Chapter 44; A secret, for your ears only
Characters of the chapter
Daario Naharis Mercenary commander of the Second Son's, regent of the city of Meereen and the Bay of Dragons (in exile)
Fenris Mercenary Freelancer, formerly a slave to Magister Danarius
Iledia Agent of the Inquisition, mage advisor in matters of the arcane in the court of Queen Daenerys
Meera Reed Lady of Greywater Watch
Tallis Ben Hassrath operative
Tallis was sneaking around the road, her eyes on the back of one of the guards. Most of them had retired for the night, but this one had stayed up, patrolling between the wagons. Now and then he shoved the butt of his spear through the bars of the cages, at slaves he thought weren't being quiet enough. The sight of it made Tallis grit her teeth.
This one would have to go, so she would have the freedom to work unnoticed. Quick and quiet, so no one else would be alerted.
Whenever the guards back was turned, she moved from cover to cover, her feet never making a sound. Fairly soon she was only a few meters from him, the night shielding her from his eyes. When his back turned next she darted forward, closing the remaining distance between them. If he heard her, he never had time to react. Her dagger went in right under his helmet and through his neck, severing his spine. In an instant he went limp as control to his body was lost, emitting only a final gasp. She caught his spear with her other hand before it fell, then carefully lowered both to the ground. She looked around for other guards but noted none in the immediate vicinity. She inspected the dead man for keys, and muttered a curse under her breath when she found none. Then again maybe she should not be surprised. This Vint guard had been posted to look after the cages. He did not actually need the meant to open them.
Tallis decided against trying to go look for the keys on someone else. Who knows where they might be found, and how big of a risk of being discovered she might be taking while searching for them. She could manage locks just fine without keys.
Instead she approached the closest of the cages. The occupants stirred when she got close. At first they looked concerned, but when they noticed the dead guard and her starting to pick the lock a cautiously hopeful expression began to creep to their faces. They realized she might be there to help them. Some even sought to speak to her in their languages, but she shushed them back into silence quickly. Fortunately they seemed to understand the situation well enough, and quieted.
As she worked her heart was pounding in her chest, a nervous sweat gathering on her brow, dreading every sound she made, no matter how quiet. She was making an impulsive decision with this, no doubt about it. There was no plan of action, no set conditions for winning and definitely no notion on what might come afterwards. To say nothing of the repercussions she might be facing because of this rash action, especially with the potentially lethal magic on her wrist. The only thing she really knew was that she could not leave these people to their fate. She had to try something, no matter how ill-conceived this idea was.
With a click the lock finally opened. At once she entered and set to work on the shackles on the slaves themselves.
"Go on, into the night. Get as far away from the road as you can. Go, go." She said as soon as she got the first one free. She rather suspected there was a language barrier between her and most of them. But they at least understood her gestures if nothing else, getting off the wagon running away as fast as they could. She wished them all the best. Truth to be told she did not know if she could be of any help to them past this point. She could set them free, but the rest of it they would have to manage on their own somehow. The biggest downside of acting without formulating a real plan. She only hoped she was not condemning them worse than they already had been.
She had just freed the last remaining slave and was heading for the next wagon when she heard the sound she had been dreading: "Hey, who goes there!? What are you doing!? Stop! Alert! Alert-!"
Those were the last words the second guard had time to shout before he was cut short by a throwing knife. But by then it was too late.
She began to hear sleepers stirring, shouting echoing in the night. Before she could even think about trying to flee she heard running steps behind her and saw a man dressed only in a shirt and underwear rushed at her with a sword. Sadly he was all too quick to conclude she was the attacker, preventing the possibility of escaping during the confusion. She would have to fight her way out of this.
She deflected his blow and sank her dagger in his chest. She managed to run a little bit before being confronted by a new opponent: A rider, probably returning from patrol. She just barely managed to jump away from his spear as he charged past her. As he stopped his horse to turn around he got another throwing knife through his skull. For a brief moment she dared hope she had created a sufficiently large window of opportunity to flee the scene. But then she felt her arms pulled hard towards the ground by some invisible force. She tried to fight back, but the power holding her was too strong. She was unable to move even a single finger. It was then she noticed a mage calmly walking towards her, a hand raised to maintain the spell trapping her.
He held her in place until two more guards showed up and grabbed her. Her hands were wrenched behind her back and a knee was driven to her stomach, causing her to double over. They took her weapons from her, working her fingers loose from around the dagger she still held in her hand. Other soldiers and civilians began gathering around as well.
"Report. What is the situation?" The mage asked calmly.
"Four dead guards, ser. Albanus, Iovianus, Marcius and Quinctus. One of the cages looks to have been opened and emptied from merchandise. The slaves could be all over the hills now. This rattus bitch… putting her nose where she shouldn't!" One of the soldiers said, ending his report by hitting her.
