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"There's a reason why your fleet took out the Vandalls first," I said, forcing my voice to sound calmer. "I'm not a military person, but there is a reason why your military built a stronghold on the less fertile land. The Vandalls hadn't even had any contact with humans."
She nodded. "I noticed that and brought it to my superior's attention."
"What happened then?" I asked with bated breath, not daring to hope her leaders might have realized their errors.
"I was basically told to follow orders and to mind my own business. Shortly thereafter that callous bastard Uthar took me prisoner."
"How did that happen?" I probed.
She shrugged and sipped on her honeyed grog. "My squad and I were clearing a village, one we thought had been already evacuated when out of nowhere all these… what do you call them? Vandalls, poured out of the woods." Her eyes took on a haunted expression. "My entire squad was killed, and I was taken prisoner."
"So with all your superior technology, the Vandalls surprised you and your squad?" I pressed.
She let out a loud sigh. "Trust me, I've been trying to figure out who made a mistake there—"
"And led you into a trap?" I interrupted, "After you confronted your superiors about the lack of humans to free?" I mercilessly prodded. My military skills were basically nonexistent, but even I saw that she had been led into a trap.
The doors opened and servants entered with clothing for Damaris and her son, followed by Cisco.
"I beg your pardon, Lady Alahna, but he was looking for you."
"It's alright," I smiled and picked Cisco up, who snuggled into my embrace.
I balanced the grover and the clothing, and knocked on the bathroom door. At Damaris's call to enter, I opened the door just enough to drop the clothing to the floor while I averted my eyes.
"Thank you so much. This was just what we needed," Damaris said when she came out of the bathroom a few minutes later.
I busied myself with inspecting the rest of the clothing the servants had brought to make sure they were befitting of a warlord's lady.
Now and then, I threw a surreptitious glance at Chrissy, who sat hunched and brooding on the couch. I had never seen her posture anything other than impeccable and that it wasn't now was a sign of her inner turmoil.
Damaris looked from one to the other, but busied herself ostensibly with her son to give us time, picking up on the tenseness in the room.
I bit down an apology for having been so blunt with Chrissy, which wasn't how I usually acted around people, not even around people I didn't like, and I did like her, despite the fact that she and her people were here to kill everybody I cared for and enslave the rest of us. Somehow, I sensed, though, that the last thing she needed right now was an apology.
"I need to talk to your warlord." Chrissy rose. "I need to go back to my commander and make them see the truth."
"Like you did last time? Right before they sent you into a trap, killing your soldiers and imprisoning you?" My voice was still hard. It didn't sound like me at all, but it was what she needed right then. She was a soldier; she didn't need coddling. She needed the truth, and she seemed finally susceptible to it.
Her face hardened. "I need to do something."
"It won't help anybody for you to go back there and get killed," I pointed out.
"I need to talk to your warlords and khazar." Chrissy repeated seemingly determined.
"Let's go to the great hall then. I'm sure that's where the men will be," I suggested.
Damaris gave me a questioning glance, but I shook my head, hoping she would pick up on the cues I gave her and not ask questions now that might throw Chrissy off, who seemed to finally be willing to work with us against her people.
All the way to the hall, I prayed that this would be the case, because quite honestly, I didn't think we would stand a chance against the super tech the humans most assuredly had brought with them.
As expected, we found the men in the great hall. Also as expected, Vandor jumped out of his chair to greet his mate the moment we entered. What did surprise me, though, was Kendryx doing the same, rushing at us.
"Are you alright?" Brogan asked, who also, as expected, quickly reached my side.
I assured him I was, while curiously observing Kendryx approach Chrissy. "I'm Warlord Kendryx of Dokkymburg, do you need assistance, lady…?"
"Chrissy," I offered helpfully.
