"To the brave, honor; but to the sly, victory." --Old Hereshan proverb Madde Slugge Studios presents a Rocketarian Pictures production in association with Improfanfic Suikoden: Distant Shores started by Illyria and Todd Harper Part 9: Trial by Fire by Mervyn the Wonder Slug {===} Tavia woke early that morning and couldn't get back to sleep. It had been a fitful sleep in any case, haunted by visions of Adele, of Leknaat, of the rune embedded in her hand, of her 'destiny,' whatever it might be... Through the window of her room at the inn, she could see the slight taint of daylight in the sky, and guessed that it was probably a little before six. She sighed in resignation and threw the covers off. She grabbed her towel and a change of clothes and stumbled sleepily toward the baths, thinking she could at least start the day feeling fresh. When she arrived, she was surprised to find that Lierni was already soaking, head back and eyes shut. "Up so soon?" she asked. Lierni nodded slowly, without opening her eyes. Knowing full well what she could be like in the morning, Tavia wisely said no more and slipped quietly into the water. She also leaned back and shut her eyes. The warmth had almost lulled her back to sleep when Lierni suddenly spoke. "Show me that rune again," she said. Tavia started back to wakefulness, then slowly extended her right hand to her friend. Lierni took it and stared at the rune, tracing its outline with her eyes. After a minute she released Tavia's had and sighed. "I don't recognize it," she said at last. "I've never seen anything like it. But why in damnation does it look so familiar?" She sighed heavily and shifted her weight. "Leknaat..." "I remember she called it the Victory Rune," Tavia volunteered. Lierni hmph'd softly and shut her eyes again. "I've not heard of it," she said. "But if it is truly one of the True Runes...Tavia, I fear this has become something far more complex than any of us ever bargained for." With that cryptic statement she sank lower in the water, covering her mouth and ears and effectively bringing the conversation to an uneasy halt. Tavia felt a slight chill, in spite of the steam and heat. She also sat back and tried to relax again, knowing that the day would soon have to begin in earnest. The quiet of the bath house was soon shattered by a small shriek, followed by a loud splash and a great deal of airborne water. Tavia jumped straight up, while Lierni sat bolt upright, spluttering and coughing. "What IDIOT--" she began, before dropping her jaw in amazement. Tavia quickly sat down and covered herself, blushing. In then center of the bath, wearing a now fully-soaked white robe and an expression of near terminal puzzlement, stood a young woman of about 19. A long lock of wet, black hair slipped over her right eye. A second later, a long, thin staff dropped out of thin air and lightly concussed her. "Oh my," she said. "Er...where did everybody go? Hello?" "Um?" said Tavia. "Oh! I'm sorry, but could you tell me where I am?" "In the bath," Lierni said bitterly. The woman looked down at the water lapping nearly at her hips. "Oh? Oh. Yes, I see, but could you be more specific?" Tavia and Lierni exchanged a puzzled glance. "The Crystal Flagon Inn?" offered Lierni. The woman's face remained blank. "Bristow?" said Tavia. Again blank. "HERESHA?" Lierni exclaimed, disbelieving. "Oh dear," said the woman. "I think it might have gone wrong again..." She leaned over and fished around in the water, eventually reclaiming her staff with a small grin of triumph. "That's it," said Lierni, standing up behind her (soaked) towel and moving toward the small changing room near the entrance. "It's too early in the morning for this." Tavia also wrapped herself in her wet towel and stood up. "Um, I'm Tavia," she said, offering her hand. "Oh," said the woman, her face sliding up another notch on the scale of surprise. "You have a True Rune!" "You recognize it?" Lierni said sharply, halting at the door. "Oh yes, I've seen lots of True Runes. The Soul Eater, and the Bright Shield, and I've seen Lady Leknaat's Gate Rune, and the Night Rune--it's so grumpy, though, I don't think I like that one very much--and..." Amazing, Lierni thought, as the woman continued wittering half to herself, but we may actually have met someone who can tell us something helpful for once. "...although I've never been sure if that one was really a True Rune or if it was just *called* the True Holy Rune because it..." Assuming I don't kill her first, Lierni emended. "Uh, excuse me," Tavia said politely. "...and I think there was one on...what?" "Who are you?" The woman's hand flew to her mouth, her face somehow managing to assume an even higher degree of shock. "Oh, how rude of me! My name's Viki." "Well, Viki," said Lierni, "stop standing there in the bath like a stunned swan and let's find some dry towels." They emerged from the bath house to find Alouette waiting for them. "Ah, there you are!" he beamed. "I have been looking for you..." His gaze swept from Lierni, wet and