"Send our outriders to search for them then. Have as many as possible retrieved." The mage commanded. Then he paused. "No sounds of fighting… no further alerts… did any of you spot other attackers other than her?"
A chorus of quiet no's circulated amongst the gathered Tevinters.
"So she might be alone? Seriously?" The mage said, then took a step closer to Tallis. "Well you answer that. Are there more attackers out there?"
She turned her head aside and said nothing.
"You had best respond when I ask you something. If you refuse I will simply take the information from you by force. Rest assured I have the means to do so. Save yourself the discomfort. Maker knows you'll have a lot of that in a moment." The mage told her, his voice deceptively sweet, while his cold eyes told a very different story.
Tallis wanted to tell the mage to go fuck himself. But if he used blood magic on her he might stumble on other secrets, the reason she was here in the first place, the mission that was underway. Brash as her actions had been, she would rather not betray that mission by accident. Even as she was very worried about what her fate might be now, she realized that task was too important. Best to try to avoid being interrogated with blood magic then. Delay that at least, until the others realized she would not be coming back and put an end to her. She was somewhat surprised they had not already done so. Perhaps some had refused to. A sense of mercy that could prove to be entirely misguided if she did not manage to buy enough time for them to change their minds.
"No others. Just me." She said. As far as she knew that was actually true. If the others were smart they had left her behind and carried on with the mission. Given how this had turned out she could not really blame them.
"Why would you try to do something like this on your own? Do you have a death wish or something?" He asked.
"I was in the neighborhood. I felt like I couldn't just walk away from this." She replied.
"For all the good that did." The mage sneered. "Those you set loose will be found and brought back. And then they will be punished for trying to run away. And you… we will be thanking you for your efforts very shortly."
To that she had nothing to say. She merely hoped he was wrong about finding the others. "Please, don't let this be completely pointless…" She silently wished.
"Ser, she has some... strange looking light on her arm. Some sort of spell I'd wager." One of the soldiers holding her pointed out moving her arm just enough to show the mark to the mage.
"What is that?" The mage demanded at once.
"An old injury, from a spellcaster that managed to take a shot at me." She lied. "Not the first time I've fought Vint scum."
The mage scoffed. "Not the first time you've defied the Imperium, perhaps. But it shall certainly be the last. And I'll be more than happy to rob the Qunari of one of their spies."
"Yes. Did you think I would not recognize the symbol on your armor? I know exactly what you are." The mage said to her surprised expression. "I just don't get why your Oxmen masters would send you to attack us on your own. Maybe you are a more broken tool than they realize."
"Stick her in that cage for a time, since she has conveniently emptied it for us. Ensure she is fully shackled and that she is kept under guard by at least four guards at all times. Don't take your eyes off her for a second. She's dangerous. She's already taken down four of us, so let's not give her any opportunities to claim any more. I'll be along to interrogate her properly once I've managed to make sure there are no mote unpleasant surprises headed our way. After that we are going to slit her throat." He commanded.
"Is that a necessary thing?" One of the gathered civilians asked. He spoke in the common tongue, but with a heavy accent. And he certainly did not look like a Vint. Tallis guessed he must be a local travelling with the caravan.
"What are you getting at? The mage inquired.
"Only that we have lost an entire wagonload of merchandize. And try as we might there is a chance we won't recover all of them. I think we should seek to mitigate our losses from this incident. She is an elf, and not a bad looking one at that. She'd fetch a good price. Perhaps enough for our operation to be compensated for all the ones she set loose." The man explained.
"Not well enough! She's killed four people! She needs to die for that!" One of the soldiers protested.
"Those are indeed unfortunate losses. No doubt about it. But I for one would prefer for the compensation for this attack to come in the form of money. Revenge is nice, but rather short term, as I'm sure you would agree. Your pay after all comes from the money our caravan makes." The slaver argued.
"I'm not sure that is something that can be helped. She is no ordinary elf. She is a spy of the Qunari. It's against Tevinter laws to sell those. And for good reason in this case."
"The Imperium's laws maybe. But certainly not ours. Let us take the risk if we wish to." The slaver said.
"It's too dangerous. You can see how lethal she is. Four deaths in no time at all. I don't wish to risk my reputation with that hazardous goods." The mage said.
"You had best listen to the mage. I'll kill anyone I get my hands on now. Try to sell me to anyone and I'll just murder them, and their family too." Tallis spoke up, putting her very best effort to the bluff. Talking about her like this set off a fear she had not remembered feeling for a long, long time. Only barely was he able to keep the fear bottled down, her expression calm an unmoving. She would rather they just kill her now than do this, even though the mark on her would probably end things before they could possibly get to sell her.
