[IRP] Power Begets Power

[WyvernSlayer]

“No,” gasped Shad.
 
“I regret that this is the way I have to meet with you all again,” said Orica, her voice familiar and clear as she held her helmet in front of her.  Familiar, yet… more reserved?  Humbled?  No, certainly not humbled, he thought.
 
He took note of the unsightly scar on her face.  Was it the cause of her change in apparent attitude?  Was it Lita’s doing?  Or had she saved her from a fate far worse?
 
Shad spoke first.  "I'm sorry for all the times my family referred to you as a suit of armor with cats in it! They -mostly- didn't know better!"  Satsume brought a hand to his face and sighed in exasperation.  He peeked at Cecily from around it, gauging her reaction.
 
"A mutual acquaintance told me you were probably dead. I didn't believe him. But...what happened to make him think that?" asked Shad.
 
“Who cares right now?!” Satsume blurted out.  All eyes converged on him.  He didn’t care.  “We’ve puttered about here long enough.  Let’s not waste Marquess Pherae’s kindness and ride for Laus already!”  He stepped forward, standing between Orica and Cecily.  He locked eyes with Cecily, trying (and probably failing) to hide his frustration.
 
“There will be plenty of time to catch up on things along the way.”

---

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

---

 
*ca-clink… ca-clink… ca-clink…*
 
Satsume’s armor rattled rhythmically as the wagon bumped beneath him.  Puffs of smoke spouted into the air from around the end of his pipe.  The sun was threatening to roast him in his armor, but the wagon’s cover provided adequate shade.  He peered out around the side of the rear arch, where Orica rode alongside on a borrowed horse.  She looked back at him, her face wearing a pained expression.  It was something he had never seen from her before – humility.  Satsume couldn’t help flashing a mild grin, causing Orica to roll her eyes and look forward again.  Things have certainly changed with her, he thought.  Our plan would have no chance if the old Orica were here.
 
He ran through the plan once more in his head.  Cecily had told them that, upon arrival, the caravan would have its inventory taken at a checkpoint on the east side of the castle town.  Cecily, Lita, and Shad would remain there and wait.  That left Satsume and Orica to approach the troop staging area, where Satsume would use his credentials to talk away the bulk of the castle’s army.  Then they’d reconvene at the castle gate.  Cecily neglected to mention how they’d actually get inside the castle, but Satsume hoped that sending off the Lausian army would buy them enough time to figure that out.
 
Then, of course, was the matter of fighting their way to the throne.  Cecily had spoken of her uncle as a crafty, but cruel sort.  Perhaps there would be inhabitants that were there under duress?  Maybe a few that wished for Cecily to return?  It would certainly make things easier – and more importantly, keep bloodshed to a minimum.
 
Satsume banged his pipe against the heel of his boot, and pushed off the edge of the wagon, landing on his feet.  He jogged around to the front, where Cecily sat next to the driver beneath a tan umbrella.
 
“How many guards do you suppose there are in the castle?” he asked.  “And how many of them do you think we have a chance of winning over?”