THE VOLSKA RIVER
So they went south, and east.
Zael and Sable had to part before long, even if such was not part of their plan; in the more densely populated
regions of Anirian territory, the risk became too great to be seen traveling together. So Sable went to the encampment of the 10th Homeguard, and Zael followed the trail of whispers and discontent to find Stenn's secret hideaway.
He was welcomed with open arms. Smiles, embraces, claps on the back, well-wishings and exchanging of stories about Vel Kastula and elsewhere, musings about the brighter future that awaited
Vel Anir: Stenn's rebels greeted him like family. Zael played his part exactly how he needed to, smiling in turn and being personable and all, but it gnawed at him, what he was here to do. He looked around at all these normal folk, nominally Anirians, trying to break free from the Republic's iron grip; heh, that was the one thing you'd never be allowed to vote on, huh? And Zael thought to himself: what if Stenn could actually do it? What if Stenn, maybe with Gilram's help or maybe not, was the man meant by destiny to march onto the gates of Vel Anir itself? Or, at least, put so much pressure on the Republic that the Guard collapses, the government falls, and Vel Anir as
Arethil has always known it dissolves? Zael could be killing the one true hope Anirians and
Dreadlords had, damning them all to another four hundred years of suffering. And how many men, just like Stenn, men of genius and greatness, men who had that indescribable
it, fell throughout Anirian history before they could be something, before they could even attempt to change anything? How many men like Zael were there, taking those men out, for this reason or that?
He couldn't think about it. He just needed to focus on Yuna, and leave Vel Anir to sort itself out—if that was even possible.
The night of the briefing came, and Stenn called his top men, and what Dreadlords he had in his allegiance, to him.
And this is what Stenn said: he had been making small moves in the east, announcing his presence with harassment and hit-and-run tactics, and as he had hoped, the 10th Homeguard came to answer. Purposefully he had let word slip and evidence point toward a gathering of his forces in the town of Volska, along the Volska River. Given the 10th's approach from the north, they would have to march toward Volska along the River, a path blocked by the water on one side and a steep incline on the other. No more than eight men could walk abreast on the path, and so their column would be long and out of battle order—vulnerable. A token force of Stenn's would meet the oncoming 10th near Volska; they would appear weak, but their true purpose would be to block the 10th from advancing, keeping them in place.
The true attack would come down from the hills, pinning the 10th against the fury of the river, and it was Stenn's plan to annihilate the Guardsmen with this maneuver.
Zael nodded his assent, but in his heart he had already betrayed everyone in the room.
Days later, when the opportunity allowed, Zael rushed with all haste to the preplanned dead-drop, the cut tree trunk just outside the village of Jorgath, and planted his note with Stenn's plan in it, and hurried back toward Volska.
Kress, he was nervous. Everything was on Sable now. Godspeed, brother.
Sable Pembroke
