Eternally Bound: Part 18
----- Concession -----
Paige had sent for reinforcements via courier before leaving Lion's Arch and eagerly awaited her father's battalion to join them, whom was to rendezvous with them at the outpost. After their arrival and the initial provisions gathered, she had begun to wonder if her father even took her missive seriously. Harid was a stubborn man, not helped by the fact that he was mostly right. Yet, most recently, he had allowed Paige the freedom of governance without obstruction; she'd truly stepped into the role of a noble Lady of the Dejarin Estate. But the transition had been rocky and she'd questioned herself every step of the way.
Despite Ari's protest, Paige ventured a bit into the trees for quiet contemplation and to ease her nerves. She stared into the horizon, barely visible through the thick foliage as the wind picked up and stirred leaves and dirt of the forest floor. Paige sighed, knelt down, and said a discrete prayer. The answer came not from the absent Gods, but from Demitra, as the woman's words echoed in her head:
"You have shown me compassion beyond understanding and I am grateful. All of your people are. Being strong is not the easy path, but I believe you will find is the most rewarding when those you bolster wind up bolstering you."
Paige smiled, a single tear running down her cheek. "Thank you, Demi," she whispered.
It was some time before Harid Dejarin rode in, and while they may have had disagreements from time to time, Paige's face flashed a relieved smile upon seeing him and the small army he had in tow, much to her alleviation. She approached the cavalry.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," she said, the hours leading to their rendezvous infusing her words with a bit more harshness than she'd meant.
Harid huffed, climbed off his raptor to regard his daughter. "Well, I had to round everyone up. I got a few friends from my time in the Guard, as well as most of the estate, as per your raven. Not entirely sure what we're running into here, but we're all seasoned vets of two major conflicts, minimum." Harid said as his troops dismounted and began to resupply. "Just tell us where to go, and we'll clear a path for you and your group to safe-"
"Father, no."
The man stood tall, raised an eyebrow. "No, what?"
"I will be coming." Paige said, her voice surprisingly and unwaveringly firm.
Harid masked his concern; he had gotten good at the subterfuge throughout his daughter's life, intent on raising her own self confidence. "What would you know about combat, anyway?" he said dismissively as he began to adjust his raptor's harness.
Paige didn't let the arrow land, as it had done so many times prior. "I'm more than familiar with it: I grew up not knowing if my father would come home from such carnage of the world. Well, I'm not that little girl anymore. I've seen combat, I've seen battles, and I've seen violence. And, father… I know love; I do this for it: to save one whom I love dearly." Paige clenched her fists, reading herself for a harsh rebuttal.
The expression on Harid's face as he turned was unexpected. His eyebrows turned upright in a furrowed brow of worry, concern, and finally, relenting acceptance. "Well, look at you," he said, in a voice Paige was unfamiliar with.
The tone immediately caused her eyes to well up. "Father, I…" She couldn't get the words out before the man embraced her. She wrapped her arms around him, softly sobbing.
"I'm proud to see who you've become, Paige," Harid whispered, with a squeeze. "And, you don't need me anymore."
Paige pulled away to look up to her dad. "I'll never 'not need' you, father. I just-"
"Want to cast your own shadow, rather than being under mine. I know this. It's just difficult…"
A warm smile came to the young woman's face. "Then, let's bolster each other."
----
More than once had Ember glanced back to the wooded area Paige occupied. "How much longer?" she mumbled.
Ari let out a chuckle. "Look at them; they're hugging. Give them just a bit, captain."
Her red eyes rolled. "Every moment we spend here in this plant village, the more likely we're going to miss Kievaa - and Demitra!"
Shrugging, Ariadne turned to a new recruit. "What's your name, new-blood?"
The woman wore a large red scarf which covered half her face. She was clad in light leather armor, with two modified pistols at either side. A belt of various tools and gadgets hung at the woman's hip. "Me? Oh, I'm Sylas; Lucia Sylas. I've been with House Dejarin for quite a few weeks. Been off helping Tallie with her armor experiments for the house guard."
"Oh? Well then I take it you're pretty good with armor and tech? That's good. We'll need it if the automated defenses are on."
"Yeah, that's why Harid pulled me. May I ask your name too?" Sylas asked.
Ari smiled. "I'm Ariadne, first lieutenant under Captain Drakenfist."
