Although Cassian trusted the security of his hidden vault and its layers of mechanisms, the fact that this group had set up camp right at the entrance was undeniably suspicious. Greendale lay just a short distance away. Normally, no survivor would leave the safety of a town to camp out here in the dust and wind. When they'd flown past Greendale earlier, the city had clearly suffered an earthquake, but its condition was far better than Northlorn's. Greendale was an old tourist town, famous for its preserved ancient architecture. There were no skyscrapers, hardly even six-story buildings—mostly sturdy two- and three-story homes built long before the disaster. Despite the tremors, more than half of those structures still stood. The ancient buildings in the old quarter were nearly untouched, their foundations unshaken. Their ancestors' craftsmanship was impressive. No steel, no concrete, yet those structures had survived centuries of quakes. No one knew exactly how the people of Greendale had survived the flood season, but it was clear that a number of them were still alive. From the helicopter, Natalie and Cassian had seen thin trails of smoke curling from rooftops below—a sign of life scattered through the city. So why was there an encampment up here? Even if someone's home had collapsed, they could have moved into the old town for shelter. There was no reason to live in these barren hills. This mountain was nothing like the lush ones near Northlorn. There were no trees, no vegetation, no wild fowl or rabbits—only wolves. To live here meant sleeping with one eye open. No one would choose this place unless they had something to guard. Cassian finally said, "It's highly unlikely they've found the vault. Even if the earthquake exposed the area, there are still two hidden barriers beyond the main entrance. And if they truly had discovered it, they'd have cleared it out by now rather than waiting here to get caught. They must be here for another reason."Natalie considered that, then made up her mind. "No point guessing. We'll find out once we get closer." Cassian nodded. "Alright." She pointed to a spot on the map. "Land there." He leaned forward to check. "You sure?" It was an open patch about a quarter of a mile from the camp. Normally, Natalie preferred stealth—landing far away and sneaking in quietly. But this time, she wanted the opposite. "I'm sure," she said. "Let's scare them first and see how they react." Sometimes, showing strength was the best way to learn the truth. A helicopter armed with visible weapons sent a very different message from two people hiking up a mountain on foot. Today, she was aiming for intimidation. Cassian's mouth curved slightly as he piloted the aircraft down. The chosen landing site was ideal—flat enough for the helicopter and far enough from the camp to prevent them from being surrounded right away. After circling for so long, the people in the tents had undoubtedly spotted them. By now, the entire camp would be on alert. Even so, anyone trying to reach them on foot would still have to cover some distance. Cassian brought the helicopter down smoothly. Natalie pulled two assault rifles from her storage space and handed one to him. If the vault had been discovered, they'd fight and reclaim what was theirs. If not, they would sneak in, wait for the right moment, and slip through unnoticed to collect everything inside. And if neither option worked, they'd simply wait. When Frostfall came, the temperatures would drop so violently that no one living in tents could survive for long. Whether they froze or fled to the city, it would leave the mountain clear. Just as Natalie expected, they had barely stepped off the helicopter when a swarm of people came charging down the slope, waving blades, clubs, and spears. Natalie stopped and stared. Something about them felt off. "These people look … strange," she murmured. Cassian paused for a moment before replying, "They're foreigners." It took her a few seconds to register. Of course. It had been so many years since she'd seen anyone from outside the region that she hadn't recognized them at first. "I knew something looked weird! That guy's so dark I can only see his teeth. And that one—his hair's so gold it's blinding. And that one—" Cassian couldn't help laughing softly as she pointed and commented on them like they were on display. "Focus. They're not here for a chat." Natalie snorted and raised her rifle. "Give it a minute. They will be." Sure enough, the moment the oncoming crowd got close enough to see the rifles in their hands, all that aggression evaporated. The group slowed, then froze in place, suddenly very, very calm.