[Flashback] The Owl's Song of Death

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

40th of Ashan, 708

Kura walked to the top of a nearby dune hill and watched the soldiers the Empress had placed under command set up the tent compound that was to serve as their forward camp for this excursion. The wind caught the chained cloak of her uniform as she watched them pull the tends off the Ragdila that had carried them this far, the massive tortoises pulled into their shells for now. The great reptiles would be cared for very carefully until they left, as this wasn't the Ragdila's natural habitat. The Mortalborn had almost decided against bringing them, but the massive reptiles ability to carry heavy loads took the burden of her soldiers, who already had to bear their heavy armor and personal packs. Fortunately, most of her troop came from the ranks of the Scouts, and her mothers Blessed and their wolves were roaming through and around the campsite, looking for anything that was even remotely out of the ordinary.

Shifting her gaze, Kura looked over where they were setting up her own tent. She had ordered certain other tents, like the shelter for the Ragdila's, the mess tent, and the medical tent set up first, but they had enough people that a few enterprising soldiers evidently felt it was necessary for her own tents, which would also serve as the command tent, to go up as well. She supposed it made sense, a command point was a good thing to have, and she made a mental note to see who had been so enterprising as to think of it.

As she mused, she heard footsteps to her side and looked over to see one of the Scouts walking up the dune towards her. "Professor Mareth!" he said, pulling into a salute. Kura smiled at the woman, who had been one of her students during one of her stints as a history professor and tutor, a requirement for her position in the High Courts, and waved her closer.

"This is a military assignment, Velka. I'm technically a Marshal right now." Kura said, her tone gentle. Velka Mindre had a bit of trouble with names, but been a quick student and Kura was pleased to see she had risen far enough in the Scouts to be assigned to this mission in the decade since Kura had last seen her.

Velka grimaced at her lapse and started again. "Marshal Wolfsdotter, one of our distance scouts found a woman wearing Imperial Legionnaire armor. The thing is, she appears to be alone and she's way away from any of our other military operations. And she certainly wasn't traveling with us." Velka was a beta still, but Kura could see that her old student would go far if she had known to find out all of that before bringing it to her attention.

Nodding, the Mortalborn turned and started down the dune, gesturing for Velka to follow. "Send word to have her hands tied and her weapons taken, then bring both her and her weapons to my tent. It's possible she got separated from the border fortress forces somehow, but I won't risk our people until I know for sure." she said, her tone calm, her orders clear. People tended to look at Kura, with her eternally young face and generally genial attitude and forget that she was over a century old and had spent most of that century serving the Eternal Empire in a surprisingly large variety of positions. She might have been an odd choice to some to command the mission, her official title as a member of the High Courts being that of a history professor, but she worn the Chains of Command several times before.

While she waited for the girl to be brought to her, Kura took a moment to brush the travel dust off her clothes and make sure a large pitcher of water and several glasses were arranged, as well as a chair for the girl. That settled, she settled to working on her consistently massive pile of paperwork while she waited for them to arrive. After nearly half a Break, Velka walked into the large tent, black as all Imperial military gear was, and saluted. "They've arrived, Marshal Wolfsdotter." she said.

Kura set aside her paperwork and nodded. "Bring her in."

[Nell]

Crystal blue eyes glared at the back of the Scout in front of her, seething rage pouring out of them like blood. Her brow was furrowed and knit nearly together, and she could feel her hands shaking on her torso. They were tied together, so she couldn't move them, but she could feel them brushing against each other.

She had been pissing. Pissing. She barely ever stopped, barely rested... And they caught her with her pants down, literally. She vowed that if she ever got away again, she'd never squat to take a piss again. With a short huff, she recounted the past half a break in her head.

There she was, squatting over in some shaded area that she'd never have thought twice about. When they appeared, it was all she could do not to shift and make the warm liquid run down her leg. Instead, she went for the sword that was no longer lying where she had left it. She knew she was outplayed. She knew she had no choice.

When they bound her hands, however, she grew angry. She was a Legionnaire. She didn't deserve to be treated this way! Granted, she was a deserter and was probably wanted by her legion, but she still didn't need to have her hands tied. It was degrading, and she wasn't going to stand for it.

Granted, there wasn't much she could do. As they marched back towards the Scouts' commander, Nell seethed in rage. She knew that whatever came next, it was quite unlikely it would benefit her. She searched her surroundings discretely, trying to gauge a way to get out before the Scouts shot her down like a wounded deer. She could find no escape, could find nothing but to walk and face the consequences. She wished she'd never have stopped to piss.

Fecking nature. She was cursing everything she could, every single Immortal she could remember. Feck Ashan. Feck Ymiden. Feck Moseke. Feck Faldrun. Feck them all. If she got away, she'd hunt them all and kill them. Or whatever it was to kill an Immortal.

