Partisan - Book II

Her Son

The first thing Beinsho does at the Council of Kings is give Allayria a map. On it is a small, red dot in the middle of Jarles territory, just northeast of the Phoenix's Bend, a day away from the capital, Vatra.

"We think the hidden base is there," Beinsho says, glancing down at the sprawling map.

Ruben hums at her side, a hand pulling at the end of his beard, brows furrowed. The others have gathered too, and Chieftainess Aren Dost taps on a small square just at Roften's border.

"Eastwatch," she says. "It's our base up there, and we've recently reclaimed it. I won't lie: our hold on it is tenuous at best, but you will be welcome there, should we still have control of it."

"How comforting," the High King of Solveig, Rastirel Feuilles says.

Lei, who has so far kept a respectful distance, approaches at Beinsho's side, peering down at their destination. Both Ruben and Allayria had agreed it would be best if he came to this particular meeting. Now two members of the team will know the full plan, if things go badly.

"My first instinct is to go up through Roften," Allayria begins, tracing a path through the leaning, weaving kingdom.

"But the Eastern part is heavily infested with Jarles," the Chieftainess finishes.

"Keesark does not fare much better these days," the kingdom's king, Hai Sofo, wheezes. "Commander Sinfui acts diligently, but we have not been afforded the resources needed to launch preventative measures."

He aims a sharp look at Feuilles, who only arches a sculpted eyebrow.

"Complain all you like, Sofo," he answers breezily, "but complaints do not make crops grow faster, as I tell my beleaguered gardeners all the time."

"I was talking men, not crops."

"Those grow even more slowly, I thought you would know this by now."

"We will have this conversation later," Beinsho interrupts. "Right now we need to talk about what's in this."

He slams the small, black book on the table and his audience turns their attention to it.

He flips it open—open to that diagram of the child and Sofo wheezes.

"Really now," he protests, pulling out a delicate cloth and dabbing his nose with it. "Really, I am far too old to see these things. Is this necessary?"

"Yes," Dost cuts in, her eyes hardening as she focuses on the book. "We need to see what Abadi Chaudri is doing with our children."

"I have spent many hours with this book," Beinsho says, and his mouth curdles with the words, "and while Jernald Brezkin was not fully in the confidences of the Jarles commanders, he figured enough out that I believe I have put together what the Imperator is doing."

He turns and looks at Allayria.

"The first time we met you told me you fought a Jarles soldier that was a Nature-caller," he says and Lei stiffens at the words. "You said they called a club of ice, but they wore Jarles colors."

"Yes," she answers. "I did."

"This notebook," Beinsho continues, nodding down at it, "implies that the Jarles were looking to fit something onto other Skillers, some sort of device fused with their spine and bones that would allow them to manually control the Skiller. If your experience with that Nature Skiller is any indication, they have succeeded."

He looks around at the grave faces of the other leaders.

"If they have succeeded, we may be faced with some terrible decisions," he says quietly.