Talking

Now that was done, Rashan went looking for Adrien.

He wasn't in the courtyard. Not in the back garden. Not by the reading alcove where he sometimes pretended to rest while giving unsolicited lectures to passing servants.

Rashan frowned.

Finally, he headed to his own study.

Adrien was already there—which wasn't abnormal, but still mildly annoying. The old battlemage stood at the alchemy station like he owned the place, hands behind his back, inspecting everything like it was a battlefield diagram.

He picked up one sealed flask. Then the other.

"Both of your new ones, huh?" Adrien said. "These are very, very cool."

Rashan rubbed his nose and gave him a look. "Try not to hold them in the same hand."

Adrien smirked. "You think I can't handle that? I'm offended."

Rashan didn't reply, but he read between the lines. Adrien wasn't just admiring the work—he was telling him outright: I know what you made.

"Cut it out," Rashan muttered, dropping into his seat at the center of the room.

Adrien chuckled. "I had to see what you were up to. In the decade we've known each other, you've never stopped being a training fool."

He turned with that same half-knowing smile.

"Anyway—here to ask me to flee with your mother and sister while you stay behind with Cassia and Jalil?"

Ugh. His teacher's instincts were always spot on.

"Yes," Rashan said. "And I'd ask that you protect them."

Even at seventy, Adrien was still terrifying. One hand down, and still more dangerous than most men Rashan had ever seen in a fight. In this world, sixties snd seventies you started to loose your edge. You didn't really slow down until eighty.

Adrien rubbed his chin. "Sure. But when you come back, I get to stick with you."

Rashan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Adrien grinned. "When they talk about legends from this war, I want to be able to say I saw one personally."

He turned and started walking out, still laughing.

Just before he disappeared around the corner, Rashan called out, "Don't you want to know what I'm going to do with them?"

Adrien's voice echoed back without missing a beat: "Burn shit!"

Rashan chuckled.

His teacher really was the best.

After that, Rashan found Jalil and Cassia and brought them back to his study. Once they were inside, he closed the door behind them and turned the lock.

"Alright," he said, turning to face them. "Everyone's fleeing. My mother's starting a caravan out within the next three days. We'll be staying behind."

Jalil nodded without hesitation. Cassia just stared at him.

"You two don't seem surprised."

Jalil shook his head. Cassia gave a small shrug.

"Okay," Rashan said. "You're probably thinking we'll be scouting. Something light."

They both nodded.

Rashan folded his arms. "We're going to sabotage the grain stores, the drydock, and the bridge over the Yer."

He let it settle.

Cassia frowned, hands moving. Sabotage?

"We're going to burn it to the ground," Rashan said. "Disguised. Before the Dominion can use any of it."

Both of them looked at him like he'd just grown horns.

"The Dominion will take this city," he said. "But if we do this right… we slow them down. No food supply—no ability to feed their troops, or control the population. The granary burns, and they waste time trying to rebuild a local stockpile."

He held up a finger.

"The drydock? No quick ship repairs. No resupply. That stalls their momentum."

Another finger.

"The bridge over the Yer? No rapid troop movement inland. They'll have to circle wide or wait for engineers. Either way, that gives the next city more time to prepare."

Inwardly, he knew most wouldn't leave. The guards would stay. The warriors would dig in. But this? This gave Hammerfell a chance to bleed the enemy before they took another inch.

Jalil raised an eyebrow. "So we torch three critical targets, vanish, and hope no one sees us?"

"That's the plan," Rashan said.

Jalil rubbed his jaw. "You know… I always figured if I committed treason, there'd be more wine involved."

Rashan smirked. Cassia gave a little smile.

The trio laughed as Rashan pulled out a parchment to start planning their mission.