Seeker of Truth

[Galadas]

Joan felt like he had to adjust to every single thing he ran into on this hateful journey. First the bloody war, then Mord Siths, now an unfair, war torn civilization. He wished he could just wake up and find it all to be a dream.
He sat down on a rock, the two men stared at him, not taking seat.
"Who are you, boy? And why were you travelling with a Mord Sith?!"
"Like I said; I'm Joan Chibnall, from Westend. And I was, sort of, her prisoner," he said, staying calm and friendly. If it would happen that Elize would get killed and he released, he would go to Evana, that was his only option. He knew nothing more. Unless he could travel back to the wall and go through it again. Back home. Back to his family. That was, if he would be released. He closed his eyes. I'm stuck! he thought. He was not a normal boy, he was some kind of object. An important object to Lord Rahl, what were the odds that he would ever reach home again?


Reemus held his hand out and leaded Evana into the hall. He had expected to see Luchin there, but the only man around the table was Ky'ur, he was accompanied by three women. With her arm is his, Evana made her way around the table and sat down between Ademai and General Lyra. She felt no fear for the Mord Sith, who slowly came to understand that.
"Ademai, this is Evana, daughter of Marshall Tora. Evana, Ademai," he introduced the two of them, as he sat down and placed his eyes on the Sister of Dark.
"Explain to us what your plans are with the Sisters of Dark," Ademai demanded, ignoring Evana. She wanted no introductions, just explanations and possibly an apology. "She told us why she's here, but..."
Reemus interupted her, not interested in her angry mood. "Sister of Dark, what's your name?" he asked.
"Eleni Rilan, sir," she said, nodding her head, but holding her chin high.
"Reemus!" Ademai yelled angrily. "Tell us your plans!"
Marshall Shorshall sighed. "You'll have to wait until Luchin is here," he said. He had wanted to tell his Generals about his plan to involve the Sisterhood of Dark, but he had not yet sorted out all the details yet. He wanted to have everything in order, before saying a thing. He was caught by surprise, his secret arrangement was no longer a secret.
"You can tell General Colodar after you've told us!"
"Shut your mouth, Ada. I will not say a thing until Luchin is here! You better learn to live with it!" he yelled back at her, then relaxed his face and turned to Eleni. He saw Evana's confused face, and the averting eyes of his two Generals. "Eleni, what was the answer?" he asked.
The Sister of Dark threw her blond hair back and stared at the Marshall with her grey eyes. "The answer was 'yes', on a few conditions."
"Name them."
"The Sisterhood demands a part of the city for our residence, after the conquering has occurred," Eleni said.
"Obvious," Reemus said.
"The Sisterhood also wants you to treat us as equals, and not as your subjects," she added.
"Noted."
Ademai shook her head. "That one will be hard for him, I tell you," she said, mockingly.
Reemus stood, sighing heavily and looking at the Mord Sith with a red head. "Ademai?" he asked for her attention.
"Yes," the thin, brown headed girl replied.
"OUT!" Marshall Shorshall yelled, pointing his finger at the door, "go find Luchin!" he added, sitting down again.
Ademai turned her gaze away from him, stood up, proudly, and walked highly to the door. Never giving him a second look.
"Sir?" Lyra asked in confusion.
"She's only acting," he replied. His hands laid on his lap, as he waited for Luchin to come in, in order to satisfy Ademai, he needed to explain the plans he had. It better happen fast and end even sooner. He had his responsibility as a Marshall, he had to explain everything he did? Rather not.

[Cara]

Elize opened her eyes as rotten vegetables hit her. She tried to duck her head away, but to no avail.
Her eyes locked on a man standing before her, just out of reach. "Had enough, Mord-Sith?" he sneered.
"Never," she whispered. "You need so much more in order to break a Mord-Sith."
"After we question the boy, we will come for you."
"Why would I help you at all? Give up anything? There is nothing you can do. Torture me all you want. I am a Mord-Sith," she said. "My sisters will come. They will slaughter everyone in this town. Not before your women are taken, and your children are trained, of course..."
"Talk all you want, Mord-Sith, but you won't be laughing.


Luchin heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he sighed. The door opened and Ademai walked in. "Oh, I thought it was Reemus," he said, pulling a shirt over his head.
"Where were you?" Ademai asked, looking cooly at him. She looked him over. "Sparring?" she asked.
"Hmm..." Luchin said, as he finished dressing. He strapped his sword to his hip before turning to look her in the face. "I am late, aren't I?" he asked, knowing that Reemus would probably be upset with him.
"Yes, you are quite right, General Coladar," she said. "Come."


"Why were you her prisoner?"
"How should I know? I have no clue," Joan said, although he had a tiny clue. He still didn't know what the actual plan for him was.
"Where were you headed?"
"I am not sure... The capital? What is it called, the People's Castle?"
"Palace."
"Yea, the People's Palace."
"It is the capital of Dahara. The home of Lord Ether Rahl, tyrant and murderer."
"Great..." Joan sighed. He looked at the man sitting there across from him. "And what are you to do to me?"
"You are innocent in our eyes, but that does not mean you are allowed to leave." Joan deflated in his chair. "Yet," the man added. "We will see. In the meantime, we want you to teach you about Mord-Sith. The woman who was taking you to the People's Palace, for your ultimate torture, and probably death. You wanted to save her. There is no saving for the likes of her kind.

