This was probably one of the hardest chapters to write for this fanfic, mostly because I knew where I wanted to end up, but figuring out how to do it was hard. I tried several ideas, but none of them worked as well as I liked. This still doesn't quite go as smoothly as I would've hoped (if it's not apparent now, it will be in later chapters) but it's the best I came up with, and I suppose it gets the job done. Anyway, picks up from where the last chapter left off, and has a depressing ending (not that should be surprising).

10.

"An Act Of Mercy"

Adah found out about them the following day, when Methusael called her to his study for a meeting.

"Kani is refusing to listen to the voice of reason regarding these rebels," the fox explained as he circled Adah, clearly frustrated, "Today he decided that it would somehow be wise to unite the royal guard the Angolian militia and have them work together to try and find the rebels. I tried to talk him out of it, but…"

"He refused," Adah guessed, grinning at Methusael's frustration. Anything that drove Methusael up the wall was a good thing.

"Yes," Methusael said, frowning at the vixen's grin, "which is why I need to do something to get him to stop this nonsense before he creates more troubles for us all. Something to get him to sober up."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Kani knows better than you?" Adah asked challengingly, "Maybe his tactics of promoting trust and peace is the way to resolve this situation."

Methusael looked at her coldly. "Just before noon, there was another raid, but this time on the armory on the borders of the village."

Adah's eyes went wide as she realized what this implied, and turned to look at Methusael.

"Oh yes, they stripped it clean of all the weapons that were in there," Methusael assured her, "Whoever did it clearly intends to start a war. And furthermore, one of the guards that were stationed there and were knocked unconscious for the raid remained awake just long enough to see that it was mice who were responsible."

Adah stared blankly at the far wall, stunned.

"This rebellion has been taken a step further than mere raids of supplies," Methusael continued, taking a seat, "This is an act of war. And I need to get Kani to see this before it's too late. Therefore, I need something to get him to realize the truth."

"Like what?"

"I'm thinking of arranging something to happen to his mother…"

Adah's head spun to face him instantly. "Lady Grinta?" she murmured, then turned rebellious, "No! I'm not murdering anyone else for you, not after what happened with Hax!"

Methusael sighed. "I didn't say that…but I understand your feelings about it," he remarked, "It is an option though, and I have my reasons. Having Kani deal with another death certainly could be the wake-up call I need to first get him to deal with the mouse rebellion properly, and possibly the leverage I need to carry out my plans once and for all."

Adah wouldn't hear of it, though, and in her rush of emotions over the matter, started to cry hot tears of fury. "N-no," she persisted, her voice cracking, "I-I can't, I can't put Kani through all of that a second time. Not now. Not ever."

"She's dying anyway, Adah. Aiding her death would only end her suffering that much sooner."

"You don't know that! She could still recover!"

"Don't be unreasonable Adah, she's had more than two seasons to do that. She isn't going to recover. And you know it."

Adah glared at him with tear-stained eyes. "That still doesn't justify murdering her!" she growled.

"It wouldn't be murder," Methusael corrected, "It would be an act of mercy."

"No. I won't do it."

Methusael sighed, and looked at her for a long while. "All right, fine," he finally said, standing, and motioning for her to do the same, "I believe I can avoid something like her murder. We'll just have to come up with some other kind of plan," he paused for a moment, choosing his words, "I'll tell you what I'm going to have you do instead. Go and talk to her for yourself what should be done to achieve my goals. After that, I'm leaving the matter, and how you carry it out, completely up to you."

"I don't think anything can be done to help you achieve your goals any faster or easier than they already are," Adah growled bitterly, wanting no part in this discussion.

"You certainly have the option to decide that, yes," Methsuael said, stepping over to the study door, "Now c'mon."

He then opened his study door, and stepped out and motioned Adah to follow him, before closing it behind her again. Methusael then started on down the hallway, and again motioned Adah to follow him. Adah just stood there for a few moments blankly, not really understanding what was happening here. What was Methusael up to? And did she hear that right, that he really was going to give her the option to bail out of this undesirable assignment? No, that couldn't be right. He had never done so before, even if it meant he had to trick her into doing something. The same would be with this case.

