[Mkguild] Spies and Assassins (7/?)

[Azariah Wolf]

Moving forward...

-LurkingWolf

___

<i>March 4, 708 CR</i>

Lois met the patrol in the armory once again, although the meeting on 
this day was a few hours later than it had been on that day.The timing 
of the patrol had been carefully arranged to have them arrive at their 
destination very briefly before evening, hopefully giving them time to 
find their quarry and settle in to observe them before all light was 
gone.With a pair of mages along, the deadline was not overly strict.If 
they had difficulty finding their targets, they would simply make use of 
magic to find their way.

Lois caught sight of the second mage as soon as he reached the room 
where he was meeting his companions.He stood near Lucy, speaking to her 
quietly, but he was the first of the assembled patrol to notice the 
assassin's approach.He had the appearance of a bipedal hound dog, his 
body looking much closer to an animal than to a man.His eyes, however, 
held an intelligence that no animal could match, and something else as 
well.There was an icy depth to the way he appraised Lois.He was not 
attempting to discern whether the ermine was worthy of trust; he was 
determining exactly how Lois could be used to further his own ends.He 
had seen conflict, and quite a lot of it.

His armor was of an unknown design, a strange set of leather that 
suggested plate armor by its shape.Its dominant color was black, 
contrasting the off-white of his fur, with dark grey cloth of a dense 
weave visible between the plates that did not fully meet.It seemed both 
secure and light, the ideal combination for a war mage.How much skill he 
had with a blade was uncertain, but he carried himself like a warrior, 
and the sword at his belt certainly had not come from the Keep's stock.

Lucy and Alex followed his gaze a few moments later, and they each 
acknowledged the ermine with a curt nod and a few words.The moondog's 
greeting was even briefer, consisting of nothing more than his own name 
before he resumed his silence.Lois supposed that the man did not approve 
of what he saw from him.There was no surprise there, in all honesty.

With the group assembled in its entirety, Alex wasted little time on 
introductions before beginning the briefing.He clearly wanted to begin 
the patrol quickly and without wasting time, and Lois could certainly 
respect that decision.

"The Wounded Moon lutin tribe has been a thorn in our sides for quite 
some time," he explained."Scouts have confirmed their general location, 
but Keep intelligence wants more specific details.In order to secure 
this information, we have been asked to infiltrate their camp and seize 
whatever might be useful, at our own discretion."

"That sounds like a very complicated mission, considering that this is 
my first patrol with the Keep," Julian commented.The moondog was 
carefully checking the briefing for lies, trying to do so while still 
seeming respectful.Lois smiled.A man this careful would be difficult to 
deceive.

"Andwyn has assured me of your competence.Staying undercover in the 
service of Nasoj since the Three Gates is no mean feat.I do not expect 
you to find a covert mission particularly difficult given this 
consideration."Alex managed the reply without once sounding untrusting 
or deceptive, and the moondog accepted it without further comment.

"Whatever the case, we have a reasonably reliable idea of where the 
lutins should be camped.That makes our task as simple as infiltrating 
the camp and finding that information."He gave a feline smile."At least 
we'll make it look simple."

The cockiness might have been laughable from another source, but Alex 
clearly had confidence in his companions.It might have helped that he 
knew that Lois would be the only one in serious danger when the time for 
action came, but the assassin doubted it.Alex truly seemed to respect 
the people he worked with.It meant quite a bit, especially since he had 
only worked with one on anything resembling a regular basis.

The lynx asked his companions for questions, but none were 
forthcoming.Nothing else remained to be said, and the four left the 
armory soon afterwards.

Lois prepared himself for another extended journey.Such times presented 
ample opportunities to think, but they were not particularly interesting 
otherwise.Unless they met resistance, these journeys also gave him only 
a limited idea of how Julian would hold up.He truly wanted to see the 
sort of magic that the moondog would deliver, but he doubted that he 
would have an opportunity until they reached their destination.

***

The party arrived at Hareford without ceremony before or during their 
arrival.Julian, if anything, was disappointed at the moderate pace that 
Alex set on the way, and was never more than a few steps behind the 
lynx.He also seemed to be the only one that didn't need any time at all 
to catch his breath once they had arrived.Lois considered talking to 
him, but the moondog found a place to lock himself away soon after they 
had been welcomed into the barracks.

