FSE

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Chapter 14

"So what do we do?" Vila asked, eyes still watching Dante as his scales slowed their movements in the firelight as his breathing descended into sleep.

Lloyd just looked at her across the fire, where she cradled the diamond in her lap as the other vixens admired it's glinting facets, "We are in a difficult situation...you know what it could mean if there is an ambush awaiting them love," he answered carefully.

"You want this, don't you?" Vila queried.

"And you don't?" he countered.

"Of course I fucking do...but aside from the fact that we would have to keep it, as it is untradeably valuable...what if you don't come home?"

"What if she holds to what she instructed her Captain? We would be none combat scouts..." Lloyd responded.

"And yet there is still a risk...which is why you are so hesitant."

"The risk would be less than we take removing brigands...but I think the clan should vote...I cannot make this decision for us, even as leader. We have never gone to war, or we would become mercenaries..."

"We get a say as well?" Vila queried, "The vixens?"

"That is why you hold the rose in your paws..." Lloyd replied, looking around as every ear in the clan was pointing in their direction, male female and none sleeping cub.

Vila sighed, "Paws up then to keep the diamond and help the Princess?" She said a little louder, turning her head to observe the response.

Lloyd did a rough count himself before looking across at his Mate, "Well I guess we should move out then before we lose the night..." There were maybe only ten unraised paws out of over one hundred.

"Be careful...you are enough of a hero as it is. Don't be carried home." Vila replied sadly as her own paw dropped silently.

"We will be," Lloyd confirmed, standing with a stretch and giving the silent signal for all the scouts and hunters to form and arm up, "You can tell her when she wakes where we have gone."

Vila nodded, "And I will threaten that we vixens will hunt them down if you do not all lie with us by moonset tomorrow."

Lloyd nodded, "Let us all hope then that it not be the case that that is required." He turned, collecting his bow and spear before heading South into the darkness, forty or so clan members, both male and female on his tail being swallowed by the night.

~~~~

Kalaw winced slightly as a gentle insistent nagging drain on his power tickled his senses away from the deep sleep that had enveloped him though exhaustion. His relentless nerves had finally driven his body into holding up the 'No more' card after two solid days of wakefulness, and finding his legs folding underneath him, he had retired to his rock couch in the alcove of his cave.

He shook his head and scrambled over to the scrying pool, waving a paw over it absently in order to connect through to the useless hedge Mage who was only capable of sending the needed whisper.

"Yes?" he queried as the water's revealed the twisted smile on the face of the capybara Captain.

"Our scout returned to us in the night...The targets reached the last well as the sun set last night, Sir," he reported.

Kalaw smiled, the expression draining any exuberance from the rodent's face as it contained not one erg of warmth, "Good...I was right then on their route. I assume you are ready?"

The Captain nodded, "As ready as I was when I last reported. My men and I don't hold with a slack camp when on the job."

"I should think not. How long before they reach you?"

"Assuming they left at dawn...as I reported before they will be here no earlier than the last hour of the day."

"So you do not know if they have left yet?"

"I am not prescient...The scouts on the hills edge will be on their way as soon as the dust starts to be kicked up...But they will only be here an hour or two before the quarries at the most. If I had more Mages, they could have been left as spell senders."

Kalaw grunted, "We will just have to see then. Do not assume that your scouts were not stopped or injured in some way though...Dante could have had a lucky spot from the air."

The Captain nodded in agreement, "That is always the danger with an aerial foe. We will be on full battle alert from just past noon."

"Good. I will contact you again in eight hours. Be sure that your Mage is concealed and in position by then. Good hunting." Kalaw cut the connection without waiting for any further reply. Turning to the captive dragoness he sneered, "Today we will see if I was right, or if I will have to find another way to resolve this."

She just blinked at him through her pain...not giving him the satisfaction this time of an answer from her own distress addled mind. One way or the other, it would bring her release closer...and the sooner that day came for her ruined body, the better.

"Disgusting," the black dragon muttered, kicking a thighbone from her deceased sister out of the way as he headed towards the exit. "I will return when I am fed...sweet wormy dreams you whore!"