"See? See? We can't go on trying to sell a rabid animal like that. If word gets out we have goods that dangerous, we could lose our license. And that's worth a lot more than some elf wench." The mage said.
The slaver seemed to concede the point, and Tallis felt a wave of relief, though as before she did not let it show.
"…What if we cut off her hands? She'd not be able to wield weapons then. I bet that would limit the danger." The slaver then suggested, and the fear returned to her with a vengeance.
"She won't be doing a whole lot of work in that case…" The mage mused.
"Not an issue I think. *Work* is unlikely to be what she would be for as a slave." The slaver said with a shrug. "I'm not saying it would not damage her price, but it's better than nothing in my opinion. And who knows? If I find a buyer that prefers amputees, we might even get a better price than is typical."
The mage took a moment to consider. "It's not a terrible idea." He then agreed.
"Cut off her hands. Make the cut high enough to get that spell she has on her, it gives me the creeps. And then burn her stumps so she doesn't bleed to death." He commanded, as Tallis felt all color draining from her face.
"No, wait! You can't! No! Dammit, let me go! No! NO!" She shouted, dropping all pretense of calm.
She screamed, she struggled, she tried to kick those who came close. She even managed to head-butt one guard, giving him a bloody nose. But none of that helped her get free. They dragged her to a stool, forcing her to kneel before it and pinning her hands on top of it. One of the guards drew a longsword. She felt its edge placed on her arm, cutting small wounds in her skin as the guard took aim. Then the blade rose high as the slaver soldier readied for the strike. Tallis closed her eyes, readying for the blinding pain and the horror of being without hands. But the blow never came. Instead the there was a low whistle and a thunk of something sharp piercing flesh. Tallis opened her eyes and saw the guard stumble and collapse, a crossbow bolt piercing his eye. Immediately after a beam of bright flame swept out and turned most of the guards around her to ash and charred bones. In their fright the surviving two guards momentarily forgot all about her, releasing their hold of her. Thinking quickly, she snatched a sword one of the slain had dropped and shoved it into the nearest living guard. Another guard noticed what she had done but was cut down just as quickly by her.
As she stood up she saw Iron Bull and Meera charging forward, assaulting the soldiers a little further away. Varric was taking carefully aimed shots helping to cover his fellow fighters. And the Iledia was there, right next to her, a stern expression on the mage's face.
"You're here? You… the lot of you decided to come for me? Why would you…?" Tallis began asking.
"We'll talk later!" Iledia interrupted. "Are you fit to run and fight?"
"Y-yeah." Tallis replied.
"Good. Because we are going to need both now." Iledia said.
"Come, let's get going! We have her! We need to leave before they box us in!" Iledia shouted to the others. More troops were indeed starting to move in from other parts of the caravan, already put on alert by Tallis's earlier attack, their silhouettes running forward in the light of the campfires. Iledia unleashed a bolt of flame that immolated a cluster of enemies, but that was just one of many.
They were about to turn around and flee the scene when something even more unexpected happened. There was a thunderous shout and a whole throng of people began streaming in from the hills, crashing into the caravan. Some were on horseback, some on foot. A whole lot of them were carrying lit torches, illuminating the world with bright dots as they attacked. Even bigger fires began appearing in the night as tents were being set ablaze. The sounds of battle were now echoing all around as the caravan defenders were scrambling to respond to this new foe.
"What in the... who are all these people?!" Tallis exclaimed.
"Don't know. No friends to the slavers that's for sure." Iledia replied. "But they might just be..."
"Alright, change of plans. We need to help these attackers take out this caravan. Be careful when you do. Stay alive and make sure not to kill any of the attackers. If they are who I think they are then that would really send a bad message." She ordered. The others looked puzzled at this sudden revision, but did what she had asked after a momantary hesitation.
"And you. Get to work. Consider this a chance to start making up for going against the wishes of the team. By no means am I done with you, but at least you'll make it a bit easier for this. Time to earn your keep." She added to Tallis.
"Right." Tallis said, then ran off to join the fight. "At least we get to set these people free. Like I wanted." She thought.
And so they fought, for the first time as a unified team. Iron Bull carving up enemies with his greatax, tremendous force behind each blow. Meera was alternating between a spear and a short sword. Her fighting didn't have quite the same refinement as some other fighters Tallis had seen, but she was still felling a decent number of Tevinter troops. Iledia was controlling the battlefield with fire, incinerating entire groups of enemies at once. Her skills were also instrumental in tipping the balance against enemy spellcasters, of which there were several. Varric was dropping enemies left and right with Bianca, the shots never missing. On the handful of cases enemy soldiers managed to get close he simply hopes out of the way, disappearing in a puff of smoke or leaving behind an elemental grenade that blew his would be assailants up.
