Three Sisters

Chapter 2 A Rescue

"No... Not to the common soldier." Malik agreed, "They view women in particular as no threat... Though our Warlord is a woman," Malik pointed out. "They're idiots... Something I gather you are not.... Maybe."

Tillie smiled just a little a what he said. "Well, I can't say that you are any better... In my opinion anyone who fights for Estella is an idiot!"

Malik snarled, slamming his fist into the table for a very loud resounding crack. "You're a fool to think everyone that fights for her does so by choice.... Especially since you'll be fighting for her as well, little one." Malik replied, his tone going from angry to calm again. "You'll either join her ranks, or entertain her eternal bitchness in the arena."

"Well, I hate to enlighten your idiotness, but if everyone refused, it wouldn't work now would it?!" Tillie replied firmly. "Besides, if I did either, my parents would have died protecting me for nothing and would be ashamed of me!"

Malik laughed, finding how naive and sheltered she was... adorable. "Sweetheart... if politics and war worked like that... we'd all be living in peace and harmony now, wouldn't we? But it doesn't... money talks, power talks... weakness is exploited and punished." Malik shrugged, "You'll learn to adapt little one, like I did... you're not stupid... so don't act like it."

It infuriated Tillie when he laughed at her! At least her older sisters took her seriously even when they didn't go with her ideas. She took a very deep breath as she told herself to calm down. After all, if he thought she was acting stupid, he might be less cautious... So she decided to continue, "As I recall hearing, that didn't work so well for the previous emperor. He technically had all the armies and money and everything and it didn't turn out to well for him! Besides, if your idea of adapting is killing people for someone else, I can't help but wonder how you sleep at night and that doesn't exactly sound like much of a life!"

Malik rolled his eyes, chuckling again. "What I would give to live a day in your mind. So adorable." He told her with a grin. "You do what you must to survive..."

Tillie really, really wanted to scream at him. She forced herself not to, but she could feel her face turning red she was so angry. "Maybe you do, but I think there is a difference between surviving and living, and I don't think it would be worth killing someone else so I could be dead on the inside!" She said pointedly.

Malik paused, before nodding, "You have a point there, little one... A very good point..." He nodded again, "Hehe... Like I said, you're not entirely hopeless."

Tillie was surprised at the change, one minute laughing at her and the next agreeing with her. She wasn't quite sure what to say next. "Coming from you, I don't take that as a compliment."

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"Why not use the element of surprise and sneak in and out before they realize it?" Talea asked.

 Terra rolled her eyes, "Because they are fell by that once and won't be likely to again!" 

"But that's right! They would never guess we would do it a second time!" Talea exclaimed.

Terra playfully groaned and shook her head. Talea always loved rushing into things. She thought about it though... maybe she did have a point this time. They decided to get a closer look after dark and they would take the time to get some rest for just a couple of hours.. though both of them were exhausted, neither of them felt like sleeping... they were too worried about what might be happening to Tillie, but knew that they couldn't just rush in, however much they might like to.

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"Oh you wouldn't know a compliment from me if it punched you in the shoulder..." Malik paused, "Which is how most of my compliments come...  Do you do bets?"