The night was silent, with only a faint breeze rustling through.
In the Blue Skin clan's encampment, however, it was brightly lit.
With nearly three thousand warriors from thirteen nearby clans gathered, the place was overflowing.
From the central cabin came waves of loud laughter and chatter, as the clan leaders enjoyed their feast.
Nara was the only clan leader who hadn't joined the revelry. Instead, she detected a strange tension in the air—a sense that something bad was about to happen.
It was a warning from the gods, and she believed it.
"Mother, I don't like this place," came the voice of her tall daughter, who also wore a veil, her violet eyes identical to her mother's.
Nara turned, took her daughter by the arm, and led her into the tent. "Go take a look around the encampment."
Natalie frowned. "But it's so dark out—I won't be able to see anything."
"Go anyway," Nara insisted. "I have a bad feeling."
"Alright…"
Resigned, Natalie lay back on a woolen blanket, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
In the next moment, her pupils rolled back, revealing only the whites of her eyes, creating a haunting, ghostly effect.
Outside the encampment, a crow cawed and took flight, disappearing into the dark forest.
Nara sat by her daughter, holding her hand, her expression tense.
But before Natalie could report back, the camp was already in turmoil.
Alarmed, Nara hesitated, unwilling to leave her daughter's side. She called out, "What's going on out there?"
"Chief, it looks like there's a fire in the camp."
"A fire?"
"Yes, but the blaze isn't too large—it's probably just an accident. You don't need to worry."
Despite her scout's reassurance, Nara's anxiety only deepened. She was sure now that her premonition was correct.
She was considering sending some clansmen to investigate the fire when Natalie suddenly cried out and sat bolt upright.
Her eyes had returned to their normal violet, but her face was filled with panic. "Mother! Mother! I saw them—lots of people, all armed, approaching the camp from every direction!"
Nara felt a strange calmness settle over her as her fears were confirmed. She held her daughter's hand tightly and asked, "Don't panic, Natalie. Which direction were they coming from?"
"From every side—we're surrounded! What should we do, Mother? Is it the Riverlanders?"
"It must be," Nara said, struggling to maintain her composure. "But there has to be one side with the fewest attackers, right?"
Natalie took a deep breath, then said, "I think the north side has the fewest people."
"Good. I understand." Nara stood up and moved toward the door.
Natalie cried out and clung to her mother's arm, refusing to let go.
Unable to shake her daughter off, Nara led her outside.
By now, the camp's chaos had only intensified, and fires were springing up in more places. The wildlings were frantically trying to put out the flames, only adding to the disorder.
"The Tiger Fang Clan has betrayed us! They're working with the Riverlanders to kill us all!"
"No, it's the Blue Skins! They've joined forces with the Riverlanders to slaughter every wildling!"
"It's the Longbeard Clan who turned on us!"
Countless accusations filled the air, and the wildling warriors, unsure who to trust, were now as likely to turn on each other as the enemy.
The fragile alliance began to crumble, along with the trust between clans.
Warriors who had just been drinking together, preparing for the next day's battle, were suddenly casting suspicious glances at one another.
If the clan leaders had stepped forward to rally their people, they might have been able to stop the panic from spreading further.
But strangely, not one clan leader was anywhere to be seen.
The chief's cabin at the camp's center remained ominously silent.
Several wildlings knocked on the door, but there was no response.
Nara watched the growing turmoil, feeling dread settle heavily in her heart. But she knew there was no time for hesitation. Calling over a few of her clansmen, she ordered, "Gather everyone from the Crow Clan. Tell them to head north. If you encounter any enemies, don't engage—just get as far away from here as quickly as possible. Remember, this isn't our fight!"
"Yes, Chief!"
Just as Nara finished giving her orders, a deep, resonant horn blast sounded from outside the camp.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The battle cry rose from the dark woods as countless figures surged forward from all directions, surrounding the Blue Skin camp.
This was the breaking point.
The wildlings scattered, running in every direction like headless chickens. Even those who tried to fight back found themselves too disorganized to mount any real defense.
Gripping her daughter's hand tightly, Nara called out, "All Crow Clan members, stay together! Follow me! Head north!"
"Go, go!"
---
"Why, Chiman?! Why would you betray us?!"
In the chieftain's cabin, Blue Skin leader Lenya screamed in fury.
He was bound hand and foot with thick ropes, which had rubbed his skin raw and drawn blood, a strange blue color that oozed from his wounds.
"Chiman, what did the Riverlanders offer you in exchange for this?" demanded the Longbeard chief.
"Chiman, have you forgotten who you are?"
"You're one of us! You're a wildling, through and through! The Riverlanders will never trust you!"
"That's right! Only we are your true kin! Release us, and we can drive the Riverlanders out of the Red Mountains together!"
"Yes! Let us go, and we won't hold this night against you!"
Facing the accusations, threats, and attempts to persuade him, Chiman remained unmoved, staring out the window, expressionless.
The flickering flames outside cast a harsh light across his face, giving his sharp features a harsh, almost savage look.
In a flash, he remembered the words Samwell had spoken before the operation—
"I gave these clan leaders a chance to surrender, yet they chose to resist. I don't give second chances to those who defy me. I may spare other wildlings, but not them. So when I step foot in the Blue Skin camp, I want every one of these chiefs dead.
"Do you understand what you must do?"
He recalled the shock and fury he'd felt at the time, but in the end, he had bowed his head and answered, "I understand."
---
It was impossible to say how much time had passed, but eventually, the sounds of violence outside began to die down. The screams and clashing steel faded, replaced by the pleas of the defeated, begging for mercy.
Inside the cabin, the captive clan leaders had fallen into despair, slumping in defeat as they realized they could not sway the traitor before them.
With the fight nearly over, Chiman knew it was time for him to fulfill his duty.
He had thought himself hardened, yet even now, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face.
But it lasted only a moment.
When he turned back, his face was a mask of cold determination, his eyes ablaze with a terrible, bloodthirsty glint.
(End of Chapter)