Inwardly, Ritchel seethed, consumed more by fury than fear. 'Say nothing,' the messenger had said. 'There is a traitor on the council. Hauke is alive and Lady Nyrielle's men suffered losses protecting him.'
The report was brief and brought both immediate relief but the relief was consumed by a fury colder than the peak of the mountain in winter. Clearly Nyrielle didn't possess enough trust to pass the identity of the traitor to him via a messenger but there were only a few possibilities that stood out to the Eldritch Lord.
Paulus had been outspoken in suggesting that they groom Torsten as the next Lord of the High Pass. That, combined with the fact that the attack had put Hauke at risk placed the aging Elder at the top of his list of suspects.
