The Crow and The Rabbit

Taradira's army pushed forward, unimpeded by ambushes or traps. With the civilians in their midst, the advance was slow and cautious, but steady. On the third day, a scout came back, riding her horse hard. Taradira, at the front of the column, waved her down.

"White flag. Two riders." She reported, wasting no time. Taradira nodded to her in response. Turning, she looked to Thoms.

"Send a rider to bring councilman Varnon here. Fast as possible." He spun and ran off, shouting. She raised her hand, signaling for attention. "Change of plans!" She barked. "We move to that hill and set up camp. Stay on high alert."

The rocky hills leading to the capital gave plenty of hiding spots, as well as many vantage points. She hated the terrain; having a meeting here put her in a vulnerable position. She did not think that Camus would fake a negotiation, but something felt off ever since the imperial army retreated. There had been no word from the spies in the palace, putting her on guard. Without information, she did not know what to expect.

Standing at the base of the hill, Thoms at her side and four soldiers in a line behind her, the rest of her army above, Taradira watched as the two riders approached. The second held a white flag, and two more horses trailed behind them. This was urgent indeed if they were pushing hard enough to need to rotate mounts.

As they came closer, she stiffened. The lead rider wore a black and green uniform, with a cloak fluttering behind her. One of the emperor's chosen emissaries. A moment later, she fully registered the rider's orange hair.

"Ferene." She whispered.

The two approached, and the Hatharen dismounted, saying something to her companion before stepping forward, meeting Taradira's eyes.

"As the Emperor's Blade, I come to you with a message. Her imperial majesty, Emperor Ines Camus, wishes to invite General Taradira Suladan and five others of her choosing to a meeting in the Imperial Palace to discuss the terms of the Celngi Empire's surrender."

Taradira managed to keep her face neutral as she listened, noting the stiffness in Ferene's voice. This was hastily practiced. "No. I will not place myself within the enemy's stronghold."

Ferene didn't react at all, responding immediately. "You may bring as many soldiers as you wish, but the meeting must be private. Up to five others may join you." Taking a deep breath, her voice dropped the formal nature, taking on her regular tone, which was somehow more serious than when she recited her lines. "You can trust her."

"Tell me what happened to Emperor Mikro."

"He was killed by the Emperor's Voice. Who was then killed by Ines."

"And she wishes to surrender?"

"She wants the war to end."

After considering for a moment, Taradira nodded. "Very well. I will need three days to bring our negotiator to us. In the meantime, I invite you into my camp. As a friend."

Letting out a breath, Ferene returned the nod.

Ferene turned to Tanja, ready to silence her objections, but the soldier remained silent, her mouth a tight line. "You can stay out here, if you wish."

"I should be near you."

The two exchanged a look, and Ferene looked back to Taradira, the general gesturing towards the camp on top of the hill. The short man at the tall hatharen's side still fixed Ferene with a harsh glare. Ignoring him, she followed Taradira up the incline.

The tent at the center of the camp was the same as always, though less furnished now. Around it, soldiers worked on setting up other tents. The two of them entered, Taradira having a whispered exchange with her subordinates first.

"I've spent over a hundred years with the humans, yet if I understand imperial hierarchy correctly, you have managed to outrank me after only a few months. Very impressive."

Ferene hesitated at the general's smile, unsure what to make of it. "The emperor was…a strange man."

"That bloodline has a history of eccentricity."

"I've learned about that." She wanted to say something, about Lisha and Sahlaren, about Elhaten, about the war, but she couldn't find the words.

"The uniform looks good on you." Taradira sat down on the ground, the chair usually present in the tent nowhere to be seen. "Want to tell me what happened?"

Remaining standing, she took a deep breath. "Your plan would have worked, but the Emperor's voice was there. He wanted to bring me back. His father was Hatharen."

"Ah." Taradira frowned, tilting her head. She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, before her eyebrows shot up. "Sahlaren?"

"Yes."

"Is he alive? And Lisha?"

