Salad of doom

Ailwin's gaze didn’t lift from the ledger as Katrien spoke. He continued writing, his movements methodical, as if her words were just another item on a long list of tasks. When she finished, he finally capped the inkwell and leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold and calculating.

So, the palace goes dark, the wards start failing, and now you want to move up the timeline? His tone was serious, someone who didn’t know him well might think he was being sarcastic, but sarcasm didn’t come easy to Ailwin. Sounds like a perfect storm of chaos. Just what we needed.

He stood up, the chair scraping against the floor, and began pacing, the tension in his movements coiled tight. If we move now, we’re playing a game with pieces we haven’t even seen yet. Our contacts in the Free Marches aren’t nearly where I was hoping they would be. The original plan was slow, methodical. But sitting on our hands while the wards crumble isn’t an option either. We need every advantage, every piece of information, or we’re just gambling with lives—and I don’t like those odds. At first moving into the Free Marches had been simply an ambitious expansion plan, but now it seemed it would be a full blown move.

Ailwin stopped and fixed Katrien with a piercing stare. We’re going to reinforce our defenses, double our patrols, and get eyes inside that palace, one way or another. I don’t care if we have to bribe, blackmail, or break someone’s arm. We need intel, and we need it yesterday.

He moved closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. As for the rest, I’ll put together a plan. We’ll present it to the others, make sure they’re in line. But understand this, Katrien: If we’re moving up the timeline, there’s no room for mistakes. One misstep, and it’s not just our operation that falls apart. It’s everything we’ve worked for. She knew the stakes, but he felt obliged to say the words out loud.

Ailwin leaned back, the intensity in his eyes unwavering. Convincing me might be the easy part, but convincing the rest? That’s where it gets interesting. And you know how much I enjoy a challenge.

@Katrien