. Morvain, however, was different.
Her cold, expressionless face did not change. She simply rose from her seat in a slow, deliberate motion.
From her Sanctuary, she took out a ssage Sigil.
Because of their limited resources, they only had a few of these. All the Elders and so other Velmourns at important positions had them so that they could be contacted at monts of ergency.
"Korvath will be there with the n of the Watch."
The Matriarch declared. She then looked at the rest of the Elders present here and—
"Let’s move."
The Matriarch ordered.
"We are going East to welco our guests."
The words were difficult to digest. None of the Elders wanted to stand in front of the Dragonborns. Twelve hundred years of suppression had an effect on them.
The Ashen Heights wasn’t ready.
Neither its n nor its Elders were prepared to deal with this situation. They were nervous, and they were scared.
But...
Seeing the Matriarch standing tall without any change in her expression, almost as if everything was under control and she had a plan to deal with it all,
The Elders regained their confidence as well.
They all stood up from their seats and,
"Yes, Matriarch!"
They all nodded.
The Matriarch nodded. She then turned towards Kael and Lavinia—
"And you two."
"Yes, Matriarch."
Kael answered, as if ready to follow any orders.
"The two of you will stay behind."
Kael tilted his head in confusion, and Morvain continued,
"We still do not know what the Dragonborns are actually here for. I do not wish to give them any more credible reason by showing you two."
Again, Drakthar knowing about Kael and Lavinia would an there were traitors amongst their people. As the Matriarch who had ruled the Velmourns to the best of her abilities—Morvain, with all her might, denied that possibility in her head.
Who knows?
They might be here for so other reason, and the theory about there being a traitor was wrong all along.
Of course, the Matriarch knew being this biased wasn’t a quality of a good leader, but for now, she wanted to believe she was right.
"Yes, Matriarch."
Kael nodded as well.
After all, the possibility Morvain was thinking about still wasn’t zero.
It was better for them to hide. Lavinia, too, would be much calr if she didn’t have to face those people. Plus, with Imperia’s Ants, they wouldn’t be missing anything anyways.
Morvain nodded back.
She then glanced at the Elders, who had already taken out their Bonds, and with one nod from Morvain, she and the Elders moved.
Their destination?
East.
It was ti for the Exiled to et the Kingdom again.
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