"Excuse me, but do you have an Old Book here? Perhaps a Rare Find? I had heard that you had procured one into your possesion?" She asked, very hopefully.

"I'm very sorry, but I just sold that not thirty minutes ago to Master Desmond, Woof!'" The woman replied, regretfully. Emilia's hopes were crushed under the weight of thousands of books. But wait! There was still hope.

"Wait! Who? Desmond? Who might that be?" Emilia asked inquisitively. "Why, Master Desmond is an assistant to the great General Ridley Wizen! Woof!" The woman barked happily.

Ridley Wizen? Emilia thought. Of course! He was a General here in Two River! He was very famous...It's said he didn't like Highland much, either. Teresa and him would get along quite nicely...So Emilia decided to continue this conversation further. "Where does this Desmond live? I'd like to meet him." Emilia asked, as nicely as possible, without sounding too desperate. The Kobold woman informed Emilia as to where Desmond took up his residence, and directed her there. Emilia thanked the woman kindly for her help, and walked around the Kobold Section of Two River for almost ten minutes before realizing she had passed the right house about sixty times. All the houses in this place looked almost the same to her. She pulled open the the tent, and walked in.

Desmond, collector of stories, sat contently in the candlelit tent. Sprawled across the wooden table was Ridley's map, littered with small metal figurines. The small golden figures were of kobolds carrying swords; they represented Ridley's troops while the silver men represented Highland's army. General Wizen had spent countless hours arranging those figurines, re-arranging them, creating mock strategies based on the small amount of information he had about Highland's mobile army.

Today was Sunday, and the general's most worthy advisor had cast his opinion in the direction of a day off. Since Viktor and Flik interrupted Ridley's pseudo-vacation the poor dedicated warrior had had no time to spend with his lovely wife. "Perhaps one day would be alright," yawned the exhausted general, who the night before had been beaten in a duel of first blood by the fiesty young soldier Gengen.

Desmond was currently adding text to his "Biography of Ridley Wizen" when a thin cut of sunlight spread across the room. The faithful bard squinted at the sudden illuminescence, placing his eyes on the slender, femenine figure in the doorway. Normally it was a very harsh offense to enter Ridley's planning tent without due permission, but something told him to treat the beautious apparition in the doorway as gentlemanly as possible. He laid his manuscript aside and stood up as the stranger spoke: "Excuse me, is this where I can find Desmond, advisor to General Ridley?"

"I am he, my lady. And how may I help you?"

Emilia looked around, and noticed the Kobold sitting in a chair, surrounded by, what appeared to her, as maps of the area with little Kobold...chess pieces? Who knows... She asked her question, still looking around at all the antiques and old books. How marvelous! "I was inquiring about a Book you bought recently. I believe it to have been a Rare Find?"

"I recently acquired a very old and valuable copy of The Ancient Sindar and Their Treasures," said the kobold, pulling a ragged tome off of a nearby shelf and handing it to Emilia. "You may peruse it if you like, but please be very wary as it is a priceless addition to my collection."

Emilia took the book, and opened it carefully. She skimmed through the pages, without harming the book in the slightest, as if she had done this before. And then she came to the realization that this man didn't even know what her name was. She closed the book, looked up, and smiled. "I'm sorry I was rude. My name is Emilia Highbranch. It's a pleasure to meet a historical enthusiast like myself."

"Be assured, the pleasure is mine," replied the bard, offering Emilia his right forepaw to be shaken in a custom he'd often witnessed in human culture. "As you no doubt know, I am Desmond, collector of stories and advisor to the esteemed General Ridley Wizen."

Emilia shook his hand gratefully, doing something she barely ever did; curtsie. "Ah, I had gathered as much... forgive my being intrusive, but, is that, parchance, a map of this area, and where the Highland soldiers are situated? If that information happens to be classified, you do not need to tell me, but... I know someone who would appreciate it..." She said, quietly.

Desmond was taken aback at the young woman's straightforwardness. It seemed almost obvious that she was here on more urgent business than merely looking at old, dingy books. She must have been an informant- sent perhaps by Flik and Viktor? By the time Desmond had made any intelligable realizations, he found himself stammering, "No, no... this is merely where my worthy master plots out battle strategies. Is... is it drastically urgent you discuss such plans with our general?"

Emilia thought for a minute, still holding the book. She thought for a while... Teresa... this would help her immensely. "Well, I work under Teresa Wisemail of Greenhill... she's been under a lot of stress lately, and I think if I could take General Ridley to her, it may be able to help her out. She is not very fond of Highland, either, and neither am I. My original goal was to find a book, but it seems that there are much more pressing matters at hand. Oh, your book." She returned the book to Desmond, making sure not to hurt it, even though she seemed a bit hurried.

The faithful advisor returned the book to the shelf. He sighed deeply. He was about to reply when the room suddenly was flooded with daylight. The startled bard suddenly found himself standing in the looming shadow of his general, standing swordbared in the doorway. "Desmond!" he roared. "One of the younger scouts reported to have seen an unauthorized girl walk into the tent! Explain yourself!"

