Unanswered Questions

Unanswered Questions
The war was over, but the tension in the air was palpable. Cyrus stood in the grand hall of the palace. The cheers of victory from earlier now seemed distant and hollow. They had been victorious but he could not forget that Lady Asher was a traitor. He still could not figure her out. She had killed their enemies, King Ares and Larog but she had also killed men loyal to Ghysem. What was her deal and where did her loyalty lie? Or was she just a killer for the thrill of it? 

His heart wrenched painfully, struggling to believe that the woman he had seen as a grandmother all these years was actually someone who could kill without any remorse. Someone who could kill and take pride in it.

His trusted advisor, Theo, stood beside him, mirroring his fear. He knew what Cyrus was thinking and he was thinking the same as well. 

"We may have won the battle, but the war against treachery is far from over," Cyrus muttered, his eyes fixed on the doorway where the noble lords would soon assemble. They had been called for a meeting that was scheduled to be held within the next thirty minutes.

Theo nodded solemnly. "Lady Asher is still out there. As long as she remains free, she poses a significant threat to our people. Who knows who else she might kill."

"It is baffling though," Cyrus commented. "How does she kill? It is not ordinary, don't you think?"

"Why do you say that?" Theo asked. 

"She is old, frail, and has recently had a heart transplant," Cyrus began. "The men she has killed had guards and even if they did not, they could have easily attacked Lady Asher. Yet she always remained unscathed. I cannot also forget that when she was imprisoned and under investigation with Altid, someone died with the black veil."

"Perhaps she is working with someone?" Theo suggested.

"I hardly think so," Cyrus murmured.

The next few minutes were characterized by the noble lords filing into the hall, their faces etched with a mixture of relief and apprehension. The war was over and they could finally breathe an air of relief.

Cyrus waited for them to settle before addressing the assembly.

"Lords," he began, his voice echoing through the hall, "our victory on the battlefield has brought us a step closer to peace, but my mind cannot be at rest when a traitor walks freely."

There were murmurs throughout the hall as the noble lords wondered what the Alpha was referring to. Audrey had been caught, Larog had also been killed so what next?

"I'm sure you have all heard of the black veil."

The hall fell silent immediately, the air heavy with tension. There was some kind of respect and fear even just at the slight mention of the name. Then the whispers erupted.

"Lady Asher is the black veil."

Once again, there was a tense silence dominating the air, perhaps the silence was longer than the initial silence. Then suddenly, the murmurs and exclamations erupted. The noble lords could not believe their ears. The mention of Lady Asher's name was enough to send chaos; this was the lady who was grandmother to the Northern pack. She had been with them for several years and was perhaps the oldest woman in the pack, yet she went around killing people. It was hard to believe. 

"I know you all find it hard to believe but I saw it with my own eyes," Cyrus said with a tight smile. "It is still a shock to me but she shall be punished accordingly. I shall not be lenient with her."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the gathered lords. Cyrus turned to Altid, his most trusted hunter, standing resolute at the edge of the assembly.

"Altid," Cyrus commanded, "you are to lead the hunt for Lady Asher. She must be brought to justice. Use all resources at your disposal and do whatever it takes to find her."

Altid bowed deeply. "I will not rest until she is captured, my lord."

With the matter settled, Cyrus and Theo proceeded to the dungeon where Castilla and Audrey were being held. The stone corridors were cold and damp, the air thick with the scent of despair. Guards stood at attention as they approached the heavy iron door.

Inside, Castilla and Audrey were bound to chairs, their expressions defiant. Cyrus's gaze hardened as he looked at them.

"Castilla, Audrey," Cyrus began, his voice a controlled fury, "you have conspired against me and the pack. What is your relationship? Why have you sought to overthrow me?"

Castilla stared back in silence, her eyes burning with defiance. Audrey, however, smirked, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

"You think you'll get answers from us?" Audrey's voice dripped with contempt. "You’ll never know our secrets. Unless you can open my mind and pull out what’s inside, you'll learn nothing."

Theo's jaw clenched, but he maintained his composure. "We have ways of making you talk," he said coldly. "Your defiance will only make things worse for you."

Audrey laughed, a chilling sound that echoed off the stone walls. "Go ahead, try your best. But you won't get anything from me. Like I said, except if you open my mind and remove what's inside, you can never know anything."

Cyrus felt a cold fury wash over him. They had won a significant battle, but the war for truth and justice was far from over. As he looked into Audrey's mocking eyes, he knew this was only the beginning of their fight against the darkness within their ranks. Audrey and Castilla may have been proving stubborn but he knew that torture always worked on weak-minded people like them.

He walked towards the brisket that was always kept burning in the dungeons and pulled out a branding iron from the hot coal. He looked at it and smiled, walking towards Castilla. "Do I have to pull out your mind to know what you are hiding?"