Or he just planned to carry out the task himself.

With that scary thought, Adah quickly followed the fox, at the very least hoping to be able to stop Methusael if he planned to do anything such thing. But seeing that Methusael had that option to carry things out himself since the beginning, but hadn't, that did make it seem unlikely that was his intent. So, what was he up to now?

Of course, Methusael had given her the option of figuring out a course of action herself that suited both of their wants, which, if it meant sparing another life, Adah was not against. He had also suggested starting the planning with a visit with Lady Grinta, and speaking to her. But Adah wasn't sure she wanted to do that. She knew he was right; if Lady Grinta was ever going to recover from her ailments, she probably would've by now. It's just that Adah didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to be the voice of doom for anybody, particularly not for Lady Grinta's own wellbeing. Furthermore, she also knew that Methusael was right that the death of Kani's mother would probably push the heir over the edge mentally, and just might make him susceptible to Methusael's mind games, and she didn't want that.

Methusael knew she didn't, and seemed to even be okay with not doing that to achieve his plans.

So what was he planning?

As Adah had already predicted, Methusael led her to Lady Grinta's quarters, stopping at the door, and motioning to Adah to step on through when she stopped at the door herself.

"Go on," he prompted quietly, "Go in and talk with her ladyship. I'm sure she'd love to have some company."

Adah gave him a leveled stare, starting to suspect that Methusael was still trying to convince her to do another murder and this somehow was supposed to work to his advantage. "What are you hoping to gain from this?" she asked, "Making me talk with Lady Grinta and see how she's doing certainly isn't going to make me change my mind about anything. I still say there is no adjustments to your plan that could be made to speed up your plans of conquest any faster than they already are. At least any plans that we both can agree upon."

"Why don't you prove it then?" Methusael challenged with a grin, "You can talk while I go and take care of other business."

Adah was so anxious to prove him wrong that she agreed. "Fine," she said, and rapped politely on the closed door.

"Enter," Lady Grinta's voice called from within the room.

Adah opened the door enough to allow herself to slip inside, giving Methusael one last look of determination to beat him at his own game before she did, closing the door behind her. Inside the bedchambers, it was currently only Lady Grinta that was present, lying in bed like always. Various herbs and the such lay neatly organized on a sidetable for the use of making medicines, but Bluejay was not here at the moment. Grinta turned to look at her visitor, and blinked in surprise.

"Oh, Adah!" she said, grinning, "I thought you'd be Bluejay. She's probably going to be coming here soon to give me my afternoon medicine."

"Oh, well, maybe this isn't a good time," Adah began.

"Oh, nonsense, if you had been Bluejay, you would've been early anyway, so we have some time still," she motioned to a chair that sat beside her bed, "Please, have a seat."

Adah accepted the offered seat. "How are you doing, Lady Grinta?" she asked, "Better?"

"Better than I could be," Lady Grinta confessed, shaking her head to herself, leaning back on her pillows, "but I'm not recovering, if that's what you're asking. Not yet, at least."

"But you think you will?"

"I honestly don't know, Adah," Grinta glanced at her again, and Adah realized with a start she seemed doubtful, "It has been a long time since I was well."

Adah swallowed uncomfortably, "Yes, it has…hasn't it?" she asked.

A moment of silence fell during which neither spoke for a few moments. Adah shifted around uncomfortably, wondering again why she was doing this. What could possibly be gained from this anyway, for anyone? All it had done thus far was make the idea of conversation between them awkward. Probably not helped by the fact that while Adah and Grinta certainly knew each other, and had always been friendly with each other, they weren't exactly close. Grinta was royalty, and had her own business to attend to, business Adah had always felt she shouldn't interfere with. And there was little reason for Lady Grinta to associate herself with the likes of Adah that frequently, for the same reasons. She had her own duties, and they didn't pertain to Adah. Furthermore, Adah had no real reason or end goal for this visit other than Methusael had insisted upon it, probably trying to get her to do something she didn't want, and felt her presence here was not only unneeded, but also wasn't justified.

