castlenim | I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

[This, honestly, took a lot of work. More work than some of the battleplans, but admittedly the machinations of the Victorian nobles are predictable. The only thing Talulah knows about the northern territories is what she's gleaned from her father's journals.

Edward Artorius apparently had a decent enough relationship with the ruler when he'd been alive, and since the wendigo race of Sarkaz live for a very, very long time, perhaps any goodwill towards her parent might be extended to her.

She has also gleaned the northerners are not unreasonable; they've crossed paths during various skirmishes at the border, and they ignore all rebel forces once their own task is complete. Talulah has made it very clear no one from her side is to engage with any other party that isn't either obviously Victorian, or strikes first, and it seems the courtesy is returned.

That said, isolationist policy is hard to overcome, and what she's asking isn't a mere favor. To be embroiled in civil war in another country is an idea most people would scoff at, but...the north has undoubtedly seen the writing on the wall for what will transpire after the dust settles. Victoria's appetite is ever unsatiable.

The Gaulish castle she walks through is a testament to that. It's nothing but ruins now, good for little else besides neutral territory. She's brought two members of the rebels with her, two with a calm rationality suited to negotiations. She'd be fine going in alone, but, well...if Talulah saw another group's leader sitting all alone during a meeting that was meant to be a peaceful talk, she'd think there was an ambush waiting.

Still, no matter how rational one is, curiosity tends to win out, and she can hear her escort party gossiping even behind their masks. They're wondering if the northern princess is as beautiful and strong as the rumors say. If she's half as strong as that Cautus she'd seen once during a border skirmish, then her alliance would be more than a boon.

By her estimation, the meeting time is near, so she supposes she'll find out soon enough.]

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Almost two, now.

[Talulah hadn't had that much rest herself, either. If she hadn't been fighting, she'd be moving to the next area as covertly as possible. The hypervigilance required for that didn't lend itself to very deep sleep, even when she could manage it. But she's also gotten pretty used to hiding her own exhaustion for the sake of morale.

The room she enters with Yelena is barely more than a closet, storing a few things that aren't weapons or gear, but there is a table and a map inside. Talulah approaches it, putting her finger down on a particular spot once she sees it's annotated with the newest intel.]

Here. The green marker is our current location, for reference.

Huh. I was out longer than I thought.

[ the first thing Yelena notices about the room is the size, and how the cramped quarters force her to shuffle up to Talulah's side to see what she's pointing at. she keeps her focus trained on the lines and markers laid out on the table, doing her best to ignore the warmth leaking from her body, enticing her to move closer.

not that long ago, Yelena wouldn't have hesitated to take the chance. now she keeps her feet firmly planted where they are, crossing her arms while she judges the distance she'll need to cross for a successful attack. ]

That's doable. Is the Victorian army in control of the roads in this area, or have they retreated?

[Talulah doesn't think the issue had been proximity, so she has no hesitation moving around in the enclosed space. Which she does to draw an invisible line with her finger down the map, reaching right in front of Yelena.]

They've retreated, but the problem with the roads is more their condition. I'd say from here to here it's going to be rough.

[She looks at other areas of the map, thoughtfully.]

The rebels you've brought have said something about underground networks. You might be able to use those. Or get a guide. They all seem pretty eager to get back into the fray.

Yeah, that's how we got here. Alexandrina told us how to get in to reach rebels in the industrial district factor, and we were planning to take the same way out after we finished up there.

[ Yelena assumes the engineers took them through the tunnels, but in a different direction— she hadn't been fully conscious when they made the call to abandon the factories and move on.

she makes an aborted movement to trace a line representing a road, but draws back when her arm nearly bumps into Talulah's, awkwardly tucking it behind her back instead. ]

We're trained to move over ice. I could freeze an even route to the other camp, but I wouldn't make anyone besides the Yetis travel like that. Do you have enough men here?

Yes. We planned everything assuming no one would meet up with us, since we didn't know how bad the fighting or logistics would get.

[Talulah does notice the weird, awkward movement, and has a moment where she wonders if Yelena is avoiding her. She never really shied away from Talulah's touch before, but...pointing it out would just derail things again, wouldn't it?]

The comms would probably work better if you stayed aboveground, too, but does making that kind of bridge take a big toll on your arts? The fight's the important part. I'd rather have everyone as fresh as possible for that.

Not really. That's as simple as a construct can get. It would be the fastest way to get there, but we'd be out in the open.