----
Further up, just where the darkness of the shade provided by the limbs of the taller trees ceased, sat a black and red sylvari. The overly large mushroom, in which she sat, swayed slightly in the breeze and Tressa found the rhythm of the fungus relaxing. It had been a long while she was in the company of structures not made of glass and stone and wood, and while the sylvari which occupied the outpost made her a bit uneasy, the serenity it provided was undeniable.
Tressa raised a thorny eyebrow. "Pink Thorn," she said with a slight grin, not bothering to open her eyes.
"One of these days you're going to have to tell me how you do that. I'm as stealthy as they come, but you always seem to know… And, stop calling me Pink Thorn!" Kimura said, dropping her attempt at covertness. She swatted a mosquito. "Three things," she started irritably. "One: This place is unbelievably humid. Two: There is far too much mud. And three: This many mosquitos can't even be physically possible."
"And four: You complain like a newly-sprouted sapling." Tressa grinned a thin red-glowed smirk.
Kimura scoffed, swatted her neck. "Says the one who's not getting drained of her lifeblood. And, I'm sorry if I'm being too cranky. It happens when one gets mud in places mud doesn't belong!"
Tressa opened yellow orbs, glanced around. "I don't know… I rather enjoy it here; the shade it provides."
"You would! Give this girl the comforts of Divinity's Reach any day!"
Tressa's smile grew. "There are most definitely more places for concealment there. Still, I suppose we can both agree that both pale in comparison to the… pleasures of Southsun."
Kimura flushed, was as pink as her hair beneath her mask.
"Orders? We're partners; I didn't order-" A giggle from the normally stoic sylvari gave Kimura pause. She crossed her arms, lime-green eyes scrutinizing her, until finally arriving at the conclusion. "You're joking with me, aren't you? Since when do you have a sense of humor?"
"Since the island, perhaps," Tressa said with a bright red smile as she pulled off her hood.
Kimura shifted her weight. "Uh… yeah, so… I've been thinking about that actually; about you…"
Tressa tilted her head. "And you wish for things to return as they were beforehand?"
"No," the masked woman shook her head, thankful her hood covered the fact that she was biting her lip. "I mean… Look, we should probably just keep our heads in the game here; we can discuss this more once this job is done."
The Black Rose nodded. "Such subjects be more comfortable in the moonlight of the Reach, yes?"
Ember pranced up, still seated on her mount (as she had been the entire time). "How far out are we?" she grumbled.
Kimura glanced over her shoulder as Tressa pulled back on her hood. Both women using the interruption to defuse the uneasy tension. Paige came into the clearing wiping her face, walked around Ari and Sylas, who were in mid-conversation about the intricacies and advantages of the new house guard's armor in development.
"I know we haven't much time, but is everyone loaded up?" Paige was saying as she made her way through the regiment. "Father's given a list of what we likely need, but most things we've already provisioned having been here a while. And I'm," she came to look up to her mounted captain, "sorry it's taken this long. I trust you're eager?" A slight smile and a hidden wink came from the puffy-haired Lady.
Ember looked down, tried her best to look through her lover's charm. "I'm more than ready, milady."
Paige cleared her throat, her subtle attempt at flirting to easy the situation falling upon blind eyes. "Look, I know you; I've known you for a long time, Ember. A lot is on the line, but we are dealing with a dangerous and very smart foe. You rose to captain for your strength (to be sure), but also, your strategy on-the-fly in the field is unmatched, in this woman's humble opinion. I need you to look before you leap."
The captain's clenched fists loosened the reins as she listened to the noble's words. She nodded, never looking away from the woman's doe-eyed expression. Paige had always captivated her; now, after their night together, she felt their bond was stronger than ever. Yet it was a constant fight to stop the rage within her own fiery core. And, combined with her wife's disappearance, Ember was left to wonder if Lady Dejarin's wise mind had a right to worry: Ember would incinerate all of the Brisban Wildlands if it meant getting Demitra back.
Satisfied with the outcome of their conversation, Paige patted Cinder then made her way up on the grassy knoll. "Kimura. Black Rose. What can you tell us about the situation?"
Tressa took a few steps back, giving audience to her companion. Kimura softly giggled, knowing her friend's muteness. "I scouted the location, but I couldn't get too close. At first, I was concerned the defenses may be active, but I didn't see anyone coming or going. Lots of foliage covering the complex. I'm no expert on Inquest bases, but in all appearance, it seems to look deserted."
"Well, I'm not taking any chances on 'seems', not when my people's lives are at stake," Paige stated with conviction. Her people were of utmost paramount to the Lady, and she saw no reason to sugar-coat it.
