Tel'ron was working on another belly bow in his forge when one of the metal workers burst in. He didn't look up from his work, though he directed a question toward the new arrival. "Where is everyone? We've got a dozen bows that need their trigger mechanisms finished, not to mention all the woodworkers' tools and guard weaponry that need maintenance. Even I can't handle this all on my own."

The metalworker looked at the master of his discipline with exasperation. "Lord A'ngles is outside the Outpost and all but declared war on Jack and S'haar!"

Tel'ron put down his tools as he looked up at the worker. "Why?"

The worker looked exasperated. "Why? Why does it matter? This is Lord A'ngles! The Lord of our village! If he declares war on the Outpost, we have to leave immediately!"

At this, Tel'ron looked even more confused. "Again, why?"

The worker looked as if his master had started speaking in another language. "Because you just do... He's the village Lord. We owe him our allegiance!"

Tel'ron looked at the worker as if he was a particularly slow student. Then, after a moment, he shook his head. "We owe the village lord our allegiance because he looks out for our best interests, but how is this in anyone's interests? Do you understand what we've been learning here? What all this means? What it could mean? If we're going to throw all this away and go back to the way things used to be, I want to know why. For what reason should I turn my back on the people and knowledge of this place? So again, I ask, why?"

The worker blinked stupidly for a moment. "I... I don't know..."

Tel'ron sighed. "Well, I suppose I might as well go and find out. Here, take over this trigger mechanism for me. And make sure the work is up to my standards. Don't get distracted by some little thing like this until I tell you to. Understand?"

With the belly bow shoved into his hands, the worker looked up at Tel'ron, wondering if he was joking, but saw it was clear he wasn't. Not sure of what else to do, and having been given explicit instructions from his master, the worker sat down and got to work.

Tel'ron watched him work with a satisfied grunt before turning away to deal with this latest distraction to his work.

*  

It took a moment for Jack to process just what Lord A'ngels had just said. The village leader now stood calmly, awaiting a reply as if he hadn't just dropped the mother of all bombshells on everyone present. What was supposed to have been a simple negotiation for To'brel's freedom in return for Em'brel's safety fell apart in the blink of an eye.

Beside him, Angela was muttering in Basic, so only a few of them could understand. "That snake! I knew he was a conniving son of a wolgen, but this? How could he? By the time I finish..."

Jack put a hand on Angela's arm to calm her. He knew she couldn't feel anything or derive comfort from the contact, but he also knew she'd be completely aware of his actions and his intentions behind them. He needed to think. But there just wasn't enough time...

S'haar's voice was the next to speak up, though she was considerably louder than Angela and directed her comments to A'ngles. "I'm afraid we're not prepared for those demands. The leadership of the Outpost will need to confer before we can offer a response to your...request."

Jack raised an eyebrow. What had happened to the hot-headed S'haar he knew? Not that he was complaining, as the response was just about perfect. It bought them the time they needed to speak among themselves.

Lord A'ngles nodded affably, as if he hadn't just made an outrageous accusation followed by an even more outrageous demand. "Of course, of course...but leave young To'brel with us. I can't allow you to forcefully detain him, now that he's a Village Lord in his own right. He's no longer just some minor noble to be held for bargaining. He's a ruling ally to our village and, by extension, myself."

Jack didn't know enough about the local ranking system to understand how the change in status affected the negotiations, and from what he'd gathered, no one else did either. Until now, the most one village might negotiate with another was for trade and an exchange of services. Declaring alliances and having villages agree to defend each other was entirely new, allowing A'ngles to make up the rules as he went. If they declined, it would create a situation where the Lord could claim they were the aggressors, but if they gave To'brel over here and now, he would likely be nothing more than a puppet under A'ngles’ rule, essentially giving the older village Lord the power and resources of two village, meaning no power in the region would be able to stand against him. Then again, remembering the number of argu'n they'd brought to threaten the Outpost, he likely already had the other village under his control. However, his hold over the other village must still be tenuous; otherwise he wouldn't be going through this charade to get To'brel back... But still, how could they take the kid back with them without giving A'ngles all the excuse he needed to start a full-out war?