Elize gave a silent sigh of relief, as they took her down off the board. She was given a plain, blood-red, dress to wear. Her hands and feet were shackled as she was lead away.
They blindfolded her. She felt them move her into a fairly large room. By the sounds, there was at least five people inside, not counting her. She was moved to a chair, and chained to the chair. Suddenly the room lit up, as they removed the fold of cloth from her face. She immediately looked around, absorbing the faces. Mord-Sith, and especially herself, never forgot a face. One looked so familiar. She could have sworn she had seen him before...
Joan. He was standing there in the back, looking at her. He was safe. And she knew where he was. That was good. If she could just get free then they could escape. But then again, these people weren't stupid. They knew how to keep a Mord-Sith contained. She was patient. They would have to kill first, but she was getting out of here. And she would bring Joan with her to Lord Rahl.
"So, Mistress Elize... What were you doing traveling through Melidis?"
"You know why," Elize said, acting bored. "And anything you don't know... Well I don't plan on telling you. So go ahead and kill me already."
The man ignored her jibe. "You were dressed in civilian clothes. Did you really think that you could blend in?"
Elize shrugged. Or at least tried to shrug the best she could in chains. "Rhetorical question, since I'm sitting here."
"The boy, his purpose?"
"I told you that I won't say anything."
"You don't think we don't know how to break a Mord-Sith..." the man whispered, getting close. "You are wrong. One of our men recognized you. We know all about you. Who you are. Who you were."
Her eyes snapped open. The man smiled, knowing that he had hit a nerve. "You full name is Elize Mesaoro. You were born to Joelyn Mesaoro in Melidis--"
"Stop," Elize said, barring her teeth.
He continued on. "Right in this very town of Copland."

The man leaned back, satisfied that he had been able to so easily get under her skin. Elize's face fell back into an indifferent mask, as she realized her mistake too late. Joan blinked. Elize was born here? This was her home town? What?
"And how about your sister?"
"I said stop!" Elize hissed.
"Your sister Sarah... Such a sweet girl."
Elize looked towards the ground, hiding her face. Joan watched all this. Sister? What sister? So far he had never seen Elize like this. He had expected something very different when they had Elize brought in.
"And your dear parents..."
Elize looked up at them, her eyes cold. "My parents are nothing. My sister is nothing. They mean nothing to me. My family is the Keep. I might have been born here, but much has changed since I left. And for better, I see. This town his fallen into nothing. Lord Rahl has made it rightfully so."
The slap sounded loud in the room, like the crack of a whip.
Elize looked up, her lip split. She ran her tongue over the cut, licking the blood away. She gave a sneering smile. "Is that all you got?"

[Galadas]

Joan felt sick watching the play, he had never seen a torture, or something similar to that, going down. In Westend there were only trails, someone's faith was decided upon by judges. If they wanted information from a person, they would promise him or her to lower the sentence. Of course, in Westend a Mord Sith had never come. He had believed the past two days that people from Melidis and Dahara were more civilized than the population of Westend. Dahara had an army that seemed to fit together perfectly, and Melidis had no yet fallen under that pressure, remaining a tight country. But they were not civilized, war had made sure of that. War made people take out the worst of themselves.
He pointed his gaze at the floor, he felt for Elize. She might have been a murderer, etc. but she was still human.


While waiting on Ademai to return with Luchin, Evana had started to talk about the time she and Reemus were little. Only then he remembered how much they had seen together, and how long ago that had been. Life had been so easy and innocent then, when his father was still alive, when war was far away from them. Dahara had always been in peace, well, since the battles had moved over the border, that is. It wasn't that different from Melidis, there were many villages and towns, all with their own governance.
"One time, I told Reemus that there was a crocodile in the lake, and people who got to close got eaten. For two years, he never came close to the lake, we always had to walk far around it on our way home," Evana laughed, she was joined by General Lyra. Ky'ur surely wanted to laugh, but he didn't dare to.
"I was eleven," Reemus said in his defense.
"I was five," Evana replied.
Reemus looked at the door, still no one. Then finally Ademai's face appeared around the corner. She smiled and was followed by Luchin.
"Luchin," Marshall Shorshall said, and waited for the two to sit down.
"Sorry, I'm late," Luchin said, and sat down next to Ky'ur.
"Late?" Reemus asked surprised. "Only if this had been an appointment, you'd be late. So, I'd better apologize for the fact that Ademai disturbed you." He stared at the Mord Sith for a moment, reading her expression: 'bite me'.
General Coladar nodded. "Well," he said.
"Ademai probably told no nothing, so... this is Eleni Rilan, she's a Sister of Dark," he pointed at Eleni, and continued, "she's been send by the Sisterhood to send an approval of my request."
"Request of what?" Luchin asked.
"That's what I apparently have to tell you," Reemus said, looking at all his generals for a moment. "There is hardly a way to get into Aydindril, especially for us, Daharans. So, it made sense to send someone to spy on them. The Sisters of Dark will take this job for us, and send us useful information. About their defenses, their armies, their confessors and wizards, and so on." He decided to leave the second thing out, that was something between him and the eldest sisters of Dark, Eleni's superiors. The chance was that it wouldn't even work, why then would he tell it? "That's my plan, with its lacking details," he added.
Ademai stood again. "Great plan, Reemus. I'll take Eleni to a room," she said and stood, wanting to leave Reemus' side as soon as she could.
Reemus sighed, why in the Creator's name did he keep up with her!? She always tried to push him around and get his attention. The fact that she slept with him once in a while, made everything even worse.