dripping, to Tavia, likewise, and then to Viki, wet, dripping, and fully clothed. "There has been some mishap, non?" he said, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Oh, but where are my manners? I have not been introduced to your friend. I am Alouette, the White Falcon. At your service, mademoiselle." "I'm Viki," said Viki. "Enchanté." Alouette bowed floridly and kissed her hand. "And to what do we owe the pleasure of your radiant company?" "She dropped in unexpectedly," said Lierni. "I use Blinking Magic, you see," Viki explained. "I seem to be making a habit of this, but I was actually just trying to get back to Muse..." "And only off by several thousand miles! Amazing!" Lierni whispered to Tavia. "Be nice." "So sorry to hear it," Alouette sympathized. "Ah yes," he said, suddenly turning to Tavia and Lierni. "My grandfather asked me to tell you that he and Senrou will be meeting with Mayor Ritterschwert in his house in about half an hour. He requests that we join them." He then immediately returned his attention to Viki. "You have no luggage, then? Well, surely we can find something dry for you to wear, non? It would not do for such a lovely young demoiselle to catch cold, after all," Alouette tutted, guiding Viki inside with one hand on her shoulder. "Hmph. I hope that's not all she doesn't catch," Lierni muttered. "Li!" "You needn't look so scandalized, Tavia. After all, how did he tell you he ended up in that cellar? Now, let's dry off and meet the mayor," she said, slogging toward the inn. She paused at the door. "...And for the thousandth time, Tavia...it's *Lierni*, please." After Tavia and Lierni had dried themselves and dressed, they returned to the common room of the inn to find Alouette and Viki, clad in what looked like a threadbare version of Alyssa's outfit. "Miss Mytelene was kind enough to loan Viki a spare set of clothes before she and her brother departed," Alouette explained. "Now, let us be off. Come, come, my grandfather is most tedious on the subject of punctuality," he said, gently shooing the three women out the door. "Ahem," Lierni said. "Wouldn't our *guest* be more comfortable resting here?" she asked pointedly, looking meaningfully at Viki. "Oh, Alouette's told me about your nice army, and he's just been so nice, I thought I might be able to help you out for a bit." "Fifteen minutes ago you appear in a bath house in a strange country and already you're getting mixed up in a rebellion? Are you *serious*?" Lierni demanded, incredulous. "Uh-huh," said Viki, wide-eyed and innocent. "Is that unusual?" Both Tavia and Lierni stopped walking to stare at her in amazement, and then at Alouette in deep suspicion. He had the grace to blush. "I believe the mayor's residence is this way," he said quickly, striding off at a heroic pace. "All right, fine," said Lierni, throwing her hands up in submission. She started after Alouette, rolling her eyes. "Nothing else had made sense in the past few days, so why should this? So, Viki, what exactly do you do, aside from accidentally blinking yourself halfway across the world?" If Viki even registered Lierni's sarcasm, she didn't show it. "Er, well," she said, jogging a bit to catch up, "there's my Blinking Rune, of course--and I haven't made a mistake in at least a week and a half--except for today, of course--and I also have a Blue Gate Rune," she said, indicating a faint, complex mark on her forehead. Lierni snorted--every text she'd read agreed that both runes were very rare and quite powerful, but also ridiculously prone to backfiring at inopportune moments. If what she'd seen so far was any indication of Viki's competence, she was surprised that the woman hadn't blown herself to pieces by now. Tavia, meanwhile, lost in anything approaching a technical discussion of magic, simply tried to enjoy the feeling of walking the streets of Bristow again. {===} The tiny hamlet of Islen stood little more than a day south of Bristow; "used to stand" may be more appropriate, as the Wind Children had all but plundered its communal field, appropriated its five horses, and were even now setting light to its few wretched hovels. The residents had fled to safety by the time the horde arrived; the smoke of similarly fated hamlets drifted well on the south wind and had provided ample warning. "Is it not as I swore?" Malek asked, turning to Gundik, chieftain of the Hawk Clan, a huge but aging warrior with an enormous club slung across his back. "We have seen not a single soldier to oppose us!" "Yes, Malek," Gundik sighed, in the tones of one who has heard the same rhetorical question far too often and wishes the dolt who keeps asking it would just go away. "But I remind you that Bristow is our promised bounty. These tiny settlements are hardly worth bothering over." "You're not suggesting we pass them by?" "Don't be ridiculous," Gundik responded irritably. "It's the principle of the thing. All right," he bellowed, calling out to the Wind Children in the fields. "Hurry up, now! We need to keep moving if we want to