~~~~

Rena stretched as Dante unfurled his wing from around her, "Oy! I am not dressed yet!" she grumped, reaching for her travelling armour.

Dante chuckled, "It is still dark, false dawn actually, and it is hardly like the others have not seen you before in all your glory..."

Rena switched his nose with her panties, "The Fennecs haven't...and they have excellent night vision!"

"So have I...speaking of which, their camp is rather smaller than it was when we retired last night," Dante observed, watching the various silhouettes as they moved around the banked embers and tents.

Rena smiled slightly, "I guessed it might be...the temptation was too much," she murmured to herself as she buckled on her first piece of armour.

"You guessed right Princess..." a feminine voice answered as a lithe shape materialised out of the shadows behind them, "And I hope for your sake that my Mate returns will all parts intact."

Rena spun, her hand dropping to a dagger, "Who are you?"

"Vilarhina, but you may call me Vila," the fennec vixen replied, "I am the head vixen of Lloyd's harem."

Rena relaxed slightly, but the tension didn't leave her entirely as Vila's expression was not entirely friendly, "It is not wise to creep up on a personage such as I," she said, stepping into her panties without bothering to cover her nudity.

"It is a good job then that I did not...isn't it. If I had wanted too, I could have slipped under your lover's wing and stole your breath in the night...but I did not," Vila replied, sitting and crossing her legs.

"I seriously doubt that...and Dante is not my lover..." Rena snarled, continuing to dress, her eyes never leaving the vixen's.

Vila shrugged, "Strange...that is not what your men say as they talk in their bedrolls at night...and the demi sibs you share indicate. They talk of other things as well...but that is not what I am here to say."

Rena flushed slightly, "You still could not have gotten past Dante and my own alertness..."

Vila grinned, showing her sharp teeth, "I may have struggled with your skin spell...but I would have used poison..." she lifted her gauze from her flat and honed stomach, and peeled the hem of her skirt down until the shadow of her sex was revealed...and something else. Rena's eyes were drawn to the missing patch of fur just above her clitoris...and the small tattoo of a black scarab beetle that resided within it.

"B...but..." Rena stuttered her eyes widening, "I thought..."

"That we disbanded after the purge? Yes we did...but we didn't all die. I myself retired over fifteen years ago into this tribe...and well...I am now the chief wife," Vila stated.

"I'll bet you are...I mean..."

"That I maybe used my particular skills to get where I am? That is of course quite possible, but not something I would admit too. I will admit to loving my Mate Lloyd and our offspring though. That is what I am here to say 'Princess'. If my Mate returns to me on a board, or either my son or daughter, who are with him and the scout band...I will leave the tribe again...I believe you are intelligent enough to know what that would mean for you..." Vila threatened.

"I am aware that my skills would likely be tested before you died," Rena bluffed.

Vila laughed, "A pup like you? I don't think so..."

"You wish to face off here now?" Rena asked, hand dropping to her dagger again

Vila shook her head, "No...I am not here to fight you, I came only to see if you recognised me for what I once was...and still can be in the future. My years may near forty now, but I assure you that I earned my reputation. No one here, not even my Mate knows of my past."

"I read the history of The Scarabs, and studied your techniques under my Master...though he disapproved of them, he respected them for what they were...as he respected all possible threats to himself. I also know the registrar of names from before they were extirpated...there was no Vilarhina." Rena stated.

"You think I would use my name from then? Do you not think that Abioye would not be interested in that name? You have a lot to learn youngster. Do not let your quest blind you to yourself...that is all I will say. Know that my threat is real; do not use my current clan as pawns in your game or you will not live to complete it...I know how to defeat the magic of the demi-sibs..." Vila stood and turned, walking back to the remains of the campfires which were being slowly revived for the morning's meal. She paused for a second, turning her head a little to stare at both Dante and Rena again, "Rena...it is perfectly possible to love and be loved, even for one of our trade...as I think you are discovering. It is the one aspect of our training that was wrong...I was known to others as Nightwind before I discovered that myself."

