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[Swordstar]

Sharne slipped away, heading after Gustav, having no place in the rest of the meeting. Catching up to him, she called out,

"Excuse me, Commander? May I ask you a question before you leave? I am not like most of my companions. I am not in the group because I live and die for the liberation. I am from Anecca originally, and am only involved because I owe a debt. But... I don't want to see this group throw their lives away either. I understand your point and... Honestly I agree. I think the rebellion is potentially one of the reasons Mordo is still here. But stopping rebelling won't solve the here and now either. And they'll keep fighting until the here and now is solved and they're just going to get themselves killed and..."

She stopped, took a breath, and tried again.

"I'm sorry. I was ranting. My question is, I know you say do nothing and Mordo will leave. I do not believe that is a solution for this group. So what I ask instead is, as a military leader, if you were in my position. Part of a small group that was fighting a larger force, failing at recruiting any sort of military might to your side, what would you do that wasn't waiting it out? I'm not asking for you to come fight for us. I understand that's not what you're here to do. Your vows hold you elsewhere. I simply want to know if you have any advice knowing that this group will never be content to simply sit around while the occupation goes on."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"Don't misunderstand. I would not counsel you and your companions to do nothing. But what they have called for will feed their enemies. Make no mistake, it is the bounty stolen from Izzarra's people, not the rebellion, that keeps those soldiers there. In truth, even if it is little more than an annoyance to them, the efforts of your companions are likely loosening the grip of Mordo from Izzarra."

"You say your group has failed to find soldiers. I would tell you to keep searching. If you cannot convince Mordo to peaceably withdraw their troops, they must be ejected by force. The greed of the soldiers and those who command them will not be sated, and so those are your three options: Allow the resources of the land to finish dwindling to nothing, whereupon Mordo will leave a shattered nation behind. Cause Mordo to withdraw their troops from the country of their own volition. Or, and this is what I expect you may have to pursue; drive their soldiers from Izzarra by force of arm." Gustav reached his horse, and pulled himself up into the saddle before facing Sharne again. "Even if this fight is not truly yours, I wish you safety and luck in your pursual of a free Izzarra."

[Swordstar]

"... I see. Thank you, Commander. I appreciate your advice. I hope that we are able to follow it."

She gave him a slight bow of respect. He was an important man after all, and he deserved it, especially after he took time to respond to her.

[CrimsonEon]

Kaldach watched the proceedings from afar, approaching Martyn and Bertholt once it was clear that everyone had said their piece.
: "So. Our next move is to get these supplies into Izzarra. Probably have enough muscle to help 'em through ourselves, but..."
The mercenary paused, trying to cast about his memory.
: "...I know Rina ain't around anymore, but what do you think odds are we can get a hold of her 'contacts' again? If they're alive, they're probably lying low after all the raids on the hideouts."

[GiglameshDespair]

"There's a way we can get a 'ole loada extra muscle. Pretty sure it'll work, too."
"We gotta go into Chilcinne, to the crew that used to be me da's."

[Gaterhyme]

"I'd offer to help too, but the band I ran with before becoming a mercenary probably won't feel any obligation towards me."

Whatever they owed his own father was likely forgotten history, and he had struck out on his own almost as soon as he could use a lance and steal a horse.

[Stirk]

"We may be able to find my old crew around those parts, if they haven't gotten themselves killed yet."

"Though they may not be too happy to see me after I abandoned them."

[Lucus Casius]

  "An army of pacifist clerics and murderous reavers.  Izzarra could not hope for better saviors, I'm sure."

Having said his piece earlier, Martyn wrapped himself in his cloak again, turning to watch the delegates chatter amongst themselves.  As fiery as he had been--hoping, in part, he might spur the knights to the cause--and skeptical as he was of some of Gustav's views, the old man was right, in his way.  This was a damned mess, and if they had to turn to people such as these...

He sighed.  Were that a nation would send aid, rather than delivering it to the hands of Mordo!  Were that they might have the forces of the west arrayed behind them, rather than be forced to rely on the clueless charity of priests, or on the benevolence of highwaymen!  But what more could they do?  Martyn could hardly strike at Mordo alone, and the others had some justification in their fears of striking out on Mordoan soil.  And sickening as some of the implications of Bertholt's plan were, so far as Rheane's purpose went, he couldn't deny it might be enough to spark others to action.  Assuming they chose to care.