After several moments of silence, S'haar once again spoke up, this time turning to the young noble everything now centered around. "To'brel, I hereby release you from your oath and set you free. You may leave."

*  

To'brel was in shock. His father was dead? When? How? Had it been when Lon'thul kidnapped him? But he'd checked on his father. He'd been alive and sleeping when he'd left. Had that all been part of some trick? Thinking frantically, he couldn't remember any blood or signs of a severe injury. Had Lon'thul injected his father with something when To'brel wasn't looking? Maybe...

That was when To'brel felt someone grab hold of him from behind. At first, he thought it might be an attack, but as numb as he was, he didn't have the energy to fight back. Instead, it turned into a hug from behind. His cousin's whispered voice reached his ears. "Oh, To'brel... I'm so sorry."

Coming from anyone else, that might have felt empty or manipulative, but coming from Em'brel... This was the young female he'd grown up with and probably the one person in the world who understood best what he was going through right now. His anger and suspicion fell away for a moment, leaving him only with grief.

Stolen novel; please report.

The other voices were just a sound to him right now; he heard what they were saying, but nothing processed until he heard his name spoken by the man who'd delivered the world-shattering news. "...but leave young To'brel with us."

The rest blended back into chaotic noise, but the implications were clear. To'brel's time here was over. He didn't know if he should be glad or frightened by the idea. These were the people who'd kidnapped him, but they were also the people who'd saved Em'brel. They'd forced him to remain against his will but also taught him many new ideas and encouraged him to ask questions and learn. And now, apparently, they were also the ones that killed his father...

Then S'haar was speaking to him. "To'brel, I hereby release you from your oath and set you free... You may leave."

There it was. It didn't matter how the young noble felt or what had happened. It was time to leave.

To'brel started walking toward the new group but stopped halfway there. The words of the strange male from earlier came back to him. "Hope you learn fast, kid. You won't get a second chance."

He thought about S'haar's wording. She hadn't told him to go. She said he may leave. Meaning it was his choice. But why would he choose to stay with his father's killers? Something about that still bothered him, though. He looked over to the male from before, who now stood at his Village Lord's side. After a moment, he spoke up.

"How... how did my father die?"

The male looked to his Lord with a questioning glance. The older Lord merely nodded in return. The male then returned his attention to To'brel. "He was found the morning after your abduction. His throat had been slit."

To'brel froze. That...that wasn't right. He'd checked on his father at the time. There were many things Lon'thul could have done that he wouldn't have known to look for, but he would have certainly noticed that. He looked questioningly at the hunter, who merely shook his head no, his meaning apparent. The young noble entertained the idea that maybe the hunter had doubled back after the young noble had been rendered unconscious, but then he remembered how honest and forthright the hunter had always been with him. It still might be possible, but To'brel had to listen to his own intuition at some point. Right now, his intuition was telling him that despite the situation that led to him coming to stay here, these people had never had anything but good intentions behind their actions. Turning back to his father's professed ally, he could see the male's gaze was cold and unreadable. True, his father had been working with another village lord since he'd taken power, and To'brel had no doubt that this was the lord in question. The trouble was, he looked more like he was puzzling over a trade dispute than someone professing righteous indignation over the loss of a friend and ally.

Turning back to the people he's been staying with against his will, he saw a variety of expressions, ranging from concerned to frightened. True, much of that probably came from the current threat to their life here at the Dragon’s Outpost, but still, these were the expressions he could read and understand.

He turned back to the Lord who'd come to rescue him and bowed formally. "Thank you for coming all this way to rescue me on my father's behalf, but I think I will be staying here for a little longer. Please tell my people I will be returning to them shortly."

When he raised his head, To'brel expected to see frustration or even outright anger. But instead, the male in charge looked as if nothing had changed. The Lord then turned to the larger, more frightening male beside him and spoke quietly enough that To'brel was certain no one from the Outpost could hear him. "I'm afraid it's worse than I thought. They've obviously threatened or coerced him somehow. Dek'thul, please retrieve him, so that we might protect him from any other such...influences."