Tallis for her part was sneaking about, taking out unaware enemies from the shadows. At other times she was battling the guards more openly, using her customary acrobatics to their fullest effect. A longsword was a different kind of weapon than she was used to, but she managed well enough. She did try to seek her daggers while she fought, but was unable to locate them in the chaos. Eventually she decided she would find them after the battle. She hoped she had not lost them for good. Qunari weren't supposed to be parted from their weapons. Ben Hassrath might be more lenient in that rule than the Qunari military, but that was no reason to take a chance like that, particularly in light of her other choices lately. And she did want those weapons back for her own reasons as well. She and those blades had gone through a lot together. They were like old friends…
During the course of the battle she managed to kill the mage that had restrained her earlier. As he was in a magical duel with Iledia, Tallis had snuck up behind him and put her sword through his back. As his life had left him, she had grasped the back of his head, making him look into her eyes, to see who it was that had killed him. There had been a look of astonishment on his face before he had perished. She managed to find the slaver that had suggested cutting off her hands too. That one was not even trying to fight back and so was no threat at all, but she was not feeling particularly merciful and cut him down too. After a moment of consideration he cut off both hands off from his corpse. Both were kills she savored. Monsters, the both of them. They deserved everything they got.
The battle itself did not ultimately last very long. Their enemy was more accustomed to fighting off bandits and beating up unruly slaves. Even a remotely professional combat force blew through them just fine. Only their mages presented a significant complication. And there weren't enough of those present to reverse the tide of the battle.
Once the battle was well and truly over the others set to work on opening the remaining cages. Tallis was about to join that effort when she noticed Iledia was back, the mage glaring at her. Tallis planted her sword in the sand and took a deep breath, bowing her head, then turned to face the mage.
"Look, I wasn't expecting you to come rescue me. Thank you for that. I…"
"Idiot. You fucking idiot!" Iledia snapped, stunning the elf into silence.
"You were explicitly told not to try this. And you chose to try anyway. And then you screwed it up, needing us to come and fix your mess. Worse, you could have blown our cover. We have been able to get this far because no one knows we are here. I've told you a hundred times, if the enemy gets to keep the orb they'll be all set to smash through any defenses we might conceivably put up. And in that case none of the things you did accomplish here would matter at all, because there would be nowhere these people could go. Nowhere where the Imperium could not reach them and chain them all over again. You risked a greater mission over something that would only have value if that greater mission succeed. Maybe not even then." She kept fuming.
Iledia was right of course. About the whole thing. Even so, unbidden, Tallis felt anger rising in her chest.
"It worked out all right in the end…" She said defensively.
"No thanks to you. Unless you are telling me you arranged this army of raiders being here. Which it certainly didn't sound like. So you do not get to take the credit for this going so well. Only for creating the dangerous situation in the first place. You only get to be grateful that none of us was killed in the fighting. If they had, then believe me there would be more than stern words for you. Do you have any idea how bad this could have gotten?" The mage countered.
Tallis narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I was aware there was risk. But I had my own reasons to want to do something. You don't need to appreciate them, but to me those reasons mattered. Enough so I decided to act without the rest of you when you refused to do anything. I had accepted that."
"You could have done the same. You did not need to come for me. You had options. You could have made sure I am the only one that has to suffer the consequences of my actions." She said, lifting up the arm containing the mark.
"I made this choice on my own. And would again. And likewise you made a choice on your own to come after me. I'll be the first to admit this was not going well before you showed up. That I had need of you. And I am grateful you saved me. And glad that none of you got killed in the trying. But I won't apologize for doing what I believe was right."
"But I don't expect you to understand why I felt this needed to be done. Not given where you're from, and your position there." She added with venom, then stormed off. Iledia was left where she stood, arms crossed and looking sullen.
"Uh… miss mage?" She then heard from behind her. She turned and saw one of the raiders standing close by. He looked a bit tense. No doubt experiences with mages of the Imperium had made him wary of any people with powers like hers.
"We noticed your group joining the fight with us, and brought word to our commander. He wishes to express his gratitude. Your arrival was quite a surprise, but certainly a welcome one. You helped a great deal." He said.
"He also wishes to know if you by any chance are the group we were advised would be seeking to contact us?" The raider continued.
"Seek to contact you? I was right then? You're the Second Sons?" Iledia asked.
"We are indeed. And who else would remain here to fight the Imperials, now that the Dothraki are gone?" He said.
"Then indeed we are the people the Queen told you to expect." She said, delighted. "Fortuitous that we ran into you like this. We might had missed you otherwise."