be rested for Bristow on the morrow!" {===} The Ritterschwert family had been prominent in Bristow for decades, and Werner Ritterschwert was the most recent member of the family to occupy the post of mayor. Until very recently, the position had afforded a great deal more status than influence--the mayor being essentially a master of ceremony and occasional tiebreaker in the affairs of the ruling council. However, many of the council members had also been part of the Heimdall faculty. Upon its fall, Werner suddenly found himself more or less the default governor of the city, whereas he had hitherto faced an uphill struggle simply to be taken seriously. Thus, when Tavia and her companions were admitted into his study, he looked rather ragged and harried. He sat at the head of a long table, behind a pile of paperwork, with Senrou and General La Lanterne seated on either side. Reid and Daniel stood behind their respective commanders, and Kyrina, the twins, and the expatriate Child of the Wind Baren were ranged along the length of the table. There were also a few representatives from Bristow militia. After the newcomers had been seated, the General spread a map of the surrounding area on the table. He paused. "I see my grandson has found a new recruit," he observed. The group chuckled, save for Alouette, who blushed again, and Viki, who missed the joke entirely. "Now," said the General, growing serious, "the situation is worse than might be wished for, but better than it could have been. According to our reports, the Wind Children will certainly be here by tomorrow, and will likely attack within a few hours after sunrise. This gives us the rest of the day to prepare. Our position is sound. The city's got some fortifications and the hilly land gives us a tactical advantage which I fully intend to use. "There will be two lines of infantry, one behind the other, here in front of the main gate. The first line will consist mostly of the cadets and the militia--" One of the militiamen sprang to his feet. "I knew these bandits wouldn't risk their own necks!" exclaimed. "Keep still and let me finish, before you get your knickers in a twist," the General scolded. "The first line is just a decoy. The initial rush uphill will tire our enemy; then the first line will draw back and merge with the second before engaging in earnest. We'll station a small company of archers up here to help soften the opening charge." "That's all very well," Lierni drawled, "but is it going to be enough?" Senrou stood, shaking his head. "Probably not," he said. "That's where you come in." Lierni looked startled. "If we want to win, we're going to have to shake them up a bit. The bulk of our archers will be waiting in this strip of woodland here, along with another infantry unit. Our friend Baren tells us that the Wind Children are not used to dealing with magic in large-scale combat. If we can scrape together a magic unit to hide in the woods, we may well be able to make them panic." The General clasped his hands behind his back and paced the length of the table. He stopped behind Lierni. "The problem is finding enough rune users. Of the cadets, there are only about twenty who both have runes and know how to use them reasonably well," the General said. "Senrou's got about ten, excluding those present. In other words, we'll only get a few shots, and they'll have to count." "I can help too," Viki volunteered. "I've been in armies before." This was, technically, true. General La Lanterne gave her a small and slightly old- fashioned bow. "Kyrina will be in charge," Senrou continued. "We'll need you, too, Lierni, and I'd like Alaric and Alyssa in the magic unit as well." "Ooh, we seem to be moving up in the world," Alaric remarked to his sister. "Why, yes. To think, just yesterday we were only common sellswords, and now we're part of an elite tactical unit." "Sellstaves, I think we decided." "Oh yes," said Alyssa, as Lierni glared at them. "I had forgotten. But I only have a Water Rune," she said to Senrou. "I don't think it's going to do much good if we heal our enemies." Kyrina shook her head. "Large-scale spellcasting works a bit differently," she explained. "Usually only a few people at a time do the actual casting, and the rest are there mostly to help focus power. One rune is pretty much as good as another for that." "Good. That's settled," said Senrou. "There's only one other thing. Tavia, Reid has suggested I put you in command of some of the cadets. I think it's a good idea." Tavia blinked in surprise. "M-me?" she stammered. True, she'd been feeling a bit left out, but this was slightly more attention than she'd bargained for. "Why?" "We have a lot more troops than we used to, but about the same number of officers. You're one of the most senior cadets we've got, and I think the others would feel more at ease under one of their own." Tavia blinked again, and turned her gaze to Reid, a question in her eyes. For some reason, he looked embarrassed. {===} Night fell quickly, it seemed, and ushered in a