The sun had barely risen, casting long shadows over the makeshift barricades and the hastily erected defenses. Ashar stood at the edge of the camp, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The quiet of the morning was interrupted only by the occasional clang of metal as soldiers worked to reinforce the walls and sharpen their weapons.
But despite the activity around him, his mind was elsewhere. The revelation of a traitor among their ranks had shaken him to his core. It wasn't just a matter of trust—it was a matter of survival. Ashar had seen the brutality of the Orcs firsthand, and if one of his own had turned on them, the consequences could be disastrous.
He exhaled slowly, trying to push the gnawing worry aside. There was no time to dwell on it. The Orcs were closing in, and the window for preparation was rapidly closing. He needed to focus, to rally his people. But the traitor's shadow loomed over him, darker with every passing hour.
As he walked toward the command tent, his footsteps heavy, he felt a familiar presence beside him. Karis, her face still as stoic as ever, fell into step beside him without a word.
"Have you found anything?" Ashar asked, his voice low, but carrying the weight of his concern.
Karis shook her head, her expression tight. "Not yet. But Rylah is still investigating. She's been questioning the men who had access to sensitive information. We'll know soon enough."
Ashar nodded, though the tightness in his chest didn't loosen. The idea that one of their own could be betraying them felt like a personal betrayal. He had always prided himself on his ability to lead by example, to gain the trust of his people. But now that trust felt fragile, as if it could crumble with a single misstep.
"We can't afford to wait," Ashar said, his tone firm. "The Orcs are coming. We need to be ready. And if this traitor is undermining us… we need to deal with it before the siege begins."
Karis met his gaze, her expression softening for a moment. "I know. But you can't do it alone. We're all in this together. Don't let fear drive you to make hasty decisions."
Ashar's jaw clenched. She was right, of course. Fear was a weapon the Orcs wielded with deadly efficiency, and he couldn't afford to let it control his actions. Still, the pressure of it all—the traitor, the looming Orc assault, the future of his people—was almost too much to bear.
"I'll make it right," Ashar said, his voice low, more to himself than to Karis. "I have to."
***
The following days passed in a blur of activity. The army worked tirelessly, reinforcing their positions, setting traps, and fortifying their defenses. Ashar moved between groups, offering encouragement where he could, though his mind was constantly elsewhere.
Rylah had made progress in her investigation, though the traitor had proved elusive. There were signs, fragments of overheard conversations, and suspicious movements, but no definitive proof. And that uncertainty gnawed at Ashar, weighing heavily on him.
Finally, after days of watching, Rylah approached Ashar in the middle of the night, her face drawn and tired, but her eyes steely with resolve. She motioned for him to follow her.
"Come," she said quietly. "We've found something."
Ashar's heart raced as he followed her to a secluded part of the camp, where the night's darkness swallowed them up. There, hidden beneath a pile of old supplies, was a small crate. Rylah crouched down beside it, lifting the lid to reveal a stash of documents and maps. But it wasn't just any stash—it was detailed information about the stronghold's layout, troop movements, and supply routes. The kind of intelligence the Orcs would kill for.
"This was hidden, just outside of camp," Rylah explained, her voice low. "Whoever's been leaking information has been careful, but not careful enough."
Ashar's pulse quickened as he scanned the papers. His mind raced, piecing together the implications of what he was seeing. The traitor had been feeding the Orcs information, and the Orcs would be ready for every move Ashar's forces made. This was more than just a betrayal—it was a death sentence for everyone in the camp.
"We need to act," Ashar said, his voice tight with anger. "This can't go on any longer."
Rylah nodded. "I'll start with the men who had the most access to these documents. But we can't be certain of anything yet. The traitor could still be hiding among us."
Ashar's hands clenched into fists, the frustration and helplessness rising within him. He'd trusted these people with his life—how could one of them betray him so thoroughly? More importantly, how many others had been compromised?
"We need to make this right," he said, his voice steady but filled with an edge of steel. "I'll gather the others. We need to make sure this doesn't happen again."
***
Later that evening, Ashar called a meeting of his trusted commanders in the command tent. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but there was no time for uncertainty. The Orcs were coming, and there was no room for hesitation.
As Karis, Rylah, and the others gathered around the table, Ashar laid out the damning evidence—maps, documents, and reports, all showing the depth of the betrayal.
"There's a traitor among us," Ashar said, his voice cold as he met each of their gazes. "This information has been leaked to the Orcs. Whoever is behind this has been compromising everything we've worked for."
Murmurs filled the tent, the weight of his words sinking in. Betrayal was a dangerous thing in times of war. Trust was fragile, and now, Ashar feared it had been shattered beyond repair.
"Do we know who it is?" Karis asked, her voice tight.
"We don't yet," Ashar replied. "But we'll find out."
Rylah stepped forward, her eyes hard. "I've narrowed it down. I've been watching those with access to sensitive information, and I have a few suspects. But I can't be sure until we confront them."
"Then we confront them," Ashar said decisively. "We cannot let this fester any longer."
There was a pause, and then one of the commanders, a tall man named Darius, spoke up.
"You realize what this means, right?" Darius's voice was low, but filled with disbelief. "If we accuse the wrong person, we risk alienating our entire army. A false accusation could tear us apart."
Ashar's gaze hardened. "I won't make that mistake. I'll trust in what Rylah has discovered. But if it comes to it, we'll handle it swiftly and justly."
The room fell silent as the weight of the decision settled over them. Ashar had to make the right call, and he knew that one misstep could destroy everything.
"Let's move quickly," Ashar added. "We'll confront the suspects in private, one by one. No public accusations yet. But we can't let the Orcs use this against us."
***
As the hours stretched into the early morning, Ashar and his commanders moved swiftly to identify the traitor. The tension was palpable, every conversation heavy with the knowledge of what was at stake. The traitor's actions had already set them back, but Ashar was determined to ensure that the truth was uncovered, no matter the cost.
It wasn't long before Rylah returned, her face grim, her eyes filled with quiet resolve.
"I know who it is," she said softly, her voice tinged with a sadness that Ashar had not expected. "It's someone we all trusted."
Ashar's heart sank. "Who?"
"Joran," she said quietly, her eyes flicking to the other commanders. "He was the one who had access to the most sensitive documents. He's the one who betrayed us."
A wave of shock rippled through the room, and for a moment, Ashar couldn't move, couldn't speak. Joran had been with him from the beginning, a trusted ally, a man he had fought beside. How could he have done this?
"Are you sure?" Ashar asked, his voice tight.
Rylah nodded. "I'm certain."
The finality of her words hit Ashar like a blow to the chest. He had never imagined that Joran, of all people, would be the one to betray them. But now there was no denying it.
"Then we deal with it," Ashar said, his voice cold. "Swiftly and decisively."