Post by Emiliana on Jan 27, 2019 13:02:43 GMT 1
Retiring to her office after a long day of work, Emiliana rested her heavy satchel on her desk, followed by her sword and shield, and while beginning to unstrap her scale armor, she heard a knock on her door. She answered.
A free folk stepped into the room. Accustomed to after-hours work, she glanced at the visitor; no cuts, no gashes, no visible breaks, it doesn't seem to be any medic work... and the armor she gave to them a few days ago seems to be in fine condition. It was something else. "What can I do for you, friend?" she asked.
"Nothing. I have a gift."
A scroll was handed forward, and Emiliana took it. Sitting down at her desk to unfurl it, taking one look at it made an unsettling dread overcome her. The free folk left as swiftly as they came, not noticing her reaction. It was a seemingly perfect and complete map of the entire island, from information gathered by both factions and the free folk. Leaked, stolen, killed for, it didn't matter how this information all came together, she just knew it couldn't be here.
Ever since the rumors of a traveler that came from the other side of Agonia, bringing tales of another settlement to the west, and another faction who had already had in-fighting during their voyage and random murders among their ranks, fear and preparation for battle has spread through the city. Many arguments had been had about what the forsaken should do, mount a first strike, or simply prepare defenses and hope for the best.
The map is exactly what the more military-minded groups had been looking for, and needed to make their first strike, but was it a trap? If not, an even slightly inaccurate map of routes on such a dangerous island could easily be more harmful to forsaken soldiers than a potential enemy ambush. Even worse to Emiliana, an accurate route allowing for the first strike would surely guarantee retaliation, and possibly years, decades, or generations of continued war. She could not be so rash as to support it, to chance plunging the children of Exodus into a lifetime of war. All of her efforts in tailoring, medicine, and through the mayor-ship, to her, served to protect her allies and citizens from the vicious wildlife, though her immaculate armors unfortunately double as amazing implements of war.
In the end, the first strike may be the correct decision, but she could not bring herself to make it.
She sat silent for a few moments, not to make up her mind, but to take in the gravity of the situation that's unfolded since the landing. Eventually she opened her satchel, pulled out some flint and steel, and headed outside behind her building...
Later... A modest fire roared, devouring the map after she threw it in.
"Hey, there you are! Anything new? We're about to head out." Two new visitors approached her as she was sitting and watching the fire.
Emiliana didn't turn to the soldiers, but answered. "No, nothing new. Heading west?"
"It will be a while to scout, but we'll be back to report as soon as we can."
Emiliana was silent, staring into the fire.
The soldiers sensed her uneasiness. "I'm sorry, but it's going to happen."
Emiliana finally stood up and faced them. "I know." She walked over to them and checked the heavy armors they were wearing for the tenth time, and gave them a nod. "Be careful out there."
The soldiers nodded in return and departed as Emiliana sat back down next to the fire, eventually lying on her back to stare up at the stars. She didn't sleep that night, not even slightly comforted by her drive to delay an inevitable war, even for just one more day.
A free folk stepped into the room. Accustomed to after-hours work, she glanced at the visitor; no cuts, no gashes, no visible breaks, it doesn't seem to be any medic work... and the armor she gave to them a few days ago seems to be in fine condition. It was something else. "What can I do for you, friend?" she asked.
"Nothing. I have a gift."
A scroll was handed forward, and Emiliana took it. Sitting down at her desk to unfurl it, taking one look at it made an unsettling dread overcome her. The free folk left as swiftly as they came, not noticing her reaction. It was a seemingly perfect and complete map of the entire island, from information gathered by both factions and the free folk. Leaked, stolen, killed for, it didn't matter how this information all came together, she just knew it couldn't be here.
Ever since the rumors of a traveler that came from the other side of Agonia, bringing tales of another settlement to the west, and another faction who had already had in-fighting during their voyage and random murders among their ranks, fear and preparation for battle has spread through the city. Many arguments had been had about what the forsaken should do, mount a first strike, or simply prepare defenses and hope for the best.
The map is exactly what the more military-minded groups had been looking for, and needed to make their first strike, but was it a trap? If not, an even slightly inaccurate map of routes on such a dangerous island could easily be more harmful to forsaken soldiers than a potential enemy ambush. Even worse to Emiliana, an accurate route allowing for the first strike would surely guarantee retaliation, and possibly years, decades, or generations of continued war. She could not be so rash as to support it, to chance plunging the children of Exodus into a lifetime of war. All of her efforts in tailoring, medicine, and through the mayor-ship, to her, served to protect her allies and citizens from the vicious wildlife, though her immaculate armors unfortunately double as amazing implements of war.
In the end, the first strike may be the correct decision, but she could not bring herself to make it.
She sat silent for a few moments, not to make up her mind, but to take in the gravity of the situation that's unfolded since the landing. Eventually she opened her satchel, pulled out some flint and steel, and headed outside behind her building...
Later... A modest fire roared, devouring the map after she threw it in.
"Hey, there you are! Anything new? We're about to head out." Two new visitors approached her as she was sitting and watching the fire.
Emiliana didn't turn to the soldiers, but answered. "No, nothing new. Heading west?"
"It will be a while to scout, but we'll be back to report as soon as we can."
Emiliana was silent, staring into the fire.
The soldiers sensed her uneasiness. "I'm sorry, but it's going to happen."
Emiliana finally stood up and faced them. "I know." She walked over to them and checked the heavy armors they were wearing for the tenth time, and gave them a nod. "Be careful out there."
The soldiers nodded in return and departed as Emiliana sat back down next to the fire, eventually lying on her back to stare up at the stars. She didn't sleep that night, not even slightly comforted by her drive to delay an inevitable war, even for just one more day.