The Crow and The Rabbit

"Tell me, Ines, the state of the war." The emperor said. Ines knelt before the throne, clad in her green and black armor, a white cape over her shoulders. Elhaten and Ferene flanked the throne, looking down on her from their positions at the emperor's sides.

"I've stretched our enemy thin, spreading their forces between three positions. They focus on holding our cities, and become unable to advance without risking losing what they have taken."

The emperor coughed. "I worry about my people. The people in the cities. You enacted the proposed strategy of rescuing the people in the villages and bringing them back here. Imperial citizens live as refugees or as captives of our enemy."

Looking up and meeting the emperor's eyes, Ines kept her expression neutral. "Our people are strong. Ettagras will weaken with time, and we will strike, driving them back. I've made moves to disrupt their supply chain. If they refuse to retreat, they will be vulnerable."

"Why wait? If they are already stretched, why not strike now? Are you unable to deliver a victory?"

Ferene saw her face twitch slightly. "An assault on Barakin would be successful, but only at great cost. Our army would be devastated."

"Would the forces of our enemy not also suffer, general?"

"They would."

The emperor rose, walking down the steps. "I will not be remembered as the leader that forced his people to endure hardships. Between the army in the field and reserve troops here in the capital, as well as the extra population, the resources grow thin. The fields to the east are in control of our enemy, the farms vacant as their owners are here in the city. If this goes on, we will be forced to start rationing. This is unheard of in the history of the empire."

"Hundreds of men would die-"

"Soldiers, Ines. The army is there to protect the people. We must free the subjects that Ettsgras holds captive. We must reclaim our cities. We must take the land back, so that my people may farm the fields that are theirs by right. It is the role of the soldiers to sacrifice themselves to ensure the prosperity of our people."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ferene saw Elhaten shift, drawing her attention. His mouth twitched, almost smiling. She wondered if this was another scheme of his, more manipulation and lies, or if something else was happening.

"If you give the order, I will lead the assault."

"General Ines Camus." The emperor said, lifting his cane and pointing it at the woman kneeling before him. "Take back Barakin. Drive my enemies from my land. Free my people, at any cost."

"No." Elhaten spoke up.

The emperor spun, looking at the hatharen. "What are you planning, Elhaten?"

"Everyone just heard the emperor order hundreds of imperial soldiers to their deaths. Loyal imperial soldiers. Such an act may win us this war, but would leave the empire weak and vulnerable. The northern kingdoms have forged an alliance and now gather forces, yet he would leave us without an army to defend ourselves. His concern of his own legacy blinds him to the long term consequences of his actions. As the emperor's voice, it is my duty to speak up when he speaks in error." He walked forward, addressing the room, the audience, not just the emperor.

The room broke out into murmurs. Ines stared at Elhaten, eyes wide. The other officials standing near the walls looked from Elhaten to the emperor. Ferene saw Mara step out of the shadows, one hand behind her back.

The emperor pointed at Elhaten. "Guards, arrest him!"

"Do not follow the orders of an emperor who has lost his senses!" Elhaten shouted. "The code of the Empire demands this duty of me. I am forced to take control, until the emperor reconsiders his orders."

"You-"

Elhaten spun, facing the emperor. "No! You have lost your way. Step aside, recollect yourself. Trust your advisers, trust your general. Trust me. Please."

Despite his words, Elhaten's expression bore the hint of a sneer. Ferene tensed, her fingers wrapping around the hilt of the sword at her hip.

"If you want control of the empire, you will have to kill me first."

"Fine." Elhaten's hand flashed out, and blood erupted from the emperor's throat. A thin, long knife impaled him, the tip visible protruding from the back of his neck. He fell to the ground, hands flailing at the blade's grip.

Elhaten grabbed the emperor's cane, spinning and pointing it at Ferene. "Detain her!"

She was already rushing towards him as he said this, swinging her sword at Elhaten's unarmored body, only for it to clash against another weapon.

Ines stood between the two hatharen, blocking Ferene's strike. The delay was all it took for the guards to surround her, weapons drawn. "Stand down." Ines said, eyes hard.

