The sun was beginning to set, bathing the forest in a golden, soft light, when Fiona resumed her path. The thoughts that had overwhelmed her after her encounter with Kane would not leave her. She knew she shouldn't pay too much attention to this incident, but an odd feeling lingered. Kane was the son of the leader of the Nocturnes, and he never came into these woods without reason. Why had she found him here, alone and calm, as if this encounter had no particular significance?
Fiona shook her head, trying to push those thoughts away. There were far more urgent matters to deal with, like the message she needed to deliver to her superior. It was time to return to the village, to find her people, and to stay focused on what truly mattered. But even as she walked faster, she could feel an unsettling presence following her, like an unwanted shadow.
As she neared the village, she glimpsed the familiar buildings through the trees. She slowed her pace, preparing to take up her role within the Ferocious again. Everything seemed calm on the outside, but Fiona knew that tensions were tightening around them. The council of elders had met the previous day to discuss the increasingly frequent attacks from the Nocturnes. The atmosphere within the clan was electric.
When she entered the village, several gazes turned toward her. Members of her clan, some younger, others older, greeted her with a nod. Fiona quickly made her way to the council hall, where the clan leader, her uncle Elias, was waiting. He always waited for her, just as he did each time she returned from a mission.
"Fiona, you're back," he said in a deep voice as he saw her enter. His gaze was stern, but there was also a hint of worry in his eyes. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything's fine," she replied, but she couldn't hide the slight hesitation in her voice. Her uncle watched her closely, as though he knew there was more behind her words.
"You seem troubled. Something's going on, isn't it?"
Fiona took a deep breath. It was useless to lie to Elias. He knew her too well. "I went into the forest, but… I wasn't alone," she said slowly, weighing each word. "Kane was there."
A silence fell over the room. Elias straightened, and the other council members froze. The name Kane had that power: it immediately evoked suspicion, anger, and even fear among the Ferocious.
"You ran into Kane, the heir to the Nocturnes?"
Fiona nodded. "Yes. He didn't do anything. He just spoke to me, as if he already knew me."
Elias stared at her intently, as though weighing her words. "You know what that means, don't you? Every encounter with him, every word exchanged, is a risk. The Nocturnes never come without a reason. Especially not Kane. He probably has a plan behind all of this."
"I don't know," Fiona replied, her hands trembling slightly. "He didn't act like an enemy. It was strange. It was as if he didn't really want conflict."
The council members whispered among themselves, but Elias raised his hand to silence them.
"I don't want you to take this kind of encounter lightly, Fiona. We need to be prepared for anything. Kane is a strategist. He's not the type to show himself without having something in mind."
Fiona felt a certain frustration. "I know, but he let me go. He didn't even try to attack me."
"And that doesn't mean anything," Elias replied firmly. "The Nocturnes are clever. They play on ambiguity. Kane may have been trying to plant doubt in your mind. Don't let this encounter disturb you. It's exactly what he wants."
Fiona sighed, her mind in turmoil. "I don't know… he said something strange to me."
"What?" Elias asked, now more attentive.
"He told me that the war wasn't as simple as I thought," she replied.
"A cryptic message," Elias murmured. "The Nocturnes love playing with words. Don't let that affect you. Be careful, Fiona. Danger is always closer than it seems."
Fiona nodded, but a small voice in her mind rebelled. Why had Kane spoken to her like that? Why had he been so calm, so… human? It was almost unsettling. Yet, she knew it was impossible to doubt her instincts. She would do well to heed Elias's warnings and not be distracted by false pretenses.
As she left the council hall, she felt heavier, as if an additional burden now rested on her shoulders. The power struggles between the clans were becoming more complicated, and now she was involved, perhaps more than she had wanted. But one thing was certain: Fiona couldn't ignore this encounter. She might have wanted to, but she knew her future was now intertwined with Kane's and the Nocturnes.
The war between the clans was not as simple as she had thought.