Dawn breaks cold and gray. Morning mist clings to the ground as I lead Thorne, Kira, and young Dane through dense forest that transitions to open meadow. The supply cache is hidden in a rocky outcrop half a mile from camp.
We move in tense silence. Kira makes no effort to hide her resentment at being placed under my command. Her jaw stays tight. Her eyes stay forward. She doesn't acknowledge me when I signal direction changes.
We reach the cache without incident. The rocky outcrop shields us from view. I survey the supplies while the others begin organizing what we'll carry back.
Food. Weapons. Medical supplies. Everything the resistance needs.
I study the terrain. Two routes back to camp. The ridge or the forest.
"We're taking the ridge route back," I announce. "It's faster and gives us the high ground if we're spotted."
Kira stops what she's doing. "The ridge is exposed. We should take the forest route. More cover, safer."
"The forest route adds an hour to our travel time. We're taking the ridge." My voice is flat, brooking no argument. This is obvious. Speed and tactical advantage over comfort.
"An hour that keeps us alive," Kira argues. "Varek's patrols use the ridge approach. We'd be walking right into them."
"Then we deal with them if we have to. I'm not adding an hour because you're afraid of a fight." I turn away, considering the matter settled.
"Arida, Kira has a point," Thorne speaks up carefully. "The forest route might be—"
"I didn't ask for your opinion," I snap. "You're here because Hardik trusts you, but you're not pack. This isn't your decision."
Thorne falls silent. His expression shows he thinks I'm making a mistake.
Young Dane looks between us nervously. "Maybe we could—"
"We're taking the ridge," I say with finality. "Load up. We move in five minutes."
Kira stares at me with barely contained anger. "You're making a mistake."
"Then I'll own it. But I'm leading this mission, and we're doing it my way." I meet her gaze without flinching. "Unless you want to explain to Hardik why you refused to follow orders."
The threat hangs in the air. Kira's jaw clenches, but she shoulders her pack without another word.
The tension is thick enough to cut.
We start toward the ridge route and move in hostile silence. Just four wolves walking in the same direction.
This is fine, I tell myself. They don't have to like my decisions. They just have to follow them.
Halfway up the ridge, Dane slips on loose rock. The supplies he's carrying clatter loudly.
"Careful!" I hiss.
"I'm trying," Dane mutters. "Maybe if we'd taken the forest route like Kira said—"
"We're not having this discussion again," I cut him off.
Kira turns on me. "He's just a kid. You're pushing him too hard."
"He's old enough to be on this mission, he's old enough to keep up." My voice is cold. "We all have to carry our weight."
"Maybe if you'd listened when I said the ridge was a bad idea—"
"Enough." I step closer to Kira. "You want to challenge my leadership? Do it. Right here, right now. Otherwise, shut up and follow orders."
"Quiet!" Thorne suddenly hisses.
We all freeze.
Below us, moving along the base of the ridge exactly where Kira predicted, are five of Varek's wolves. If we'd taken the forest route, we would have missed the patrol entirely.
My mind races. We're exposed on the ridge with nowhere to hide. If we move, they'll spot us. If we stay, the patrol might look up and see us anyway.
"What do we do?" Dane whispers.
I don't answer immediately. Fighting five wolves when we have the low ground is suicide. But running means abandoning the supplies.
Kira sees the hesitation in my face.
"We should split up," Kira whispers urgently. "Thorne and I draw them north, you and Dane take the supplies west."
"No," I say automatically. "We stay together."
"That's suicide. They'll catch all of us."
"I said we stay together." But my voice lacks conviction now.
One of the patrol wolves below stops. Sniffs the air. Starts to turn toward the ridge.
"They're going to spot us," Thorne warns.
"Arida, make a decision," Kira hisses.
But I'm frozen. Paralyzed by the weight of choosing wrong. If I split the group and someone dies, it's my fault. If I keep them together and we're all caught, it's my fault.
The patrol wolf is scanning the ridge.
Kira makes the decision for me. "Thorne, with me. Now!"
She bursts from cover, deliberately making noise, drawing attention. Thorne hesitates only a second before following. The patrol immediately gives chase, heading north after them.
"Run!" Kira shouts back at us as she disappears into the trees.
Dane and I flee west with the supplies. But the escape feels hollow.
Kira saved us by doing exactly what I refused to do. Making the hard call when it mattered.
We reach camp an hour later.
Thorne and Kira return twenty minutes after that, both sporting fresh injuries from losing the patrol. The entire camp can see what happened. Can see who's bleeding and why.
That evening, Hardik calls me to his cave. But before I can go, Kira intercepts me in front of a group of loyalists.
"Your stubbornness almost got us killed," Kira says loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You refused to listen to anyone, picked the dangerous route out of pride, and when it mattered most, you froze. I had to save your mission because you couldn't make a decision."
"I was assessing the situation."
"You were panicking," Kira cuts me off. "Today you proved you're not ready to lead anyone."
The loyalists watch. Some nod. Others look away.
Kira turns and walks away.
The group disperses. One by one. Until I'm standing alone.
The weight of my failure crushes me. Every choice I made was wrong.
And Hardik witnessed all of it.
I look toward his cave. He stands at the entrance, watching me.
His expression tells me everything I need to know.
I failed.