Lo frownwed as she looked over the war table, scratching at Nordberg with a nail. It made sense. It was providing weapons, and the crate that Lilith's people had managed to retrieve was worrying to say the least. She had no idea why they were manufacturing hollow handled clubs, and the top was metal not wood. She picked up one of the smaller ones, holding the narrow end and giving it an experimentally swing before throwing it back in the box.
"Either these or decoys, or we don't know how they work." She whispered under her breath. "Likely the latter." Lo did not like not knowing things. Not knowing things was dangerous. She shook her head.
"You're orders?" The Huntsman asked, being the only other person in the room. "Or would you like me to run the situation by you again?"
"One more time." She stated.
"The Cannibal was overzealous in his dealing with the attack on Everlight, meaning we have no prisoners. Nordberg is mass producing whatever those things are. Our mole in the capital has started reporting, and apparently has your friends trust."
"Not my friend." Lo interrupted.
"She also appreciates the delivery you've been providing. Your no bandits allowed policy as proved successful. The greens cleaning out Everlight quickly."
"Anything else?"
"There's been rumours from the east that the nobles are anixous. Apparently the war is not going as well as they'd hoped. "
"Are we talking advantage of this?" Lo asked, looking upwards towards man.
"Lilith has her people whispering in their ears and making the odd suggestion, but nothing substantial."
"Good, we'll give it some time. Hopefully we can turn them to our cause."
"What about the lords who signed the missive there?" The Huntsman asked, stretching slightly.
"We'll have accidents arranged." She stated. "Have the greens poison them in their slip. Also, have some of our men harass the weapons deliveries from Nordberg. Till we know what they are we minimise the amount they can use. Sound like a decent plan?"
The Huntsman nodded. "That leaves the question of where we make our next public move."
"That I'm not sure of." She stated. "Though I do have an idea."
"Care to elaborate?"
Lo's hand traced along the road to Nordberg, following it down past the capital till it came to the wasteland. "What happens if we busted open the largest prison in the known world?"
"I imagine widespread chaos and large diversions of troops."
Lo nodded. "Now, if you were the kingdom, who would you send?"
"The paladins clearly. They are the wardens of the place after all." He replied. "It'd take them a week or so to get there though, considering how far away their fort is."
"What if we attacked the fort at the same time?" She asked.
"Then I'd send the abominstions, or what ever they call themselves." He said, a light grin appearing on his face. "Which means the weapons shipments will be a lot less guarded."
"Could we do all this?" Lo asked, beginning to move some of the flags around.
The Huntsman gave a thoughtful look. "I don't think so, it'd mean splitting pur forces three ways, and that's never been a good idea."
"How many people would we need to slow down the weapons?" Lo asked, still scratching at the table.
"Around five, but that's not the problem. The gates will have some way of signalling the other paladins, meaning we'll need to attack near simultaneously. If your not the one destroying the gate, it'll take a lot of people. If you're not leading the attack on the fortress, then the minions will struggle to move coherently, and the people in there are specifically trained to kill people like me."
"Siege then?" She asked. "It seems the most viable option."
He shook his head again before placing his finger on another spot of the map. "The have another fort that's too close for that. Plus we don't have the man, or minion power. Our strength is surgical strikes, and fear, not numbers."
Lo bit her lip. "There's no way to get more troops, is there?"
"Unless you want to paint Everlight with blood, no."
"Bandits?" She asked, looking upwards.
"You're greens are going to kill them all, no questions asked, policy has worked slightly too well for that."
"What if we just blow it up?" She asked. "That would work right?"
He nodded. "A little extreme, but yes."
"While in the wasteland I get someone to grab a whole bunch of the goo, use some to blow the gate, and use the rest to wipe out the fortress. Same as our first siege."
"Why don't we do this everywhere?" The Huntsman asked. "Use the tunnels and leave every fort in the kingdom in ruins in a matter of days?"
Lo's brow furrowed. Why hadn't she thought of that? "There has to be some downside to that. It's too easy."
"We'd be wiping out hundreds of lives, mostly innocent ones." He replied.
Lo started to nibble on her lip slightly. "I want to go down in history as a conquerer, not a butcher. What's the point of ruling if all you got is a pockmarked landscape."
"So were not doing it?" He asked.
"It's a contingency. If our side goes to hell, so does there's."
The Huntsman gave a nod. "So just the gate and the paladins?"
Lo nodded. "Any idea where Lilith and Gnarl is? We could do with their thoughts on the plan."
Lilith looked out the end of the pipe as she continued to file her nails, her nose perking as a particularly pungent piece of sewage drifted past them. She gave Gnarl a dark look for a moment before returning to her work, stopping before lifting her hand to the light to inspect it.
"Are you almost done?" She asked, glancing to Morg as he continued drawing the rune.
"Soon. Soon." He whispered, as he began the finishing details.
"I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to." She stated, beginning to work on herb other hand, and giving Gnarl another look.
"What is it?" The minion barked, leaning against the cleanest part of the sewer he could find.
"You got her arrows."
"And?" Gnarl asked.
"She already has a quiver full."