Three of them quickly took advantage of the relatively comfortable 
accommodations to rest before they headed for the wilds in the north.If 
all went well their stay there would be brief, but none of them would 
count on that eventuality.Alex left them to their relaxation, however, 
and made for the keep at the center of the fortress.He had sent from the 
gates to request a meeting with the commander of the fortress, and was 
pleased to receive a prompt reply in the affirmative despite the short 
notice.

The keep was truly nothing like Metamor's own central edifice.It was a 
squat, almost square, structure that dominated the center of Outpost, 
its halls quite concrete in their shapes and destinations.This didn't 
stop it from being daunting to anyone who had been raised in a more 
rural area as Alex had been.He might have been more intimidated by the 
corridors had he not grown so used to the halls of the Keep, but he had 
long since learned to ignore the foreboding walls and superfluous 
decorations that men of taste used to disguise the drab, featureless 
stone which formed their homes. He preferred trees to walls any day.

He was not visiting the commander of Hareford to discuss home decoration 
decisions, however.He was here to deal with his previous visit, an 
experience that now caused him nothing but shame.

The black lion who ruled Hareford met Alex in a small office, rather 
than in any sort of audience chamber.Alex had requested a private 
meeting.Some things were better discussed between two men.

The black lion was waiting for him, standing with his back to the door 
as Alex was ushered in.He smiled at the lynx as he turned.The expression 
was very familiar to Alex; he saw it in the mirror with reasonable 
regularity.Having a similar face to the mage certainly made 
understanding his expressions easier.

The black lion was dressed impeccably, wearing a striking blue robe with 
gold trim running along all of its edges.His mane was styled in a way 
that Alex suspected had taken hours, with complicated braids and more 
than a little jewelry woven into its length.Still, his general demeanor 
was personable, and Alex found it easy to return to smile in kind.

"Alexander hin'Valius, I presume?" the lion asked.

Alex bowed low before the commander of Outpost, more out of obligation 
than due respect."Yes, sir.Thank you for agreeing to see me on so short 
notice."

The lion waved a paw dismissively."My responsibilities are well within 
paw, and I had wanted to speak with you as it is.Metamor sent ahead word 
of your impending arrival."

Alexander nodded.Although he doubted that another patrol had been sent 
with that purpose in mind, mages like Nestorius had ways of 
communicating that transcended the need for a messenger.He briefly 
wondered what all the black lion had been told, but he quickly put it 
out of his mind a moment later.He would discover the truth before very long.

The guards left quickly, leaving the two felines alone in the room.With 
other dignitaries, some might have stayed to assure that the lynx did 
not try anything, but everyone was well aware that the mage who 
commanded Outpost was more than capable of defending himself.As soon as 
the door was closed, Alex took the opportunity to state his purpose 
immediately.

"Sir, I do not know if you recall the incident as well as I do, but on 
the occasion of my last visit, I said more than a few harsh words at 
your expense.Although my current mission requires my presence until its 
end, I wish to submit myself for discipline upon our return from the North."

The lion laughed, a sincere sound that was utterly relieving to the 
lynx's ears.A good-natured smile formed on his muzzle, and he waved to 
the lynx as he turned about."Come," he said."I prefer to speak while 
walking."So saying, he triggered hidden mechanism in the wall behind 
him, and several false stone slid away to reveal a cramped, but 
serviceable, passage back into the halls.

Alex shook his head, unable to resist a smile despite the serious nature 
of the ongoing discussion."You're sure the guards won't mind?"

The lion shrugged, the bangles threaded into his mane jostling with the 
act."What they don't know won't hurt them," he whispered with 
conspiratorially.

Alex followed Nestorius out into the halls, and soon the two had left 
the keep entirely, the guards at the door of the chamber none the 
wiser.Once they were into a more comfortable walking area, Nestorius 
addressed the question that he had left hanging as they left.

"I do remember that occasion," he said, turning to look at Alex as they 
moved."I was affected by it enough to inquire about it some time later, 
and was pleased to hear that your lost party members had returned 
alive.Before anything else is said, I did want to let you know how hard 
it was for me to deny your request for a rescue party at that time.I am 
no military man, and I am fortunate enough to have a family, so the 
thought of leaving men to die by my inaction rubs me the wrong way.To 
hear that they were alive was very relieving."