"Our commander would like to have a word with the lot of you." He said.
"Of course. There are a few more of us some hours distance away. Is it alright if we brief them only after this meeting so we don't lose any time now?" She asked.
"I suppose." He said.
"Good. I'll go find the others then." She said with a nod. As she was looking for the others, she spotted something on the ground and snatched it up. While dawn was slowly starting to arrive, she gathered everyone else except Tallis for the meeting. The elf she found sulking on the same hill they had been on during the night, refusing to even answer when she tried to speak with her. Eventually Iledia decided to just leave her be, concluding she could be simply be brought up to speed with the others that were not yet here. The elf was unlikely to be able to cause even more trouble, so for the time being she could just be left to stew while more immediate matters were seen to.
Fairly soon the bunch of them were gathered before Daario Naharis, and the elf that Varric was able to identify as Fenris. Fenris greeted Varric warmly, but was glaring at her warily as soon as he realized she was a mage.
"Wonderful. Another elf that doesn't like me right off the bat. I wonder where do we keep digging these pointy ears up?" She thought dryly. Not that she was ultimately that surprised by that attitude. From Varric, Isabela and other sources he knew full well what Fenris's story was, why he had a dislike for mages. It was a good thing her Tevinter heritage was something that he knew nothing about, else there might have been a problem. He did not seem to have deduced her identity with the same ridiculous ease that Tallis had been able to, thankfully. Her circumstances were of course more complicated than was superficially apparent, but being identified as a mage of Tevinter would be more than enough to turn him from antagonistic to outright hostile. Perhaps the same would have happened with those of his companions who did not yet know the truth.
Fortunately Daario Naharis was much more agreeable for this meeting, eager to forward the information needed.
"So, it is my understanding you seek the Tevi superweapon?" He asked.
"Yes. We believe it is currently housed within the city of Bellidarius." Iledia replied.
"Astapor." Daario corrected. "I never liked how the Imperials just came in and changed the name. The city was never a very pleasant place, but even so it doesn't feel right for the Tevi's to do something like that. But yes, based on what we know the weapon is indeed within the city, under heavy guard.
"What comprises *heavy guard*, exactly?" Iledia asked.
"The fifth legion in its entirety." He replied.
"A whole legion? Damn. The Imperium sure isn't messing around." She said. Fifteen thousand soldiers between them and their objective. In addition to whatever garrisons might already reside within those walls. Which could well mean another fifteen thousand soldiers, if the city's auxiliary legion was also present. Crap.
"You said the fifth. Is Tiraen… uh… Lady Tasvius with them?" She asked then.
"We aren't sure. The people willing to talk to us within the city aren't quite close enough to the higher ups to say for certain. But none have mentioned her moving around in public lately. She may well have gone elsewhere." Daario said.
"Who is this person?" Meera asked.
"She commands the Imperium's fifth legion in these parts. A very dangerous enemy, even for a Magister. Ruthless, efficient and clever. Also an unapologetic blood mage." Fenris supplied.
"Dangerous not only as a commander and a politician, but as a combatant as well." Daario said.
Fenris nodded. "I encountered her in battle once. She gave me this as a reminder of that fight." He said, touching the scar on his face.
"And many others have been far less fortunate. It's her legion we have primarily been fighting against over the years. About three quarters of us are people we recruited from elsewhere because of losses her troops have inflicted on us. And there are many dozens of us she has killed in person." Daario said.
"And I take it you know her, Iledia?" Meera asked.
"I know of her. Remember that I have agents of my own here in Essos. I've made a point to know everything I can about the Imperial military in Essos, including the people in command. It's enough to know this one is seriously bad news." Iledia replied.
Daario gave her a strange look at that moment. She realized her using Tiraen's given name had not escaped his notice. He probably did not fully buy her explanation. He had no way to know what the truth might be, but now he likely suspected there was more to it than what she had said. And he probably was not the only one. Varric and Iron Bull knew enough to make a reasonable guess as to how she might actually know Tiraen. Fortunately no one decided to press for any more details.
"So, you probably want us to help you get into the city?" Daario asked instead.
"Yes, indeed. With the size of the defending garrison, this will be difficult for us to accomplish. And getting out will be even harder than that. I know your own resources are limited, but any aid you can offer us would be greatly appreciated." Iledia said.
"Well, that is what the Queen has commanded us to do, so we'll do whatever we can for you." Daario said. "I can't speak for Fenris here, but I think we can count oh him as well, right?"
"You can, since that is what Varric has asked of me. And if it hurts the Tevinters, I'll be happy to do so." The elf said, nodding.
