Chapter 510: The Ones Who Leave First
Sophia turned slowly toward Ronan.
"Do they have any serious injuries?" she asked quietly.
Ronan shook his head at once.
"No," he said. "Nothing serious. Mostly small cuts. Bruises. A few strained muscles."
He paused.
"They should be fine in a few hours. By morning at the latest... that’s what Marta said."
Sophia nodded.
Then she frowned slightly.
"I don’t see how that’s an issue then."
Ronan exhaled softly.
"It’s an issue because they’re still in the dical facility," he said. "They can’t move imdiately. And this..." he gestured vaguely toward the table, "this search for Tobias is urgent."
Silence followed, but it only lasted for a mont before Orion spoke up.
"How about we announce the results tomorrow?" he asked them. "The trainees who would be going can rest today, but then they’ll have to leave tomorrow at night."
Caspian’s head snapped up.
"At night?"
Orion nodded.
Caspian frowned deeply.
"Families have already started planning celebrations," he said slowly. "You know how it is. This placent test ans a lot. If the trainees leave at night, the celebrations won’t even last. The celebrations start at night, Orion."
"Then we can push it to midday," Orion argued.
"But that is not done," Caspian argued.
Orion leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Alright then, what exactly are you suggesting we do?" he asked quietly. "If they must hold the celebration at night, then tell us what should be done."
Caspian opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because there was no real answer to that.
Orion’s gaze remained steady.
"We don’t know what situation Tobias is in," he continued. "From my estimation, he’s been gone a while, and that already raises flags that he could be in a dangerous situation."
Ronan nodded.
"I understand the families," he said. "I really do. Everyone in the pack will be celebrating those who passed. Those who have what it takes to join the ranks."
He paused.
"But Tobias is an essential mber of this pack too." His voice lowered slightly. "Almost all the information we get is from him. And then again, if soone has what it takes to join the ranks, then they must be prepared for anything and at any ti too. We cannot wait for partying into the night, Caspian. We need to move fast."
"Honestly, I think Tobias didn’t just wander into the west blindly," Ronan said.
"We don’t think he did," Orion told him, then winced softly.
Lie.
He corrected himself. "I don’t think Tobias wandered into the west blindly..."
He faced the council. "Which of you thinks he went to the west blindly?" Orion growled, hating the fact that he had just told a lie himself.
Eldric coughed slightly, and Orion sighed, not even the least bit surprised.
"If you were..." Orion paused, then shook his head. "For the one who thinks Tobias went to the west blindly, Tobias went to get information about the Silver Creek pack and also the plague, so he infiltrated the west and did not move in blindly."
Eldric just played with his feather earring, looking everywhere else except at Orion.
Madam Tyler shifted in her seat.
Then she muttered softly, almost to herself.
"The enclave really is two-faced."
Several heads turned toward her.
She raised her gaze slowly.
"Publicly," she said calmly, "they persecute this pack. They hunt us. They treat us like criminals."
Her lips thinned.
"And yet, they still send letters. Still send ssengers. Still ask for our help regarding the plague."
Daniel let out a short breath through his nose.
"The enclave has always been two-faced."
Mary folded her arms slowly.
Then she turned to Orion.
"Are we starting this search only because it’s Tobias?"
Orion shook his head.
"No."
His answer was imdiate.
"In case Silver Creek needs help," he said. "We’re sending more people."
Mary tilted her head slightly.
"It’s been months," Orion added quietly. "They still haven’t replied."
The weight of that statent lingered.
"We shouldn’t forget what the Silver Creek pack did for us," he said. "They stood with us when it mattered."
His voice grew firr.
"As their allies, we extend help. Whether they’ve asked yet or not."
Mary nodded slowly.
"If you’re looking for soone to go with the trainees," she said carefully, "I want to go."
Several heads turned toward her.
Sophia looked up first.
"Mary—"
Mary raised a hand gently.
"I know I’m not much of a fighter," she said quietly. "I know that."
Her gaze shifted to Orion.
"But I can move freely in the west."
Orion watched her closely.
"I won’t need a disguise either," she added.
Mary lifted her chin just a little.
"The enclave won’t recognise ," she said. "Not like this."
She gestured faintly at herself.
"At my hair. Or what I look like now."
A corner of her mouth lifted.
"They still think I look the sa as before. Frail. Small. Easy to overlook."
"And they won’t register the fact that I’ve changed," Mary continued quietly. "That I’ve gained so muscle and that my hair is as low as a... well, it’s low," she said with a laugh.
Orion studied her for a long mont.
The hall remained silent.
"You’re sure?" he asked finally.
Mary nodded.
"Yes."
Orion exhaled slowly.
"We’ll still assign soone from the guards," he said. "Soone experienced."
Mary nodded again.
"That’s fine."
Orion turned his attention to the rest of the table.
"Any objections?"
No one spoke.
One by one, they shook their heads.
Orion nodded once.
"Then we stop here for now," he said.
He rose slowly from his seat.
"You should all get so rest. We’ll continue planning tomorrow."
Sophia turned to him with a frown. She noticed no one argued or objected to the fact that the eting was over, when she thought they would be staying for longer.
She was about to speak up when a knock ca at the door.
"Garrett, get in," Orion said.
The door opened as Garrett walked in, then turned to Brynhild.
"Rita is outside. She said to tell you Raina is awake and hungry," he told her.
Brynhild stood up imdiately. She didn’t even need to be told twice.
"I have to go," she said without hesitation.
Orion nodded at her, and without a glance backwards, she walked out of the hall.
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