The Lycan King's Rebel

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱

-HIM-

"The northern command is well manned and they're currently keeping a very close eye at the frozen islands. So far they've seen some smoke rising from one of the islands far north. Some presence is expected there," Tryfon briefed me as my eyes took in every detail on the miniature map. Everything looked to be in its place.

"That's sufficient," I nodded before looking at the eastern mountains. A corner of my lips twitched whenever I looked at that front. It was my least favorite part of the kingdom and the hardest to guard. The snow and the unclimbable mountains had always been my weakness.

"What about that end?" I asked. Tryfon sighed beside me and replied, "There have been a lot of avalanches there lately. Some of our warriors are missing and all the new snow has made it even harder to navigate that place,"

I couldn't help but clench my teeth and ball my fists. The news wasn't very pleasing to me.

"We need to guard that place quick. It wouldn't take them long to figure out that our frozen valleys are unguarded," I gritted.

"That place is very hard to navigate. If our movements are restricted there because of the elements, then theirs should be too due to the rocky terrain," Tryfon reasoned but I wasn't going to settle with it. I couldn't afford to be unprepared like this. That place was under me and I was going to find a way to navigate it, to make my warriors familiar with every corner of that valley. It had to be done at any cost.

"I want that place guarded at any cost," I told him.

"We just don't have enough warriors to do that,"

"Move some from the north and put them here,"

"That would be very dangerous. The northern front might seem overly manned but we need the warriors there the most because the frozen islands— they are the best place for the Drakkons to hide," Tryfon reasoned again. I grounded my teeth as I eyed the mountains on the miniature map again. The corner of my lips twitched again. In the back of my head, I already knew where I could go looking for help but I didn't want to resort to that option yet.

I was saving it for the very end.

"We need more warriors in the mountains. They are very unguarded. The Drakkons navigate frozen places very well," I spoke.

"Our warriors aren't sufficiently trained against that element," Tryfon commented. I ground my teeth again. I could already see this getting out of my hands now. I didn't want to ask for help but seeing the eastern side so poorly guarded was making my soul itch. If I could, I'd go there myself and hike the mountains and position myself there.

"And," Tryfon added, "We are short on manpower again. We'd need more warriors," At this, I knew what he meant. I went over all the possibilities in my head. Seemed like I'd be needing more help soon. "The wolves are very good at navigating snow. Arles has a fleet of warriors trained especially for this kind of situation," Tryfon read my mind very easily.

"You say so?" I commented mockingly. Even though Tryfon was standing right beside me and his face was out of my sight, I could still feel him trying his best to not pass a snarky remark. He might have afforded to do that while we'd been in the court but I knew that he wouldn't do that here— in the war-field. It wasn't worth it.

"And that fleet is big enough for the work we require here," Tryfon added, doing his best to keep the tone of his voice free of sarcasm.

"Hmm," I put a finger under my lip and trailed my eyes along the chain of mountains in the east. This was the last resort. I'd need to go to Arles again. There wasn't much I could do here on my own. I'd always turned to Arles in situations like these.