"In fact the first thing to help you we may have already done. Word of this attack will reach the Tevi's, and when they hear of it they'll send a force to try and hunt us down. They always do. Astapor is the closest the city we are closest to, so that's where their force will be coming from. So we'll be able to pull some of their forces away from the city, maybe make things a little bit easier for you. Don't know how many exactly they'll be sending against us, but they'll try to send a force that's superior to our own. Could be four, maybe five thousand." Daario said then.
"As much as a third of the Legion out of the city? That sure would not hurt our efforts." She mused.
"And there might be other ways to help out as well. For now you can rest here and we will resupply you. Then we can start figuring out the plan for the city. Or have you already made your plans?" He said.
"Some. Mostly in regards to our exit strategy once we have destroyed the Imperial weapon. But I figured the rest of the planning was best left to when we got closer to our target and had more current information to work with. Including whether or not you could help us." She explained.
"Smart of you. Then we will make our plan together." He said.
"Good. But before we do so, the Queen has instructed me to bring you a message. New orders for you. I believe it would be best for the two of us to discuss them in private." She said.
Daario paused, then nodded. As the two of them left Varric went to speak with Fenris, to properly greet and catch up with his old friend. Meera and Iron Bull settled down to wait, availing themselves of the opportunity to rest after a long night of rushing about that had culminated with a full scale battle. Iledia and Daario went to an empty area some distance to the side of the road, where they would not be overheard.
"What will be done with the slaves you've set loose today?" She asked as they were walking.
"Some will be looking for revenge. They'll have lost everything to the Tevi and will now want to pay the Imperials back for their tender mercies. We'll take those in and train them up, and they can join the fight with us. They can get their vengeance that way, and we get more people to keep the fight going. As for the rest… we will try to convince them to go to Westeros, where the Imperials can't reach them. Just like we have been doing with the surviving Dothraki. Those who don't want to do even that... we will give them what supplies we can and help them vanish into the wilderness."
Iledia nodded. "I hope the people that decide to stay can avoid recapture. I would hate for all this effort to end up being for nothing."
"We all hope that." Daario concurred. "But I'm sure you weren't sent all the way out here just to ask about that. So what does Daenerys wish of me?"
"She acknowledges that you have done good work so far. Many lives have been saved thanks to you, and great harm has been dealt to the Imperium. But with the dothraki defeated and Braavos likely to fall, she now feels resisting the Imperium in Essos is no longer practical. So she commands you to evacuate from these lands and head for Westeros, and join the battles there with your troops. She is planning to send a small fleet to come get you as soon as the threat of the Imperial weapon has been removed." She told him.
Then she handed over a piece of paper. "The details are all there. Time and place, the number of ships you can expect. If you require additional vessels, or anything else, tell me and I'll make sure the Queen knows of it before she sets everything in motion.
He examined the paper for a moment. To her surprise Daario then burst out laughing. "Now she wants us to go to Westeros? I wondered what it might take."
"The thing is… I'm not at all sure I belong in Westeros. Once I might have been more than happy to go there and see Daenerys again. But that was many years ago. We've both moved on. Or I hear she has at least. I've… tried. Has worked out so far. But if I went to Westeros I would be… in the way. I think I'll stick around myself." He added.
Iledia blinked, not believing her ears. She had heard rumors that there had been some kind of relationship between this mercenary and the Queen. And there certainly had been a wistfulness in his voice when he had spoken just now a fondness over something from the past when he had spoken her name. It seemed this old flame had not fully died out for him. Yet all the same he seemed to recognize it would not be acceptable to act on those feelings.
"You feel like you need to stay at a distance so you won't end up doing something foolish? Don't be absurd." She scoffed. "Even if you're worried that you won't be able to keep things professional, this is hardly the time to be worried over that. She is at war and she needs your help to win it. That war can no longer be won here, so she is asking you to move where it still might be. Don't betray her because you still have some leftover feelings for her."
"Oh, I have no intention of betraying her. If I did I would have put a stop to this fight a long time ago." He retorted. "But she does not need me. She needs my troops. And she shall have them."
"And those troops need their commander." She countered.
He merely shrugged. "There are others that can take over for me. Fenris for instance has proven to be a fairly effective tactical commander, much to my surprise. And there are other lieutenants that can handle the rest of it."
Iledia sighed. "I don't think you understand the situation. But you do know Tiraen. Once we destroy the Imperial weapon, she will be furious. She will want blood, and she won't care if you are the only one she can get her hands on. On this continent there won't be anywhere you can run from her. If you stay, she will kill you."
Daario chuckled. "Do you know what they say in these parts? Valar Morghulis. All men must die. I'm not concerned of dying. I've made him wait patiently so far. But if he is out of patience, I'll greet him as a friend and offer to share a drink with him."
