Chapter 46: Parley

“What do we do with the three back there?” Quint asked as they stepped out of the chamber. He glanced over his shoulder back inside.

Nienna winced and covered her eyes. There was a thick cover of clouds above, but the muted daylight was still bright enough to bother her vision which hadn’t adjusted from the darkness she had been in for so long. “We can’t let them roam about; they’re too dangerous. We should keep them locked up until we figure out what to do with them.”

“I agree,” her mother replied. Her voice was strained and her form drooping. “We can’t risk anyone getting hurt. The closer he is with the Sanguinary Blade, the more at risk—we are.”

A thundering crash erupted on the other side of the sanctuary, and the sound of wood shattering cut through the air. Nienna instinctively crouched and looked around for any possible threats. A flurry of white ran past them, toward the sound of destruction. They had no interest in the struggle that happened in their little chamber. They have bigger fish to fry, she thought to herself.

“I’ll flag down some of the kodan and see if we can secure the chamber,” Quint offered and then left in search of help.

“What can we do?” Viktor asked.

Nienna turned to her parents as she wrung her hands. She wasn’t sure what to do with them. Her father had started to show signs of Aedan Byrne’s mental intrusion. Her mother wasn’t immune either. She was susceptible to his manipulation too. “For now, hang back, please?”

The disappointment on her parents’ faces was palpable. It shot and sunk her heart, but her concern for their well-being and the well-being of those around them outweighed her guilt for letting them down.

“We understand,” her mother replied, forcing a smile. “We could become a problem.”

Her father put a hand on her mother’s back. “Why don’t we help your friend guard our frozen friends. That way, if something does happen, we’ll be in good hands, and no one will have to worry.”

“Okay,” Nienna nodded, trying to still her nervous hands clutching each other. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate the help. You’ll be okay, right?”

Her parents nodded. “Of course, dear. We’ve lasted this long. I think we can stick it out a little longer,” her mother replied. Nienna appreciated her attempt at making light of the situation, no matter how fleeting the feeling was.

She watched her parents leave in search of Quint before quickly making her way across the frozen paths through Deep and Troubled Waters that lead her to the other side of the sanctuary. On her way, she spied a mass of fur perched on one of the roofs above. She stopped and pursed her lips as she studied the familiar form. “Clarkus?”

The charr lowered the rifle and looked down. His eyes went wide and pupils narrowed. “Commander! You’re awake—and alive! What happened to your hair?”

Nienna grimaced. It hadn’t been that long, and she already missed her red hair. “Eh, a sudden and unexplained development. We’ll talk about it later.” She gestured sharply across the sanctuary. “Is it them? Did they find us?”

Clarkus raised the rifle and looked through the scope again. “Yup, looks like the airship captain wasn’t able to lead them away like she was hoping.”

“What in the great flow of the Eternal Alchemy was that ruckus? Are we being attacked again?” Alena waddled down the ice-covered boardwalk and rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes. Her incessant desire to find a solution to their problem had kept her from resting at regular intervals. Her exhaustion had finally caught up with her, and the asura had nodded off in her pile of research and notes. But as soon as her eyes fell on Nienna, all signs of fatigue disappeared. “My ears! You’re awake! How are you feeling? What’s the state of your physical symptoms? Are you feeling murderous?”

“Murderous? Gods no. I’m fine, I promise.” Nienna couldn’t help but smile as she waved her off.

It was nice to have good news spread amongst the group for once. It was also a relief to be honest about her state of being. She really was fine. Her mind was clear, and her body was not in a constant state of pain for once. It was a moment of much needed relief. However, her smile faded as a dark reality reminded her of what needed to happen. She shoved the thought aside, trying to stop her thoughts from peeking through to her visage.

“We’ve got some work to do. Where are the others?” Nienna asked.

“Last I saw, the Priory travelers were having a meeting with the sanctuary’s Voice,” Alena replied. “Salara was napping in the chamber I was working in. Her pacing was driving me crazy, so I employed her eyes and brain to help me with research. I haven’t seen someone fall asleep that quickly while reading about wavelength measurements of energy since final exams my last year in the college of Synergetics.”

Nienna made a thoughtful noice. “She’s been through a lot. Probably needed that sleep.” She then looked up at the cloud-filled sky for any signs of the Raven. “Any word from Danae and the crew?”

Clarkus shook his head. “Nothing so far.”

“Right, okay.” Placing her hands on her hips, Nienna chewed on her bottom lip as options started running through her mind. “Well, they’re here, and we can’t just abandon these kodan to deal with our problem. Plus, they have Seren and a blade piece.”