[Cara]

The man glared at her, disgusted. The other man was looking at him. "She's not going to say anything that we want to know. Let's just get rid of her..."
"No," the man said, not taking his eyes off of Elize. "I'm not through with her yet."
"And the boy?" he asked.
"Put them both in the holding cells."

Elize was untied from the chair. As they reached to pull her up, Elize attacked. She was well-trained; lethal. And no longer injured, she moved with astounding speed. Two quick kicks had two men on the ground, unmoving. She turned, hands still tied tight around her back. It took four men to bring Elize down again. The man that had been interigating her bent over her, kicking her repeatedly in the stomach, until she lay there, gasping for breath.
"Want to try that again?" he screamed at her, kicking her again.
"Stop!" Joan cried, feeling helpless.
"Shut up, you," he snarled.
"Get them to the cells."


Luchin looked at Reemus. He didn't say anything, but his expression read: We need to talk...
He couldn't believe Reemus. The Sisters of the Dark!? Why!? The Mord-Sith terrified him enough, Confessors even more so. But the stories that he had heard of the Sisters of the Dark? They were an embodiment of evil, working for the Keeper. It was a sin in the Creator's light to even talk to them, knowing what they did. At least he understood the actions of the Mord-Sith. He could anticipate the powers of the Confessors. But the Sisters of the Dark...? They were sorceresses who had stolen a wizard's power. Or that was at least what his mother told him in the stories.
He didn't know a lot about magic, and was happy not to have it in his life, but he knew enough. Magic was unpredictable and dangerous. It wasn't to be messed with. The Sister's were always looking for ways to continue their work for the Keeper. Why would Darken Rahl even allow such a dealing? Up until recently, Luchin had only believed the Sisters of the Dark and the Light to be mere myths.


Elize didn't look at Joan. They were seperated by thick iron bars, each in their own cell.
"Mistress Elize?" Joan asked. She didn't stir. "Are you alright?"
To Joan's shock and surprise, Elize started to laugh. It was a broken, almost hysterical laugh. "Alright? I'm fine... No one has ever asked if I was 'alright' before..." she said. "Do not worry on my behalf, I am Mord-Sith. That wasn't even moderately close to the basic training I first received..."
Joan was quiet for a moment. "You lived here..."
"No," Elize responded quickly.
"But the man said..." Joan started.
"I did not live here. The girl I used to be lived here. And she is dead."

[Galadas]

Reemus stood, looking at Ky'ur, Evana and Lyra. "That would be it. The ceremony is in an hour, I suggest you all get ready for that. Dismissed." He sat down again, and watched with half open eyes how the three left, all were surprised by Marshall Shorshall's plan: Sisters of Dark? Really? They closed the door behind them, Evana peeked around the corner one more time, before sliding it into its place.
Reemus sighed deep, before turning his eyes to Luchin. "You're all surprised, which I can totally understand. The Sisters of Dark were not my first choice, believe me, but I'm desperate, Luchin. I'm scared, angry, and I long for revenge. Every Confessors on this earth I want to grant a terrible death, by my hands or by the hands of those I trust," he said, he wanted to say more, but he remained silent. His hands place below his chin and his elbows on the table. "You seem... I can't place it... what happened to you?" he whispered.


"She is?" Joan nodded. "I feel bad for her," he whispered. "the dead girl, she had to go through a lot." He closed his eyes. "But I guess such things just happen. Life is unfair. Just as it is unfair that we're caged like animals!" He sighed. Every second that past, he felt more alone and further away from home. "What will happen now?"

[Cara]

Now the lies start, Luchin thought, but he could never tell Reemus the truth. "Nothing happened," Luchin said, looking evenly at his best friend. He paused. "A ceremony? Please, Reemus. I need to know more than this. You are leaving me in the dark. You are keeping things from me," Luchin said, annoyed. "And really, the Sisters of the Dark? You didn't discuss this with me. They are not to be trusted!"
Luchin leaned back, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting. He hated having to lie to Reemus, but it was the only way. But he was very furious that Reemus hadn't told him about the Sisters of the Dark! And he could tell that he was not being told the full story. That Reemus was keeping secrets.


Elize was quiet for a while. "They have something planned for at least me," she said, ignoring what Joan had said earlier. "That is good."
"Good?"
"It will give us more time to escape. They will make a mistake. And when they do..." She smiled to herself in the dark. Joan could only really make out the white of her teeth. He shivered. "I have a duty to do. I will take you to the People's Palace."

[Galadas]

Reemus shook his head, he felt angry at Luchin. "It is my choice whether I tell my plans or not, I'm Marshall of this army!" he said, loudly, then lowered his voice. "Besides, when do I ever not keep things from you and others?" he asked. He knew that he did that, that he kept everyone around him in the dark. It was easier for him to do that, he hated having to explain every move to everyone. Lord Rahl had begun to accept that a long time ago, but not everyone was as easy as him. "There will be no discussion on this subject! I and Marshall Tora have decided it and it has been approved!" He could not believe why Luchin would be angry at him. He had not kept his Generals completely in the dark, which he was used to. Thanks to Ademai, he had to come clean on some parts of his plan.
He paused, and when Luchin was about to say something, he made sure he was faster. "If you don't agree on anything I do, Luchin, that I suggest you keep your mouth shut. Because you're not my General because I find it great to hear people disagreeing with my plans! As soon as my plan is complete, to every detail, I'll tell you, Lyra and Ky'ur everything, like I always do!" he yelled. He felt his blood pumping. He had to keep calm. "The ceremony is for our friends, remember? You arranged part of it, and it's in an hour." He waited, wondering if Luchin had the guts to reply at him. If not, he had nothing to worry about, if he did, Reemus might have to reconsider whether he would want Luchin as Marshall if anything might happen to him.