"They are both in the palace."

"You seem to have a knack for finding Hatharen." Taradira grinned up at her.

"I met Nenhal again."

"Tullund as well, I assume? Our lost sheep. We haven't heard about them in some time. Where did they get to?"

She couldn't help but smile, thinking about the group. "I found them on the western border of the empire, and hired them." The memories filled her with confidence, and she pushed forward. "They are working for the empire now."

"Tullund finds a way to double his pay. I will have to pay him and the mercenaries, when all this is done, despite him not officially serving Ettsgras. Both of you did well for yourselves. I can set you up with a place to sleep, while we wait. I really do need a proper negotiator. In the meantime…" Taradira trailed off, a strange look crossing her face briefly. "I look forward to meeting the new emperor. We met, briefly, on the battlefield. She is very intelligent."

Ferene could tell that wasn't what Taradira originally wanted to say, but ignored it, nodding instead. "The lieutenant and I rushed to get here. She'd appreciate a hot meal."

Laughing, the general stood up, towering over Ferene. "Let's get both of you something to eat, then."

"I heard there is another Hatharen with us now."

Taradira looked up from her meal. Selveren stood over her, looking down with a blank, emotionless expression. "And you came to me, instead of going to her?" She nodded to Thoms who was approaching- the captain met her eyes and stopped, waiting.

Selveren either didn't notice the exchange or decided to ignore it. "I'm not good with meeting new people, so I came to you."

For a moment, Taradira hesitated, but dismissed the thought. "Ferene."

The reaction took a moment to show on his face. His blank stare met her before giving way to a frown. "I see."

"So, not someone new."

"I already learned what I could from her."

Taradira felt a surge of annoyance, but she kept it from her face. "You don't want to see how your daughter has grown since the last time you saw her?"

Selveren blinked once, the closest thing he showed to emotion. "Do I deserve to?"

Letting out a sigh, Taradira stood up, leaning overly slightly to put her gaze level with Selveren's. "Earn it. Don't ask me how, either. If you want it, you need to figure it out yourself. Do it right and she will accept you. I promise you that."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The girl built her life on seeking redemption. The chance that she would refuse to allow her father to do the same seemed incredibly small. Selveren didn't know about her, but he could learn. The two were more alike than either of them knew, they just needed to learn that by interacting.

Finally, he showed real emotion. A frown of uncertainty on his face, Selveren nodded, turning and walking away.

Ferene saw him, in her peripheral vision. Yellow hair unlike any of the humans in Taradira's army. She stiffened, but took another bite of bread. Tanja sensed something was wrong, locking eyes with her.

"Danger?" The lieutenant whispered. In the day they had been in the camp, every little thing put the soldier on edge. Ferene understood it - to her, they were surrounded by the enemy - but she wished Tanja would calm down. Except this time, Ferene was equally unnerved.

"Someone unexpected. No danger. Just…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain what she was feeling. What she wanted.

He approached, walking towards them with that same far-away expression on his face. What was he thinking, this time? His experiments, his plans? Did he have new questions for her?

"Ferene." He said, giving her an awkward smile.

"Selveren." She replied, not turning to face him. Tanja, sitting across from Ferene, shifted uncomfortably.

For a moment, he simply stared at her. "Your mother wore her hair like that when she worked."

It hit her, hard. She sat up, straight, drawing in a sharp breath, her jaw clenched. Tanja reached behind herself, her eyes on Ferene.

The tension in the air had no effect on Selveren. "I remember she would arrive with her hair untied and make a show of tying it behind her. She'd let it down before she left. Every day. I don't know why."

There was a moment of silence while Ferene thought about it. The question of why her mother would do that lingered in her mind, before the answer broke through her thoughts. She shot to her feet, spinning to face him. "Why would you know? You never even thought about it. You never considered it, did you? Why would she do that? To get your attention? Maybe because she liked you! She never, ever blamed you for how she ended up. She scolded me if I ever did. She sold herself to survive without you, and she didn't blame you, ever. Never. I hated you, but she didn't."