"Besides, what a way to go, eh? Fighting a highborn of a tyrannical empire to the bitter end? There are songs about that sort of things." He added with a smirk.
She could not help but scoff again. "A bloody sad joke is all that it will be. Don't delude yourself. No mere swordsman is any threat to her. She will slaughter you with the flick of a wrist. Or worse. She has a very special brand of sadism when it comes to dealing with enemies at her mercy. You say you aren't concerned of death? Well she is going to make you more than just indifferent. She is going to make you beg for death before the end. Or she will turn you into a weapon. I hear she has a… monster of some kind with her these days, twisted from a captured dothraki warlord.
"I know the one. We've encountered it on occasion." Daario said.
Then you know that if she was willing to do so once, then she is willing to do so again to you. And then she is going to use you to tear down everything you've fought for so far." Iledia said.
"And just how is it that you are able to speak of her nature in that detail? That is not something you'd stumble across even if you were seeking to learn more of Tevinter's generals. Something like that you'd only know from firsthand experience. How do you have it?" He asked pointedly.
She made a sour face and did not answer the question. "Get yourself out of Essos and into Westeros. That is your Queen's command. There is no need and less value to being this self-destructive. You would die for her; that is plain to see. So live for her, and bring death to her enemies instead."
Daario merely turned his back to her. "You have delivered the message you were asked to bring. It will be acted upon, don't worry about that. This way is better for her, even if she does not recognize it. Now you should look after your team and have a rest yourself. I will seek you out again once I am ready to discuss our plan for the city."
Seeing that the conversation was all but over, Iledia gave a final annoyed snarl and departed.
"Unbelievable. That blasted idiot." She thought as she strode away. She had heard love-struck people getting strange ideas, but this had to be some kind of record. He was really willing to die rather than be an inconvenience? And so many years after his affair with the Queen had come to an end no less? The fool.
"You have a peculiar hold over him, my friend. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. At least not without using magic to dominate the mind. Most impressive, though I doubt you will approve of what he is about to do as a consequence. Alas, it seems I am powerless to stop his folly.
She shook her head angrily. "First Tallis, now him. What was it with people of late? Why was everyone hellbent on letting their emotions drive them to ruin. Meanwhile she was left in the middle, desperately trying to keep it all stitched together. Was this what people turned into when their world started breaking? A bloody annoying symptom in that case.
When she returned to the others it did not take her long to notice Tallis was not with them. A few seconds of searching and she spotted a familiar red hair on a hill.
"She's still there?" She asked.
"Yup. Hasn't moved an inch." Meera replied.
"Right. I'll go talk to her then." Iledia said, only for the other woman to take her arm.
"You know, maybe you shouldn't. It might not end well. Perhaps I should go have a word with her instead? Or Varric maybe?" Meera suggested.
Iledia considered for a moment. "I need to do this myself. There has been enough disruption from our antagonism. I have to put an end to it, now. I can't do that through someone else." She said then.
"Meanwhile you and Varric should go fetch the Jaqen, Caleb and Lyanna here. We need to tell them of the developments here. I'll have Bull tell the commander where you went, so he doesn't wonder where you have gone." She ordered.
Meera nodded her understanding, and Iledia climbed the hill stopping some distance behind Tallis. There was a slight movement of her head, indicating Tallis had heard Iledia arrive. But in no way did the elf acknowledge her presence. An awkward silence lingered between them, with Iledia unsure how to begin.
"You know, I did not wish to say anything at first, but… you should know this whole incident did work in our favor in the end. It was still reckless and could have ended very poorly. But we found the Second Sons thanks to that stunt, where otherwise we might have not. And that will benefit our mission." She finally started.
"Is that a thank you?" Tallis asked without turning.
"It might be, had you planned this. As it is, it simply an acknowledgement that even in this incident something went right. Feel free to pat yourself on the back for those things at least." Iledia replied.
"I have also been thinking about what you said earlier." She continued when Tallis did not reply. "And I do understand why you wanted to do this, despite the danger."
"You don't, so shut up about it." Came the angered retort.
"It is because you yourself were once a slave." Iledia continued, ignoring the irritation in the elf's voice. "Seeing all this dredged up memories of your own past. Things you thought you left behind long ago, but which in truth never go away completely. And because of that you could not bear the thought of leaving these people to their fate. I can sympathize with that. I understand…"
"NO YOU DON'T!" Tallis shouted, finally turning to face the mage. "You don't get to say that! Not when it's you mages that keep perpetuating this! You keep talking about the grand things you want to do, and I was surprised you even remembered to mention slaves in passing. But when it comes right down to it you wouldn't want to do a thing to fix this injustice, just like the rest of your kind. If you weren't willing to do it now then you sure as hell aren't planning on doing it later."