Ademai had left Eleni in her room and decided to walk down the hall to one of Reemus' most protected people: his writer. The one who would write and send all the letters to Marshall Tora, Lord Rahl, etc. He would also receive all the answers and collect them, if there ever would be trouble on something they had decided, this writer would have the real answers.
His name was Ayton, and even though he was old and looked like he could die any moment, he was fast and strong. He had served the army since he was sixteen, and when he retired, he stayed where he had lived all those years, not knowing how to say goodbye to a place he had always loved and felt like home. He was also the man who kept all the royal pigeons save. These animals were trained to fly and never get captured; they were fast as the wind and could fly higher than any normal bird.
"Mister Ayton," she said as she entered the room.
The old man looked up from his desk and closed the file where all the letters were in. He never was allowed to show the letters to anyone but Reemus and his Generals. "Mistress Ademai," Ayton said with dignity.
She smiled at this. He always spoke to her with such admiration, and she felt totally at home whenever she entered his company. It was as if she was one of the pigeons, free to go where she wanted to go, but always came back to this man.
"What can I help you with?" he asked and made a small bow with his head.
Ademai licked her lips, she was worried that he would decline her request. "I wanted to see the letters that Reemus has sent to Lord Rahl, concerning the Sister of Dark."
"Well, I can't let you do that," Ayton said, but carefully smiled. "I can tell you what was in them, on the other hand."
"That would be nice," Ademai said. She hated the word 'nice', because it sounded so happy and submissive.
Ayton nodded and took the file from the table, he placed it within a small box and took out a different file. Without looking at Ademai, he returned to his seat and opened it. "What is it you specifically what to know?"
"Lord Rahl's reaction to the plan and what they are planning!"
"Dear girl, I wonder why he would keep that a secret from you."
"As do I."
The writer nodded. "Well, it says that Lord Rahl has agreed on the plan, but only if the conditions of the Sisters of Dark are bearable and if it will assure them a victory. It also says that might Marshall Shorshall and Marshall Tora fail, that they will be asked to return to People's Palace..." he paused.
"Lord Rahl will kill them if they fail," Ademai said with a smirk. "Understandable, ofcourse. If with the help of the Sisters of Dark, Aydindril will stay standing, Lord Rahl still has a promise to them," she whispered.
"I guess you're right," Ayton responded. "Furthermore, you wanted to hear the plan. Reemus' plan?"
"Yes."
"He plans on using the magic that the Sisters of Dark reproduce to conquer Aydindril and destroy the magical defense of the city, as well as sending them into the city to spy," Ayton explained. He didn't even have to look at the letters.
"That will cost lives!" Ademai yelled. "They can completely destroy the city if something goes wrong, there is no stopping the Sisters and no promises that everything will go as it should!" She turned away from Ayton, surprised of what she said. Would destroying Aydindril not be a better solution, no matter the costs?
"Reemus is not an idiot, Ada, he'll make sure nothing goes wrong, explore every possible solution."
Ademai knew he trusted Marshall Shorshall with his life, he was not among the only one. A great part of the army believed every word Reemus said and they trusted their leader to make the right decisions.


"I hope so," Joan whispered. He believed Lord Rahl not to be as cruel as the Melidis people. According to what Evana told him, the lord of Dahara was a very royal man.

[Cara]

Luchin, who was standing by now, let his face become hard, not letting anything through. In the past, he and Luchin had had arguments, but nothing like this. And how could he have forgotten the ceremony? He had been so distracted lately and he felt like Reemus was keeping even more than usual from him. He stood stiff before Reemus. "I am sorry to have disagreed with you, Marshall Shorshall," he said, tersely. "I did not mean anything by it."
Luchin bowed deeply, but without emotion, turned on a heel and left. Reemus looked after him. He knew Luchin well enough that Luchin was very upset and furious. He hardly talked that way to him when they were by themselves. Luchin didn't always see eye to eye with him, but there was something more this time.


Joan couldn't see much, but he could hear Elize moving on the other side of the bars. It had been a few hours since they last spoke. Sleep was stealing over him. Just as he started to nod off, he heard what sounded like soft crying.
"Mistress Elize?" he whispered. The crying stopped. There was no sound, no response. He must have heard it from another cell...


Luchin wanted to hit something. How the hell was he supposed to get himself Confessed? It was one of the worst fears of anyone from Melidis. He knew the stories. Any Darahan soldier knew them too. He shivered, involuntarily.
"Dear Creator, help me," he said, as he made his way back to his room.