"She also has a box of jewelery and a wardrobe full of clothing. Why is it any different?"
"Because mine is something practical."
"As are arrows." The minion stated, pulling himself upright and staring at her intently.
"Dresses and jewellery are not only used in fighting."
Gnarl gave a frown and his speech became a prolonged hiss. "Lilith, you will stop playing the doting mother, and remember what this is about." As he continued his speech he began to bear his teeth, growing more and more furious and beginning to pace back and forth. "We are getting closer and closer to the time he will come back. And when he does return, she will have no need for dresses or jewlery, but till that day, she will need arrows. Are we clear?"
Lilith gave a frown. "Like I've said, she might be given a position of power."
"We all know that's not true. She will be kept for what she is, a link in the chain."
"But."
"But nothing." Gnarl interrupted. "We all know how this ends."
Lilith gulped, and was about to speak before Morg looked up. "It's ready. Now we wait till the right moment."
Tristan clutched his head, suddenly glad tha he'd passed out when he did. He had tried to picture what could be worse than this, nor did he want to find out. Ever. He pulled the small notebook out of his pocket and continued to read through his work.
Clearly daughter of previous overlord.
Thrown out, and then taken back. Why?
Known minions since very young. Acting as a spy?
Risk of her not working for them if they threw her out. Makes more sense to
At that point he had stopped writing. He realised that, with the information he had at least, there was very little sense to it. But it always came back to the last few words. He is my friend.
"Aww, does baby have a headache?" Kira's voice teased as she stood in the doorway, half leaning on it and smiling lightly.
"Not a baby, and mildly." He replied. Closing the book with a dull thud before putting it to his side.
"What you reading then?" She asked, before walking and sitting down in his lap. She flicked the book open and began reading. "You have terrible handwriting."
"Thanks." He sighed, trying to shift out from under her but being stopped and noticing her grin.
"Someone's been hard at work. Whose's this about anyway?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.
"No one of importance." He replied, trying to take the book from her hand, before having her pull it away.
"I did just read it, so I know that's not true. Is she your ex or something?" Kira chuckled.
"John's actually."
She shifted from his lap and sat across from him. "And now this just got interesting. So, who is she?"
Tristan took a deep breath. "You're not to tell anyone else this. Not John, not Drez, are we clear?"
"Sir yes sir." She chuckled, giving a mock salute.
"Her name's Lo Crasicus. She would technically own this place."
Kira give a slow, concerned look. This was going to get very interesting. "Give me a summary, I'll ask any questions afterwards."
The conversation lasted for the better part of fifteen minuets, Kira giving the odd nod before asking questions, most of which were answered with a shrug.
"So, you're now running on theories and gueses." She stated, to which she received a nod. "And you don't want your friends to find out why?"
Tristant leant back, before having to put a hand behind himself to keep him stable. "You really need chairs by the way."
"I know." She stated. "Now got on with it."
He let out a sigh. "John's trying to get over her. I'm not willing to let him think he let himself be tricked. Not till this is all over."
"And the dwarf?" She stated, shifting a set of bottles together.
"He really likes to say I told you so." Tristan replied.
Kira gathered the rest of the bottles together in, near silence, the only sound being bottles clinking before she spoke up. "I suppose I should thank you for trusting me."
"No need. It's what we're supposed to do, right?" He asked, pulling himself up and helping her.
"I suppose." She answered. "I'm guessing you'll have to get back to the castle, soon, considering it's almost time for lunch."
"We could go out and grab something together?"
"Sorry, I've got something to do. Apparently I need to deliver something for my boss."
He gave a slight smile before saying goodbye, skipping his planned stop and heading straight back the castle. He'd had to duck out the rain, the midsummer normally bringing some showers. The guards knew him and let him pass without ease, and he grabbed some food before he went to find the others.
He found Drez first, who was apparently heading to the kitchen himself. "Sup lad?" He asked, clearly not suffering from any hangover and giving Tristan a certain feeling of envy.
"Not much. I just got back." He answered, following Drez into the kitchen as the dwarf began scavenging for any food he could find, seemingly oblivious of the staff around him.
"Then you haven't heard the news then?"
"News?" The human asked.
"Yes news."
Tristan sighed. "Just tell me what it is."
"You remember Megan?"
Tristan nodded. "Lady Elise's daughter?"
Drez nodded. "The one that John spent a year and a half fawning over, before he moved onto Red."
"What about her?" Tristan asked, as Drez managed to grab a large hunk ham which he tossed to the chef to cook.
"It's back on." The dwarf replied. "Apparently John's been sending letters for the past month or so, and she's been replying. We'll be heading out to Evernight soon. Big party to meet us."
"I swear all we do is jump from party to party."
"Problem is?" He asked.
"No problem he asked." Beginning to think on whether Kira would like to come along or not.
" 'Pparently, it's a masquerade, so even more fancy stuff."
"It's good he's moving on." By moving backwards he mentally added.
"Quick question, will I need stilts?"
"Pardon?"
"Well a mask ain't gone hide who I am when I'm a foot shorter than everyone else."