“We’ve got company on the floe!” Dee yelled out as she appeared around the corner. Her hazel eyes widened as she saw Nienna. “Bear’s back, you’re up and walking.”

She gave her friend a little nod. “Surprisingly, I am.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Good. Like I’m ready to end this. Show me where they’re at.”

A smirk pulled at Dee’s lips, and she motioned for her to follow.

***

As Nienna peered through the eyeglass Dee had borrowed for her, she swept it up and down the shoreline, making a mental count of how many she could see. They now had two catapults that had been built out of a hodge podge of materials, but they were functional and effective. The splintered panels along the east side to attest to that. There was no sign of Seren or the missing blade piece anywhere she could see. She lowered the spyglass and frowned. They probably had them stashed behind the front lines. It was a smart move, and she hated them for it.

“I don’t see Seren or the blade piece, but they have two catapults and far too many bodies on that ice,” Nienna said. She handed the spyglass back to Dee. “How many kodan live here in the sanctuary?”

“Not enough,” Dee replied.

“And how many do we have, including our new friends?”

The norn frowned deeply. “Not enough.”

Nienna sighed and bowed her head. Without Danae and her airship, they were at a disadvantage against the Byrnes and their growing horde. She clenched her jaw while she considered options. Brute force wouldn’t work, because they didn’t have the numbers. They could try negotiating, but what did they have to offer? They had nothing they could risk parting with, and they still needed to get Seren and the blade piece back.

“Alena,” she began while entertaining a thought that had been poking at the back of her mind since the conversation with her parents, “the Sanguinary Blade—it’s proximity based, right?”

The asura nodded. “Given the information I’ve gathered from your parents and their direct experience with the process, I would say so. The weapon itself was forged from Jormag’s blood, exhibiting corruptible power.”

“What about the frozen jotun they had on the shear? The Byrnes weren’t around then,” Dee pointed out. “They still attacked us.”

Nienna stared out across the icy waters toward the floe. “No, they weren’t, at least not that we could see.”

“It’s also possible they were following basic orders from that mercenary captain,” Alena offered.

Nienna raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s the sword that controls them, not directly. If I had to guess, and I hate guessing—it’s such a primitive and unsupportive form of theory—I would say that the Sanguinary Blade puts their mind in a primitive and primal state, making it malleable to someone who knows how to push.”

“Someone like a Lord who has experience in social circles where manipulation and persuasion are commonplace?” Nienna offered.

Alena nodded. “Precisely.”

Clarkus raised his rifle and resumed his watch using the rifle scope. “We’ve got another one prepped and about to come our way!” he warned. “Wait—what are they doing? They got it all loaded but aren’t firing.”

Dee looked up at the charr. Her tattoo band across her eyes distorted as she furrowed her brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“They’re sending someone out in a boat.” Clarkus lowered the rifle and turned back to them. “Are they going to oar us to death?” he chortled.

Clarkus jumped down and joined the kodan guarding the east edge of Deep and Troubled Waters. Nienna followed, trying to catch a glimpse of this boat. As she stepped out onto the eastern bow, she spied a cloaked figure rowing in a dinghy barely large enough for them. She strained her eyes to see if she could get a glimpse of their face, but the hood shadowed over their features.

Deep Song strode out onto the bow near Nienna, surrounded by armed kodan guards. The great kodan Voice gripped the rail guard and sunk her claws into the wood. “What is your purpose?” she demanded. Her booming words echoed off of the frozen landscape.

The vessel rocked gently on the waves. The messenger sat calmly, their hands still on the oars and moving them occasionally to keep the dinghy facing the sanctuary. They didn’t seem to be phased at all by the armed kodan. She wasn’t sure if it was an act of pure stupidity or sheer bravery. Either way, their presence here was intriguing.

“Lord and Lady Bryrne would like to parley with Lady Valar and her people. They request to meet on the floe at their earliest convenience,” the envoy relayed under the shadow of their hood.

Tapping her nails on the rail, Nienna considered the invitation. “Tell the Byrnes we accept their parley,” she called out and then pushed herself away from the rail to find the others. She made sure her reply was short and sweet. She wanted the Byrnes to think she was playing into their demands.

“A parley?” Dee asked. “You really think we’re going to be able to have a reasonable conversation with those people?”

Nienna scoffed. “Not at all, but I want to buy us some time.”

Alena’s ears perked up. “Time for what?”

Nienna crossed her arms over her chest as she sucked in air between her teeth. “It’s kind of crazy. I don’t even know if it will work, but we have to do something.”

Dee eyed her. “How crazy are we talking? If this is the shadow or those crystals talking…”

“I can assure you, it’s not, but I wish it was. At least it would have given me a good excuse for what I’m about to propose.”