Smuggler's Vale- Communication

[redcoat]

"I see the armistice is going well." Sae said, unable to hold back the spark of mischief in her voice. "It's Sae. I have a magic item that will let me talk to you for ten minutes. Only you can hear me."

[Ancelas]

Ratha's hand flew to the hilt of her shortsword and she whirled, on guard and searching around her, drawing the attention of her sergeant who began looking around as well.

A heartbeat later, Ratha's eyes narrowed. "...Sae?"

[redcoat]

"Shortswords are useless against voices in your head, Ratha- and now you've probably made that sergeant wet himself." Sae said, but her voice was calm- easy, and likely less exhausted and hopeless than Ratha had heard in a long time.

"Yes, it's me. We recovered a magic item from the last battle we were in. I can see you, and we can talk- but only for a few minutes, and only once a day at best. So, Staff Sergeant Cairel, Vanguard Scout and Attache to the Alurani tribelands, could you perhaps sneak away for a few minutes for a briefing? I am curious how things are there, and I'd like to get you caught up on the front lines."

"Unless you need proof that it is actually me. In which case, I was not the one who removed Captain Bear's left eye. That was Pyria, and I'm pretty sure she swallowed it."

[Ancelas]

"A magic.... how..." Ratha bit her tongue and looked at her sergeant, who was watching her warily. "Back to your drills!" she commanded. "It was just a... bug. Damnit..." Ratha turned away and began walking away from the training field, which faded into the blurry edges of Sae's vision as it moved beyond the limits of her sight.

"Gods above, Sae, a little warning would be nice. Don't just... You can see me?" She looked around, as though trying to find where Sae was watching her from. "That is incredibly unnerving!"

[redcoat]

"Everyone keeps saying 'A little warning would be nice' like that's even an option." Sae said, watching her try to find her. "And yes, I can see you looking for me. I don't know how it works either. I look in the magic orb, everything around me goes hazy and dark, and I can see and talk to you. Anyway, onto important things. How are things going there? How caught up are you in things in Kel Mar?"

[Ancelas]

"In Kel Mar?" Ratha found a tree and moved over to it, standing under the boughs and folding her arms over her chest. "No idea - It's only been about eight... nine days since I arrived in Thornwall, and I've spent most of that time trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do here. We're looking to send two of my squad back to the city with a handful of Alurani at the end of the week. Why? What happened?"

[redcoat]

Oh boy, this was going to be fun. Sae sighed, her tone turning serious. "We arrived back to a mess. City Lord Luthadel hanged a bunch of people in the temple district. Mother and Father took sanctuary in the temple of Talos with Pyria while Ivran went to ground with Lyra's family. The Torchbearers were stuck in a quagmire in the the castle courtyard. The city was under lockdown, I lied our way back in. I... reached out, as a neutral party, to offer to mediate. I did try do solve things diplomatically."

She frowned deeply.

"That went about as well as you might expect. So, fearing the imminent threat to the family- it's not like Luthadel was showing a great deal of respect to the temples- I... lost my temper. Valor Company infiltrated the courtyard. We took the palace in three minutes, with only one accidental casualty. I rather brutally eliminated Luthadel. I then told the head of the Torchbearers- Laucian Rothari- exactly what happened to people who put my family in danger. Then I handed him Luthadel's head."

She shrugged, even though she knew Ratha couldn't see her.

"Might want to wait until I check in with Mother before sending some Alurani to the capital."

[Ancelas]

"...Don't you dare shrug at met while you say that," Ratha warned, her face pale. "You can't just... shrug off the death of citylord like that! Granted, I never liked Luthadel, but... his head?"

[redcoat]

"Ratha, it was far more brutal than just a beheading." Sae said, her voice tired- but honest. "And it is something I will see every time I close my eyes for a very long time. I immediately turned myself into the chapterhouse, and my trial will be in a year. All I can do now is keep fighting the war, and try to make it so no one else suffers for what I did."

She sighed.

"Anyway, we left Kel Mar I think the day... after? That. The port was being blockaded so we used magic to just walk under the navy and make the fast way to Smuggler's Vale. We've identified five key strategic locations and took two of them. We've also mustered a significant- if unconventional- force. The first battle was fairly straightforward, if... bloodier, than I'd anticipated. This morning's was... a lot."

She paused.

"You asked me to kill a demon or something monstrous for you- do you think a giant floating cyclops' skull that shoots spells from it's eyestalks will do?"

[Ancelas]

Ratha lifted a hand to her head and massaged her forehead. After a moment, she sighed. "It's okay to regret what you've done," she said softly. "You don't need to be flippant about it. Killing some one - no matter the circumstance - is not easy, and should not be enjoyable. I know you understand, but... hiding your pain behind that flippancy only does you a disservice."

She dropped her hand and squinted at something in the distance. "I know we weren't very close when you were growing up, but I think... I hope... recent events have shown that I still care about your wellbeing. Not everyone could talk me into such a... foolhardy endeavor as this one," she said with a snort.

Then, continuing in a more brusque manner, as though the show of affection was uncomfortable to her, she continued, "So, a giant floating cyclops skull? Yes, that sounds sufficiently monstrous. Good job."

[redcoat]

"We were close, Ratha. Combative, but close. Otherwise, how could you know me so well?" She said, relaxing into the tree. "And I know that being flippant isn't... a good coping mechanism. Honestly, these last few weeks are filled with several deaths by my own hand that I regret- no matter how many people say it was justified. I will... deal with the pain, someday. But right now all I can do is bind the wounds and keep moving."

She would take Ratha's lead then, squaring her shoulders a bit.

"It's been a busy morning. The damn thing has left half my team with side effects... but at least communication is working once more on the continent. It's... the war feels like it's going better, when I can see the immediate effects of the battles I'm fighting. I'll admit that."

[Ancelas]

Ratha nodded slightly, accepting Sae's observation without dispute. When conversation turned back to the monster, she furrowed her brow. "You've restored communication? You mentioned this was a magic item, but... is it true? Have you tested divinations?"

[redcoat]

"Ta'ro- our wizard- is a bit spent, but I can ask him about divination. I know the sending spell I used to contact one my teachers at the Black Tower worked." She frowned deeply.

"And yes- we found this magic item. It might be how they've been able to communicate despite the magical blocks. Konane stole it from the tower before we flew out of it, and Alistair identified it. I'm the only one not yet at max capacity for magic items yet, so she gave it to me to use. I've been... working my way down the list of people I need to talk to. Mother is next."

[Ancelas]

"Yeah, that," Ratha said in regards to the mention of the sending spell. "Couldn't remember the proper name..."

She blinked and let out a little laugh. "Mother? Well, checking in would be a good thing... It'd be a good chance to catch up with news in the city too, I suspect."

[redcoat]

"Mother is running things in Kel Mar. We had a shit ton of magic items we needed to turn into liquid assets, and I need someone to keep an eye on the Maeth'ir to see to what extent- if at all- he's holding up his side of the bargain. I do not need him crashing onto the battlefield with no warning or nuance." Sae said, the frustration clear in her voice.

"With my luck he'd try and cut through the orcs, goblins, and dragon I've turned to my side."