Rena's eyes widened again as the vixen turned and disappeared into the encampment without another word.

"Who are The Scarabs?" Dante asked quietly.

"Were The Scarabs," Rena corrected, hand still hovering near her dagger as she watched the camp carefully.

"I am still in the dark here..." Dante prodded.

Rena turned to face him, "Well let me put it this way...If Kalaw had had the resources, or the knowledge of them...And their code would have allowed them to take the job...you wouldn't be here, my Master would still be alive, and none of this would have happened."

"You certainly seem worried."

"I am worried as despite my usual resistance to everything, I am pretty sure that you and I would never have woken up if she had wanted it that way. The Scarabs were a 'tolerated' association that had roots going back over 600 years until their headquarters was purged around twenty years ago down in Palothia during their annual get together...Their leader had decided to branch out from their traditional trade and was trying for political power and better recognition in the general population," Rena spat on the ground in disgust, "It certainly worked on the recognition side of things. No King or land anywhere could risk the idea of the most established and respected group of killers and assassins ever to have existed being in charge of a country...so they were extirpated, right down to the apprentices."

"And yet..."

"And yet it appears that some escaped. Vila...or should I say Nightwind, if that is indeed who she is, was their second... or should I say co-leader. No one knew what species she was, as well, all Scarabs were fully masked. As you can probably guess, the only way to advance up the chain in an organisation like that is to clear the space above you...So Nightwind was the second deadliest assassin in the whole world...and quite probably would now be the deadliest, if she was still practicing." Rena finished.

"Ah...I see. A dangerous lady then..." Dante commented.

"The most dangerous of ladies..."

"Then I suggest we head out as soon as possible then to make sure that she has no reason to go back to her original trade..." Dante suggested.

Rena grinned, "I think that would be wise...But do not get any ideas about me retiring anytime soon to be your mistress either!" Dante chuckled and began warming up his wings, "I suggest also that none of this conversation is mentioned to Aspenall...after all, if my 'jobs' were known to him...you can bet everything we carry that he will know of her. We don't want an incident."

Dante nodded, "My lips as they say are sealed."

"Good...fly out on pointe and catch the thermals on the hills...We will regroup and consult when we exit the desert."

"Will do...and guard your tails as well. I can't be in two places at the same time," Dante replied, stepping away and taking off.

"As always..." Rena muttered, glancing towards the Fennec camp again before swinging herself up into Charles' saddle as Aspenall approached on Fel.

"He running pointe as usual?" the otter asked.

"Yes...he will land and await us at the desert's edge."

Aspenall nodded, "Something I should know about?" he asked, nodding towards the fennecs, "I was watching your conversation with the vixen, but not listening in...You seemed tense."

"Nothing that you should concern yourself over at this point...But they took my bait/payment and are now many leagues ahead of us, running scout only. They are not, I repeat not under your command or mine...They are independent and are quite free to stand back and let us deal with any confrontation. They will however let us know if there is one upcoming, if you catch my meaning."

"So they will not help?"

"They will not be 'asked' to help...or be ordered to. Trust me when I say it is important that every one of them returns here safely if at all possible...Don't question me further on that point...okay?"

"Something the vixen imparted?" Aspenall asked, ignoring her.

Rena turned to face him directly, her hand on her dagger's hilt, "I said no further questions Captain...the situation is clear, clear enough that if you push or disobey me, I may have to end our contract early...understand?"

Aspenall glanced at the encampment again and then back at Rena. He had never seen self-doubt or...could it be fear in her eyes? To see it worried him, so he just dropped his head a little in acknowledgement, "If that is what you wish, Rena," he replied quietly and trotted Fellericksy out to the rest of the troops where they were forming up into the usual convoy.