Desmond stumbled backwards, knocking the cloth map and minature metal soldiers reeling to the ground. He stammared a few low barks, but his tongue could not find any words.

Emilia almost instantly realized the figure, from the various rumors. Ridley was a big man, a very big man. Not in the sense that he had muscles, but he was broudshouldered and tall. Emilia backed up, and cleared her throat, and spoke up. "Many apologies, General Ridley. My name is Emilia Highbranch. I came here from Greenhill to talk to you about Highland, and to possibly take you to my superior, Teresa Wisemail, also of Greenhill fame. Desmond here was only being kind enough to show me his collection of books while I awaited your return. Please, if someone is to be punished, it should be myself for not adhering, or asking, of your rules and regulations." Emilia said, politely, and curtsied for the second time in almost five minutes.

Ridley relaxed Shenu in it's scabbard and took a step forward. "Don't sprawl there, Desmond. It is not flattering for you to be silent while this mere human girl beseeches punishment from me." Desmond stood, bolt upright, holding his hands together. What has this girl walked into... 100 lashings? Solitary confinement? Dismemberment of some sort?

"Sit down, Miss Highbranch. You mentioned Teresa; why should I be interested in sharing what precious little information I have- on my day off, may I add- with that petite half-mayor? If she were half the leader her father was, all of Two River would be begging at her shoes for word of Highland's movement." Ridley sat in a chair reletively close to the door- another military excersize. If your foe felt boxed in, she was more likely to cooperate with your demands and answer your questions truthfully.

Emilia was taken aback by these comments. But insulting Teresa was too much, even for someone like Ridley. "How dare you insult Teresa! She's a perfectly ideal mayor! You have absolutely no right to call her anything but the the mayor of Greenhill! She's twice as good as her father was! Her father was a horrible man. He worked only for his own benefit, he was only interested in himself, and making more money for himself. And you know darn well that Two River wouldn't ask Greenhill for anything. Especially the way you all have this though that all humans are horrible creatures bent on pushing you down into the dumpsters. And keeping you underneath their boots. Not all humans are like that. Not all humans are Alec." She said, getting a bit infuriated, not even realizing that this kobold could probably kill her if he wanted to.

"Know this, Miss Highbranch," Ridley growled. "By no law of Jowston's or Two River's must I let you leave this tent alive. Should I wish to send your ear back in a box as warning to Teresa Wisemail, rest assured that I have the power to do it."

He stood. His eyes thinned, his teeth bared as he spoke. "Also know this. Of all of the honorable human mayors throughout this backwards alliance, none are showing concern for the people in the eastern borderlands. To me, Teresa and Anabelle and Gustav and Makai are but one entity- caring only for one city, for one group of people. They will lift not a finger in the way of battle until Highland is on their very doorsteps, and then accuse those states left standing for not coming to their aid. Your ideal mayor has fallen short of protecting the people of this land. Is she sickened by the destruction of a children's regiment in the Tenzan Pass? Has she wept for the razing of Toto or Ryube village? Has she sent one measly piece of potch to the rescue movements or to the freelance mercenaries who have taken it upon themselves to scavange what is left of the border region? No.

"Know this, Emilia Highbranch. Your mayor is living in her schoolhouse, worrying about the future, planning what she could do once Highland is peering down her maw. It is truth that Alec Wisemail was ruthless, a horrible man. But he was a damn good mayor. A man and a mayor are not the same thing- Teresa's soft heart is her biggest weakness. And one day it will be the stone under which Greenhill is crushed."

Emilia was shocked. Was what he said true? Of course it was... He wouldn't lie to her... "...Toto!? Ryube!? Fort? What in the blazes are you talking about! We have had no idea any of this has been going on!" Emilia shouted, pacing a bit.

Emilia then looked at Ridley, narrowing her eyes behind her glasses. "I will not be intimidated by you. I am not so easily manipulated as you might think. I don't care what you do to me, but if you do end up killing me, you risk causing a very bad argument between Greenhill and Two River. I know you don't want something like that to happen.

"I do not know where you have heard this information about Toto or Ryube, but I cannot believe someone as highly respected as you could be so cruel to someone only coming here to offer assistance. Apparently, you are not as great a general as the stories have said. You look down on all humans just like you think all humans look down on you. That is extremely one-ended. To do something like that is to condemn you and all of your troops to failure. To say that all the mayors are the same is totally false. You have never even once met Teresa, have you? Of course not. If you could, you would understand. She is doing everything in her power to protect everyone. She has sent many courriers to Two River to discuss alliances, but they were all rejected, because someone here said that Two River 'was not in need of assistance'.

"I had no idea that there was a Mercenary Fort. I didn't even realize what had happened to Toto or Ryube. We don't get news like that out in the middle of the forest, General. If we had known about that, we would have sent something, anything. Greenhill is filled with students, not soldiers. We cannot defend ourselves very well. What kind of gain could we make in trying to denounce other places, or to get this city disgusted with us? That isn't a very wise thing to do. That's like inviting angry bears to your camp fire and not giving them food!" Emilia shouted the last part, sweating. She had no idea she would get into this sort of argument with someone, simply looking for a book...

