The night after Jarek's betrayal felt colder than it had any right to. Ashar stood near the camp's edge, staring out into the dark expanse beyond the stronghold's walls. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword, the cool metal offering no comfort, only a reminder of the weight of his decisions.
Jarek had been one of the first to join their cause. A fellow escapee, someone who had seen the brutality of the Orcs firsthand and swore to fight beside them. He had become part of the small circle that Ashar trusted. The betrayal stung deeper because of that.
"Are you going to stand out here all night?" Torin's voice cut through the silence, and Ashar turned to see his friend approaching, his face shadowed by the dim light from the campfire.
Ashar didn't answer immediately. He wasn't sure he could find the words. His mind was still grappling with what Jarek had said. "I wasn't taking it for myself. I was just trying to survive." Ashar hated that sentence because it echoed too much of his own struggle—his own need to protect his people at any cost.
"Do you ever feel like this is just… too much?" Ashar finally asked, his voice low. The question had been haunting him for days, but now it felt like it was clawing its way out of him. "Like we're too small, too weak to fight back? Even after everything we've done?"
Torin was silent for a long time. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but firm. "We're not weak. We've already survived when they wanted us dead. Every day we last is a victory. Don't forget that."
Ashar didn't respond right away. He knew what Torin was trying to say, but it didn't make the burden any lighter. "Do you trust me?" Ashar asked suddenly, the question slipping out before he could stop it. He hadn't intended to ask it aloud, but now that it was out, he realized how much he needed the answer.
Torin looked at him, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before his expression hardened into something unreadable. "Of course I trust you," he said, his tone as solid as ever. "You're the one who got us out. You're the reason we're still alive."
Ashar nodded, but the words felt hollow. Trust wasn't something that came easy these days. Especially when there were whispers in the dark, when allies could turn into enemies with the slightest push. He had to stay focused, but the burden of leadership weighed heavily on him.
***
The Holding Cells
Later that day, Ashar made his way to the holding cells, where Jarek had been locked up. The man had refused to speak when they first questioned him, but Ashar could tell that he was on the edge of breaking. It wasn't the punishment Jarek feared; it was the guilt that had started to eat away at him. The same guilt Ashar had felt in the early days, when survival had meant making brutal choices.
He reached the cell and found Jarek sitting in the corner, his head bowed. He hadn't moved since they locked him up, his body slumped as if he had already given up.
"Jarek," Ashar's voice was steady, but his heart twisted at the sight. The man was no longer the ally he had once been. He was a broken shell of the person Ashar had once trusted.
Jarek didn't look up. "I didn't mean to betray you," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "I just thought… I thought if I gave them something, they wouldn't kill us. They wouldn't destroy everything we worked for."
Ashar stood silent for a moment, watching the man as he curled in on himself. "You thought that the Orcs would spare us if you gave them information?" he asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.
Jarek finally looked up, his eyes red and tired. "It wasn't like that. I wasn't trying to sabotage us. I just… I thought it would buy us time. A little peace. We were always on the edge of starving, always running out of supplies. I thought if they knew we had something valuable…"
Ashar took a slow breath, stepping closer to the bars. "There is no peace with the Orcs. You should've known that. You should've known they would only use us until there was nothing left to take."
"I didn't think it would go this far," Jarek whispered, his voice breaking.
Ashar clenched his fists, a wave of anger rushing through him. "You've put us all at risk," he said, his voice dangerously low. "And now, I'm left with a choice. I have to decide if you're worth trusting again, if you can still be part of this fight."
Jarek flinched, the weight of Ashar's words sinking in. He didn't say anything at first, just stared at the ground.
"I don't know if I can trust you anymore," Ashar admitted, the bitterness in his voice raw. He turned to leave. "I'll let the others decide your fate. We can't afford mistakes."
***
The Strategy Meeting
Later that evening, Ashar called a meeting with his closest advisors. The betrayal had shaken him, but now there were more pressing matters to attend to. They couldn't afford any more distractions.
Torin and Rylah were already there when Ashar entered the small tent, a place where they had made their plans, strategized their defenses, and formed their alliances. Now, it felt colder than ever.
"Jarek's fate will be decided soon," Ashar began, looking at each of them in turn. "But there's something more urgent we need to focus on. The Orcs are moving. They won't wait much longer."
Rylah nodded, her eyes hard. "We need to make sure we're ready. We've got the walls mostly built, but it's the inside we need to focus on. We need weapons—better weapons."
"And troops," Torin added. "More trained fighters. We're running out of time. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to defend this place."
Ashar felt the pressure mounting. His fingers drummed against the table, his mind spinning. He was torn between the growing need to prepare for the Orcs' retaliation and the threat inside his own camp.
"I agree," Ashar said. "But there's more. We need to send out scouts, find out what the Orcs are planning. If we know their moves before they make them, we'll have the upper hand."
Torin gave a reluctant nod. "It's risky, but I see the value. But we can't afford to send too many people. We need every able-bodied fighter here."
"We'll send a small team," Ashar said, his voice firm. "Keep it tight, keep it quiet. We don't want to alert them before we're ready."
"And what about Jarek?" Rylah asked, her voice low. "What do we do with him?"
Ashar's eyes flickered toward the door, the weight of the decision hanging over him. "I'll leave that to you. If he's still useful, then we can give him another chance. If not… we can't afford the risk."