period of nerves and uneasy dreams. When the sun rose again, it brought in a new day with a weak and pallid light. It was a bad day for war. There are not many good days for war, but this one, with dark clouds hanging low and heavy in the sky, seemed particularly portentous and laden with ill omen. There was no rain, as yet, but the sodden bloatedness of the clouds suggested it could not be far off. The mismatched companies of Senrou's forces, Heimdall cadets, and Bristow militia stood ranged as planned around the city. Tavia stood with her small company of troops in the second line of infantry, trying to calm her nerves. Although she could see Reid, General La Lanterne, and Senrou from where she stood now, she would have felt more comfortable had Lierni been there. The horde of Wind Children was visible on the horizon from ground level, and around nine o'clock they started advancing calmly toward Bristow. "Brace yourselves!" Senrou warned. "They'll try to catch us off guard! Don't be afraid to fall back after the initial charge. They'll soon tire when they hit the incline." Sure enough, when the Wind Children were within a few hundred yards of the first line of defense, they broke into a mad rush, voices raised in one thunderous, unison battle cry. Archers stationed high on the hills fired a volley of arrows, felling a line of warriors near the front of the offensive. The charge faltered briefly but did not halt; then the infantry troops engaged, and the archers were forced to shoot more conservatively lest the expose their allies to friendly fire. The first line fell back quickly, and under the General's orders the second line moved forward to reinforce them. Tavia steeled her nerves and moved forward, sai held at the ready. The Wind Children were, on the whole, wild and untrained fighters, but they struck with a ferocity that made skill and refinement more or less academic concerns. Tavia would not have believed, a few weeks ago, that she would have been capable of standing up to such an onslaught, but now her arms almost seemed to move of their own volition. She idly wondered if it was only her imagination that made the rune on her hand look as though it were glowing faintly. Then a sudden axe swing, which nearly divested her of her left arm, brought her mind back to the present and suggested that she should not place quite all her faith in runes, True or not. General La Lanterne had correctly predicted that the height advantage would work to their benefit; the allied forces were now holding their own without much effort, and the Wind Children were becoming cautious. Five or ten minutes later, Senrou raised a large flag, and the second, larger company of archers emerged from the woods and quickly closed ranks. They began peppering the horde's flanks and center with quarrels as Senrou raised a second flag, summoning his own infantry reserves into the fray. Suddenly finding themselves flanked and at a disadvantage, the Wind Children began to lose cohesion. It was not quite panic, but the seeds of it were planted. Tavia saw the third and final flag raised as she dispatched another Child of the Wind. In the distance, she saw the tiny forms of Lierni, Kyrina, and the other rune users emerge from the woods and raise their arms aloft. The air above the horde shimmered for a moment, and then a dozen small tornadoes touched down among the Wind Children and cut a swath through their number. Lierni probably relished the inherent irony. Roughly a minute later, the ominous clouds shuddered, and a veritable hail of lightning lashed down and through the horde. Tavia watched anxiously as the enemy army began to recompose itself. "Come on..." she breathed. Then the air above the battlefield shimmered a final time, and a multitude of kitchen utensils, farm implements, old shoes, crates, and the occasional large piece of statuary began to fall from the sky. That proved to be the final straw. All semblance of order among the Wind Children vanished. Cries of retreat echoed through the opposing force, and the Wind Children began to pull back. On Senrou's command, the infantry drew away and allowed them to retreat. The archers loosed a few parting volleys, until the foe had retreated beyond range. The battlefield was nearly silent for a moment, and then a ragged cheer rose from the allied forces. The battle had lasted only slightly more than two hours. All told, casualties had been mercifully light. As expected, they were heaviest among the junior cadets and the militia, but even there the losses were comparatively small. Little consolation to those who had lost friends, though, and Tavia felt a little stab of guilt even as she gave a sigh of relief upon discovering all the familiar faces intact and breathing, if not particularly fresh. She met up with Lierni and Reid just inside the gate. Reid was a bit bruised, and Lierni looked drained but otherwise none the worse for wear. "Looks like we did it," Reid said cheerfully. "I wish I had your confidence," said Senrou, appearing behind him and clapping him firmly on the shoulder. Reid winced. "We surprised the hell out of them, I'm sure," said Senrou, "but they're a tenacious bunch. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried again tomorrow, so don't let your guard down just yet." "Ugh," said Lierni. "I know what you mean," Tavia sympathized. "Come now," said Senrou. "Now it's time to rest up. And eat, of course." {===} Lindael's forces did not move quite so fast as the Wind Children, but neither did they have so far to travel. In the two days it had taken Reid and Alouette to travel to Falling-Star and return with their forces, Adele's company had organized, moved out, and made considerable progress. By noon on the day of the Wind Children's attack, she had reached an area within easy marching distance of Bristow. An advance scout cantered up to her as she tried without success to spy the city, just over the horizon. "It appears that the barbarians and the rebels have already engaged, sir," the scout reported. "From the bodies on the field, it looks like the rebels had a fairly easy victory. We saw no sign of the barbarians, but of course we didn't want to get to close to the city." Adele nodded curtly and glanced at Davon, to her left, who nodded more thoughtfully. "We can end this today, then," Adele said. "Are you sure we shouldn't rest here for the night, then strike tomorrow?" asked Davon, after a brief pause. The words made sense, but in Adele's mind they warred with her desperate need to prove herself and avenge her disgrace. "No," she finally pronounced, "we must deal swiftly with traitors to the Nation of Heresha. They will be tired as well, and we shall have the advantage of surprise. We shall rest for half an hour, then set out for Bristow." Davon stared at her, his face unreadable. "Very well," he said at last. If she wins, so much be it, he thought. But personal vendettas are a liability on the battlefield. If she loses...experience is a cruel but rapid teacher. {===} It was late afternoon when Adele's company began the final approach on Bristow. Troops soon began emerging from the city, forming battle lines. Adele was vaguely aware of having given the order for her company to attack, but the whole affair seemed oddly distant, as though she were watching through someone else's eyes. She wrestled with the memories that Bristow brought back to her. Davon's hand on her shoulder jerked her back to reality. "Lieutenant," he said, "there appears to be another army closing rapidly on our flanks." "What?" Adele demanded. "It seems the barbarians still have not give up hope of taking Bristow after all." "Surely the vermin aren't so stupid as to attack now?" "I do not profess to be proficient in barbarian psychology," said Davon, "but that seems to be their intent." Adele thought quickly. "We'll probably have to retreat," she said, "but not without a fight. Split our forces in two when the barbarians strike, and try to catch them in a pincer attack. If we stay here, the rebels will be free to pelt us with arrows while we defend our backs." Davon nodded in approval. "We may be able to keep the rebels distracted if we use the magic unit." Adele nodded, and began leading her troops around to face the new threat. Soon after, a column of flames rose from her army and spiraled toward the foes ranged along the hills of Bristow. There was a brilliant flash, and the flames collided harmlessly with a wall of soft, golden light. The afterimage of a laurel wreath hung in the air for a moment before fading. She looked to the hill, where the flash had originated. One figure stood, alone in a widening circle of empty space. She screwed up her eyes and peered into the distance, trying to make out the figure's face... Her jaw dropped. {===} Gundik had become a chieftain by being smarter than the average raider. Because of this, he realized that trying to stand in the way of a mob of well-liquored Wind Children, braying for revenge at the urging of a sly weasel, was an excellent way to become an ex-chieftain, in the messy and very terminal sense. That didn't mean he liked it. He liked it even less when not one, but two armies awaited their ill-fated surprise attack. He also formulated some very definite ideas about Malek Ravenhair's long-term prospects for continued breathing. The united tribes were quickly losing their bravery--the kind that comes in a jug seldom lasts long in the face of serious opposition--and he shoved his way through the wrangling mass of Hereshans and Wind Children alike intent on rectifying the situation. "What have you wrought, Malek?" he demanded, upon finding his fellow chief. "Is this what you call a defenseless border town? Two armies! Two!" Malek waved his hands in a desperately conciliatory gesture. "But...but the shaman knew I spoke the truth... If we regroup and try again..." "Faugh! And face *three* armies next time? You have let the town dwellers deceive us all, you fool!" He raised his heavy club to strike out, but was spared the effort when a stray arrow punctured