Alex nodded his agreement."I was also quite relieved, as a patrol 
commander and a friend.One of my men lost a leg, but the alternative was 
far worse.Still, I recognize your reasons for refusing to form a search 
party at the time, and realize that my reaction to your decision was 
unacceptable."

"To be honest, Alex, I would take that sort of radical determination to 
save a friend over strict obedience, especially when that determination 
is tempered by a wisdom that can see when the alternative is the best 
available option," Nestorius opined."Surround yourself with advisors who 
can see the other options, and you will be a great commander.The help of 
advisors is the reason that I fooled the Keep into thinking I was a 
capable military commander for so many years."He cracked a smile at his 
own joke, and Alex returned with a smaller smile.

"Despite your reassurances, I still feel as though my actions were 
tantamount to insubordination."

Nestorius nodded, but did not immediately respond.He stopped and looked 
about the fields that the walls of the fortress encircled.The long 
winter had strangled much of the color from the grass, and the constant 
march of boots had further reduced the area to dirt and stone, stealing 
much of the color from the already dreary environs.Still, the lion felt 
a strong pride in the small fortress.It was not Metamor, to be certain, 
but it was his home more than the larger Keep could ever be.It was also 
his schoolmaster in so many ways.Already a master mage by the time he 
had arrived in Hareford so many years ago, he had still learned enough 
for a lifetime within its walls.

"I think," he said slowly, quietly, "that it is less important to be 
punished in this case than it is to learn from it.Your command needs 
you; I meant what I said about your potential as a leader, and to take 
you from them for any length of time would be unprofitable.By your 
desire to seek me out and not force me to request a meeting, I would say 
that you have already shown no small degree of humility, a trait I 
myself often lack.Let us call your apology punishment enough for now."

Alex smiled."Thank you for your mercy, sir," he said."I do not know if I 
can profess the same amount of faith in myself as you have, but I will 
do my utmost to justify that confidence."

Nestorius nodded, then turned to face Alex directly.No one was in the 
area, as all the soldiers were occupied either with their regular duties 
or training, and so he felt safe in the confidentiality of his next 
statement."You can begin by taking care on your current mission," he 
advised seriously."Andwyn contacted me himself regarding this patrol, 
and whenever the spymaster takes it upon himself to speak with me 
directly, it means that he means me to keep a close eye on it.This is 
not so much a patrol as it is an assassination mission, am I correct?"

Alex could tell by the lion's tone that he did not intend the question 
as a means of confirming a suspicion.He simply wanted to hear what he 
knew coming from Alex's muzzle.

"Indeed, sir," Alex responded quietly."One of my men, a man by the name 
of Vincent Lois, has some expertise in the area, I suppose you could 
say.This mission is his, but of the four of us only myself and Lois are 
aware of its true purpose.Officially, we are only seeking information."

"Hiding the nature of a task from the very companions who will help you 
see it done is rarely advisable," the lion cautioned in an undertone."I 
understand the sensitivity of the mission, but the revelation of its 
true purpose at an inopportune moment could easily spell doom for you all."

Alex nodded, sighing as he considered his next words."I agree, but I 
fear that any time before the act itself would be inopportune in this 
case.One of our companions is in his first mission with us, and I do not 
know how far I can trust him.I would question George's decision to 
include him in our group so soon, but it would be impossible to leave 
him without also leaving our mage, Lucy."

Nestorius nodded gravely."I have no particular talent for foresight, but 
everything about this task screams of ill omen to me." He growled low in 
his throat."Take whatever precautions you can to see it done, and keep 
your eyes open for any chance of escape in the event of discovery.Also, 
realize that you have plenty enough enemies in the enemy camp.Do not 
make foes of your own men as well."

Alex sighed."I will certainly do everything in my power to avoid making 
enemies in the camp," he affirmed."I hope that will be enough to see us 
through."

The leonine mage quietly agreed."Now," he said, lifting his voice again, 
"we should return to our meeting chamber before anyone begins to 
question how quiet our discussions have been."

The two returned to the chamber in relative silence.Alex was relieved by 
the first discussion, but speaking of the coming mission had set him on 
edge.He had not been comfortable with it since George and Andwyn had 
explained its nature to him some time before, and the more he thought 
about it, the more nervous he became.He just wanted to finish the task 
and return to the Keep.Now more than ever, he missed the presence of 
Gerard.The stag was always a reliable friend in even the worst of 
situations.
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