cascade | kotlc

30. Preparations and New Allies

 "That's a lot of information to get in five minutes," Tam said, staring at the curved ceiling of the small den.

Their dwarven house looked like a clump of bubbles inside the earth, with tiny round rooms that somehow felt cozy. June shivered against a wall, and Biana stood beside her, holding her hand and keeping her steady as she shook from her claustrophobia.

"So... if I'm understanding this correctly," Tam said, staring at Biana, "you want us to take a secret tunnel into Ravagog to steal the cure from the King?"

"We'll be fine," Sophie reassured him. "This is, what, like the third time we've gone into something without a plan?"

"That's not helpful," he told her, though he smiled a little.

"Also, it might not directly be in King Dimitar's possession," Mr. Forkle added. "We're actually not sure where he's keeping it, or what kind of vessel it will be contained in."

June snorted. "For all we know, he could be hiding it in his diaper again, couldn't he?"

Linh winced. "That's disgusting. What do you mean 'again'?"

They quickly recapped what had happened in the Council's announcement. They left June's gunfire out. It wouldn't help at all, and June was already trembling and breathing heavily, though she tried to hide it with a plastered smirk.

"Nothing is impossible with the right team," Mr. Forkle told him. "That's why we need your help. Your shadows can keep everyone hidden."

"Isn't there a river in Ravagog too?" June asked. "Me and Linh could probably wreck something to create a distraction for you."

Linh blushed. "Yeah, I- uh, I probably could. I think."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Tam warned. "I've never covered more than two people, you know."

"I can add mist to thicken the shadows," Linh reminded him, her cheeks still slightly pink. "It may not work under close scrutiny, but it will hide us from a distance."

"Also, I can do this." June clapped her hands and a boom rang out from behind them, and everyone except her winced. "It's nice for a distraction, though it didn't work all too well in Exile."

"Exile?" Tam interrupted.

"I thought I told you?"

"You probably did," he muttered. He glanced back at Biana. "I don't remember that well."

"There's always going to be some danger," Sophie added quietly. "But some risks have to be taken."

Tam brushed his bangs out of his eyes and paced the ten steps the floor allowed.

Oh my god, he's so hot when he does that-

Focus Biana, focus! Bad Biana!

"Here's what I don't get. You said the gnomes can already tell the cure is working, right? So why did the ogres give a whole week for them to decide?"

"I don't think the cure's real," Biana mumbled. "I have a theory. I- I think the gnomes's hope that the cure will work is what's actually curing them. It's complicated, but the essential cure is definitely hope. That's not something the Neverseen or ogres can bring."

"We can't be sure," Mr. Forkle said. "But I suspect the deadline is strategic. It's possible King Dimitar is hoping the Council will send in goblin forces, and he'll finally have his war. More likely though, the Neverseen is hoping we're attempting something like this."

"It seems reasonable," June agreed. "This is what the Neverseen are the most skilled at: manipulating our choices and using them to their advantage."

"Wait, you think this is a trap?" Sophie asked, her voice too loud in the small space. The echo was incredible.