Iledia opened her mouth for a retort, but Tallis was not done.
"You probably own more than a few slaves back home. Just how many would that be, eh? Well, give me a number." She goaded.
Iledia turned stone faced. "None." Came her reply.
"…What?" Tallis breathed in puzzlement, her anger disappearing in an instant.
"None." Iledia repeated.
"That… that can't be true. You're lying." Tallis accused.
"Look at me. Into my eyes. Look very carefully. Am I lying?" Iledia told her.
Tallis examined the other woman's face for a good long while, looking for signs of deception. "But… but how?" She finally asked.
"I have never owned a slave. There have been people I've had to work with that did, I'll not deny it. That much was often out of my hands. But I never have. If any ever came into my service, I freed them at once. Many chose to stay and work for me even so, but always as free men and women. I never did anything to force them to stay." Iledia said.
"Why would you do that?" Tallis enquired.
"Because… because I do understand." Iledia said, then began to turn away.
"Now… now you stop right there! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Tallis shouted, making the mage halt.
"Who are you? Who are you really?" She demanded.
"You already know my name." Iledia replied.
"We both know it's a fake identity. A shield for you to hide behind. You'd never dare to use your own name while trying to hide other things, like your nationality. Because there is always a chance someone could use that name to figure out the rest." Tallis countered.
Iledia rolled her eyes. "Even if that was the case, who's to say my name would even mean anything to you?"
"Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I've a hunch it might, judging by that reaction. Either way, you've kept me guessing so far, and I'm sick of it. Now I want the truth. Or maybe the others need to start to hear about some of the things I DO know about you. I bet they would be interested in that. And if you kill me for trying to spill your secrets, it would look suspicious to the others. So I guess it's not an option for you this time." Tallis said.
Iledia's eyes widened briefly. "You wouldn't dare…"
Tallis smirked. "You don't even want to what I'll do if pressed. Best not test it."
Iledia could not help but smile dryly. "My own words? Really?" Then she looked around herself warily. "The others… they can't know. They must not know."
"They won't. Not from me. Tell me the truth and you buy my silence." Tallis conceded.
"Someone could be listening." Iledia said.
Tallis shrugged. "Whisper it in my ear then, if you're worried."
"Whisper it in…?" Iledia repeated, then chuckled. "We are hardly two friends exchanging juicy gossip here."
"Just you watch. We'll be painting each other's nails one of these days." Tallis joked. "I want the truth out of you, and I want it now. Will you give it to me or do I need to become more difficult than I have been?"
Iledia sighed. "Very well. Have it then." She walked close to the elf, then paused. "It might be a bit of a shocker to hear it though…"
"Out. With. It." Tallis said.
"Alright, alright…" Iledia said with a final chuckle, then leaned in close and whispered her true name to the elf's ear.
This time it was Tallis whose eyes blew wide. She took a hasty step back, her hands instinctively going for her daggers, only then remembering she still had not found them and that she had left the sword she had been using behind as well.
"Please. None of that." Iledia said calmly, holding up her hand.
"You… you're…" Tallis struggled.
Iledia nodded. "So I see my name does mean something to you after all. I'm actually a little surprised you did not recognize me from the beginning. I think I mentioned having met Ben Hassrath before. Are you telling me none of them bothered sending back a physical description of me?"
"I don't know about that. They might have. But I for sure never thought to ask for it. Yours wasn't a case I was ever assigned." Tallis said. "What are you even doing in these parts?" She then asked.
"What I've come to believe I must do. The rest is not for you. You understand. You're still an agent of another power. I've answered your question, and that has already told you quite a bit. The rest I'll keep." Iledia said.
"Yeah. Fair enough I suppose. I just never thought I'd come face to face with…" Tallis said, still somewhat bewildered by the revelation.
"Look… what I said earlier… about not understanding… I'm sorry. I judged rashly." She then apologized.
Iledia smiled. "It's alright. You didn't know the truth. And I suppose you have plenty more reasons for animosity. Perhaps more than a few moments ago."
"But now that we understand each other a bit better, can we agree to a truce, you and I? Until this mission is over? Today's disruption ended favorably for us. The next one might not."
"…Yes. Yes we can. I'll… try not to cause any more trouble like this." Tallis said quietly after a pause.
"Good. Very good." Iledia said. "Come on. Meera and Varric are leaving to get the others here. We should be there for them when they return. I'll fill you in on what has been discussed while you were here."
"Oh, by the way, I happened upon these. It think you'll be wanting them back." Iledia then said, handing Tallis her daggers. "You handled yourself well enough with a sword, but you should be armed with your preferred weapons even so."
Tallis nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."