Rena sighed, chucking on Charles' reins to join them. She didn't want to alienate the Captain with threats...but sometimes the greater threat came by revealing too much. Her eyes again scanned the encampment, coming to rest on a veiled set that were watching her below cupped ears...the head they were in nodded once, before withdrawing again...but not before a slight chill caused the fur to rise on Rena's spine in the warm wind of the desert's dawn.

~~~~

"You are definitely being hunted," the young fennec reported as Rena reined in Charles next to Aspenall and the three dead bodies that were laid out on the side of the road.

They had reached the hills without incident, and were now a good way into the afternoon's journey. Dante landed in a cloud of dust beside them.

"Scouts?" she asked.

"Could be nothing else...and two local bandit camps have been hit and eradicated," the fennec replied.

Aspenall raised his eyebrow, "Any evidence of attackers having been lost?"

"No..."

"Then we are dealing with professionals," Rena muttered.

"Any idea of their location?" Aspenall queried.

"Not as yet to me...I was left as rear guard and to appraise you all of the situation. These three were not that alert and were picked up on the hills edge. We let them run for a bit before confronting them, just to make sure that we knew where they were heading."

"Did you get any information from them?"

"That was not our job...They were confronted and given a chance to drop their weapons by the clan leader. They refused, so we shot them off their horses rather than risk injury to ourselves," the fennec replied coldly.

Rena looked him over carefully, "You are Lloyd's son, yes?" she queried.

"I am one of his," he confirmed.

"You share your mother's eyes," she replied, "Good work, and thank you."

The fennec nodded, "We are doing only what you persuaded my father to do."

"You disapprove?"

"It is not my place to disapprove...but I think a folly to do something for an unproven stranger in order to gain something that can have no realisable monetary value. I would rather be lying with my Mate than standing here in the heat of the day. The clan approved though, and I do as my leader instructs."

Rena nodded, "That is a good choice in life...though sometimes independence can have its advantages. I would learn rapidly though if you chose that path to control your mouth. If I hadn't other more important things on my agenda, I would teach you just how proven I am...as is, we must reach water and the camp before nightfall." She turned and chucked Charles on as the column moved out again.

Aspenall winked at the youngster, "Take heed of her words cub...You can consider yourself lucky they are all she used to that cut you this time."

"Why do you follow a female?" he asked, "I mean..." his words were cut off as two knives embedded themselves in the sand between his foot paws, and a third tore a hole through the wrap between his legs, catching and swinging there. Three more knives thudded themselves into the crotches of the dead mercenaries, all in the space of a single breath.

Rena lifted her upper lip in a snarl from where she was mounted, thirty feet down the road, "I may not have ears like yours, pup...but I still have them. Ask you mother about females and leadership after you have related my lesson...accurately. I am sure she can enlighten you more." She turned and let Charles have his lead again, "Aspenall, collect my knives please, and then join me."

"Yes Ma'am," he replied, holding his hand out to the fennec who, just gently eased the 'captured' knife out from between his shaking legs, "I warned you..."

"You are lucky to be able to lie with your Mate again," Dante stated, turning and taking to the air without another word as the fennec and the bodies were left silently in the dust stirred up by their passing.

~~~~

"You are learning restraint," Aspenall commented quietly as he handed Rena back the six cleaned blades about an hour later.

Rena just tilted her head on one side in acknowledgement, "Maybe..."

"That is the first time you have not drawn blood on someone who has upset you..." Aspenall continued, "And what was that about his mother?"

Rena tapped the handle of her dagger, "Do not ask questions that I cannot answer for you Captain, I warned you of that this morning."

The otter just held his hands up, "Sorry Ma'am...I was just curious."

Rena grimaced, "What I will say is that I would have drawn blood for his insult, if he had been any other member of the clan...as is, if he is truthful and he does speak to his mother, well...it is better that she be the one to draw it! I am not softening up."

Aspenall chuckled, "That at least is reassuring," he commented. "What is it you wished me to join you for?"

"Are we ready to take on a full squad of professionals?"

"As ready as we can be...I have seen no signs of dissent or lackadaisical attitude amongst any we have recruited," the otter replied seriously.

Rena grunted, "Apart from their loose tongues over Dante and I around the camp fires."