"I-I was-"

"You were focused on your work. Even when I showed up, after spending so much time looking for you, you were still focused on your work. You could have told me about her then, if you were thinking about anything other than your research. Seeing me just reminded you of your failed experiment. That's all I am to you. You only talked about her in how she helped you with that. How much you didn't care about her. You only cared about me when you realized I could fight in the north."

He looked away from her and said something.

"Look at me and say that again. Meet my eyes and say it, loud."

"I'm sorry!" He said, and broke. "I'm sorry I didn't try to find her, try to bring her back. I'm sorry I couldn't do what Tilhana wanted. I'm sorry I couldn't save Elisere. I failed the woman I loved, I failed my daughter, I failed a woman who loved me, and I failed you. All I have is a chance to save my people. If I can give Tilhana a better life somehow, if I can give you a better life somehow, I'll do it. I just-"

Ferene hit him. A fist to his face. He fell back, landing on his ass, blood flowing from his nose. She held her other hand to the side, stopping Tanja as the woman started standing up. "What do you think I've been through? How many people have I watched die that I cared about? I found you and you ignored me. Where is the apology for that? Even now you can't see me when I'm right here in front of you. Go away!"

Slowly, he stood up, wiping the blood from his face. "No." He said, looking at her, determined.

"No?"

"No, I won't leave. Tell me what happened to you. All of it. The people you lost. Not how you can fight. Tell me who you are. Let me…let me know my daughter. Help me learn to see you."

She didn't know how to respond to that. She expected him to give up, to walk away. Instead, he turned his stubbornness towards her. "Let me finish my meal." She said, sitting down. "Come back later. I need to think."

Without a nod, he turned and walked away, leaving Ferene alone with Tanja. A buffer zone existed between the two of them and the rest of the camp, separating the empire's envoys from Ettsgras' army. Ferene sat down and picked up a square of hard tack and dipped it into her mug of hot water.

"Horrible fathers." She said to herself.

"What?"

Ferene bit into the bread, immediately regretting it and putting it back in the water. "Mirko. Sahlaren." Mirko told her he wanted to spend time with his children, but he didn't know Ines was right there. Elhaten's hatred towards his parents and the emperor twisted him. Ferene had the opportunity to forgive her father, if she wanted it. He might not be able to change who he used to be, but he could improve himself. She didn't need to keep hating him, to keep him away. She could give him a chance the same way that she had been given a chance.

"Five. Accounting for Councilman Varnon, that leaves four. I know you'll want to be there, but I'll need you in charge of the forces outside. Assemble fifty of the best we have."

"What good will only fifty men be on the outside of the imperial capital?" Thoms asked.

"They will be noticeable without being threatening. If this is a setup of some sort, Ferene and I will not be getting any outside assistance."

"You trust her? Even when she's wearing that uniform?"

Taradira smiled. "Ferene will do what she thinks is right. She serves Celngi because she saw a way for her to not be part of a war she did not fully believe in. She will not stand idly by while I am killed. Not with what I am offering her."

Thoms crossed his arms, his gaze suddenly more intense. "What are you offering her?"

"I will tell you when the time is right. After the war, after we return to Ettsgras. I need to talk with the king first."

He frowned, but did not say anything else on the subject. "So, who are the four you will bring with you?"

"If Gallen was here and not at Barakin, I would bring him. He is insightful. I'll take Fulk and let Varnon decide on the others. Verhelst will stay here with the army, but I've sent for Frennich to come and take over."

For a moment, Thom's frown deepened, then his eyebrows went up. "Your plan involves leaving Ettsgras, doesn't it? You are looking for one of us to become the next general. Splitting everyone apart forced them to work independently without you to check every decision." Taradira nodded, and Thoms pressed on. "You left Arnov behind this whole time, so it isn't him. You always praise Gallen, but he is too young. Was Gelvain your first choice? Coryan and Frennich you gave a lot of responsibility to, so likely one of them."

