~The Loyal Mistake~

ELRICH

The first news came quietly, delivered by a runner who didn’t meet my eyes. That in itself set my instincts on edge.

“What is it?” I asked, already standing, pacing toward the table where I usually reviewed patrol logs.

“Sergeant Halvor… he’s detained an envoy,” the runner said. “From the Stoneclaw sub-pack. No injuries reported yet. They’re at the western post.”

I stopped moving. “On whose orders?”

“None,” he said quickly. “He ...