(Kael)
Dawn comes too fast. I barely got two hours of sleep before the first light breaks through the window. Aria is still resting, so I dress quietly and leave for the main hall.
Rowan is waiting for me outside, his face grim.
"The scouts returned," he says without greeting.
"And?"
"They lost the trail. The wounded rogue led them in circles for hours before disappearing completely. No base location. No useful intelligence. Nothing."
I take a breath. Another failure to add to the list. "How far did they track him?"
"About ten miles northeast. Then the trail just vanished. Either he used a stream to hide his scent or the other rogues came back to help him cover his tracks."
"So we wasted resources sending scouts and got nothing in return."
"Basically, yes."
This is exactly what I