Dek'thul nodded deferentially to the smaller male. "Yes, Lord A'ngles!"

As the monster of an argu'n started forward, To'brel tried to back up, only to trip and land on his backside. He froze, unsure of what to do next when suddenly Dek'thul stopped. In front of him, buried in the ground, was a thin stick that had appeared out of nowhere.

Suddenly, the terrifying Dek'thul's attention was focused on some point behind To'brel. "Are you sure you really want to do this, boy?"

From behind To'brel came Lon'thul's voice. "Now, there's a lot going on here that I don't understand, and I'm more than a little confused at some of the things being said, but one thing I am sure of is To'brel made his choice. I figure he's got as much right as anyone to decide his fate."

Dek'thul shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not, but you don't. Your allegiance is to Lord A'ngles."

That actually made Lon'thul hesitate a moment,during which Dek'thul started forward again, but this time Angela walked forward, causing the older hunter to pause and draw his knife as the AI spoke. "Maybe Lon'thul's is, but mine isn't. As far as I'm concerned, To'brel just requested sanctuary while deciding his next course of action. I intend to grant him that request, and quite frankly, there is little you or any of your men can do to stop me!"

The old hunter grinned and braced to leap forward when Angela raised her arms and shot a massive plume of flame forward toward the hunter and the rest of the guards. Immediately everyone fell back, several of the guards grabbing Lord A'ngles and pulling him back into the safety of the forest. The only one who didn't fall to the ground or dive out of the way was B'arthon. The younger village noble was shouting at the rest as the illusionary flames surrounded him. "Her fire is a lie! I've seen this before! Get back to your feet and stop running!"

However, despite his words and the proof of him still standing, everyone else, even the proud hunter, fled or froze in fear. In the confusion, Anglea grabbed the back of To'brel's shirt and heaved him back to S'haar and the guards. One of the guards had already grabbed Jack and was running back, and the other now picked up To'brel and did the same. With the return of To'brel, the rest of the group started back as well, except for Angela, who turned and waited for any further trouble.

B'arthon stood glaring at the AI while the rest of A'ngles' forces regained their feet. Angela half expected the young noble to charge forward, but he seemed content to just stand and watch. On the other hand, Dek'thul appeared to have a different plan.

The hunter circled her warily, looking for an opening. For her part, Angela simply stood in place, staring down B'arthon. Once the hunter was behind her, he leapt forward, forcing Angela into a hold designed to render her unconscious.

Angela took careful note of the stresses the hunter brought to bear, noting that he had enough strength to actually damage her frame if she allowed him the time to do so. Instead, she grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip, then carefully but inevitably forced his arm away from her neck, still staring down B'arthon.

Dek'thul immediately changed tactics, drawing his knife and slashing it toward Angela's back. Then, not wanting to find out if the blade would break before getting through her armor plate, the AI flipped the hunter over her shoulder onto the ground, where he lay for a moment, gasping for breath.

Angela addressed B'arthon. "You'd best think carefully before assaulting our home. I don't take kindly to unwelcome guests..."

She turned around and started walking back to the Outpost at an almost leisurely pace. Dek'thul picked himself up off the ground, grabbing his dagger as he did so, but when he started forward, B'arthon called him back. "Let them go for now. We can't stop them at this point, but it's not like they're going anywhere. We know right where they'll be."

For his part, Dek'thul relaxed his stance and laughed his usual good-natured laugh. It was like he'd been playing a game rather than struggling to assassinate a metallic goddess moments ago. "That silver lady is just full of surprises, isn't she?"

B'arthon continued to stare at the now closed gate, a part of him deep in thought. "Yeah, they all are. My father might have started a bigger hunt than we can handle..."

Dek'thul clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "Nonsense! When has your father ever led us wrong before? Besides, you know he already anticipated things ending like this today. He's probably got another dozen plans ready to go!"

B'arthon turned to walk back to their main force. "Yes, I'm sure he does. I wonder how many of those will still be viable after our next exchange?"