Dawn broke over the Deadmounts. Swift-River crouched in shadow, watching Miikka slip through the underbrush ahead. There one moment, shadow the next.

  "Still watching, Swifty?" His playful tone hid exhaustion.

  "You can joke when we're further away."

  "Don't worry. Orcs are heavy-footed. Can't track someone like me."

  "Built for tight spots," Swift-River muttered. "But not built to dodge their axes. Keep moving."

  A sudden gust of wind rustled the midnight-blue leaves overhead. Miikka lost his balance and tumbled down the gentle slope, landing on a carpet of broken leaves. Brushing himself off, he darted a glance at Swift-River. "Swifty, you've always been... too quick, eh? And fancy-free... since you slipped Ruby's noose."

  Swift-River chuckled. "Freedom from Ruby's shadow didn't come cheap, Miikka, and you're slowing down. A Whispermote almost got you, and I've been following you since your antics with the Orcs."

  "Before daybreak?" Miikka scoffed. "Nah, noticed ya ten minutes back, trailing like a lost pup. Been walking slow, y'know. Wouldn't want you to lose your way, Swifty."

  Swift-River's eyes met Miikka's, hesitation marking her every move as her fingers danced anxiously around Dragon's Reach. Her voice strained with urgency even as doubt crept beneath it. "We need to talk. About Ruby... There's strength in numbers, Miikka, and perhaps we stand a better chance against Ruby... together."

  Her words faltered. "But tell me... has Crimson Ruby truly returned from the dead?"

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Oh, he's back, alright," Miikka said, his mockery draining away. "Saw it myself. The resurrection. Someone powerful pulled strings I didn't know existed."

  Miikka's coin stopped spinning. "Ruby's people... they take things out of people, Swifty. The thing that keeps 'em alive." His voice dropped. "Seen it done. Seen what's left after. Walking shells. Empty." The coin resumed its nervous dance. "That's what powers all this. Stolen life."

  Swift-River's blood chilled. "Who?"

  "The Puppet Master, they call him. Ruby's just the weapon." Miikka's coin stopped spinning. "The hand that wields him stays hidden. Patient. Calculating."

  Miikka's fingers resumed their nervous dance. "Saw him once. The resurrection. Kept his face hidden, but hands don't lie." His voice dropped. "Noble hands.

  Soft. Never worked a day. And these pins on his cloak, gemstones set in silver. The kind lords wear to remind everyone they're lords." He shrugged. "Could be anyone with coin and ambition. But the way he moved? Like he owned the crypt. Like he owned Ruby. Like he owned all of us and we just hadn't noticed yet."

  The forest held its breath around them. Swift-River, raced through the implications.

  "Where is Ruby now?"

  Miikka hesitated. His gaze slid toward the distant mountains. "The Nether Vine. Deep underground. He's building something. An army, maybe." He paused. "I didn't stay long enough to count."

  "Take me there."

  "Can't." His face hardened. "Ivory watches. Ruby's skeletal dragon. She knows my scent, my movements. I go back, I die. But I can tell you how to find it. There's an entrance near the old orc burial grounds. Follow the Ironroot trees until they twist wrong."

  Swift-River studied him. "What do you want in return?"

  "Vardan." Miikka's voice went cold. "Ruby's sorcerer. He killed my kin. Burned my village while Ruby watched." His coin stilled completely. "Help me get to him, and I'll tell you everything. The anchors. The poison. The pattern of attacks."

  "Deal."

  Miikka pressed a scrap of leather into her palm. Coordinates scratched with his blade. "Orc camps Ruby's already hit. Follow the pattern."

  "Don't trust anyone completely, Swifty. Ruby has eyes everywhere. Some don't even know they're watching for him."

  Then he was gone.

  Swift-River stood alone with the map. Part of her wanted to inform Adamar. But that would mean confessing she'd defied him again.

  She turned northward. Find the camps. Find the pattern. Then decide.

  Shards, sound off: Do you trust Miikka? Drop your take below.

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