The escape from The Shadowed Keep had left Ronon, Thalia, Jorin, and Kellan battered, but not broken. The encounter with the dark mage from the Circle of Shadows weighed heavily on their minds as they made camp in the dense forest just beyond the keep. The fire crackled in the still night, casting long shadows across the group as they silently mulled over their next move.
It was Kellan who finally broke the silence. "We need to regroup. Going after them again without a plan is suicide."
Ronon nodded, though his mind was still on the words of the mage they had encountered. The Circle's plans were already in motion. But what were they? And how far had their influence spread? His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Jorin staring into the flames, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"You're awfully quiet, Jorin," Thalia remarked, her eyes narrowing. "Something on your mind?"
Jorin hesitated for a moment before speaking. "This... it's bigger than any of us thought. The Circle isn't just manipulating the king or the military. They're burrowed deep into the kingdom, and the roots go further than we can see."
"We knew that already," Kellan said, his tone frustrated. "But what's your point?"
Jorin's eyes flicked between his companions, then back to the fire. "I'm not sure we can trust everyone in our ranks. I've heard whispers, seen things... There's a chance that someone close to us is feeding information to the Circle."
The revelation hit the group like a physical blow. Ronon tensed, the idea of a traitor in their midst sending a fresh wave of unease through him.
"A spy? In our ranks?" Thalia said, her hand instinctively tightening around her bow. "Who would betray us?"
Ronon's mind raced. Trust was the one thing they needed most now, and if Jorin was right, it had just become the rarest commodity. "We need proof," Ronon said after a moment. "We can't afford to start doubting each other without knowing for sure."
"There's one way to find out," Kellan said, his eyes hard. "A test."
"A test?" Thalia raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"
Kellan leaned forward, his voice lowering. "We feed them false information—send out a decoy mission. Whoever leaks the details is our spy."
The group exchanged glances. It was risky, but it could work.
"Do we really want to play that game?" Jorin asked, doubt lacing his voice. "We're already fighting a war on two fronts. What if this turns us against each other?"
"It's better than letting a spy tear us apart from within," Ronon said, his voice firm. "We'll give it a try. If there's someone working for the Circle, we need to know."
They spent the rest of the night crafting their plan. They would organize a small, high-stakes mission—one that was too tempting for any spy to resist leaking. The bait was set, and now they had to wait to see who would take it.
Two days later, the group stood at the outskirts of Thornewood, a secluded village nestled deep in the forest. It was an isolated place, far from the eyes of the capital, and the perfect location for their decoy mission. According to the fabricated information they had spread, Ronon and his companions were here to secure an ancient relic that could turn the tide in their fight against the Circle.
They split up, each taking different positions around the village, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. Hours passed with nothing but the sounds of the forest around them. Ronon began to wonder if the spy had fallen for the trap at all when Kellan suddenly appeared at his side.
"We've got company," Kellan whispered, pointing toward the tree line. Several figures moved in the shadows, approaching the village with stealthy precision. Their dark cloaks and masks marked them unmistakably as agents of the Circle of Shadows.
"It worked," Ronon said quietly. "They took the bait."
But now came the hard part: finding out who had given them the information.
The agents of the Circle moved swiftly, heading straight for the house where they had claimed the relic was hidden. Ronon and Kellan followed from a distance, their hands on their weapons, waiting for the right moment to strike. They couldn't afford to lose any of the Circle's agents now; they needed answers.
Just as the Circle agents entered the house, Thalia emerged from the shadows, her bow drawn. "We have them surrounded," she said softly. "Ready when you are."
With a signal from Ronon, they moved in. The fight was brief but intense, and in moments, the Circle agents were subdued. One of them, a masked figure, was dragged to his knees before Ronon.
"Who sent you?" Ronon demanded, his voice sharp.
The agent said nothing, his silence only deepening the tension. But Ronon wasn't willing to let this one slip away. He had to know the identity of the spy who had betrayed them.
Behind him, Jorin approached, his expression dark. "We'll get the truth out of him. One way or another."
As the group prepared to interrogate the captured agent, Ronon couldn't shake the feeling that the real test was yet to come. Someone in their ranks had betrayed them, and soon, they would know who. But what would it cost them when that truth was finally revealed?