A pigeon circles above for a few minutes, not long before they leave the road. Lantry absently looks up, and then starts. "Oh! Right, this has been a while." He takes the bird-bag out of his pack and lifts it up in the gloved hand he usually uses for messenger birds. One flies down.

He reads the message on its leg; it's quite short.

"Well, that's confirmation, I think." He passes the missive to Ophelia.

Brother Lantry,

Not writing in an official capacity, but Tarkis saw what I was writing and didn't tell me to stop. We've informed Matani Sybil of the civil war, which she believed, and the cease-fire, which she didn't. She at least agreed with his advice not to attack the Disfavored on sight until we have more chances to negotiate, but that's all for now.

Do what you do best and keep your skin intact, if you don't mind. Three Cheep is a good bird but he'll run off with the bag if you're too dead to send him back.

Good fortune,

Sister Nested Clause

"Well, this is convenient."

Dear Nested Clause,

My thanks for opening this line of communications.  All those at the Court's side of the table are yet well, though busy.

I am writing in an official capacity when I inquire as to what might convince Matani Sybil of the ceasefire, but as long as she doesn't strike first I am well satisfied.

I would offer to swear on Kyros' name, but Kyros' name hardly goes very far in these parts and I cannot honestly say it should go further, no matter that if I broke it Tunon himself would strike me down if I failed to kill myself.  (It's the Law, and I am certain that I am subject to its strictest scrutiny - but clearly, the impression the Vendrien Guard has of the Empire is that the Empire broke Kyros's Peace first, whether or not that is the strictest truth of the matter.  ...I cannot honestly say I can refute... especially the essence of that claim, no matter what my oaths as a Fatebinder may or may not oblige me to posit arguendo.)

Sincerely,

--Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle

P.S. If my personal appearance would help, I expect that a visit to the Matani could be arranged if Matani Sybil is willing to trust that neither I nor those under my command will bring violence unto her people.  If I were her, I would not, but while I am rather busy with catching up on matters that are somehow more urgent with Nerat gone rogue - I do believe that I could slip a detour into the itinerary and still make it to the parley before the tenday elapses.

Then it will be sent back.

"You gonna try to translate that scouting run into a message I send to Barik, or nah?"

"Not the scouting run, it's not worth it - but we should try and communicate the message we received from Nested Clause, about Matani Sybil's forces' standing orders."

"Oh, she told us? Sure, tell me what to send when you've got it clear enough."

And she can, thankfully, get it clear enough.

"She did; Matani's - Sybil's? - disbelieving of the ceasefire, but still willing to not attack first.  Which should be sufficient, hopefully."

"Mmmh. You'll at least get a chance to talk." Unsurprisingly Verse sounds somewhat ambivalent about the prospect.

She sends a message, and gets an acknowledgement from Barik.

"No fading with distance, I don't think. At least not at this scale."

She's not surprised that Verse is somewhat ambivalent about her ability to talk at people defusing conflicts.  Don't worry; there are still plenty of people she'll need dead.

"That's good."

(And evening passes, and morning follows.)

Colus warns everyone that they're far enough out that he's expecting Chorus activity around here even if they don't know the last suspected location of the Earthshakers, which, let's face it, they probably do. So everyone's on guard as they get moving.

He's correct. The first sign Ophelia and Lantry are likely to get is a high-pitched whistle that doesn't have an obvious source (it's Aethra). The second is a soft thunk and a less-soft gurgling scream. "Contact east, five-plus Chorus," Phorbas calls, and then there's another bow shot.

"Scarlet Chorus forces, you are hereby obliged to surrender to agents of Kyros by order of the Court of Tunon --"

She is not expecting this to work so she prepares to throw lightning --

They attack, charging out of the woods once they realize they're detected. Unsurprisingly, they outnumber Ophelia & co., despite being counter-ambushed.

All of them visible have javelins, though some of them are ignoring them (possibly sensible given the forest) and going for their blades instead. The boss doesn't stand out from the crowd, if they're visible at all.

Verse, is, of course, charging right back, and slicing up everyone who comes within range of her swords.

With a shimmering blur around her making it hard for anyone to retaliate even if they're fast and skilled enough to hit her in the first place.

Colus is hanging close to the two caster, and Aethra (previously on the other side of the party) quickly takes up a position next to him. There's no sign of Antenor. (There usually isn't.)

And Ophelia's hands twitch through sigil after sigil after sigil, buffing her allies with Vigor and Haste, empowering their weapons with Lightning, casting Illusions upon the enemy - and fending off anyone who thinks that it's simple to stab the casters, with commingled Lightning and Force.  (Also, she does have a sword, in case that becomes relevant.)

A cluster of five gets close - probably half of what's left, and then three of them snarl and start attacking relentlessly, ignoring scorches from near-missed spells and a thrown knife in the upper arm. They're close enough to see the unnatural rage in their eyes-

-So it's probably not that surprising when a fireball drops centered on Ophelia.

"CHANTER," Colus bellows, "find them!" He personally, like Aethra, is busy trying to hold off the enraged Choirmen - they're ignoring wounds nearly as well as those with Ashe's aegis, and skill and iron are only so much of an advantage. Antenor and Phorbas will have to handle it. (Or Verse, but he isn't thinking of her at the moment, too busy to get past instincts.)

That is indeed pretty effective, so the Crescent Runners regain the upper hand. The Blood Chanter throws another fireball, and then breaks cover to get closer and launch a wave of flame and another of despair when there's no longer useful allies in his way.

-And then he suddenly gurgles and goes limp.

Antenor stands up behind him and salutes. "Found, commander."

Verse is just about done cleaning up the stragglers (at least the ones who didn't break and run immediately), with a little help from Phorbas, who has climbed slightly up a tree.

Ophelia, despite now considering continual motion to be worth the effort as she lunges out of the fireballs' way, does not need to let up on making the choice of the Sigil of Emotions as the Chorus's primary support-spell a horrible one.

Illusions, you see, require the very Will to resist that Enraging one's allies drains.

"...Absolute idiot, that one.  He alive enough to interrogate?"

"...Is anyone left, actually."

It was a better decision when they were rarely facing mages in opposition, which for the majority of the Conquest was true. Kyros has a lot more mages, and more control of them, than the Tiers ever managed.

"This one is still breathing for the moment," says Colus, indicating one of the two that approached but didn't get hit by the enragement. The other three all crashed when the rage broke, and probably died roughly immediately. The other one was unlucky and inadequately armored and Aethra got him through the heart. Her arm got badly maimed in the process, actually, but Graven Ashe Protects and they have two Life sigillers.

(Colus will also need significant healing. Verse has only superficial wounds and the other two are fine.)

Right.  Healing the wounded first.  But then - split the prisoners up?  Oh.  There's only one left.  Annoying; she can't cross-check now.  Still.

"You're going to tell me what I want to know, and in exchange I will allow you to benefit from the mercy you were offered before battle was joined.

"Your other option is Verse, by the way.  I really can't recommend it."