They arrived back at the Grove before dawn.

Marina reported to the leadership group immediately, no sleep, no pause. She laid out the Bloodfang raid, the light sensor coverage, the artifact secured. Then she told them about Luna's message through Sera, what Luna had told Obsidian, and her assessment of why.

The group was quiet for a moment.

Ragnar spoke first. "A five year old is running a disinformation campaign against the most dangerous wolf in these territories."

"Yes," Marina said.

"From inside a locked cell."

"Yes."

Ragnar looked at Silvain. Silvain looked at the map. Something passed between them that was not warmth and was not hostility, the specific...