Tap, tap, tap goes the cane.

"Recruits. New members of the cause. Alphas."

"Ending the threat of the Darach would gain you favor with the locals and make your recruitment easier. It is also easily within your power. Why not do so?"

"As long as we have a common enemy, we can gain favor with the locals. Killing the Darach would be wasteful. If you believe there's no chance to stop her from sacrificing innocents, then I'll step in."

"My impression is that so far that strategy is not serving you especially well."

"True, from a certain perspective. You think it's time to play our hand?" 

"Demonstrate that you're holding any cards at all, at least."

"We could kill her easily, if she's sacrificed...how many was it, Marin?" 

"A few. Not nine, not twelve, not fifteen. She won't be strong enough to kill all five of you." 

"Four deaths, by my count. Three sacrificed, one interrupted."

"Four, then. Four sacrifices, and now we know who she is. Do either of you object if one of my pack kills her now, then, or does timing matter?" 

"The twins?" 

"They volunteered to take her on. Admirable, how brave those boys are shaping up to be." 

"It would be better if it were witnessed."

"In that case, we should probably leave now."

"Before you do, might I offer a blessing, to mark the beginning of this partnership?"

"A blessing? I would be honored, even lacking the full context to understand." 

"A blessing is a minor permanent benefit provided by a god to their followers. Ellayania offers the blessings of speed, stamina, visual acuity, memory, resistance to cold and damp, and waterwalking."

"I doubt I'll benefit much from visual acuity. Unless I'm wrong, memory would be much appreciated. "

"Step forward, then, and receive it."

He steps forward.

And the earth beneath his feet vanishes, dropping him twenty feet down into a smooth-sided cavern. The roof seals back up.

He doesn't seem to like that.

The fall doesn't kill him, though. He's an alpha.

"What a very inhospitable goddess. You won't be getting a very good review."

Ms. Morrell does not hear this.

"What did you have planned next?"

"I find your strategies quite offensive. A partnership between we two would not have worked over the long run."

"Talk to the Darach. She said she would be content with just him. Now we have him."