The night was quiet, a cold breeze blowing through the air. Winter was approaching quickly, and once it arrived, movement would be difficult. Harsh weather aside, Wolfhaven Keep would be heavily guarded, and the resistance would be out of rations as crops and livestock dwindled. If there was a time to act, it was now.

Caspian pulled his hood up as he dismounted his horse. He uttered a short prayer before making his way up to the resistance’s camp on Gloomhill Peak. Setting up base on unhallowed ground was a clever move; it kept most people too afraid to venture near.

Quietly, he ascended the hill in search of the resistance leader. Not that he didn’t know who it was—he had been feeding the resistance with tips as an anonymous informant for a long time. As Crown Prince, he had witnessed his father's transformation over the years, particularly leading up to the war with Garinaldi. If his father's reign continued, Ellaria would fall, either from war or from its own people dying one by one. He had to act.

Reaching the camp, the prince heard a familiar voice inside one of the tents and smiled. He glanced around to ensure the coast was clear before entering. Before he could say anything, he felt the cold steel of a blade at his throat. He should have expected as much.

"Is this how you greet your most prized informant?" Caspian chuckled as he lowered his hood, revealing himself.

"You seem surprised. I thought you’d have figured it out by now. I was generous with my hints." He chuckled again, glancing at the table where a familiar map was spread out. It was the map of Wolfhaven Keep’s secret passages, which he had provided earlier in the week. Caspian believed this map was the key to finally ending his father's brutal reign.