Malek's chest. He fell slowly, gasping in disbelief. The other chieftain shook his head in disgust, spat, and raised his voice. "To me, Clan of the Hawk!" he bellowed. "We retreat!" The other tribes soon followed suit, along with a tired and shaken Hereshan company, chased by the arrows and cheers of a defending force that could hardly believe its luck. {===} That evening, the leaders of the defense once again congregated in the home of Werner Ritterschwert, this time for a well deserved celebration. Tavia was borne there on the shoulders of her fellow cadets, despite her repeated attempts to explain that she had no idea what she'd done, and that her rune had more or less acted on its own initiative. Once the festivities had died down a bit, Werner drew them into his study. He stood before the fireplace and bowed. "On behalf of Bristow, I thank you," he said. "And as the current head of government, I have a request to make of you. I would ask you to remain here, and be our shield." Jaws dropped all around the room. Alaric went so far as to fall over backwards, but he stood up again when no one laughed. "Humph. I understand the sentiment," General La Lanterne rumbled, "but think carefully who your askin'. These are sensitive circumstances, the kind where those who bite off more than they can chew tend to choke." Lierni, on the other hand, did not bother with metaphor. "Are you mad?!" she shouted. "You *do* realize these are the people who sacked the Academy in the first place, don't you? Do you think people will simply forget that? Or are you just unbelievably naïve?" "I would not be so quick to flourish that accusation if I were you, Miss Totorika. To you, Heimdall was a home, a place where you studied and where you met with your friends. A happy place. But it was first and foremost an institute of war, Miss Totorika, and though you probably never saw it, a veritable cesspool of political wrangling. You conveniently forget *that*. So do not stand there in your rose-tinted student's glasses and accuse me of naïveté, unless you are willing to admit the same failing." Lierni drew back as though stung. She was clearly angry, but Tavia thought she saw a hint of embarrassment lurking under her ruffled feathers. The mayor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And considering that our 'foes' have been more considerate of our lives in *taking* Bristow than our own countrymen have been in 'defending' it, I am willing to hear the voice of reason. I am a pragmatist, you see, and moreover one who is tired of being trod upon." "You can't be serious," Senrou said quietly. "If we stayed here, you'd become a target for the Hereshan army. You'd be considered traitors. And I doubt your citizens will be so receptive to us when the memories of this battle have had a few days to cool." The mayor shook his head. "When Heimdall fell, Lindael did nothing. While we sat open and exposed to the south and the west, Lindael turned a blind eye. And now, when we gather to defend ourselves, they attack our citizens for doing what was necessary to survive. No, we have little use for Lindael. *I* have little use for Lindael." Werner sat down and steepled his fingers speculatively. "We're not in a good position," he said. "The Wind Children may return one day. Though the Treaty has held for ten years, one hears rumblings from Lierstram. And I seriously doubt that Lindael will simply write today off as an unfortunate incident and move on to other business. I know how they think. General Nevenheim has always struck me as a decent woman, and Governors Serre and Shaendra will usually at least listen to reason. But it's Evanweir who generally gets his way, and he is as paranoid and ham-fisted a politician as ever there was. We may well already *be* traitors in his eyes, as soon as he gets the news. Now that we are defenseless, who knows what may happen? If you truly feel guilty for what you have done, I ask you not to abandon us now. "Conversely, it seems that you could benefit from an alliance as well. If you are serious in starting a revolution, you'll need room to grow. You'll need an agricultural base, because soldiers who are busy hunting and gathering are soldiers who are not training. You'll need funding, because weapons are not cheap. It seems to be the best solution to a sticky situation for all of us." Senrou sighed and looked speculatively out the window toward the ruins of Heimdall. "All the same...this has been a fairly minor test. Heresha's army is not large, but we're still a good deal smaller, and incompletely trained. I cannot say with any confidence that we're anywhere near capable of standing against a united assault... Are you certain you know what you're getting into?" "Life is a mysterious game," Werner said with a sigh, "and you never know the rules for certain until you risk breaking one." He shrugged. "Well, there's no need to make snap decisions. But please, do think on it. In any case, I will grant you my personal support." Tavia followed Senrou's gaze to the top