((ooc: this is part of a continuing storyline as seen in
this post. You might want to review it if you are confused. It might even help!))
Sahm took a deep breath, and threw another stick on the fire. He looked up at the others, finally, though the worry showed through on his face. It had taken Sahm a few days to find Kyrre, Trella and the others, even though he had known the movement of their camps. Keeping up with the location of an underground resistance group was not easy.
"So that's it then." Kyrre said, having listened to Sahm's report about King Lodan's death, and Duke Estefan's intentions for a quick coronation. Kyrre could not keep the sadness out of his voice. King Lodan had supported the cause. Back when Kyrre's father Hichon had been it's Captain, King Lodan had been behind it in full. But that had been before he had started losing his strength and support. And before Hichon had died, leaving Kyrre as his successor. It had been impossible, then, to get support among the court. Especially with Duke Estefan there.
The court knew, as did the entire kingdom, that King Lodan had no recognized heirs, and his late sister's grandson, Duke Estefan, was the next in line. So when Lodan's health began to wane- though long after everyone expected it to- Duke Estefan's power began to grow. Estefan had had the most influencial voice in court for years. And now... now his plans for selling out the Northern Kitsune shores would go forward without arguement.
"Estefan is now going to bring about the beginning of the demise of the Kitsunes of Gaia." Trella added into the silence.
Sahm sighed again.
"We do have one possibility." Kyrre said. No one looked up. Sahm and Trella had heard it before. The whole company- all two hundred of them- had heard it before. A story that Hichon had told Kyrre when he was a boy. About a son that King Lodan had out of wedlock. A son that Lodan had kept as long as he could, but hid just as much, for unknown reasons. An heir to the throne of the Kitsunes of Gaia existed, and still lived on Gaia. So said Hichon, and Kyrre had believed him. He still did.
"He doesn't exist." Trella said. Her dejected voice told it all. She didn't believe the stories. She thought it was a waste of time. They had to strengthen all the defenses, and searching for some long lost heir that no one had record of was a complete waste of time, even now. But she also knew he believed it. And when Kyrre believed something, he put his whole heart into it. And he never would give up on a cause.
"Trella. You know he believes. He has a plan. And it is a good one." Sahm said, pleading with her though his tone belied that he was not convinced the plan would work.
"It is." she replied, dejected. "But, now is not the time-" Trella argued.
"Now is the only time!" Kyrre said, cutting in loudly, a hint of anger in his voice. "Would you have me wait more, Trella? You, as Den Warden of our Company, have stopped me thus far. There were things that could be done. There were options left to us still. But now? Now we have nothing left. The Elders and the Court will have Estefan crowned before this New moon has waxed again. If we do not go now, we have no chance to save our people."
Trella sat down on the log, her head lowered too far to even look up at the fire. Sahm stared into the fire, not daring to look up into Kyrre's face, either. Kyrre looked at them both, and waited. He was breathing heavy, his angry still too fresh, and his terror, too.
Finally, Trella stood. She looked about, and spoke with a loud, clear voice, so that most of the others could hear. They were all still close by, but far enough back to have given the Den Warden, Speaker, and War Leader their privacy during their discussion.
"War Leader Kyrre and Speaker Sahm shall go forth from the lands of the Kitsunes. We have learnt of the death of King Lodan, and Duke Estefan's intended ascention to the throne. This spells certain doom for loyal Kitsunes. Therefore, Kyrre and Sahm will try to find the fabled heir, and bring him back to rule. We will prepare our fights in their absence, and hope they need not be fought. Quick running, and easy hunting, Leader Kyrre and Speaker Sahm." Trella said, and then thumped her staff into the earth. As she did, the earth magic she commanded surged through the magic staff and through the ground, into each member of the company. As Den Warden of the Company, her orders sealed them.
A few minutes later Kyrre and Sahm were off at a run, heading toward the continent of Northern Gaia. Their small Southern continent was often overlooked by most of the inhabitants of Gaia, as they lived mainly on the larger Northen continent. Sadly, many did not bother to discover the strange and diverse beings that lived further south, across a short span of ocean. And the Southern Gaians had their own problems to worry about, and usually kept to themselves. Today, however, was quite different, and things might never be the same.
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