[ which brings its own challenges. any time they might save could be lost if the Victorian's choose a bad time to send out a scouting party or launch a counter-offensive.

Yelena clenches and unclenches her hand behind her back, thinking of how readily Talulah had taken it. if she had threaded their fingers together, would Talulah have said anything?

—part of her fears she might be fully losing it. ]

I think you're right. Going underground is the safer bet.

[Talulah wouldn't have said anything at all. Mostly out of the suspicion that if she did, Yelena would have immediately let go, and that's the last thing she would have wanted.]

Hm. Then I'll pick one of the rebels to go with you as a guide. The one who brought you here, Feist, seems knowledgeable enough. Maybe he and his group can even figure out a way we can at least send signals to you down there.

[She stares down at the map again, contemplative. Lately, she's done the mental equivalent of pacing around a room, going over the important plans and contingencies again while trying to keep any stray thoughts at bay. It really wouldn't do if she's distracted by thinking about whether or not Yelena is now avoiding her.]

Do you have any other questions? When this mission gets started, that's it until it's all over.

[ it's hard to miss the tension pouring off Talulah, her movements like a beast pacing its cage. in her heart, Yelena knows she only has one question she really wants to ask, and it has little to do with the task at hand. she's never thought of herself as a coward before, but then, there's a first time for everything, isn't there? ]

No. My part doesn't call for a lot of complex maneuvers. I think once my father's in a position to start casting, things will move fast.

[ she bows her head slightly, considering. even if she can't bring herself to be fully honest, Yelena doesn't want to leave Talulah thinking she's done anything wrong. ]

I'm not going to say goodbye. We'll see each other later. If I don't see you before then, let's meetup at Westhaleg.

[At that, Talulah finally cracks a smile, her shoulders relaxing a fraction.]

Then I won't either. More than likely, I'll see you at the Palace first.

[Assuming they manage this, but Talulah believes she should start thinking it will be so.

There are more things she wants to say. Or ask. Or do, since this may be the last chance. Instead, she takes her hands off the map and turns to pass Yelena to get to the exit.]

I'll go find you that guide and see how long we have left until we move out.

[ Yelena tenses as Talulah brushes past her, the hand she still has clutched behind her flexing, wanting to reach out and catch Talulah by the wrist, or arm, or whatever she manages to grasp in time. but her brain knows better than her body, that this is the last place on terra she should be acting so rashly, and she forces her fingers to ball into a fist instead. ]

All right. I should go gather the Yetis and let them know about the plan.

[ a pang of guilt hits her as Yelena realizes she hasn't spoken to them since she woke up. this situation is clouding her judgment, her fixation with Talulah making her clumsy, selfish. she needs some distance to clear her head. it's a good thing she's getting away from her for the final push. ]

Come find us once you've got our navigator.

Sure.

[Talulah senses the hesitation, the sudden tension in Yelena's frame, and a part of her wants to ask what the reason for it is, but when she glances over, the other's expression is as impassive as ever. The question dies in her throat, and Talulah only ends up nodding.]

See you then.

[It doesn't actually take long to find a guide for Yelena and the Yetis. As Talulah expected, the de facto leader of the other rebel party, Feist, is more than happy to perform the role. Then, it's just a matter of finding out where Yelena's squad has gathered, but there are only so many places they could be.]

[ the rest of the Yetis are easy to find, Yelena's ears quickly picking up on their accented Victorian among the chatter of the natives. they're happy to see her up and about, assembling quickly while she relays their next move, but the conversation takes a turn she ... honestly, should've expected.

Yelena's poker face can fool Talulah, but the Yetis know her too well. they immediately smell blood in the water from her stiff, agonized mannerisms, and that stupid rumor she'd told them to never bring up again hovers just beneath the surface of every word they say as they try to suss out the reason behind her bad mood.

things get intense enough that by the time Talulah comes around with their guide, the snippets of their conversation are impossible to miss.

I'm not saying it's like that. I don't think she's a bad person. I'd sure as hell want her on my side over that crazy draco bitch who keeps sending you love notes, Sestra. ]

What are you— shut the fuck up, Lev.

[There is...a lot for Talulah to think about in regards to what she just heard, but only some of it is something she should be thinking about on the precipice of finishing a rebellion. So there's just a moment of her blinking in surprise while she's on the back foot, before she smiles faintly and gestures to Feist. Something about her expression must hint at the mood, because even someone as chatty as him is quiet about what he must have overheard as well.]

