𝙳𝚊𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚣: 𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝙴𝚒𝚗𝚜

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗

In the morning, Krow's horse makes his way through the snow up the mountain passes as the soldiers follow Lorelei's directions. Telling them of their nearness to their destination, the group feels some relief, knowing the next leg of their long journey will hopefully be home.

Also thinking on that venture home the soldiers will make, Lorelei reflects on her recent life. Of people she has known, none have made such good company as the soldier named Soldier. Once he is gone, so will be the company. A part of her feels a twinge of disappointment as she looks to Eber's back.

Climbing the narrow path between the dark trees atop the ridge, Krow holds up a hand, halting his horse and those behind him. Eber draws Cerny to a stop, the animal pawing at the snow with warm breath puffing out of his nostrils. "It is the camp." Krow tells, with he and his captain looking down the ridge out into the small clearing filled with tents and supplies. "Dismount." The soldiers obey.

Swinging his leg over, Eber drops from the saddle to the layer of white powder. As Lorelei slips her leg over, she readies herself to hop off Cerny's rump, when a gesture halts her in mid-motion. Her eyes widen as Eber's hands raise to help her down. The notion is strange, it is a small action of respect, something she is not accustomed to. Carefully, she studies his eyes, hunting for mockery, or jest, but only finds him patiently waiting. With a blink, she lowers towards him, setting her hands to his arms when he

grips her waist and brings her to the bed of snow. Flattening her feet, her study of him fades to a brush of her dress as he walks away.

He moves to the ridge by Krow, and she steps up between them. "Do you see Dimas?"

Looking out over the camp, she examines each man there, moving from tent to tent and task to task. "There, that is him." She points to a man coming from a large tent in a quiet place of the camp. He walks towards the river and small group of men at it's edge. Watching him focus on Dimas, Lorelei clears her throat, and growing a smirk, holds out her hand palm up. "I have brought you all the way to him, now for all the payment."

Tugging at his uniform coat, Eber reaches in for the three gold coins, setting them in her palm. Pleased, she looks them over, turning them and trailing her finger along their rim. He looks on to Krow. "How do you wish to proceed, Sir?"

The older man grouses, "Have Jorin take range with his bow on the ridge and use his marksmanship. We'll kill Dimas with a single shot."

Eber begins to study his surroundings, watching the winds blow through the trees along the ridge line. Watching the limbs sway, he replies, "The winds keep shifting, an assassination shot might be ruined, alerting his makeshift army." Krow grumbles. "A second plan?"

After a moment of thought, Krow gradually looks to Lorelei admiring her coins. "Always use your resources, Captain." Slowly, Lorelei lifts her eyes to the men.

Dimas' men in the camp halt what they are doing, seeing the young woman pass by. The men watch Lorelei walk deeper into the camp as though belonging.

Coming to the man by the river, she calls to the leader. "Dimas." His conversation with one of his rebel soldiers ceases. Slowly, he turns to look on Lorelei.

"You?" His eyes pan her frame, studying her. "What is it you want, Wretch?" His view of her is the same as a bug on a slice of pie.

Her eyes shift from irritation to play as she holds up a rolled parchment. "A message I have from Arron in the village."

"He sent you?" He reaches for the paper.

"It is urgent." She draws it quickly from his grasp.

He scowls. "Urgent?"