So she had been in the middle of trying to think up an excuse to leave when Lady Grinta suddenly cursed.

"Your ladyship!" Adah exclaimed, surprised at the unexpected act of vulgarity.

"I apologize, Adah, but…" the ill leader of Angola shook her head, tearing up a little, "…tell me truthfully. How is Kani doing?"

"Oh, er," Adah paused to think through her response before she said it, "he's doing very well, your ladyship, handling things very well."

Lady Grinta sighed, giving Adah a look. "You're lying, aren't you?"

"No," Adah quickly stated, then, feeling guilty under Grinta's stare, amended herself, "Yes. He's capable, certainly, but…the past few seasons have been so rough on him, with Hax's murder and your illness…"

Grinta sighed and leaned back heavily. "That's what I'm afraid of, I'm not helping him any like this," she murmured, "I wish I could help him still somehow, he desperately needs it, but…well…look at me!" she motioned to her weak body as best as she could, "I can't even get out of bed anymore. I'm not fit to be the leader of this land, and I'm not getting better. I don't think I ever will. By all rights, Kani should be officially lord now, but…I can't put that on him, not now. He's not ready," her eyes glistened with unshed tears, "I worry what would happen to him if I were to…pass on."

"So would I, your ladyship," Adah assured her, "I wish there was more I could do to help," she paused, "But I fear that my attempts to do so just make things worse for everyone."

"Oh, pish-posh, Adah, you couldn't harm a fly."

Adah thought about that for a moment, and realized that after the trauma of being tricked into murdering Hax, she wasn't even sure if she had the ability to slay Methusael if it ever came to that. "Not intentionally," she eventually stated.

Grinta glanced at her, saw the depressed feelings on the vixen's face, and suddenly perked up a little and gave Adah a comforting grin as she took the vixen's paw and gave it a squeeze. "Seems Kani isn't the only one who has been depressed," she remarked, "you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

Adah couldn't help but grin back. "Nor should you."

Grinta blushed a little by being put on the spot, but she laughed and took it in stride, "No, I suppose I shouldn't. Complaining won't get me anywhere." she fell silent for a moment, then furrowed her brow and changed the subject, "I forget, was there a reason you came by to see me, Adah?"

Adah blinked, caught off guard by the question she knew she had no decent answer to. "Um, not really, I was just passing by, and thought I'd visit for a few moments," she remarked after a moment's hesitation, then used that to as an excuse to prepare to leave, "In fact, I think that maybe I should go now."

"Oh, no, please stay," Lady Grinta asked, "I could use the company."

"No, no, I don't want to intrude, and you clearly aren't in the best of spirits, and I'm not helping with that, so…" Adah started to turn to leave, but paused when she noticed for the first time that one of the bowls of herbs on the sidetable was almost empty. She picked it up and studied it. "Should this be so empty?" she inquired.

"Oh dear, no, it shouldn't," Grinta remarked, perking up at the sight of the nearly-empty bowl, "Bluejay uses that herb to make my afternoon medicine. It tastes very bitter, but it soothes all sorts of pains and aches," she sighed, "I suppose Bluejay will have to go get more when she arrives to make the medicine."

"Well…maybe I can do it for her," Adah asked, seeing this as a chance to help for a change, "Since I'm here."

So, once Grinta had told her what herb was needed to be obtained, Adah departed to refill the bowl. She was surprised to find, as she exited the bedchambers, that Methusael was not there waiting for her, but then remembered he had commented he had other business to attend to, and decided that either way she wasn't going to question the stroke of what she considered to be good luck. She ignored Methusael's absence and took the bowl straight to a special storeroom where herbs were kept (save for a select few that Bluejay personally kept elsewhere, as they were more potent and required more moderated use), and sought for the container that held the dried herb.