It was early morning. The small barred window was pink from the sky. Elize heard their approach before she saw them. She stood up with ease, her face a stony mask.
"Sleep well?" the man sneered. He opened the door and dragged her from the cell. He shoved her up against the wall, as the other two men went and unlocked Joan's cell. Joan looked at Elize, and there was no sign of her having ever shed a tear in her life.
"Come along boy." They lead them up into the early day, Elize in shackles, and Joan walking behind her.
Despite it being early, there was already a crowd of people gathered at the center of the town.
A man that he hadn't seen before stood on a raised dais. He was obviously the leader, or some important official. His clothes were nicer and clean. As Elize took in the man's face, she blanched ever so slightly. She dug in her heels, but the two men, each holding an arm, dragged her forward. The gathered people kicked, spit, or struck out at Elize. Elize twisted around, managing to trip and strike back. There was shouting, as her guards went down. Elize made it only a few yards before a man grabbed her by the long braid, traditional to the Mord-Sith, and gave a painful yank. Her ankles and wrists shackled, the large man dragged Elize, by her hair, up the dais. He pulled her to her feet. Her face revealed none of the pain she was feeling.
"We will send your head in a box to Lord Rahl!" someone from the crowd screamed, followed by shouts of agreement.
The official-looking man gazed at Elize, as she stood before him. Joan was close enough to Elize to hear what he whispered to her. "Hello, niece."
Elize stared straight a head, not saying anything. Joan could see the muscles in her jaw tighten.
"We were surprised that you would dare return to our town," he continued. "You must have been quiet stupid. You will pay for your crimes." He turned to the waiting crowd. "Let me testify that I condemn Elize Mesaoro, my niece, to death by Confession!" he shouted. Cheers erupted, as if in celebration. He leaned in to her. "Until our requested Confessor arrives, you will be at the mercy of those you hurt most."
Joan was still, as the man made his way past Elize to him. "Joan, is it?" he said. Joan could only nod. "You are free. The Council has agreed that you are of no threat to us. It is the Mord-Sith we want. Make a move to stop what we do, and you will get the same fate as her, though," the man said. "Are we understood?"
"Yes...sir," Joan said.
"I am Wyburn Mesaro, First Councilor."
"Yes, First Councilor. I understand," Joan said, looking past to where Elize was being chained to some sort of wrack. Her face was full of hate, but also resignation. "First Councilor, if you don't mind me asking; I am new to Melidis... What is death by Confession?"
Wyburn looked at Joan, his gaze cool. "Mord-Sith are the embodiment of pain and the elite guard of the Daharan dogs, and Lord Rahl himself," he said with disgust. "Melidis is ruled by the Confessors, the Mother Confessor. We have requested a Confessor to take the Mord-Sith's Confession," he said. "To Mord-Sith, it is the worst possible death. Only to them is the touch of a Confesor lethal. They feel the pain of all they ever hurt, ten-fold on them before they die."

[Galadas]

Reemus grabbed Ademai's hand, and held her down, so she could not leave the bed. They looked at each other, no love, just a strange sense of distrusting. "Ada," he said.
The Mord Sith shook her head and smacked her free hand against his face, making him jerk back and release her from his grip. "Don't!"
Marshall Shorshall jumped to his feet, taking the blanket with him. He would not face her completely naked, that seemed strange to him. She turned her head away from him, taking her Mord Sith clothing in hand and dressing herself at a slow pace.
"Listen, Ademai..."
"I know your plan, Reemus. Ayton told me," she interrupted him. "I went to him and he told me what was in the letters."
"I expected of you to do such a thing," Reemus replied. He had different things on his mind, there was a lot he had to arrange for Marshall Tora's arrival. Most importantly, he needed to get all the details right. He needed to travel to the Sisters of Dark, which wasn't his problem. His problems was his choice of which Soldiers to take along. He wanted to take Luchin, as he relied on his skills and strength. He feared traveling in a smaller group through the dangerous Melidis, but there was no way that the Sisters of Dark would travel to him. He needed to prove himself worthy of their help, even if he had already gained their approval.
"As if you know me..."
"I do, Ademai, I know you better than anyone else. And I will ask of you to accompany me on a dangerous journey through Melidis..."
"To meet those damned Sorcerers! I was hoping you would ask, I trust Eleni, and I hope your plans will fail," she said coldly.
Reemus sighed. "Failing would only result in my death," he replied, hoping to make her change her mind about wanting him to fail.
"I know," she said and finished dressing. She took her agile in her hand and touched Reemus' chest lightly. After that she left the room, watching Marshall Shorshall as he tried to fight against the pain. She never understood why he would allow her to do that, he was an arrogant Marshall, yet he never stood up for himself whenever she hurt him.


Joan shook his head. "That's cruel, very, very cruel," he whispered. He realized that it was best for him to take his freedom, and he hoped that Elize would be able to escape herself, for he had no weapons, nothing to help her. There was no magic around him that could harm him, so nothing he could strike. Unless... was Confessor magic the same as normal magic? Could he strike one of them? He jumped off the dais and hid his face away from those standing around him. He was just a prisoner, right? They would not be angry at him for traveling with a Mord Sith, would they? So many questions, normally he could figure situations and reactions out on his own, but these people worked differently from what he was used to.
He moved away from the crowd, moving through the ruins, searching for some kind of a weapon. A sword was practically handed to him, laying on his way out of the small town. He grabbed it, placed it in his palm and moved towards the forest. The next question was; from which way would the Confessor come?


Reemus appeared at the nursery, he had promised himself to let the healers take a look at it, especially since there were two wounds placed closely together. One still fresh, the other having received more treatments.
"It is very dangerous, Marshall Shorshall, to go out with such wounds still tormenting your ability to fight," a young nurse said, her head bowed, so she could not see his eyes through the locks of her hair.
"I don't expected to encounter any trouble," he answered. He lied, he hoped not to encounter any fights, Confessors, Wizards, etc. but he could never be sure.
The nurse nodded. She touched the two scars and rubbed it with a strange kind of ointment. He felt pain as the soft and cold liquid touched his skin, but he kept his face in a fold. Why was everything working against him lately? He wondered when to receive news from Tora or Lord Rahl, or even from others around Melidis, who could tell him what was going on in Aydindril. A whole day it had been quiet, what were they doing?