Ferene glanced around. Four guards, heavily armored. Elhaten, armed only with a wooden stick. Ines, sword drawn, between her and her target. Mara, walking up behind Elhaten. The assembled nobles and ministers silently watching, some frowning sternly, others looking downward, and a select few watching Elhaten expectantly.

"You should not have killed him." The old woman said, looking at the Emperor's Voice.

"The imperial code-"

"Speaking out was your duty, yes. You murdered the emperor. That was not your duty as the emperor's voice."

Ines kept her eyes on Ferene. "It was his duty as a citizen of the empire. To act for the good of the empire, even if it means taking action against the emperor himself. Everything he said was true."

"Not only that, but the old man demanded his own death." Turning, Elhaten walked over to the throne, and hesitated for only a moment before sitting down on it, placing the cane across the arms of the chair. "Now, I believe the emperor was in a meeting with his general. If the Emperor's Blade would allow the meeting to continue?"

Ferene looked at Elhaten for a moment, then back at Ines. The woman nodded at her. There was something in her expression. Anger. Fury. Yet it was not directed at Ferene herself. She sheathed her sword and crossed her arms.

"I appreciate your cooperation!" Elhaten said. "Now, General Ines, tell me of your strategy. How soon do you expect the enemy to fold, and what damage can we inflict on them when that happens?" He made a gesture at the corpse of the former emperor, and with some hesitation, the guards moved forward, gently picking him up and carrying him away.

"The enemy general is intelligent and experienced, but cannot escape the reality of the situation. She cannot maintain her hold on two separate cities so far apart. She will be forced to retreat within four months. I expect her to flee before our advance if she has not already pulled back. She may try to retain Naymoor, and we can battle her there."

"Four months is a rather long time. As the emperor pointed out, we have supply issues of our own. I wonder if there is a faster way to force them back, without sacrificing our army in the process."

"There is not." Ines said, her face hard.

Elhaten smiled. "If we moved our reserves forward, do you suppose she would retreat behind her walls?"

"A siege would take longer than four months, and the people in the cities would be equally hurt by it. We would be denying ourselves of supplies for longer as well as punishing our own citizens. She has shown no desire to harm the people in the cities, if we did so we would be losing the loyalty of the people."

"My dear Ines." Elhaten smiled at her from his seat on the throne. "I recall a proposed strategy of burning our enemies as they huddle behind the walls our people built. This general, she is Hatharen. I want her dead. She is not only a threat to the empire, but a threat to humanity. These creatures are invaders in every land. They must be punished."

Ines did not blink. "You wish to kill-"

"No!" Elhaten shouted. "No, no. I will not make the same mistake as the previous emperor," Ferene saw Mara suddenly frown, "I do not want to sacrifice our people for the sake of the empire. This goes beyond that. Far beyond that. As I said, she is an invader that threatens every nation. This entire invasion could be her idea. She has lived longer than the king of Ettsgras. Does he control her, or does she control him? She is an undying, eternal presence, building experience and influence. She clearly seeks to control not just the Kingdom of Ettsgras, but the Celngi Empire, and after that extend her reach to the Independent Lands. Olentor and Wellant are already compromised." He looked past Ines, to the well-dressed, middle aged assembly behind her. "I know this is a difficult thing to ask, but the empire can lead this entire region forward. To salvation for all of us. Our people will make this one small sacrifice, and everyone will prosper. Yes, the man who came up with this strategy is dead, executed for proposing that we sacrifice our own people simply to end a war quickly. I ask for that same sacrifice, but for a much larger goal, a more noble cause. General Suladan must be eliminated. Forcing a retreat is not enough. She cannot be allowed to escape. You must see that this step is necessary."

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They talked amongst themselves, quietly, as Ferene watched Elhaten, her hand twitching. She wanted nothing more than to draw her sword again, but the guards still surrounded her, and she could see an anger in Ines' eyes. "A Hatharen sits on the imperial throne." The general said.

"You know I am not like them!" He yelled, his face red. For a moment he stared at her, eyes wide, before taking a deep breath. "I know what they are. I am not one of them. I will die, as certainly as you and everyone else in this room. I am no immortal tyrant, and I have no ties to the Hatharen people, no contacts. Their leaders do not influence me. I am an imperial citizen, born in this very palace. If no other nation will act, we must take it upon ourselves to do so. We shall lead everyone forward. I would even have you at my side to do so."

