A Calculated Hunt

Bastian's POV

The freezing winter wind whipped my heavy cloak against my boots as I stood on the high battlement. Dawn was just beginning to silver the edges of the world. Beneath me, the fortress was already moving. Soldiers ran through their morning drills, their breath pluming in the frigid air. Servants hauled heavy supplies across the frosted cobblestones. I watched them all, but my mind was