Bit late this week, sorry about that. Got sucked into Roshar (Stormlight Archive) for a few days then just busy.
Slower week this week, for the same reasons I am late posting this. I added 3,748 words bringing the total to 94,103. (its getting so long)
I honestly have been super knocked out of my head space for the story, though I have a whole ‘nother arch in the story that occurred to me today. Not sure I want to to it or not. Might just write it given that I can always cut it later.
At any rate, here is an excerpt from this week’s labors. Enjoy!
“What’s bothering you?” Aila sat down on the fallen tree beside Zuriel.
He shook his head, taking a bite of the dried meat he was snacking on. “Something is off. I can’t figure it out.”
“About this?” She gestured back toward the village.
“Why? Why just send seven sorcerers to say there would be no reinforcements?” He shook his head again and stared at his boots.
“Why fight for the village?”
Zuriel turned to look at her. “How many villages did we find destroyed? Burned to the ground? Littered with the dead? But not here. Here he just sent messengers.”
Aila sat staring at the ground a moment. “Maybe he didn’t have time?”
He looked at her almost sardonically. “It’s the last village. He literally could not have had more time.”
“Well, what do you think he is doing?”
“I don’t know! That’s what’s bothering me. It doesn’t make sense.”
“But you have accepted Tirich’s account.”
“I can’t accuse him of anything until I have a better idea of what is going on.” He glanced past Aila at the sound of approaching steps. “Fintan.” He called in greeting.
“Sir.” He said to Zuriel before nodding to Aila. “I apologize for intruding.”
“What’s on your mind?”
Fintan looked at Aila a moment, then back to Zuriel. “I don’t like it.”
Zuriel grinned. “I don’t either.”
“This isn’t Samael. Samael wouldn’t have left a village for us.”
“But the messengers were the ones who bound the counsel, they weren’t acting on Samael’s orders. Maybe that’s the disconnect.” Aila said.
“Seven sorcerers overthrowing a counsel?” Fintan said with amusement. “No. Wouldn’t happen. Kaskata would have been ruled by an egotistical counsel who would rather die than give up control. Even if what Tirich says is true, the counsel should be dead. Samael doesn’t keep prisoners unless they are some use to him.”
“But what about the messengers, they aren’t Samael. They know Samael is now fallen back completely from the North. They can’t count on his support.” Aila spoke quickly, eagerly.
“It doesn’t bother you?” Zuriel asked her.
She sighed, “I guess I prefer to think its over in the north. That we won cleanly. There have been more and more deserters, is it so outlandish that an entire village would defect from a defeated king?”
Zuriel looked to Fintan who only shrugged. Zuriel let out a deep breath and got to his feet. “We’ll just have to keep our eyes open.”
