Chapter 65: Plans for War

The morning sun crept through the trees, casting long shadows over the makeshift camp. Aiden sat near the fire, sharpening his blade with a look of quiet concentration. His mind was already spinning through possibilities—plans for their next move, how to keep Lily safe, and how to ensure they were ready for what was coming. The respite they had earned the night before felt fragile, temporary. He knew it was only a matter of time before the bandits came looking for them.

Across the clearing, Robert sat with Lily, his arm around her shoulders. She looked hollowed out, both physically and emotionally, her face pale and her body too thin, but she was alive. That was the only thing Robert cared about now. He would do whatever it took to protect her.

Gabriella approached, her face hardened by the weight of leadership. She crouched next to Aiden, glancing at the blade he was sharpening. “Any movement yet?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

Aiden shook his head. “Nothing so far, but they’ll be coming. The bandits won’t let this go. They’ll want revenge, and they’ll want their camp back.”

Gabriella frowned, her eyes narrowing as she looked out into the trees. “We need to decide what to do next. Staying out here, exposed, isn’t an option. We should be moving.”

“We have to head back to the community,” Aiden replied firmly. “It’s the only place we’ll be safe for now. With their numbers, they’ll hunt us down if we stay in the open like this.”

Gabriella nodded slowly, though the idea of retreat didn’t sit well with her. “What about the rest of them? The bandits. We can't let them keep terrorizing people. We got Lily out, but what about the others they've taken?”

“We’ll come back,” Aiden said, his voice hard. “But we need more people. More resources. If we try to fight them again with just this group, we’ll all die.”

Gabriella stared into the fire for a moment, her mind weighing their options. She hated the idea of leaving, but Aiden was right. Their group had been lucky last night, but luck wouldn’t save them from a full-scale assault. They needed to regroup and strategize.

Robert, overhearing the conversation, gently pushed himself up and walked over to them. His face was gaunt, his eyes weary, but the fire of determination still burned behind them. “We have to go back and take them out,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper but filled with conviction. “I’m not letting them do this to anyone else.”

Aiden and Gabriella exchanged a look. Robert had already gone through hell to get his daughter back, but now, he was talking about taking the fight to the bandits once and for all.

“We will,” Aiden said, standing up and sheathing his blade. “But we need to get Lily to safety first. If we take her back to the community, we can gather more fighters, more supplies. Then we come back and finish the job.”

Robert nodded, though it was clear that the idea of leaving the bandits unchecked gnawed at him. He glanced back at Lily, who was huddled by the fire, her knees pulled to her chest. “She’s safe now,” he said softly, more to himself than anyone else. “But she’ll never really be free until they’re all gone.”

Gabriella placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder, her expression softening. “We’ll make sure they pay for what they did,” she promised. “But we have to do it the right way. We can’t risk losing her or you again.”

Robert closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He knew she was right, but every second they spent away from the bandit camp felt like a betrayal of all the others who were still trapped there, suffering like Lily had suffered.

“We leave at first light,” Aiden said, cutting through the tension. “Pack up what you can. It’s a long ride back, and we can’t afford any delays.”

The journey back to the community was grueling. Aiden led the way, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon for any sign of pursuit. Gabriella and Robert rode alongside Lily, who remained silent for most of the trip, lost in her own thoughts. The horror of what she had endured clung to her like a shadow, and while she was physically safe, the wounds inside her would take far longer to heal.

The landscape blurred by as they pushed their horses hard, determined to reach the community as quickly as possible. The sun was sinking low by the time the familiar walls of the settlement came into view, and a wave of relief washed over them. The sight of the community, its sturdy defenses and familiar faces, felt like a haven after the chaos of the bandit camp.

Gabriella rode ahead, signaling the guards at the gate. As they entered, people began to gather, whispers spreading through the crowd. Word had already reached them that Lily had been found, but the sight of her, frail and haunted, brought a grim silence to the community.

Andrew, now recovered enough to stand on his own, made his way toward them, his face filled with concern. His wounds still bothered him, but seeing Gabriella safe brought a wave of relief. “You made it back,” he said, embracing her briefly before his gaze turned to Lily.

Robert helped his daughter down from the horse, his eyes never leaving her. “We made it,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “But it’s not over.”

Andrew nodded solemnly. “I heard what happened. You were lucky to get her out alive.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Robert muttered, his expression hard. “We fought for it, and we’ll fight again if we have to.”

Gabriella stepped forward, her gaze locking onto Andrew’s. “We need more people, Andrew. There’s no way we can take out that camp with the small team we had before. They’ll be ready for us next time.”

Andrew crossed his arms, frowning. “We’re stretched thin as it is. The last raid cost us a lot of good fighters.”

“We don’t need an army,” Aiden said, stepping up. “We just need a strike team. People who can get in, get the captives out, and finish off the bandits.”

Andrew studied Aiden for a long moment, his jaw working as he considered the plan. Finally, he nodded. “Alright. I’ll talk to the council. We’ll see who’s willing to join the fight. But you need to be ready. This is going to be a bloodbath.”

Gabriella turned to Robert. “Go get Lily settled. She’s been through enough. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Robert hesitated, torn between staying to fight and caring for his daughter. But one look at Lily, her hollow eyes and the trembling in her hands, made the decision for him. “I’ll be back,” he said quietly, turning to guide Lily toward the small house they had been given in the community. “Just… don’t do anything without me.”

Aiden watched them go, his mind already working through the logistics of the assault. “We’ll need maps of the area,” he said to Gabriella. “And a plan to get in without alerting the entire camp.”

“I can get us the maps,” Gabriella replied. “We also have scouts who’ve been tracking the bandits’ movements. We’ll use that information to our advantage.”

Aiden nodded, feeling the weight of what was to come. They had won a small victory, but the real fight was still ahead of them. The bandit camp was well-defended, and their leader—cruel, cunning, and vicious—would not go down easily.

“We’ll be ready,” Aiden said, more to himself than to Gabriella. “We have to be.”