The whispers that started during his speech rose at his last statement. Standing up, he walked forward, extending a hand to Ines. "I love you just as much as I love the Empire. I ask that you stand next to me. We can face what comes next together."

She looked at him in disgust. "I hate you."

Elhaten blinked twice. "W-what?"

"I've always hated you. You're filthy. A broken, incomplete man. You order me to hit you for your own pleasure, claim that you love me, imagine that I love you. You're delusional. Did you manipulate the emperor into becoming paranoid about the war yourself, or did you trick someone else into doing it for you? If you have an order for me, Your Majesty, then give it. Don't bring your own delusions about me into it."

Breathing heavily, Elhaten's face fell, his jaw slack, his eyes on the verge of tears. "Trap her in a city. Burn her. Kill General Suladan." He spoke through clenched teeth, before raising his voice. " This is for the good of not just the empire, but every nation. We cannot allow both of the strongest nations' armies to be diminished by this war. When you return, I will-"

She cut off his head.

This time, the guards drew their weapons, and the nobles started shouting. Ferene remained still, her eyes on Elhaten's head, rolling on the floor. All she could think of was that she'd never be able to kill him. It frustrated her.

"She is the Empress!" Mara shouted. The declaration drew Ferene's attention. Ines stood surrounded by guards with their weapons drawn, clearly the two groups at odds with each other, yet they all froze at the old woman's words. "Minister Yeremenko, please step forward."

Out of the crowd of officials, one man hobbled forward. Old, bald, and hunched over, he coughed once before speaking. "The addition to the imperial code, as put into effect by Emperor Velek, prevents the emperor from knowing the identities of his children as they are sent to be raised elsewhere in the empire. There are five members of the imperial court that know their true identities, three of them in the palace and two elsewhere."

There was a clattering sound. Ferene turned, seeing Ines dropping her sword and falling to her knees, her face drained of color. Mara walked over to her, pushing past the guards, and pulled the woman to her feet. "This is the oldest child of Emperor Mirko. The throne is hers by right. If she wishes to execute her father's Voice, she is allowed to do so."

Mara let go of Ines, reaching down and picking up the cane. Ferene saw Ines' lips move, but didn't hear anything. Mara placed the cane in her hands. "Get out! GET OUT!" Ines yelled.

Everyone stayed still, staring at her. She slammed the tip of the cane against the floor, sending a ringing sound through the room. "Out! Now! Everyone!"

Ferene stayed still, watching as, after some hesitation, the nobles walked towards the doors. Someone helped Yeremenko along. The guards also started leaving. Mara took one step before Ines' hand shot out, grabbing the old woman's shoulder. "You, stay. You as well." She pointed the cane at Ferene.

Once the room was cleared, Ines tapped the cane on the floor twice, gently. A pair of older servants appeared, dressed in uniforms that Ferene had never seen before. The design echoed the ones worn by herself and Elhaten, but far less decorated. "Send a messenger bird to the army. Tell them to retreat. Bring all of our forces back here. This includes the incursion force." She said, pointing at the man, who bowed and stepped away.

Mara spoke first. "Empress…"

"I am ending it. We will surrender and negotiate. What the emperor did - what my…my father did - it was wrong. We can keep stalling, keep waiting to exhaust the enemy, but as he said, it will cause suffering for our people. The way to stop that is to accept that we were wrong. We tried to take from our neighbors and we were found out, and are being punished. We accept this punishment. We give in to their demands. We throw out our imperial pride and everyone can live. No more death. They are out for land, not for blood. The order is given."

The old assassin nodded. "The order is given." She repeated.

Ines turned to the second servant. "I want you to bring my parents to me. I need to talk to them."

"Don't blame them for-"

"I want to see them, Mara."

The second servant bowed and stepped away.

"You." Ines pointed at Ferene. "The- my father trusted you. I ask that you serve me for a short time. I do not know who I can trust."

Ferene frowned. "I was going to kill him." She said, looking down at Elhaten's head, still on the floor.