Giving him a small grin, she tilted her head to the side. "And the last captain? What do you think of his chances at being the next general?"

"I don't want it. If you're leaving, I'm following."

She leaned forward, her smile gone. "Why? I appreciate your loyalty, but you could be a lot more than just my second."

Thoms tensed under her scrutiny. "I just don't want to be the general. Serving the king directly is too much for someone like me."

She frowned at him, but didn't pressure him further.

A crowd formed to watch Ferene practice. Going through the motions that Relgren taught her, she ignored the spectators, her mind focused on her weapon, her breathing, and her movements. The ornate jacket from Celngi lay folded in the borrowed tent, leaving her only in trousers, boots, and chestwrap as she trained.

Movement broke her concentration, and she stopped, looking to see someone standing across from her, weapon in hand.

Selveren, holding a sword. He pointed the sharpened tip - the only sharp part of the thin but heavy-looking weapon - at her. She nodded at him and raised her own weapon.

Just from a glance, she knew he could not match her in strength, but neither of them held practice weapons - a clean hit could be lethal. Selveren was also far older than Ferene, older than most Hatharen. Regardless of how he spent his time since coming to the human lands, he could not have survived beyond the mountain wall without gaining some amount of experience.

He thrust his sword at her, a slow but strong motion that she easily pushed aside. His face stayed neutral as he attacked again, faster this time, with the same result. The third attack turned into a feint, but Ferene saw it in time, a slight change in his grip giving it away. As her parry passed through empty air, she already twisted her body, dodging the incoming strike and dropped low, attempting to sweep him off his feet with a kick.

Her father simply stepped back, taking a moment to look at her, his face still blank.

Ferene took that moment to attack.

He easily switched to the defensive, blocking one swing, then another, only to be slightly late to meet her third strike, his blade skittering across hers at the wrong angle to stop her swing properly.

Blood splattered across the grass as Ferene pulled her sword back, yanking it out of his shoulder. Some of the men watching shouted, but Selveren held up his other hand. "I'll be fine." He said, calmly, not taking his eyes off Ferene. "You're very strong."

"I had to be."

His mouth opened, as if he was going to say something, but he stopped, closing it and staring at her for a moment. "Tell me, please?" He finally said.

Ferene nodded, turning and walking back to her borrowed tent, her father following.

Ferene talked to Selveren. Slowly, she recounted her life. At first, she hesitated repeatedly, struggling to find words that felt correct, deliberating over what to tell him and what to skip past. Her recount of life in the mines was broken and mostly nonsensical, her childhood memories slipping away from her as she tried to recall them.

When she focused on her mother, it became easy. Rather than herself, she thought about Alyssa. The memories were painful, but when she thought of her mother, a strange feeling filled her. Anger mixed with regret, mixed with something else. She wanted to tell Selveren about it. She wanted him to know what happened to her mother. The abuse the woman took from the bandits, the way she looked after Ferene. How she fell ill and died while the men around her ignored her suffering. Her father listened, his face motionless aside from the occasional blinking of his eyes.

After describing her mother's death, Ferene kept talking, the words coming more easily. She talked about the man who gave her his sword, how she killed the bandit leader, how she took Jall and ran. How Jall died. How she lived alone, for herself, killing to survive, escaping from fights battered and bleeding, pushing her body to punish herself. The emotions came back, and tears flowed from her eyes as she talked about the times she failed, the times her targets escaped from her, the times she barely managed to survive, living only because of her Hatharen blood. The time she lost her sword and was left for dead, only to track down the man, kill him, and take her weapon back.

Selveren showed no emotion.

She got to the part where she met Tullund, and Linara, and went to the north. She stopped there, growing silent. Selveren simply watched her, waiting silently.

"I hate you." She finally said, meeting his eyes intently.

Slowly, he smiled at her. There was a deep sadness in his smile, the first emotion she saw in him.