[Cara]

Aslen stood looking at the night sky. It was so beautiful, the stars and the moon. She could always tell by the stars that this was home. She closed her eyes, feeling the silence and cool air.
"Mother Confessor?"
Aslen turned to one of her lady servants. Marisa. "Yes, Marisa?" she asked.
"Would you wish for me to draw water for a bath?"
"Yes... I think that would be nice," she said, softly. It had been a long hard day. Their numbers were depleted. There was less than fifty Confessors left. Aydindril used to be a city full of magic. The heart of it. But that was long ago. So very long ago.
Magic used to be so common in the people. It was rare that a child be born without the gift. Now, it was rare that one was. The Confessors were really the last image of that history. Of that memory. They governed Melidis with an unbiased hand. Peace was their goal. The truth.


Elize stared out at the jeering crowd. So many familiar faces. After a while, people dispursed, going about their duties.
A young woman, about her age, approached Elize. She stepped up, and carefully reached up to Elize's face with a wet cloth. Elize jerked her face away from the touch. The woman flinched, but turned back, and gave her a sad smile. "Shh...hold still," she whispered, as she wipes the dried blood off Elize's face. It stung, but Elize didn't complain. She carefully dabbed a salve over the cuts, soothing the pain. After a few minutes, the woman looked at Elize. "Better," she said, unable to take her eyes off Elize.
"Why would you help me?" Elize said, glaring ahead of her.
"You don't remember me, do you?" Elize looked at the woman for the first time. She gave her a good look over. The woman was a little shorter than herself, with dark eyes and strawberry blonde hair.
"Kessla...?"
The young woman gave her a smile, but it didn't touch her eyes. "Oh, Elize..." the woman said, reaching to cup Elize's face in her hands. Elize shrugged her gesture away. "What did they do to you?"
Elize's face hardened. "They made me strong," Elize said. "They gave me a new, a better life."
"How can you say such things?" Kessla said, tears in her eyes. "I could never believe that it was possible. For you to...for this to happen to you. A..a.. Mord-Sith..." Elize watched Kessla talk on. "We thought you were dead! Dead...And your...sister? Your parents?"
"You don't want to know their fate."
"Your mother was like a mother to me... I was your best friend."
"They are dead."
Kessla closed her eyes at this. "We had figured as much."
"At my hand."
Kessla looked up. "What? No, that can't be possible. Elize... You..."
Elize looked at her best friend, her eyes cold. "I killed them all."

[Galadas]

Reemus had been thinking the whole day, he needed plans with full details, meanwhile preparations were made for their journey. The route was mapped, the eight horses were all packed, and the Sisterhood was noted of their arrival. He had packed his belongings; a sword, extra clothing and a sleeping bag. They would leave as soon as it was dark. Among those traveling alongside him were Ademai, who was dressed in civilian clothing, and General Lyra, who had studied and knew the people of Melidis and their culture. Eleni would also travel with them, and four fine soldiers. General Ky’ur and General Coladar would stay behind and lead the army until his return. He had informed Ky’ur of this and he had agreed with the conditions, but only nodded in response. This General knew his place, he had climbed from Captain to General in a year, much to his own surprise, but he knew what qualities a leader needed. Of course both of them had little experience with the full leadership, they had no idea what Reemus did as a Marshall, or so he thought. The fight for Ormelli had been the first fight he wanted Luchin to lead, sad that didn’t happen. Among the diseased Generals were the ones he found righteous enough to take his place someday. He missed their company, they would’ve told Luchin not to interfere with his decisions, they had been his Generals as long as he was Marshall or even longer. A whole generation of fine men dead.
He shrugged that thought away and carried on his path through the streets of the city. He passed a small empty market and reached a grassy square, similar to the big one in the middle of Ormelli. He had looked for Luchin in his room, but he was not there. It was almost time to leave, and he hadn’t even told his General that he was leaving. He sighed when he finally recognized General Coladar.
Luchin was training Soldiers from infantry, they were fighting each other with wooden swords and wore nothing but a pair of pants and a shirt. The moment he saw Reemus, he told the soldiers to continue the training and then left them. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and looked right into the eyes of the Marshall. He was still mad, he didn’t like being left out, and that seemed to happen nowadays. Whatever Reemus was going to tell him, he had to agree.
“I’ll be leaving tonight to meet with the Sisters of Dark, in the time that I’m away you and General Ky’ur will be leading the army, until my return. Evana will help you in this, her father is Marshall, so she knows a lot. You also get the honor to tell the army that we’ll head for Aydindril at the end of the winter,” he paused, his eyes wandering off. He didn’t want to see Luchin’s reaction, because, even if Luchin didn’t want him to see, he still noticed bits of it. “They are not allowed to travel through Melidis or even to Dahara, unless they have a signed official release note, and please Luchin, you have this authority, don’t abuse it,” he said. With a small nod he turned around and walked off the square, on his way back to his room, where his sword was awaiting his departure.