Aspenall nodded, "There are three things that you can't tell males in this business not to talk about...Females, weapons and drink. This squad has a limited supply of one, plenty of another, and a single example of the other...It is hardly a surprise that you come up in their off duty talk. I am just happy that they didn't even try and mess with the clan females."

"I resent being seen as a sex-object..."

Aspenall snorted, "After your comment over your ears, maybe you should try listening a little yourself. You are respected now by almost all...hell even Grillion has started to defend you against some of the lewdness suggested by the new mercenaries."

Rena smiled slightly, "That is interesting..."

"The fact that you're obviously involved with Dante helps as well, I will admit. He is not exactly someone that anyone can square up with over a beer in order to win you..."

Rena snorted at that herself, "Too fucking right...and even if they won, they would lose any ability to claim their prize!"

Aspenall grinned, "Do not listen to hard then at what some of them dream to do with you in that imagined scenario..."

Rena reached across and punched his arm, "And you too, no doubt," she joked, scanning the sky for Dante.

"My thoughts are not that impure, Rena."

"Tell that to the Sirens and the seamstress..." she countered drolly.

~~~~

They rode on in silence for another couple of hours until the sun began to drop below the hills limited horizon until a shout sounded from the front of the column.

Rena raised an eyebrow as the troops sprung into alertness, "Signal Dante," Aspenall stated, gesturing for everyone else to begin to arm up, despite their tiredness. He began to move forward along the column as Rena followed, signalling above her head as requested.

Lloyd was waiting on the side of the road, his expression grim as they pulled up next to him and Flaughten who had been on pointe. Dante landed heavily behind them.

"News?" Aspenall asked.

"Half a league from here there are at least two companies of mercs dug into the hills above the road...one on each side. That is judging by the disturbed earth. They are camouflaged, so we don't know accurate numbers, but I would guess you are outnumbered by at least two to one. All their scouts are dead, and any who come to relieve them are also taken care of, as I have left clan members at their posts."

Rena nodded, "Thank you Lloyd...that is more than I asked of you, but it is appreciated."

Lloyd grinned, "Your company is too nice to allow those that wait for you to have advanced notice...as is...I invite you to return with us now, and frustrate them by not showing..."

Rena shook her head, "I cannot do that friend...not having travelled this far. I am hoping that this is going to be our last major hurdle before we reach our goal."

"Where are they?" Dante asked.

"Around half a league ahead of you as I said..."

"Landmarks?" Dante asked.

"Why?" Lloyd asked.

Dante grinned, "Then they will become half a problem before the ground crew reaches them...you forget that we have a unique advantage...me," he grumbled.

A smile slowly spread across the fennec's face again at those words. "Then you may just stand a chance then. I shall look forward to fighting alongside you..."

"No!" Rena replied forcefully.

Aspenall turned in surprise, "His archers would be an advantage..."

"I said no!"

Lloyd looked askance, "I offer us freely, for no further fee..."

Rena shook her head again, "It is not that Lloyd...You have Mates, family, a clan. You are not for this life. Everyone here has little connection with anyone they hold dear...if anyone does even hold them dear. I made an agreement with Vila that you and your cubs would return on your own feet, and not on a board. Though your son has already tested my patience with his misogyny, he can still walk..."

Lloyd grinned. "I can guess...he likes his pleasures that one. Age should mature him I hope, though in the clan, I fear females like you are not really allowed to happen, though I am trying to encourage it. Even the archer/scout vixens I have with me now have little to do with the day to day running of anything other than the cook-fires. They just don't want it for starters, being happier to just live under the protection of us males. We are changing slowly to meet society a little more head on...but well, I have no guarantees that the next to step into my paws will not reinforce the old ways again."

"So you understand why I don't want you to fight alongside us?" Rena asked again with a smile.

"I can understand it, but I don't like it. You will need every paw the minute you step into that ambush...I would like to see you step out."

Rena closed her eyes for a second, "I would like nothing more than for all of us to step out of it as well, but I know that is not possible, even with the element of surprise eliminated now. Just let me go in with the knowledge that you are all safe. If you must do something, make sure no-one gets away...that you and your archers can do that in relative safety."