There was a long silence. Ridley was breathing heavily, the backs of Emilia's eyes welling up with tears. The ever-present Desmond sat, scrawling in his parchment, trying to maintain his composure. How good it would have been to sink into the floor, to skip out of this torturous arguement... to be amongst his books and journals...

"I grant your life to you, Emilia Highbranch. Leave this place without a sound, and relate to your mayor that next time I shall not be so leniant with her messenger." The general stepped aside, resting his left hand on his blade Shenu in case Emilia tried any form of retaliation.

Emilia curtsied again. She turned to Desmond, and curtsied for the fourth time in an hour. "I thank you, Desmond, for your hospitality." She turned back to Ridley. "And I thank you, General Ridley, for not killing me outright." She nodded again, and as she was walking by Ridley, she said quietly "I do like your Fried Tacos, though..." she smiled, and left the tent, and began walking, ever so slowly, out of Two River.

"She was merely looking for a book," murmured Desmond, pulling The Ancient Sindar and Their Treasures from the shelf. "She meant no harm, general."

Ridley was not facing his advisor, but looking at the closed flap of the tent. It was starting to fall dusky across the sky, painting the horizon with oranges and pinks at which the world's most talented artists have sold their souls to bathe in. "I was not informed that men from Greenhill had arrived before this day, Desmond."

"Sir, it was under your order that all messengers be turned away from our northern border."

"And how is it that this girl managed to slip through that order?" Ridley had not remembered that command- could not remember...

"She was not a messenger origianlly, my lord. She was seeking this book. She is a historian, interested in the texts of the past, like myself."

"When did you relay this order to my guards, Desmond? I want it anulled. Now. And in the future, I expect you to do your job and advise against me giving such foolish orders. My god! We have inadvertantly tied a knot in our own noose!"

"Forgive me, my lord, but even when I first arrived here with my worthy master Genshu we were at first turned away. Only by my good word were we allowed into the city. This order has been standing since before my arrival."

Ridley's heart sank. His knees weakened, and the esteemed kobold warrior had to make a conscious effort to keep from falling. It was of no avail. His advisor rushed to the fallen general's side. Here sat the proud General Wizen, on his knees, his throbbing foot, his chaotic brain. Fallen. He spoke: "Desmond... I..."

...am being crushed by the responsibility...
...should not have turned Miss Highbranch away...
...am not cut out to be general of Two River...
...wish I was fighting alongside Flik and Gengen at the borderlands...
...miss my wife and son terribly...

...want to kill myself...

Of all the answers possible, Ridley chose the least likely- "...do not remember giving that order. I apologize."

"Sire, I advise you to please reconsider this alliance. Teresa Wisemail is a good woman, kindhearted, and Greenhill is eager to help the war effort. Meeting with her is perhaps the best possible route at this time- until we hear from Flik again we have nothing to plan with."

"Thank you, Desmond. Yes, I'll try to catch up to Miss Highbranch..."

The general stood up and brushed the dust off his coat. Before he could leave, Desmond handed him a book, The Ancient Sindar and Their Treasures. "I hear Greenhill has an extensive library. It would be a shame to keep such intriguing material as the Sindar from the lush minds of the students there."

Ridley took the book and clutched it to his chest, nodded, and wordlessly left into the painted dusk.

Emilia was looking back at the city of Two River. She took a deep breath, and sighed. "Why couldn't they have listened to me? Teresa isn't a bad person..." Emilia reluctantly turned away from Two River, and began slowly walking home. Not only did she probably botch up alliances with Two River, but she also didn't get that book! Darn. Two stones and a bird still got missed. No, wait..that's not right...

"Miss Highbranch."

Emilia turned around at the mention of her name, and called out to the person who said it. "Yes? What is it? Did I forget something?" She asked, hoping this wasn't someone after her life.

Ridley walked up to Emilia, holding the book out at arm's length. "My advisor Desmond wishes this book to be placed in the Greenhill Academy Library. He feels it unecesarily selfish to horde such treasured knowledge in his dark study. And..."

He swallowed.

"And I have decided to meet with Mayor Wisemail. Any help she can offer is, of course, appreciated beyond what my meager words can express. It is dangerous for a lone woman to walk this road at night, no?"

Emilia gave Ridley a totally blank stare. For once in her life, she had absolutely nothing to come up with. She couldn't say anything, or do anything. What in the world had happened to him? Think, Emilia. He's helping you now. He has the book. This is a good thing. Yes. Good. Very Good. "Oh! General Ridley! Thank you!" She took the book, and smiled. "Yes, it's very dangerous. I would love for you to accompany me back to Greenhill. I appreciate it, very much." She said, happily, hoping to reconcile, now. "Please, General. Do not take what I said earlier to heart. I was upset, and said some things out of turn I should not have said to someone in your position..." She said, regretfully.

"The apology is not accepted. I accept only apologies through deeds, not words, Miss Highbranch."