Good thing we don't need to do introductions for your guide. There's been a bit of a change in logistics, though. Yelena?

[Her actions are pretty transparent, but there's no way not to be obvious in this situation, so she simply waits for Yelena to move to where she's standing before heading out of hearing range of the other group.

There's no escaping that there is one thing she should absolutely address about what she overheard.]

Eblana Dublinn has been contacting you?

[There aren't many people who "crazy draco bitch" could describe. And Talulah's tone is...mostly baffled. She trusts Yelena far too much to even entertain the thought that this is somehow the other going behind her back. So what she's really trying to ask is why Eblana is contacting Yelena instead of the actual person who's taking the throne.]

[ it's gotten to a point where Yelena can barely muster the energy to address the mix of emotions she feels at Talulah's completely abysmal timing. a few of the Yetis have the decency to look abashed when she comes up behind them, but at least one of them shoots Talulah a penetrating glare that Yelena has to hold herself back from slapping off her face.

with a sense of resignation, she follows Talulah into a corner of the camp away from their unit, desperately hoping she doesn't decide to ask too many questions. ]

Yeah. From what I can tell she thinks you're a puppet ruler Ursus is installing for their hostile takeover of the country, and I offered Loughshinny Dublinn some part of that deal when we fought her in Hillock.

[ there's a bone-deep tiredness in Yelena's voice when she speaks of it, with strong emphasis put on the from what I can tell and I think. it's obvious Eblana is trying to play some game with her, and Yelena wants no part in it. ]

[Talulah notices the glare, but doesn't respond to it. Ever since that time she met up with Yelena's team in the camp, she's gotten the sense that the Yetis' attitudes have changed towards her, but now is really not the time to be speculating that deeply on it.

Or asking many questions, despite the fact she definitely wants to be talking about other topics.]

Should I be offended that she doesn't take me seriously, or chalk this up to mind games?

[She sighs, briefly rubbing the bridge of her nose.]

Well, that's something we can deal with after this is over. She's free to think what she wants...although it's not ideal that she's bothering you about it.

She hasn't made any direct threats or demands. I didn't think it was worth bothering you over.

[ it's more or less the whole truth. with things ramping up in the war, Yelena had mostly been focused on trying to figure out whether the messages were a portent for Eblana's future plans. there were reports that the Gastrell had been moving toward the capital for a time, but had been impeded by Ursus' forces. her father and the Duke of Wellington were familiar with each other's tactics from the war with Gaul, and had been playing a long distance game of cat and mouse since the incident at Hillock. ]

I wanted to ignore her. The diplomats overruled that. They think it could be an asset— like she's been telling me anything coherent.

No, I've been told something similar.

[Diplomatically, Tara and Dublinn are a rather delicate situation. Talulah has been told quite repeatedly that while Eblana is a figurehead. They'll have to negotiate with her one way or another after all is said and done.

Not to mention, the implications of Talulah, of all people, starting her rule by eliminating one of the other heirs to the Draconic line of Victoira.]

I just find it curious that if she's playing mind games, why she's doing it with you instead of the obvious target.

[To drive a wedge between them, maybe? Talulah can't really see it from that angle, either.]

Maybe it'd wound her pride to acknowledge you? Your guess is as good as mine. She mostly seems to fantasize about how I killed her men, or killing me, or me killing her. It's hard to tell.

[ Yelena's editorializing somewhat. Eblana stated her reason for contacting her outright— when the main force of Dublinn marched into Hillock, she saw the remnants of Yelena's arts at the Victorian base. she described with near elation how she found her soldiers turned to frozen husks, skin black and bones brittle, snapping like twigs beneath the gentlest touch. what a capacity for violence you have, she'd said. do you indulge yourself often? you should. such cruelty you must have endured to be able to snuff out lives like you do— your sorrow lingers in the ice.

even thinking of now makes Yelena feel cold stab of unease trace along her spine, body twitching involuntarily with what Talulah might read as annoyance. ]

[For some unfathomable, bizzare reason, Talulah feels herself almost bristling at that. Eblana is a madwoman, so perhaps some instinct in Talulah is pinged and senses there's something more behind the overt threats.

Or the stress is finally getting to her.]

I...see.

[She doesn't, really, and she probably never will understand what goes on in Eblana's mind.]

