The early autumn air was crisp in the mornings now, though the sun still shone warm in the afternoons. The trees had yet to fully change, but a faint golden hue had started creeping into their leaves. As Emberhold continued to expand its industry and fortifications, the outside pressure remained constant.
The mercenaries were making their move.
Alexander had given the order—capture one alive. Tonight, that order would be carried out.
The Ambush
Tyrell and his scouts moved under the cover of darkness, slipping through the landscape like ghosts. The mercenaries had spread out in small groups, patrolling the villages, ensuring the blockade remained strong.
That made them vulnerable.
One such patrol—a group of three riders—was making its way down an old dirt road when Tyrell's team struck.
A quick arrow took down the first horse, sending its rider crashing to the ground. The second mercenary barely had time to react before a knife flashed in the moonlight, slashing across his throat.
The third tried to flee—only to be dragged from his horse by a hidden rope trap.
Before he could cry out, Tyrell was on him, dagger pressed against his throat.
"Move, and you die," Tyrell muttered.
The mercenary, gasping for breath, did not move.
Interrogation at Emberhold
By the time they reached Emberhold, the sun was beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the settlement. The captive, a wiry man with a scar running down his cheek, was dragged before Alexander, Elias, and Silas.
The mercenary spat on the ground. "Kill me now. I'm not telling you a damn thing."
Alexander studied him carefully before speaking. "We don't need your words. We just need to know who's pulling your strings."
The mercenary remained silent.
Silas sighed. "Men like him don't break easily. But he'll talk, eventually."
Alexander wasn't interested in torture—not yet. He had another way to make the man talk.
"You were caught alive for a reason," Alexander said calmly. "Not to kill you. But to use you."
The mercenary's eyes narrowed. "What the hell does that mean?"
Alexander stepped closer. "It means if you don't give me what I want, you're going to watch as we dismantle everything your employer is trying to do. We're already breaking the blockade. The villages are starting to trade with us again. Soon, your people will have no leverage left."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed the mercenary's face. Alexander had hit a nerve.
Elias smirked. "Guess that means we're right. Your bosses are getting desperate."
The mercenary remained silent, but Alexander could see the hesitation creeping in.
"We're not the ones running out of time," Alexander said. "You are."
The man exhaled sharply. Then, finally, he spoke.
"You're right," he admitted. "We were sent to stop you from growing too strong. But I don't know who hired us."
Silas frowned. "You expect us to believe that?"
The mercenary nodded. "All I know is that the orders came from a noble, but not the Baron. Someone else in the region doesn't want you rising up. Someone with enough coin to keep paying us to stay here."
Silas and Elias exchanged glances.
Alexander's mind worked quickly. If this was true, then the Baron wasn't the only one with an interest in keeping Emberhold weak.
That meant more enemies than he had anticipated.
The Mine Investigation
Later that day, a scouting team was sent to investigate the old mine the scouts had discovered earlier.
By nightfall, they returned with samples of ore—dark, heavy, and identical to the strange metal found in the ruins.
Gareth inspected the samples under the torchlight.
"This is the same stuff," he muttered. "And if there's more of it down there, then we might be sitting on something incredibly valuable."
Alexander took a piece of the ore, turning it over in his hands. The metal was unnaturally cold.
"Start a proper survey of the mine," Alexander said. "I want to know how deep it goes and how much of this we have."
As Gareth left to organize the work, Alexander felt a strange sense of unease.
Something about this metal… it wasn't normal.
And if it had something to do with why the land was barren…
He pushed the thought aside. One thing at a time.
The Pressure Increases
As the night wore on, another report arrived.
The mercenaries had reacted to the capture of one of their own.
They had abandoned their previous positions and regrouped further south, closer to Emberhold.
"They're preparing for something," Tyrell said grimly.
Alexander exhaled. If war was coming, then they needed to be ready.
The Path Forward
As he stood outside, watching the first autumn leaves fall from a nearby tree, Alexander knew one thing for certain.
The time for waiting was over.