Joan ran through the forest, the sword at his side. He saw the dark of the night coming and realized he had to be more aware. His prey had to be somewhere close, he could not let Elize die. He needed her… she was his only way out of this place. He was free to go, but where? He did not know Melidis, every tree was older than those in Westend, every person was harder than the people of Westend. He missed home, he missed his family, he could hardly breathe when he thought about how much he missed them, and how far away they were.
Without making a sound, Joan ran deeper into the forest, making round around the village. He sometimes had to dunk in order not to be seen. The skills he had learned from his adventures were useful now. He had never learned to fight, so that would be a problem. He had learned to mine, he had skills in politics, he knew how to cut a tree and hunt an animal. He was good at all those things, he was a natural. But how useful was mining or woodcutting for him now. Hunting and politics couldn’t save him if he would ever be in real danger. His ability was only good for magic, not for Mord Sith magic, and maybe not even for Confessor magic.
He sighed deeply and sat down in the grass. What may become of him if he would stay in Melidis much longer, he was already unhappy and homesick. The sun was almost gone, he had been searching for the Confessor all day, maybe she had already killed Elize. He stood, hid the sword under his cloak and headed back to the village. He had to be sure.

[Cara]

Luchin sighed as he watched Reemus depart. He was still being left out. Reemus, before anything had at least been his friend. Of late, especially, under the pressure of Lord Rahl and the war, and the horrible detainment he went through, he had changed. Though who wouldn't?
Luchin turned to see one of the men watching him. One from the woods.
"General Coladar," the man said with a nod of his head.
Luchin glared at him. It was stupid for the man to be standing right there. Luchin felt the urge to pull his sword out and run the man through right where he stood. Instead he walked swiftly up to him, closing the space between them. Luchin saw the fear cross the man's eyes. Luchin grabbed him, and dragged him over to where a small group of soldiers stood at attention.
"I want this man to be lashed for insubordination!" Luchin growled, shoving the man to the ground.
"What!? General..." the man cried, standing. He stood up, looking back at the other men who had circled him. He looked back at Luchin, anger burning through him. That look said, you will pay. Two men dragged him off towards the pole in the middle of the camp. The other soldier stood at attention, watching Luchin. "Sir, how many lashes?" he asked.
Luchin gave him a hard eye. "As many as it takes for the...message to sink in."
"Sir?" the man asked, surprised. This was very unlike Luchin and the men knew it.
"Do not question me. Until Marshall Shorshall returns, I act in his stead. I will be around later to make sure that man has received his full punishment. If I believe that it was too leanent, then you, sir, will be taking his place on the pole."
"Sir!" the man said, his hand coming to a fist over his heart.
Luchin could see the fear in his men's eyes. They were terrified of him. He was never one to punish his men like this. Especially like this. "And another thing, soldier."
"Yes, General Coladar?"
"Here is a list of names. Find them. They are to receive the same punishment as this man." They were all the men who had dragged and beat up Luchin in the woods. They would pay for such betrayal.
"As you command, General."


The dress of the Confessor stood out in the sea of brown and black. She moved with a strong grace. They all bowed at her presence.
"Confessor Linda," said Wyburn Mesaro. "We have requested your presence to take the Confession of Elize Mesaro."
The Confessor looked at Elize with indifferent eyes. Her Confessor mask. "What are the charges, First Councilor Mesaro?"
Wyburn rubbed his hands together, his eyes full of hatred. "The crimes of a Mord-Sith."
Confessor Linda looked at him, her indifferent expression making him squirm. "And what crimes does a Mord-Sith commit?" she asked, her voice as indifferent as her face. It gave nothing away.
The crowd was getting upset. They wanted an execution, not a trial.
"What crimes does a Mord-Sith not commit!?" someone shouted from the crowd. They cheered at this.
"I will Confessor for certain crimes, but you must list them. And she must be guilty."
"She kills without remorse or regret. She causes pain for her own amusement and pleasure!" Wyburn hissed, the crowd agreeing. "Mord-Sith are the soldiers of Ether Rahl. The personal assassins and heavy hand!"
Elize Mesaro, how do you plead to these crimes?" the Confessor asked.
Elize sneered at the crowd, standing tall. "Guilty."

[Galadas]

Night was falling, and it was only around seven. Reemus walked around on the square, Eleni stood beside him, watching him as he left the place and came back again. He seemed worried, but in fact, he was thinking about the details, setting everything in place in his head, all the visuals finally had a chronological order. He couldn't wait to tell it to Marshall Tora, his grand plan. Well, it was not as grand as other plans he had completed, but he was still proud of it.
"Reemus," Ademai said. She tapped him on his shoulder and waited for him to stop.
Reemus turned his head away from the Mord Sith and adjusted his cloak. He was wearing clothes he wouldn't normally wear, only when back at home. A grey top and pair of filthy pants. He wore black boats and had his cloak around him for the warmth. "Ready to go?" he asked, simply ignoring Ademai as he walked over to his horse and hoisted himself into the saddle. His sword was hiding beneath the layers of clothing and the horse was packed with bags. Their journey would carry them through the night and they would only arrive around the early afternoon or before it would become dark again. A long trip, and with as less pauses as possible.
"Ready," General Lyra said. She held her eyes on the four soldiers that joined them. All Calvary soldiers, trained to be scouts. They knew how to fit in, their surroundings became part of them.
With General Lyra and Marshall Shorshall leading the way, the group left the city. They took the North gate, north east was where they had to go. Out of the city, the light had limited, only the moon could be a guide to them. The cold and the silence of the outdoors hit Reemus like an arrow. He had not left the comfort of a warm room and easy breakfast, since... well since he was promoted General.
"This is going to be a long ride," General Lyra noted. "You seem worried, Reemus," she added. It was probably the fact that they all wore common clothes, that she had decided to call him by his first name. He did not like the idea, but if he ever wanted to get their complete trust, he better not start telling them what to do already. It was like vacation for her, maybe for him too, everything he did was a job.
"Just thinking, Salesia, nothing to worry about," he said, trying to smile slightly. Harder than it seemed in his mind.
General Lyra nodded. She smiled, proud that he had called her by her first name. She knew he only did that with Ademai and Luchin, and probably with the diseased Generals too, she guessed.