If you don't think those threats are credible, then I trust your judgment, and we'll deal with it later. That's all I wanted to know. I forgot to mention, but the plan is to move out in an hour.

Like you said, if she was serious about this, she'd go after the obvious target.

[ and really, if Yelena's can take the brunt of Eblana's attentions away from Talulah at a critical time like this, that's a tradeoff she'll gladly make. she doesn't doubt Talulah's ability to handle herself, but Yelena also has more freedom in how she can communicate without the political hangups of the draco bloodline hanging over here. ]

Do we need to leave earlier? Or are we waiting until both sides are in position to start?

[Talulah has a nagging feeling that Eblana's serious about something, she's just not sure what. But that's not really the most important matter at the moment.]

All teams are moving at once. You'll see the signal once everyone's in position and we're prepared to attack.

[This is, instead, and Talulah can keep most of the various thoughts she shouldn't be having at bay if she discusses war plans.]

We want this to be as simultaneous as possible. But if something happens, like you get delayed while you're underground, use your best judgment when you do reach your position. The other fronts will probably have started the offensive.

[ Yelena tries not to be too openly relieved that they're moving away from the topic of Eblana Dublinn. the coming battle is something she knows how to navigate, familiar terms and expectations being something of a comfort next to the unknown element of her complicated feelings toward Talulah. ]

We can handle ourselves if something goes wrong. If we get held up, Feist should be able to find a way out for us.

[ meaning Talulah only needs to worry about managing her own unit. Yelena doesn't need her getting distracted by what the Yetis will be getting up to. ]

I know. We have the same goal, and I trust you. If things go sideways, do whatever you think is best.

[Talulah isn't going to lie to herself to the extent that she'll pretend she won't be wondering if Yelena and her squad are fine at any point during the next battle. But she does have faith in Yelena to carry the plan through, and take care of herself...hopefully.

A part of her wants to mention something about being conscious of her arts usage, but as much as Talulah doesn't really like seeing Yelena come back frozen like she does, it would be insulting to imply she holds back in any capacity. Talulah's already put her foot in her mouth once pretty badly; she's not about to do it again so soon.]

We'll meet at the palace.

[ Yelena herself has a mounting pile of questions she wants to ask, things she wishes she was feeling brave enough to say. she's about to march into a war zone without hesitation, but confronting Talulah over what she'd meant when asked her which order she needed is too daunting of a task to consider. the two of them are in a dangerous position, on the cusp of something Yelena doesn't know the shape of.

whether that's Talulah's impending ascendancy or her own feckless wishes, she can't say. both option seems equally impossible to reckon with at the moment. ]

Yeah. See you there. [ she says with an air of finality before moving to return to her squad. ]

[Any regret Talulah has at not saying anything more as Yelena departed has to be shoved in a metaphorical box and buried to deal with at a later time. Or not at all, if Talulah has her way, but no matter what, it has to wait.

She's not sure what she expected from the end of all this. Something more like the movies. Something more like her nightmares. Something more like the feeling of when she struck her sword through Kashchey's chest, the resistance and visceral nature of it.

In truth, she's almost surprised the moment they break through the last line of the Dukes' defenses, her arts leading the way like a living thing, a real dragon laying waste to a countryside town like in tales for children. There is no fanfare when they gain a foothold in the central parts of Londinium. The weathered palace does not transform or welcome her the moment she crosses the threshold.

Her compatriots are of a much different mood, especially once the survivors of the Dukes' armies are rounded up, their airships grounded, and a breathless messenger arrives. She speaks of things like surrender and negotiations instead of another barrage coming from whatever remains of the Dukes. From there, it starts as a murmur before the relief and elation start to take root in the rebel armies.

They become like a wave, urging Talulah further into the palace in their excitement, asking about the throne that's supposed to be here, chattering about everything they could do now that it all was over and how would surely be different. It's...surreal, to be living in the world she imagined. One without Kashchey's machinations, and the Dukes' plans for that weapon. A pipe dream come true.

At that thought, she suddenly looks around her, her instincts and heart wanting the one person who is most like an anchor when she feels so unmoored.]

Where are the other forces? Does anyone know?

[Huh? One of the rebels--one of hers, not the ones who had originally followed the Aslan heir, tilts her head to the side in puzzlement, Liberi feathers shifting along with the movement. Last the comms said they were doing as well as us. So no news is good news, yeah?

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