The next day, I had Narg, Flogga, Dribb, Gobbo, Thok, Zonk, Gork, Bundi, Talia, Nira, and Zivra gather in the eting room. By the ti everyone was present, the air already carried a quiet seriousness, the kind that ca when people knew this wasn’t a routine briefing.
I went over the plan from the beginning, making sure those who hadn’t been fully in the loop understood exactly what we were about to do and why. I reestablished our priorities clearly, stripped of unnecessary bravado, and then began assigning roles one by one.
Zarah, anwhile, was visibly irritated during all this.
She had spent most of the previous night trying to convince to let her accompany , pressing the issue with an insistence that bordered on stubbornness. But I had refused then, and I refused again now.
This wasn’t a situation where raw aggression or overwhelming force would solve everything.
I wasn’t just going to face any foe.
I was facing soone who had secured a guaranteed spot in the gas, and that alone spoke volus. That wasn’t sothing handed out lightly. It ant experience, power, and a level of competence that could not be ignored.
A foe whose strength was likely equal to mine, or possibly even greater.
Charging in recklessly would be foolish.
I needed to be cautious, deliberate, and fully aware of the risks involved. And more than that, I couldn’t ignore the reality that my absence would leave the clan exposed. Enemies wouldn’t politely wait for my return before making their move, and I couldn’t afford to gamble the clan’s safety on blind confidence.
That was why Zarah had to stay.
No matter how much she disliked it.
Although she understood, or at least claid she did, the irritation never fully left her. It sat there beneath the surface, sharp and unhidden, every glance she shot my way making it clear that acceptance and agreent were two very different things.
With the briefing finished and roles clearly assigned, I was just about to rise from my seat when movent caught my attention.
Dribb stood.
He stepped away from his chair and walked toward , his eyes burning with a familiar intensity, the heat in them not subtle in the slightest. Before anyone could react, he dropped to one knee in front of , the sound of it echoing faintly in the room.
"Chief," he said, his voice tight but controlled, "why not take with you instead of him?"
I didn’t need him to clarify who him was.
His gaze flicked briefly toward Gork.
Truth be told, Gork probably wouldn’t have objected due to how dangerous it was. But that wasn’t the issue.
Before I could respond, Zarah cut in sharply.
"He’s the only one who knows the location of the rival clan," she snapped, turning toward Dribb with narrowed eyes. "Weren’t you listening, you idiot?"
I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head.
So much for that being settled.
Dribb’s jaw clenched as he glared at her, the earlier tension snapping right back into place like it had never left. Zarah t his stare head-on, unflinching, clearly uninterested in backing down or softening her words.
They were still at it.
And judging by the look in both of their eyes, this rivalry was nowhere near cooling off.
"Besides," Zarah added coolly, clearly not done stirring the pot, "if he were to take anyone else, why would he take you? Even Thok would be a better option."
"Eeh—...?" Thok blurted out, genuinely startled, eyes widening as the room’s attention snapped to him for half a second.
Dribb’s expression darkened at the provocation, heat flaring visibly beneath his skin as his fingers curled into a tight fist. For a mont, I thought he might snap back, might throw sothing sharp enough to reignite the argunt right there. But he didn’t. Instead, he looked at , jaw set, waiting for my answer.
"I’m taking none of you," I said calmly, cutting through the tension before it could escalate again. "Your strength is needed here, not where I’m headed."
The words settled over the room.
Thok let out an audible sigh of relief, shoulders dropping as if he’d been holding his breath the entire ti. He truly looked like he believed, even for a mont, that I might have considered taking him.
Dribb, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding his displeasure. His lips pressed into a thin line, and the fire in his eyes dimd only slightly as he pushed himself back to his feet.
"Then I’ll do my best," he said, voice steady despite the frustration still simring beneath it, "to make sure no enemy sets foot on our territory."
I nodded once, eting his gaze.
"Good, Dribb," I said, patting his shoulder. "I’ll be depending on you."
That seed to do the trick. The tension in him eased little by little, the tightness in his jaw loosening as the frustration bled away, replaced by sothing closer to pride. He straightened slightly, as if the responsibility itself steadied him.
Then I didn’t remove my hand.
Instead, I tightened my grip on his shoulder just enough to make my intent clear and leaned closer, angling my head toward his ear so only he could hear .
"Also, Dribb," I whispered, my voice low and even, stripped of any warmth, "I don’t care what the reason is, but if you ever lay a hand on Zarah, I’ll kill you."
The change was imdiate.
Dribb swallowed hard, his body stiffening as a crushing pressure bore down on him, not physical, but unmistakably real. His breath hitched, a faint tremor running through his fra as the weight of my words sank in.
"Ye... yes, Chief," he replied quickly, his voice tight, respectful, and very aware.
I straightened and released him, the mont passing as if it had never happened.
I knew I’d said I was fine with rivalry. I even believed it, to an extent. Competition sharpened people. It forced growth. It kept complacency from setting in.
But this was different.
I could tolerate tension, pride, even the occasional clash of egos. What I couldn’t tolerate was the idea of a male even considering throwing hands at my woman. It didn’t matter how strong Zarah was. It didn’t matter that she could more than hold her own.
That line didn’t move.
Not for anyone.
If it ever ca to that, rivalry or not, I would protect her without hesitation.
Dribb straightened slowly and returned to his seat.
He didn’t look angry anymore. If anything, he looked hollow, his earlier confidence replaced by a quiet, obedient stillness.
I let him be.
Then I turned my attention to Narg and motioned for him to step forward.
"Narg," I said once he stood before . He went down onto one knee without being told, his posture composed and resolute. "You’re...
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