Joan made sure he kept his head low and moved through the people on the square, forward, just like the Confessor. He watched with his eyes on the floor, and listened to the two speaking. He couldn't believe he was too late, how could they have slipped through his fingers. His hunting skills were... well never mind. It didn't matter now, he had to get her free, but how? He decided to wait, hoping that everything would take in a better turn.

[Cara]

The night was wonderful. She could feel the night, her han enveloping every sense. Sister Kirova smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. The darkness, the silence. Even the animals feared her. They were smart. Her eyes snapped open, flashing fluorescent. "Good to see you, Sister Dani," she whispered. Her voice carried over the space. She turned slowly, her long black dress swishing softly on the forest floor.
"Sister Kirova," Dani said with a nod.
"Has Sister Eleni left with the general?"
"Yes. I got her message earlier tonight," Sister Dani said, holding out a small book. Kirova took it in graceful hands. It was one of their journey books. Sister Eleni had one journey book, and Kirova held the twin her her hands. Journey books allowed almost instant communication between the two books.
Sister Kirova, everything is falling in place. I leave with General Reemus Shorshall in one hour's time. - In my own hand, Sister Eleni
"Lord Rahl thinks we are his little servants to be fooled and played with. But no, he has no idea what he deals with. Master will be pleased to know that we are another step closer to his release."


Elize closed her eyes, preparing herself. As a Mord-Sith, she knew pain. But from what rumor had it, this was the worst pain in the world. The most unbearable pain possible to inflict in the world of the living.
"No!" Elize's eyes shot open. Joan? Joan had jumped up, with a sword in hand, onto the stand. "I won't let you!" he cried, swinging. The Confessor was started, but she wasn't stupid. She easily blocked the sword and reached around with her right hand, to grab Joan's throat.
"Joan, no!" Elize shouted, but it was too late. There was a sound, like the feeling of thunder without the noise. She felt the magic, the vibrations sent through the air with the ancient Confessor magic. Joan was Confessed. She watched as the Confessor stumbled back, weakened by having to expend her magic. Elize looked at Joan who worse, his hand through his throat. The crowd was still in shock.
Before Elize could take another breath, Joan swung around suddenly, his sword slicing through the binding. Elize jumped up, free. "Mistress Elize, come on!" he cried.
How was it he wasn't bowed down to the Confessor begging to do her commands. Elize shook her head, not bothering to ask questions now. Suddenly everything was in an uproar.
"Don't let her escape!" the First Councilor screamed, livid. The air was filled with shouts and the ring of steel. Elize quickly brought down the surrounding guards, taking up two swords. She threw one to Joan, who had lost his after it got caught in the wood of the stocks.
"Run!" Elize cried. She looked about for a route of escape. There! There were a few horses tied up there. If they could just get there. Elize glanced back at the First Councilor shouting orders. Her gaze narrowed. He would die first though.

[Galadas]

Joan had followed Elize’s gaze, he saw the horse, and he saw his way through them. But that wasn’t the only thing she looked at, the way she looked at the First Council scared him, there were so many negative emotions there. He grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her behind him, he hated killing, and because of that he wouldn’t allow her to do that.
She struggled against his grip, but for some reason, she did not have any unnatural strength, he had sworn that he had heard Evana say that to him. He could easily contain her. The moment they reached the horses he knew he couldn’t let her go. “Mistress Elize, I beg you, kill him another time,” he said. Even as he said, he felt wrong. His sword swung around, he had never killed a man, and he wouldn’t start now. Taking human lives was bad.
Elize jumped on the horse, Joan behind her, she looked irritated, but as they were being surrounded by men with weapons, she understood he was wrong.
They drove, and they drove, until she could be sure they weren’t being followed, or that they had lost their trackers.
Joan jumped off, his head had been filling with greatness. His hypothesis was correct, he was immune to the magic of a Confessor. He grinned, he had survived a Confessor and he had saved Mistress Elize. The only thing he waited for now was a compliment from Elize, he wanted it so badly, just to be told he was doing good.


Reemus felt the kick against his shoulder and opened his eyes immediately, surprised to see that it was still dark. Against his own rules he had allowed the company some sleep before continuing their journey. Two hours traveling, two hours sleep, they better do something about that. He feared if he gave them such a schedule, they would take advantage of it. “Are the two hours over?” he asked. Ademai was leaning over him.
“Yes, time to ride on,” she whispered. Then moved her head closer to his. “I’ve spend the last two hours talking to Eleni, and I don’t trust her, Reemus.”
He shook his head. “The chance that you’ll ever trust anyone is zero,” he replied.
“Well, then. Reemus, I hope she betrays us, Lord Rahl will surely not like it when he hears,” she snapped, and walked away from him, back to her horse.
Reemus took a little longer. He rolled up his sleeping bag and watched one of the soldiers handing out pieces of bread. He wasn’t hungry, but he did not say no to the food. He hid it below his cloak and jumped on his horse. It was absolutely cold, he couldn’t remember having felt so miserable in his life. The chill, the sleep, he knew he couldn’t give up, it was time to go on, and just like Ademai, he had a bad feeling. But unlike her, he listened more to his objective view of success than to his guts.