"I've hated him far longer than you have."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to go to General Suladan, tell her that Empress Camus wishes to surrender, but she must come here to discuss terms. She can bring as many men as she wants, but understand that marching an army to the capital will only create unrest. She trusts you, doesn't she?"

Ferene was not sure how much Taradira really trusted her, but she nodded anyway. The woman was still a mystery to her in many ways.

"Good. Mara, my father's other children. Will they be told of their identities?"

"If something happens to you, the oldest will be informed."

"How many are there?"

Ferene watched her hesitate for a moment, and Ines immediately shook her head. "I just have to trust you and the others not to replace me with one of them, don't I? Is that why you did not call the third person forward? So that you could not all be influenced, or eliminated?"

Mara remained silent, and Ines just let out a sigh. "Fine. Assassin, I want you to make a list of which of the ministers are loyal to me, and which would hold a grudge for me ending the war. I need to know who my enemies are, and if I will need you to eliminate them. If your apprentice is trustworthy, I want to include her as well."

Both armies waited, again, this time too far apart to threaten anything. A dark spot on the horizon might be the imperial camp, but the distance was great enough that Taradira could not be sure. With the enemy at such distance, the camp relaxed slightly, the tension underlying instead of filling the air. Men cooked over proper fires, brought out the larger tents, even Taradira's command tent emerging from the supply train without her ordering it. She gave Thoms a look when she saw it, but didn't say anything.

"The engineering division will be here tomorrow. We've had the soldiers scout out the forest to the south, and it should be usable for lumber. Without knowing exactly what is needed, we didn't start anything, but we are certain it is not filled with imperial soldiers." Fulk reported.

Taradira nodded, but the approach of a man on horseback stopped her from responding. The scout brought his mount to a stop nearby, jumping off and walking over to the table. "General, scout report." He said with a salute. Taradira gestured for him to continue.

"The enemy is in a full retreat."

She frowned. Another trick? Camus' unusual tactics made no sense. "Fast? Slow? Orderly? Fill me in with whatever details you have.

"We've been watching nearby. Something happened earlier today. A lot of movement, all outward from one point. News spreading through the camp. Nothing happened for an hour, and then they all packed up and fell back, towards the capital. They are not rushing, but it isn't a cautious retreat. They are just…leaving."

Clicking her tongue, Taradira let out a sigh. "Good work. Take a break, soldier." The man walked off, and she turned back to her two captains. "Tomorrow, we will advance. Have everyone prepare. As soon as Captain Varhelst arrives, we push forward. We do not assume the enemy has abandoned the front. We stick to the previous plan, despite this development. No more tricks from her. Meeting adjourned."

They all stood up, and Fulk walked away quickly. The young captain was eager to do his duty. He'd progressed well, but she wished Gelvain was still alive. She wished a lot of humans were still alive. How many dead captains were there, over all the years? Not just the ones that died in battle, but the ones who died peacefully between wars. Hundreds of years of this. Soon, she could end it. She could go back to her people. She just had to overcome this last obstacle.

"About the doctor…" Thoms said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Selveren? What did he do this time?"

"Nothing. I was just…wondering what your relationship was with him. Your interaction seemed hostile. Is he…" Thoms trailed off, worry on his face.

"Trustworthy? Yes. He is an obsessive. He cares only about medicine and healing. He is as strange as he seems but he is harmless. I wonder if his daughter would have turned out equally docile if he had raised her himself."

Thoms tilted his head at the last statement. "His daughter?"

"Ferene."

"Ah." He nodded. "Is there a history between you and him?"

"He came to me during the last southern war. Wanted to learn medicine from human doctors. I set him to work with the field surgeons. He learned a lot from them."

"The last southern war was ninety years ago." Thoms said as he nodded to himself. "That is it? He worked for you then?"

"And left afterward. Has resided in a small village in the southernmost part of the independent lands for the last ninety years, which is why he was so upset at me calling him here for this. He wants to return to his own experiments, but I promised him what he can't get on his own."

Thoms visibly swallowed. "You."

Taradira nodded. That was one part of the war ending she did not look forward to, but if it meant that she could end it faster, with less deaths, she would endure it. Pushing further into imperial territory would only get more violent.