Lloyd nodded, "We will follow behind you then, and circle ahead and set up our own points of ambush with that in mind...Good luck Princess, it has been an honour...One that I hope may be celebrated again at tonight's camp."

Rena smiled, "We shall make it a date then...though there is one thing that you can do for me before you set off."

"Anything within reason, Rena."

Rena grinned maliciously, "Give me 5 minutes, and then I want you to shoot Dante!"

"WHAT!?!" Dante shouted, shocked as Lloyd and Aspenall's jaws dropped.

Rena chuckled, "You remember my researches? Come here now, as it is time to test some of the information gained out of them."

"What aspect of it?" Dante asked, stepping closer until she could reach him from her saddle.

"I can extend my skin spell now that I can tap and feed directly of your internal magic energies...It should be enough to stop virtually anything non-magical until you and I are both exhausted."

"You mean it will stop me from being shot down?" Dante queried.

"That is what we are about to find out...give me your paw," she stated, drawing one of her daggers.

Dante held it out as requested, not even wincing as she pricked through his palm scales again, drawing a bead of blood. Rena closed her eyes and focused on her amber as she pulled it from under her armour and pressed it from her chest to the welling wound, whispering the words of her own personal protections. The ancient tears of a tree pulsed once, the glowing warmth of a glow flaring slightly as power fed between it and Dante...then back again to refill its reserves in abundance until it was like Rena was holding a miniature sun within her paw. Dante grumbled slightly under his breath as some of his energy was pulled, and then his eyes glowed amber for a single glance before setting into their normal hue.

Rena dropped the amber in surprise, it swinging on its chain to bounce against her chest plate, "Well that was unexpected," she commented, examining the glowing piece, before dropping back down inside her armour to rest between her breasts again.

"Did it work though?" Aspenall asked.

Rena smiled, "Only one way to find out...Lloyd if you will please, somewhere none vital though, so he can heal himself if it didn't. Use your full draw force, as the enemy would."

The fennec just shrugged, pulling his bow out and nocking an arrow, "Apologies Dante if your lover has miscalculated this...please don't think that I will taste nice if she has!" With that he drew the bow until it threatened to break, and let the arrow fly, straight at Dante's fore-shoulder.

Rena grinned as the arrow deflected, and then frowned as several of the watching troops had to duck for cover as it pinged off a couple of rocks before shattering, "Well it worked anyhow, though I think we will have to watch for collateral damages."

Dante nodded, examining the patch of scales it should have penetrated, "I didn't even feel it," he commented... "Unlike the last time you shot me..."

Rena growled, "I can always take the spell off again if the needs be," she replied, a grin widening her muzzle to take the sting out of her words.

"So I guess you want me to take out one side of the ambush?" Dante asked.

Aspenall glanced at Rena who just nodded, "There is no chance that he will have time to circle and run the other line before they break out and attack us...so we are looking at maybe one on one if we are lucky and Lloyd's estimates are accurate."

"They are as accurate as I can make them..." the fennec interjected, "I will break off now and get my hunters into position. I suggest that you move too, before the light is completely gone...you have maybe an hour at most." He turned and trotted off into the scrub without another word.

"I think his advice is wise...Though personally I would have preferred his archers to be amongst us," Aspenall commented.

"We will manage quite well without them...and trust me on this, we really, really want to limit their liabilities in the fighting. We cannot afford to burn our bridges behind us." Rena turned to Dante, "We will move on as if we are not expecting anything to happen, so wait until you see the ground start to move...then attack."

"Yes love...my bolt attack is very directive, but I will try and strafe for the most impact this time."

"Good...then land and join us in the ground fighting. There is no point in staying airborne as it will be a short and very violent melee with luck...your muscle, teeth and tail will be more use to us here. Protect your head though at all costs, as will I."

Dante grinned, "After meeting you, I have more reasons now than ever to do so...both of them!" he replied, taking off before she could throw something at him.

Rena flushed slightly at his words, until Aspenall cleared his throat, "We should move out then."

"Yes...Let's get this over with Gentlemen...In less than an hour you start to earn your purses in earnest. Make sure you cover your heads when you hear Dante's sonic whistle, as I warn you all from experience, it will not be a pretty type of rain that will soak us all then!"

"Yes Ma'am!" they all shouted back.

"Good...let's do this then!" Rena declared, spurring Charles forward with as he indignantly whickered.

