Orrick tapped a finger on his large, wooden desk; the oddly sharp rap an unconscious outward tic expressing his internal monologue of annoyance.

Ever since Uli’s altercation with the druid that morning, he’d been bothered by his own inaction. At the time, it had felt like a small thing. In hindsight, it had been foolish. He’d let Uli threaten her brother—anyone could see the relationship—and almost certainly damaged any chances of recruiting her to their cause. Yes, her Renown was a paltry 11, but that could change quickly. And a druid was a druid when it came to ritual magic.

The edges of Orrick’s office door lit up as the wards lowered, his assistant entering the room in measured, crisp steps. The man was a tool, in personality if not in function, but he was highly effective. If he was here, there was something of significance to report.

Still, he couldn’t resist tweaking the man.

“Why if it isn’t the old man,” he said innocently. “Will you be able to make it over here, or do you need help.”

His assistant frowned. “Sir, I am thirty years your junior.”

Orrick smiled. “Calm down, Uli. I’m just having a bit of fun. It’s a rare thing to encounter these days. Please, continue.”

“Yes sir,” Uli said, recovering his poise. “We have heard back from our contact in the party sent to the Dragon of Bookspine.”

“And?” Orrick prodded.

“The dragon attempted to negotiate a trade of services that would have run counter to our interests. Our contact convinced the group not to acquiesce to the dragon’s wishes, but there was one dissenting member.”

Orrick sighed. “The ranger?”

“Indeed,” Uli answered.

“And let me guess: She’s gone rogue?”

Uli nodded. “That is correct. When it became clear that she wouldn’t be able to convince them otherwise, she took it upon herself to leave the group.”

“Damn,” Orrick muttered. That woman was a constant thorn in his side. So much so that he was almost tempted to bring her into his confidence. More than one mind had been swayed when they learned the truth of what Orrick battled against, but the risk of losing this war was simply too great. If he told her the truth of the situation and she disagreed with his chosen course, she would not hold the secret.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

That was an unthinkable outcome.

“Sir,” Uli said awkwardly. “I don’t make this suggestion lightly, but is it time for us to—”

“Yes, I know,” Orrick said with resignation. “The decision weighs on me, but we have no choice. Break off a group from the main force and send them west to intercept her. Make sure you include one of the mages. Someone good. I’ll leave the choice to you, but she’s a high-tier ranger in the forest. That puts us at an extreme disadvantage and we can’t allow her to slip past.”

“I’ll send a full squad of six, plus the mage,” Uli said, but Orrick shook his head.

“Not enough. Send two more fighters and include a cleric as well.”

That gave Uli pause. “Are you sure, sir? That significantly depletes our forces.”

“As I am sadly aware,” Orrick said. In an ideal world, that wouldn’t be the case, but little about this world was ideal. “Whoever survives will return to the main group, but it’s better to ensure victory than risk word getting back to House Laws about an overt attack on Eliza Grey. They may disapprove of the ranger, but I certainly don’t want anyone from that family suspecting us of meddling in Family business.”

Uli unconsciously swallowed at the prospect. “That would cause problems.”

“It certainly would,” Orrick agreed.

That settled, the old archmage sighed, looking out his broad window at the panoramic view of the Palmyre valley. It was a perk of his status in the College, this perch atop the eastern College tower. You could see miles of farmland, rivers, and forest. All the things he hoped to protect. But despite all that beauty, the thing his eyes kept returning to was barely visible from this distance. A gray smudge in the distance to the south.

“Tell me, Uli,” he said with a melancholy air. “Do you feel the weight of our choices? These little compromises and begrudging decisions that burden our souls in pursuit of the greater good?”

His assistant looked at him quizzically. “Of course I do, sir. If we didn’t feel the burdens, we would be unfit to make the decisions.”

Orrick nodded and gave him a tired smile. Even if the man was a tool, that answer alone made him invaluable. “I couldn’t agree more, my friend. Do you have anything else?”

“No, sir.”

“Thank you for the report, then. You may return to your studies.”

His assistant was almost out the door when Orrick remembered his earlier musings and called him back.

“Uli?”

“Yes, sir?”

Orrick sighed. “We can’t afford to make waves within the druidic ranks. That woman from earlier may have been insufferable, but it is a sufferance we must bear.”

The man looked like he’d tasted bile. “Must we?”

“Alas, we must.”

The man sighed with resignation. “I will do my best, sir.”

“As you always do,” Orrick agreed.

Uli closed the door behind him, allowing Orrick to once again turned his gaze out the window.

Soon, the silence was once again broken by the metronomic tapping of his finger on the table.