"Never assume an enemy isn't prepared," Harid said from the crowd as he made his way to his raptor.
"I wasn't speaking to just you," Harid retorted.
"Then stop staring at me, fleshling."
"Father; Black Rose! Enough! We have enough fight to go around without you two getting into it."Whether obeying his daughter or falling silent to not countermand her authority, Harid climbed atop his mount and nodded. The Black Rose raised her eyebrow, but said nothing further. She looked at Kimura, who shrugged. Paige rubbed her temples for a moment, and, without looking up, continued.
"Captain Ember, you've dealt with the target before. What dangers does Kievaa pose, if she's present?"
"In person? Not much. She relies on her tech trapping you. But, she seems to get off having control. Just… don't expect her to not have some kinda plan. I don't know this Lennk, but Kievaa's definitely a dangerous and slippery one. If anyone gets to her before me…" Ember paused, turned to look her troops over. "I want her alive!" she proclaimed.
Kimura rubbed the back of her neck. "You know, I'm really more of a sidelines kinda person," she admitted softly to Tressa.
Ember overheard. "Then stay out of my way!" she growled.
"Works for me," the thief shrugged. She looked back to her companion and gave a 'What?' look. Tressa simply plucked a stray petal, tossing it aside and winked.
Having staved her headache a bit longer, Paige looked over to the couple. "That's why you and Black Rose will be going with Guard Captain Ember in stealth. Sylas here," Paige motioned to the woman with a red scarf, "will be joining you group sneaking in. It's my hope she can bring down any defenses that may await us; she is quite a skilled engineer, and I thank her… No, actually, I think everyone for coming on such short notice."
Ari roared. "I like banging shields with many weapons, and I'm not the only one. We're with you, Lady Dejarin!" A few members randomly let out 'hurrahs'.
Harid glanced around with a slight grin of pride. "She really doesn't need me anymore," he mumbled. A guardsmen Harid had known for a long time heard the comment, he leaned forward to interject a few words of parental encouragement, but when Harid saw the man about to broach the uncomfortable subject, he spoke up loudly, directed at his daughter. "What will my detachments role be?" He asked, almost assuredly already understanding the play, allowing his daughter to take stage.
"You, me, Ariadne and the rest of the House Guard will be on the front lines; defense duty. Our job will be to distract, while the covert team moves in." Paige cast a glance at Tressa and Kimura, who were whispering to one another. "You two: we'll need your stealth to grab the artifacts, and Ember will protect you while doing so. If there's any mechanics involved, our engineer will see to it."
Lucia Sylas perked up from polishing her gun. She nodded. "At your service, Lady Dejarin," she said as she holstered it.
Kimura noticed the action, took her own guns out to inspect them. She hoped she wouldn't have to use them, but had been working on her accuracy and trusted in her ability. She twirled them, both landing upon her belt slots and gave a wink to the Black Rose.
Paige stepped up, looked over her forces. "We are House Dejarin: A noble line with heroes tied to its heritage. Though we do not draw direct lineage from the greats like Koss, we still carry greatness in service to the title. Koss defied Joko even after being turned into one of his Awakened. He defied him from death and then beyond it. Today, we take his lesson and apply it. We do this not for revenge or for conquest, but for rescuing some of our own. Six, my longtime friend and confidant, has been taken. Demitra, Ember's wife and my dearest friend has also been taken. Valandra, estranged my half-sister, has been taken…"
Harid thumped his chest to show his soldiers his pride and loyalty to the house and of his daughter. Yet, something in her speech shook the man, as the words, 'half-sister' rang in his head. He shook off the lingering anxiety, compartmentalized it, determined to deal with it later and focus on the task at hand. There were lives counting on him and he would be negligent to allow such distractions.
Paige raised a hand, spreading her fingers to catch the sunlight peeking through the trees, then clenched her fist. "We defy what's wrong to uplift what's right! We defy villainy, tyranny, and terror for truth, justice an honor. We defy our own fears because it is the right thing to do! Today we defy our enemies! Today we prevail! Today we are victorious! Today we take back what is ours!"
The crowd erupted in a roar with battle cries and cheer; several tapped their shields or clanged their weapons together. Miscellaneous remarks of excitement rang throughout.
Paige looked around, a confident, content, and serious expression upon her face.
"Being strong is not the easy path, but… when you bolster others, they wind up bolstering you." Demitra's voice softly whispered to Lady Paige Dejarin, daughter of the Dejarin line.
[To be Continued...]