She quickly found two containers, one of which was sealed still (to preserve the herbs within) so Adah used the other, more empty, one. It had just enough in it to refill the bowl. Satisfied with her work, she took the bowl back to Lady Grinta's bedchambers, and was pleased to see she had arrived before Bluejay, who would likely arrive soon.

"Here we are, your ladyship," Adah said, returning the bowl to it's proper spot.

"Thank you Adah, you really didn't need to do it," Grinta commented, pleased regardless.

"It was nothing, your ladyship," Adah said, "I'm happy to be of service."

And with a few final parting words, Adah departed again, and seeing the Methusael was still nowhere to be found, she returned to her own bedchambers, and sat down on her bed to read a recordbook she had been studying, and didn't think another thing about the matter. Methusael probably would come back and again press the issue of his plans, but after that discussion with her ladyship Adah was only more convinced that she wasn't and wouldn't going to come up with any ideas that would speed Methusael's plans, confident that the matter couldn't progress so long as she refused.

And she planned to do that for as long as possible.

So she purposely did not dwell on the matter further. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.

But after she had been in her bedchambers for a long while, she suddenly heard a commotion going on outside with what sounded like a lot of panicked creatures hurrying past. Both curious and alarmed at the urgent sounding sounds she was hearing, she went to her door and looked out into the corridor, and gasped at the terrible sight that greeted her.

A party of creatures were rushing past, carrying what appeared to be a severely wounded member of the royal guard, moving him to the infirmary further down the corridor. The poor beast looked like he had just been in a war, something Adah didn't think was even at risk of happening in Angola. She quickly pulled one of the escorting creatures aside and requested the details of the matter.

"It was an attack, Mistress Adah," the creature told her quickly, "A vicious one on two patrols composed of both members of the royal guard and the Angolian militia. This poor soul is the only survivor."

Adah was flabbergasted by this appalling news. "Who attacked?"

The creature hesitated, and looked around to see who was listening before telling her. "We don't know yet," he began, lowering his voice, "but they were attacked with Angolian weapons."

"Angolian weapons?" Adah repeated, shocked, but the creature had to quickly excuse himself and leave as he was getting left behind. Adah let him go, and thought what she had just been told through further. She suddenly remembered the preciseness of the wounds that were dealt to the injured creature, and at that moment knew better than to pin the blame on the obvious. "Methusael," she growled, and hurried off to find the fox in question.

She found him, consequently, not far from Lady Grinta's bedchambers, carrying an empty goblet and heading away from said room, possibly having just left there. He looked perturbed by something, and probably not in the best moods to be confronted with anything, but Adah could care less at the moment.

"Methusael!" she hailed angrily as she approached the fox, intercepting him.

"Adah, I was wondering where you had gotten to," Methusael greeted, acting calm as he usually did, "I take it you heard the news, then."

"Yes, and I don't buy it for a moment," Adah said, pressing her face into his, "You arranged for that attack on those patrols then turned around and tried to blame it on the mouse rebels, didn't you?"

"Whatever gives you that idea?"

"The fact that you have a threesome of mercenaries that are quite skilled in combat, and are the more likely ones to have dealt the sole survivor of the incident such precise wounds than anyone else."

Methusael grinned slightly, and nodded his head at her, stepping around her to continue on. "You're learning fast," he remarked, essentially confirming the truthfulness of the theory.

Adah felt her fury double in strength as she watched him walk away, fuming. "You…you…you…" she growled again and again, unable to find the right words to describe Methusael's treachery at the moment, "How could you? What can you gain from this?"

"I imagine you'll see in due time won't you?" Methusael called back to her without turning, and said not a word more on the matter.

So Adah just stood there, glaring at the fox's back as he walked away. However, Methusael got a few more paces down the corridor before he stopped suddenly, as if remembering something, and turned back to face.

"Oh, one more thing that might interest you to know, seeing that you don't seem to know already," he said, "I just learned that Lady Grinta passed away a few moments ago."

And with that calm, emotionless, comment, he turned and continued walking away again.