Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm

by Lea von Löwenstein

Chapter 57: The Shadow in the Woods

The campfire crackled softly as Rae and her team huddled around it, the forest’s oppressive darkness pressing in from all sides. The night was unusually quiet, the usual chorus of distant animals replaced by an eerie stillness.

Marcus leaned back against a tree, his hammer resting beside him. He was mid-sentence, joking about their earlier skirmish, when a sharp thwack shattered the moment. Everyone froze, the sound reverberating in the still air.

An arrow had embedded itself in the tree trunk inches from Marcus’s head.

For a moment, no one moved. Then Marcus, his expression darkening, reached for the arrow and yanked it free. A piece of parchment was tied around the shaft, its edges singed as if from recent flames.

“What the hell…” Marcus muttered, unrolling the note.

Another Threat

The handwriting was the same jagged scrawl that had appeared in the first note to Celestine:

        “You should’ve listened. You’re faster, but you won’t outrun this. Stay in the shadows, or you’ll die in the light.”

Celestine stiffened as she read over Marcus’s shoulder. Her grip tightened on her knives, her knuckles white. “This is getting old,” she growled. “Whoever they are, they’re not as clever as they think.”

“Or they’re bold enough to let us know they’re close,” Soren said, scanning the treeline with his crossbow ready. “This wasn’t random. They wanted us to know they’re watching.”

Rae stood, her eyes narrowing as she turned in a slow circle. “Tyren, motion sensors?”

“Already on it,” Tyren replied, his cogitator humming as he scanned the perimeter. “Nothing yet… wait.” He paused, his voice dropping. “I’m picking up movement. About fifty meters out. East side of camp.”

Alric, who had been sitting quietly by the fire, rose suddenly. “I saw something earlier,” he said, his voice steady but urgent. “A shadow, just beyond the edge of the firelight. I thought it was one of you.”

“It wasn’t,” Rae said firmly, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. “Soren, Marcus—flank the east side. Celestine, stay close. Tyren, keep monitoring. Alric, stay with me.”

The Search

Marcus and Soren moved silently into the darkness, their weapons ready. The forest seemed to close in around them, every snapping twig and rustling leaf a potential threat. The faint glow of the campfire disappeared behind them as they advanced.

“I don’t like this,” Soren muttered, his eyes scanning the shadows. “Too quiet.”

Marcus nodded, his hammer gripped tightly. “They’re out there. They want us to feel this.”

Back at the camp, Rae motioned for Alric to follow as she moved toward the edge of the firelight. Tyren sat with his cogitator, his eyes glued to the screen. “The movement’s stopped,” he said. “Whoever it was, they’re staying still.”

“Waiting,” Celestine said darkly. “They’re watching us.”

The Shadow Revealed

A sudden, faint rustle to their left made Rae freeze. She signaled Alric to hold his position as she crept closer to the sound, her blade drawn. The faint glow of the moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor.

Then she saw it—a figure crouched low, partially hidden behind a thick tree trunk. The glint of metal caught her eye, and she realized the figure was armed with a small bow, the same type of arrows as the one that had carried the note.

Rae held up a hand, signaling for Alric to circle around and cut off the figure’s escape. She moved closer, her steps silent, her blade poised to strike if necessary.

Suddenly, the figure shifted, as if sensing her approach. Without hesitation, Rae lunged, her blade aimed to disable. The figure darted to the side, lightning-fast, but Alric was ready. He tackled the shadowed intruder to the ground, pinning them with surprising force.

Unmasking the Threat

The camp came alive as the others rushed to the scene. Marcus and Soren returned, their weapons raised, while Tyren and Celestine stayed back, their eyes fixed on the figure now struggling beneath Alric’s grip.

“Who are you?” Rae demanded, her blade pointed at the intruder’s neck. “Why are you targeting us?”

The figure didn’t respond, their face obscured by a dark hood. Rae reached down and yanked the hood back, revealing the face of a novice—a boy they recognized from one of the rival squads.

“Erik Krenz,” Marcus growled, his expression darkening.

“Krenz?” Celestine said, her voice laced with disbelief. “What’s your problem, Krenz? Got tired of losing, so you thought you’d scare me?”

Krenz spat on the ground, his eyes filled with defiance. “You think you’re untouchable,” he hissed. “But you’re just a pretender. The Inquisition might protect you, but out here, it’s different.”

Rae’s blade didn’t waver. “You’ve made your point. Now explain the threats—or I’ll make you explain.”

Krenz smirked, though it wavered under Rae’s glare. “You’re not the only ones in this Scola with enemies,” he said cryptically. “But you’ll find out soon enough.”

A Warning of More to Come

Rae nodded to Marcus, who hauled Krenz to his feet. “You’re coming with us,” Marcus said firmly. “We’ll let the Commissar deal with you.”

As they escorted Krenz back toward the camp, Celestine glanced at Rae, her expression thoughtful. “Do you think he’s working alone?”

Rae’s grip tightened on her blade. “No,” she said. “This is bigger than Krenz. He’s just the beginning.”

As the campfire came into view, the team exchanged uneasy glances. The shadows of the Scola’s wilderness were growing deeper, and the threats they faced were more insidious than they had imagined.

The Field Weeks were no longer just a game. They had become a battlefield. And Rae’s team was determined to win.