Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece

The next morning came slowly, with a dull gray sky hanging low over the camp.

The wind was cold and steady, brushing across the tents and making the canvas ripple softly.

Soldiers moved about, yawning and stiff from sleep, getting back into their routines.

The sound of armor clinking, crates being moved, and low voices filled the air.

Lena and Rook stepped out of their tent late. Blinking against the pale light.

Their movements were sluggish. Like they hadn't fully woken up yet.

Lena rubbed her eyes and yawned. Rook stretched his arms and rolled his neck with a groan.

Cedric, nearby and helping some fresh recruits stack crates by the supply tent, glanced up and smiled. "You two really slept well yesterday, huh?"

Rook let out a quiet chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… guess we were more tired than we thought."

Lena gave a small smile. "Must have been the battle fatigue."

Kyle stood a little ways off, near the training field. He was stretching slowly. Rolling his shoulders as if loosening up for a sparring match.

His gaze briefly passed over them. Just once. Just enough.

They looked normal.

Relaxed.

Unaware.

Exactly how he wanted them.

He hadn't told Cedric or Cassian anything about what he had found last night.

As much as he liked and trusted them. This wasn't something he could risk.

Cedric was too open. His face showed everything he was thinking.

Cassian had a sharp mouth and a hot temper. If he knew. He'd say something before thinking.

One wrong word could ruin everything.

This required subtlety. Calm steps. Quiet plays.

Kyle began talking with some soldiers and nodded in agreement. Then. He turned to the others.

"I'm heading to speak with Commander Halric," he said to Eleanora, who stood beside him checking the edge of her estoc. "He called for me earlier."

Eleanora looked up at him and nodded once, her face unreadable. "Alright," she said simply.

She didn't ask questions.

She didn't need to.

Kyle turned and walked off in the direction of the command tent, his pace unhurried, his hands tucked behind his back.

He didn't glance behind him.

He walked to Commander Halric's tent.

Twenty minutes passed. Then thirty.

Finally. He made his way back. Casually, as if nothing were amiss.

Cedric was just finishing up near the crates. Brushing dirt off his hands.

"Hey," Kyle said, stepping up beside him. "Can we talk? Alone."

Cedric looked at him in surprise. "Uh, yeah. Of course."

Kyle led him toward one of the smaller tents. One used for extra supplies. It was quiet there.

Out of direct view. But close enough to run back if needed.

He stepped inside and pulled a folded map from his pouch. There were markings on it.

Routes, barricades, terrain notes.

"I wanted your thoughts on something," Kyle said in a low voice, spreading the map over an empty crate.

"Commander Halric's planning a small ambush run. It's early talk. But he's thinking about moving a command post out past the supply ridge."

Cedric leaned over the map, eyes scanning the area Kyle pointed at.

"That's close to the eastern cliffs, right? Not a bad spot. Would catch the Red Legion off guard if they came from the south."

Kyle nodded and tapped a trail marked in red.

"We could reroute some carts here. Make it look like regular supply runs. Have a squad hidden in these trees. If they take the bait…"

"They would walk right into the trap," Cedric finished.

They continued like that. Talking tactics, mentioning routes, supply numbers, and patrol rotations.

Kyle knew the information sounded real. And that's what mattered.

Then, outside—

"Fire!" someone shouted. "There's a fire!"

Cedric's head snapped up. He bolted to the flap. "Let's go!"

They rushed out into the open.

Thick gray smoke was curling into the air from one of the empty tents near the outer edge of camp.

It had caught fire, likely from a torch not put out properly. Or at least, that's what people would think.

Soldiers rushed into action. Those with water affinity summoned their magic, directing torrents to control the flames.

Others barked orders, trying to stop it from spreading to nearby supplies.

Kyle didn't panic.

He just scanned the crowd.

Most of the team was there.

Cedric. Cassian. Serena.

Rook was near the edge of the chaos. Helping one of the soldiers move crates away from the burning tent.

But Lena wasn't.

Kyle's lips curled into a faint smile.

'She took the bait'

———

[Lena POV]

Lena stood near the tents, arms crossed. Watching the morning haze lift slowly from the camp.

Her head still felt a little heavy from last night. She and Rook had passed out the moment they hit their bedrolls.

Now, as the sun climbed higher. She saw Kyle talking to a few soldiers then with Eleanora. Then his voice reached her.

"I'm heading to see Commander Halric," he said, just loud enough for the surrounding few to hear. "He called for me earlier."

Lena's eyes narrowed slightly.

What does the Commander want with him? she wondered. The timing felt too perfect. Her instincts pricked.

She stayed where she was. Leaning near the corner of a storage tent, pretending not to care as Kyle walked off.

But twenty minutes later. He returned.

He didn't speak to anyone else. Just walked straight to Cedric and whispered something in his ear.

Then they both headed toward Kyle's tent.

Lena's breath slowed. Something's happening.

She turned to Rook. "I need to go to the washroom," she said, keeping her tone light.

Rook nodded without a word, stretching his arms beside the fire. He didn't ask questions.

Lena slipped away.

She moved like a shadow, staying low and behind crates and canvas walls.

The camp was busy enough that no one paid her much attention. She weaved between tents, careful not to draw eyes.

Eventually. She reached the edge of the tent where Kyle and Cedric had gone in.

She crouched low, staying behind a stack of crates. Just on the other side of the canvas wall, voices murmured.

Kyle and Cedric.

She leaned in slightly. Listening.

The words weren't entirely clear. But a few phrases came through.

"—supply route—"

"—hidden command post—"

"—relocation before the next wave—"

Her heart picked up speed. This was important. It wasn't just a discussion. It was a tactical shift.

The kind of thing Commander Rodric would need to know.

She clenched her jaw.

But how to get a look at that map?

She slipped her hand into the small leather pouch at her hip. Her fingers found the matchstone she'd been saving for emergencies.

She rubbed her thumb against it. A soft glow responded. Just enough mana to start a small fire.

Just enough to create a distraction.

Her eyes scanned the camp.

There, at the far end. An old tent near the supply yard. Mostly unused. Filled with broken armor and scrap.

Perfect.

She moved quickly, still careful to stay out of sight.

At the base of the tent wall. She struck the matchstone and let the flame catch the canvas.

It hissed and curled. Spreading faster than she expected. Smoke rose quickly.

Within seconds, shouting filled the camp.

"Fire!"

"Get the Water users!"

Lena didn't stick around to watch. She turned and dashed back toward Kyle's tent. Slipping in through the back while everyone's focus was on the flames.

The inside of the tent was quiet. The map still lay spread out across the crate in the center.

Lena moved quickly, eyes scanning the lines, not bothering with too much detail.

She pulled out a piece of folded parchment from inside her cloak and began sketching. Her fingers were fast, trained.

This wasn't her first time copying plans.

She memorized the marked location of the hidden command post. The narrow valley route. The supposed timing of the move.

It was enough.

She rolled her copied version. Tied it with a thin string, and tucked it inside the inner layer of her vest.

Her eyes flicked once more over the tent, checking for signs that anything was moved. Nothing.

She turned and slipped out the same way she entered, vanishing into the passing soldiers and smoke.

She moved like nothing had happened. Calm, composed.

Like everyone else, she stood near the well, watching the fire get stamped out.

Lena kept her hands tucked in her pockets.

'I have what I need.'

'Now I just need to pass this to Commander Rodric.'

She didn't smile. Not here. But deep down. She felt the weight of success settle.

———