"The seed of rebellion is sown by whispers—burn the field before it flowers." -Book of Sommer, Signa XXXI

"What is the word from Lady Alexa?" Isabel yawned, perched over a hill and using a magic ability to peer through her enclosed hands over her eye, farther than a human eye was made to see.
"Nothing yet," Sir John said simply, straining his eye to survey the surroundings.
"That's quite worrisome, seeing as we are a mere half hour from Soden..." Isabel let out a sigh, wiping sweat off her brow and looking up at the sun, which was actively beating down on her.
—Lucky I don't need to lug around plate armor. Can't imagine the heat my men are under.
She looked to Sir John with sympathy.
"What?"
"Nothing."

Isabel got up, brushing dust off her white robes as she started making her way down towards the main force.
"Where are you headed, Commander?"
"Most likely Lady Alexa and her men fell to an ambush, a trap, or worse. Seems I underestimated these rebels. I'm going to make sure we don't lose good men and women today."

Sir John followed swiftly behind, puffing his chest with pride.
"There is no way I am letting you go alone, Commander!"
"Don't worry, you're not going to stay idle either."

She motioned him closer, and Sir John lowered himself as Isabel whispered something in his ear. The two parted with a stern nod, Isabel wandering off the main road to where contact was last made with her scout unit.

.

.

.

Lady Alexa woke from her daze, attempting to rub her temples were it not for the stiff rope binding her hands behind her back.
"Ugh... Wh-ha?" She managed to mumble as her sight cleared, revealing the rest of her men still unconscious, lying on the cobbled floor.

With a grunt, she struggled to her feet, looking around more clearly. She wandered to the broken window, peering out of it. She could see the town of Soden, with the main force nowhere in sight. She started rubbing the hand-binding against a piece of broken glass still stuck to the window.
—C’mon... C’mon...
She worked faster, her eyes darting around as cold sweat slithered down her face.

"I would highly advise against that." An old woman’s voice spoke up, raspy and tired.

Lady Alexa froze in shock, looking behind her at the woman who sat upon a chair in the middle of the room.
—W-What?! When did she— There is no way she made her way inside without me noticing! H-how long has she been sitting there?...

The old woman was small of stature, holding onto an intricate cane. She had long white hair and the tail and ears of what Lady Alexa could guess was some sort of wolf. What little was visible of her skin was mangled and scarred. She was no ordinary old beastwoman.

"Putting someone of your age as a combatant is barbaric. Typical."
"Tell me, just what is barbaric about wanting to live in peace from the Empire? To allow our children to prosper out of the shadows? To see them play in the garden? Is that barbaric?"

"I have heard your propaganda before, Beastman. I haven't fallen for it then, and I will not do so now."

The old lady simply laughed lightly, shaking her head.
"You humans, always quick to judge, quick to dismiss, even when the truth stares you in the eyes."
"Truth? I have read the history books, wench. Have you? Let me guess, you were never taught how to read."
"Hah! And just who wrote those history books, young lady?"

The quiet permeated as Lady Alexa weighed her options, her eyes turning back to her men.

"They’re dead." The old woman answered her questioning glare.
"What?"
"You were all poisoned. It's a miracle you survived, even more so that you can operate as usual."
"You wench!" Lady Alexa suddenly gripped the old woman by the collar of her shirt, to which the old woman simply sighed.
"It's war, young lady. Get over yourself."

With a strong shove, Alexa let go of the woman, sending her and the chair to the floor. Something suddenly hit Lady Alexa over the head, shaking her slightly as she turned around in confusion.
"What have you done to me?"
The old woman got up, placing the chair back on its legs as she sat down with a cough.
"When I noticed you were awake, I cast a simple spell. You see, any damage done to me will be reflected on you. Get too far from me, and you will be granted a painful death—like having your heart yanked out from your chest and right through the ribcage."

—S-simple? Just who is this old lady...

"Baba?"

The wooden door swung open as a young girl suddenly walked inside in confusion, holding a basket of goods in her hands. Without a millisecond of hesitation, Lady Alexa was upon her, her leg to the young girl’s thin throat.
"Undo the spell!" she demanded, the young girl looking up at her with tears in her eyes, dropping the basket of food and utensils she brought as everything scattered across the floor.

The old woman sighed, bending over to pick up a knife from the floor.
"Undo it now!!" Lady Alexa demanded once more, pressing her leg lower.
"Foolish human."

The old woman suddenly stabbed herself in the leg, slashing across to her upper thigh without even wincing.

Alexa screamed loudly, falling onto her back in agony, holding onto her injured leg as she looked at the old woman in shock.
"You think I would not hurt myself to save my grandchild? Pathetic."

"Baba! Your leg!" The young girl squealed, quickly taking out bandages from her torn clothing and beginning to patch her grandmother up.
"You have no shame, willing to kill a mere child without a second thought," the old lady spoke as the young girl finished treating her leg.
"Go tend to her leg as well, then hurry back to your mother baby."

The young girl went to wrap Lady Alexa's leg up as well, quickly rushing outside after having delivered the goods.

Now with her leg mended, Lady Alexa sat against the wall, still breathing heavily as she spoke.
"Why not just let me die?"
"You could prove a valuable hostage if things were to turn south on us."
"Then why keep my men in here? Keep watch on us?"
"We didn't have time to strip your armor before our scouts spotted a lone figure getting close."

—It must be the Commander!

A bit of hope returned to Lady Alexa's eyes as she let out a sigh.
"You wanted to steal our armor? Figures."
"Easy to judge when you wear armor worth more than ten years of a peasant’s salary, and have protections cast upon you that not even your own soldiers can afford."

Lady Alexa choked on her words. The old lady wasn't wrong. All she had to do was look at the bodies of her comrades scattered about the floor.
"You know the Empire holds no value for hostages. You are wasting your time."
"The lone figure making chase didn't seem to think so."

The old lady's cackle filled the room as Lady Alexa wiped her brow of a twinge of sweat, looking to the door with worry in her eyes.