"Mortimer thinks the Shadows might have been in on the whole thing," Crowley said from where he was seated behind his desk. The Commandant was leaning back in his chair, his face haggard from a sleepless night.
"Surely we'd know if they were?" Gilan asked. The young Ranger had stayed with Strider for the better part of an hour before leaving to meet with Crowley and Halt. Now he sat in one of the chairs facing Crowley's desk, leaning forward intently as he was further filled in on the events of the previous night. He'd been surprised to hear of Murray's betrayal. Though Gilan didn't know him very well personally, he'd been a close friend and confidant to his father in the past. It was hard to believe he'd betray the King, and yet Gilan found it harder still for him to believe Strider and Fell had a hand in the coup.
"We have to consider the possibility that they were involved," Halt said. "This is the first council Fell has attended, and he happened to end up right alongside Cassandra."
Gilan sighed, his breath hissing out between his teeth. "That can't be a coincidence," he conceded.
"We'd certainly be idiots if we brushed it off as a coincidence. The Cult's influence is much stronger than we originally thought," Crowley said. "We need to nip this in the bud, and quickly."
Gilan wanted to spring to the defense of Strider and Fell, but Halt saw the look on his face and began to shake his head slowly.
"We don't know them as well as we thought," his former mentor reminded him.
"Halt, we fought with them. I've gone on missions with both of them multiple times," Gilan said. "They've always had our backs."
"Which might be exactly what they wanted," Crowley pointed out. "They've spent the last few months building trust and getting the King to sign a treaty making them an official part of our forces and the King's council."
As much as Gilan hated to admit it he knew his Commandant was right. Halt and Gilan had originally been sent after the Shadows in order to disband the rebel group that had been terrorizing the outer lying villages in Redmont fief. Only after confronting the Shadows did they realize the rebels were working to protect the villages from the Cult that had begun invading Araluen. Even then, Gilan knew the Shadows were little more than a cobbled together group of thieves and brigands led by one man with a conscience.
"So that's it then," Gilan said. "We can't trust them."
Halt shared Gilan's feelings, as he too had become quite fond of Strider and a few of the other Shadows. He spoke gently to his former apprentice, knowing it would be difficult for Gilan to accept the people he'd believed to be his friends might actually be traitors. "Until only a few days ago we didn't even know Strider was an Araluen noble. If she kept that from us, who knows what else they are keeping from us."
Gilan was quiet for a long moment as he let all of this sink in. He knew Halt and Crowley were right. "What do we do then?"
"You go to the mountains with Strider," Crowley said. Gilan frowned and opened his mouth to object but Crowley held up a hand to stop him. "We know Strider better than we know this Grady fellow and you'll need a guide to get to Rockfall fief. Besides, it will also take Strider away from the castle in the event the Shadows were involved."
"And what about Fell?" Gilan asked. "He'll still be here to attend councils."
Crowley looked to Halt who smiled grimly, his thoughts circling back to the night before when he'd held Fell against the wall and pressed his saxe knife to his neck.
"I'll handle Fell."
Thought I'd make this chapter shorter since there's not a lot of action in it. Please read and review and let me know what you think so far! I'm always open to suggestions on how to approve this story! :)