of the hill, then looked down the rune that had so suddenly and unexpectedly helped them. It twinkled once, enigmatically, and was still. She wondered if any of them knew what they were getting into. {===} Adele's company returned to camp shaken and battered, but with limited casualties and not, on the whole, terribly worse for wear. The same could not be said for Adele. She seethed inwardly throughout the ride back; at herself, at her miserable luck, and above all at Tavia. How could she possibly align herself with such filthy rabble? She returned to her tent in silence. Davon followed after her. "This has been an unfortunate first battle," he said. "If we had waited a bit longer before rushing in..." Adele flinched and turned away. Davon sighed. "Don't worry," he said. "It was simply a lack of experience. To be a strategist requires both haste and caution, and in time, you will learn to balance them." He laid a hand on Adele's shoulder. "This was just a setback. Next time we shall not fail." Adele sat down on her cot and hugged her knees to her chest. Generations of Malespoirs sneered down at her. No, she thought, there would be no next time. General Nevenheim had entrusted her with a simple task, and her recklessness had led to an ignominious retreat. Surely now she would be found out, and cast down in shame. Her paranoia and self-pity were cut short by Davon's voice. "Lieutenant. I remind you that you are a leader now. There are many who depend upon you." "I know that!" Adele cried with sudden vehemence. "Don't you think I know that? But I've never led an army before! I've only commanded Ta...two other people..." Davon smiled inwardly. Ah. She's learning caution already. And now to stoke the fires a bit.... "That is why I am here to help you," he said softly. "No one expects you to become a flawless leader over night. But I promise you shall become one. General Nevenheim sees the potential, as do I." Adele hung her head. Tavia and Lierni... Why would they be aiding enemies of the state? Why had they not died the heroic deaths the should have? Traitors and cowards... And in the stream of her consciousness, the current of blame began to shift. "Lieutenant," Davon said, once again pulling her back to the present. "To lead an army is a sacred trust. Kings and governments are history's tools, but those who command on the field have the power to become its authors. Not many are worthy of that honor, but you, Adele, are a Malespoir. You have that responsibility, and that *right*." Adele stood up, a fresh wave of resolution sweeping through her. "You're right. I'm sorry. But what should we do now?" Davon's brows furrowed in thought. "We should not attack the rebels again. Not yet. They are not as weakened as expected, and we have lost the element of surprise. We have sufficient rations to last for at least a week, even without resupply... "The rebels must be based somewhere nearby. They will have left their base lightly guarded, if at all. If we can find and destroy it, they will have nowhere to flee." Adele was once again silent, but this time it was an attentive silence. "Then we can move our troops into the Erisin and strike at Bristow from the north, where they will least expect it." Adele blinked. "But the Erisin is so thickly wooded," she protested. "We'll never be able to move an army through it." Davon shook his head. "Not quite true," he said. "If we split into small groups and set an assembly point, it should be easy enough to accomplish. There may be other options, of course. We have plenty of time to plan." Adele nodded and took a deep breath. Adele Malespoir, she thought, author of history. That had a certain ring to it. {===} Recruited Star: Werner Ritterschwert, the Tenki (Heavenly Nobility) Star Author's notes: This has been a very stressful week ^^;; It's some sort of unwritten law that an utterly preposterous quantity of work has to be crammed into the week before spring break, and I resent it deeply. Many thanks go to Todd and Illyria for advice and support in fine-tuning this puppy. Thanks to Kate for being supportive and just generally Kate-like ^_^ Werner was originally Warren, and she also pointed out that Suikoden 1 had a Warren already; seeing as they shared the same star, that could have been confusing. And thanks to Scott, who gets to take the helm of this thing next week, for giving me a number of small but helpful ideas, whether he knew it or not, and pointing out those annoying words that I can never spell correctly. For the Suiko-new, Viki is indeed a preexisting game character, who inevitably appears in similarly random fashion. Her, um, skills lend themselves much more naturally to the games than to a text medium, though, which is why she's not listed up there with Werner. I think this went fairly well, for the first mostly-serious piece of fiction I've ever really attempted. C&C welcome to mervynwonderslug@yahoo.com or knoke@rhodes.edu. Or to the MB, of course, but at the moment I'm using a fossil computer that fears Javascript greatly.