Which seemed questionable, given the views of those they'd seen so far.  Still.

  "We need to move through regardless.  Though if we intend to meet with bandits as we pass through Chilcinne, bringing the aid with us would be unwise."

  "Those smugglers would be able to help, yes.  Some may be able to bring the aid in by sea.  And if they're alive--as they should be--we will be able to find them.  They wouldn't be able to profit at all if they made themselves impossible to seek out."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

"I agree with Kaldach. The least we can do is guard the convoys ourselves rather than staying idle, while we seek help in Chilcinne. If we would ask them to march through the gates of hell, we ought to march alongside them."

After the fire and the zeal had faded from Bertholt's mind, the implications finally hit him. That had a habit of happening; Bertholt was a level-headed, clear-minded man most of the time, but sometimes, the same fire that spurred him to action could blind him.

They bothered him, of course. Asking for people to march directly into the arms of Mordo? It was insane enough, possibly insane enough to work; at least Bertholt hoped so. Nobody said that liberating Izzarra would be easy, not least easy on the conscience. He wouldn't ask the priests to do something he would not, and he didn't; after all, Bertholt himself had marched with only Roux for company into Izzarra to assist to begin with. It wasn't as if Bertholt was a hypocrite; he wasn't asking them to die for him while he lay idle.

That said, this still bothered him.

If the Goddess had truly intervened, if she had truly answered his prayers, he hoped that that had been a sign that he'd done the right thing, as ambiguous as it was now.

"Hopefully the smugglers will know paths into Izzarra where the Mordoans aren't looking. They'll be of use to us."

[CrimsonEon]

: "Well, we ought to get these smugglers to help get the supplies into Izzarra. Clergy won't be the first people Mordo ransack's for food unlike the farmers, if we can keep this under their noses. If we can sneak this around to the right people, we can get your revolution back in business."

[Blade Master Model 42]

~Chapter 8~
~The Fire Rises~
~Having secured a modicum of resources for the starving people of Izzarra, unsecured though they may be, the group begins their return to the subjugated nation. The fastest route is straight through Chilcinne; a lawless nation ruled more by bandit clans than their actual King. At Roux's insistence, she leads the group through the country toward her old bandit clan. Along the way, the group encounters walled cities, though with little to sell and nothing to purchase with, and occasionally long ruined farmhouses out in the wilderness. For all the ruin and fear in Chilcinne, however, it seems, at the least, that the people have enough to eat...~

The sun is high and the sky free of clouds as the group navigates a hilly stretch of grassland. A cool wind whips across the landscape, causing the long grass to ripple as far as the eye can see. The group travels down a wide road blemished by encroaching weeds and missing stones as they make their march east.

[Gaterhyme]

"Feels like home, all right," Liam muttered as he guided his horse through the patchwork cobblestones.

"At least we don't look like a merchant caravan."

[GiglameshDespair]

Roux found a strange sense of homecoming in the barren lands and fearful gazes of the few passerbys.

"Man, wasn't ever thinkin' I'd be comin' 'ere again."
"Alright, all of yer listen. Follow me lead. Don't start killin' unless they try to kill yer first."
"Most important, don't show no fear. We're- they're like, I dunno, wolves. Iffn they sense weakness, they gotta pounce."
"Oh yeah. Liam, did yer band 'ave a proper clan name? Like mine was th' Bonebreakers."

[Gaterhyme]

"Hillrunners. Old Lew's band, back when I was with them."

"And bandit lords come and go. If they're still around, probably be one of his sons or lieutenants calling the shots now."

"...How're you planning on convincing your father's crew, anyhow? Don't figure they'll just come along on basis of heritage."

[GiglameshDespair]

"Don'tcha worry 'bout that. I got us a plan on dealin' wi' that."
"Ain't me da in charge no more, though. A creepy bastard named Skulltaker Pierre 'acked 'is 'ead off."
She laughed harshly.
"'Ard to give orders when yer in that sorta condition. The bastard."