~~~~

Kalaw paced at the entrance to his cave, watching at the sun began to dip below the Western horizon. The call should have come by now, unless the useless capybara's confidence was as misplaced as the crap words his jowls spat out. He turned as he felt the long awaited tug on the scrying pool spell, and returned to watch the outcome.

"Report," he commanded as the pool revealed a dusty valley that appeared to be empty.

"I was told to only connect when we knew the targets were approaching, your honour," the hedge-mage replied, "They are later than we anticipated, and the Captain was a little worried that there was an issue as our scouts have not reported in progress for a few hours."

"But they are now in sight?" Kalaw questioned.

"They are...The dust cloud is just entering the valley where the trap is set. My Captain is undercover with the rest of the troops on the left hand side wall, as you view it."

"You are more confident when he is not around, yes?" Kalaw questioned as he settled on his haunches to watch.

"I am threatened easily your honour. I know my limitations, but my Captain abuses them and then when I cannot comply with his wishes, he abuses me. If the Captain choses to use some of the payment for this job to bring in another more powerful mage, I will retire from the trade and go fortune telling, which is really all I am able for," the hedge-mage answered honestly.

"It is good to know ones limitations...If success is on the cards for today, I myself will be unlimited by any I know of...Have you taken a reading on the outcome by some chance? Foretelling is not amongst my current skills."

The mirror image dipped slightly, "I do take readings on my own futures before battles, your honour...but all today's can tell me is that I survive as usual. I can only focus on any single individual at a time, and when I am in contact with them...The Captain doesn't believe in it, saying it is hogwash, so I haven't read him or any of the others in the group."

Kalaw smiled to himself, "Well as you are the most vulnerable, if you survive it should bode well then..."

"That could be the case, your honour...or it could be that as I am clear of the field of battle, I escape the consequences..."

"You say that your scouts have not reported in recently...What do you think may be the cause of that?"

"Knowing the scouts like I do...they are probably being lazy or overcautious. I know from talking to one of them that they are more likely to hole up and come in from behind if there is any chance of their movements being spotted. With one of the targets being as you are, your honour...they could have considered the risk of being seen from overhead to much of a risk." The weasel stated.

"If they are being cautious, they are being wise..." Kalaw noted, "We dragons have very, very good sight. Speaking of which, what of my brother? Are there any sightings of him in the clouds?"

"None before my Captain left me here...He may be travelling afoot."

"Then this wolf-bitch of his and he himself are very stupid if that is the case...Or overconfident that they will not be attacked. I suspect that is not the case though..." Kalaw mused.

The weasel left that point without comment, remaining silent as some more time ticked by and the light began to dim in earnest.

"The image is not that clear. Do you have a line of sight on their party yet yourself? I see only rising dust." Kalaw asked impatiently.

"Their pointe riders are in the valley now...I see no sign of your brother. I would suggest that my Captain will be making..."

"Making what?" Kalaw asked as the image wavered slightly, the paws of the one holding it shaking.

The image turned to around slowly to reveal the terrified face of the weasel, and that of the fennec fox who had a knife pressed tightly to his throat. The fennec grinned, "Enjoying the show...Kalaw?" he asked, "Or I assume that this little squirt has set up a mage sending directly to you. My name is Lloyd, and my friends are about to spring their own trap on yours." His ears revolved slightly upon his head as they picked up the first traces of a building whistle, "In fact, I shall let this sending stand, as I believe you deserve the right to observe the outcome...be it positive or negative to your interests...I am confident that the latter is going to be the case though, or I would not still be here..."

The image turned again to face the valley as Kalaw let out a roar of anger, and the sound of whistling and steel being drawn filled his ears from out of the scrying pool...