As they stopped outside the tent, a sense of dread replaced Nell's rage. She quelled the urge to turn and run, and instead set her jaw and was ushered into the tent. As she ducked through the flap, she let her eyes adjust to the surroundings. The woman in the middle was not intimidating at all, but seemed to command a certain presence. The Scouts brought Nell to her, so she must be someone important.

Nell cast her crystal blues to the ground, not looking Kura in the face. No matter who the woman was, Nell knew enough to be respectful and hold her tongue, lest it be cut from her mouth. She clenched her jaw to keep the nerves, and vomit, down, and stood at attention, with her eyes cast down. She was weaponless, defenseless... Except for her resolve. She still had that. She would die before going back. Which might be a possibility.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura leaned back in her seat and looked over the woman as the Scouts brought her in. With them came Speck, her owl familiar who settled onto the perch Kura had set on her desk. The owl regarded Nell with regal gaze for a moment, then tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep. "Thank you. You are relieved." she said to the scouts as they laid Nell's weapons on her desk. As the scouts left, Kura took a moment to look over Nell's weapons, giving them a close inspection before she turned her gaze back to the woman herself, letting her eyes linger on the scars. She was, too Kura's eyes, a lovely sight, but she didn't know or care whether others would agree.

"My name is Marshal Kura Wolfsdotter, of the High Courts of our Eternal Empire. I command this force." she said, by way of introduction before getting down to business. "Your weapons and armor are in good quality. You are scarred, but not so scarred as to have been tortured or held prisoner by our enemies. They speak instead of honorable battle, war in service to our Empire. So, then, I must assume you are out here on your own will." she said, before rubbing her face and sighing. "And since you don't seem surprised or confused to be restrained and disarmed, I can only assume you're a deserter." Kura paused for a moment, then leaned forward and stared unblinkingly at the woman.

"You may have heard of me before. If you haven't, then I will tell you that I have served as a judge many, many times. Including over cases of desertion. Some have been innocent. Some guilty. Some have had legitimate reason, reasons that would have made them a detriment on the field, or they felt their commanders were incompetent. So, you tell me why you deserted. Or if I'm wrong and you aren't one. Nothing you tell me will get you in further trouble, I can assure." she said, before cocking her head to the side. "I would also like your name and commander, Legionnaire."

[Nell]

As Marshal Wolfsdotter studied her, so too did Nell study the Marshal. Her sharp features, dark eyes, dark hair... She was the epitome of control. And Nell respected that. She'd never had many issues with the command of the Legionnaires. Mostly, it was the other Legionnaires. But Nell, incapacitated as she was, was taught to never surrender. And she wasn't going to start then, in the face of a Raskalarn-promoted commander.

She set her face as Marshal Wolfsdotter questioned her, giving no hint that she understood any more than she was supposed to. The Marshal spoke with a forceful tone, expecting answers to her questions. Nell, who didn't care for her assumptions nor her demand of answers, just stared with a cool expression on her face, icy stare penetrating the Marshal. Her jaw clenched and she stared.

Her name and her commander's name? Was the Marshal going to report her? She'd rather have her tongue cut out than go back, and she'd very well tell Marshal Wolfsdotter that. She'd be far more likely to tell Marshal Wolfsdotter that than her name and her commander's name. She realized she should give a false name and a false commander. It might save her life, or at the very least, buy her some time to escape. But she had a feeling that the Marshal would see through her lie, and it would only make it worse for her. After some time of staring at the Marshal, Nell begrudgingly acquiesced.

"My commander's name was Decadrion Vikram Kromm." Her blue eyes measured the Marshal's response to her words, especially 'was'. Her face took on no emotion, no hint as to whether that meant that he was dead or just dead to her. After a beat, she continued on.

"As for myself, Marshal... I am Nell di Bellona. But the men and women in my century called me Death Nell. Perhaps you've heard of me?" She cocked her head to the side, causing the blonde warbraid to fall down and over her shoulder, to the top of her breast. Her tone was one of defiance and rebellion, though she was not in a position to have such a tone.

Her frigid eyes locked onto the Marshal's and remained there, a challenge of wills between the two women. Nell was proud and strong, and if she were to be executed, she would not want the final thing to be said of her was that she was mewling like a suckling kitten. Instead, she would be as stubborn as the ground under her feet, and would take her punishment like the woman she was.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura watched calmly as she waited for the woman to respond. She did raise an eyebrow at the name of the woman's Decadrion, as well as the particular qualifier she used. Then came her own name. "Nell di Bellona. In point of fact, I have heard of you. Your desertion was reported to your Centurion, a man name Korio Veron. Who put out a call for you immediate execution if we found you." she said, pulling out a file she had that pertained to Nell and her old Century. "However, that only lasted for two days. See, then it gets it weird. Was it the constant abuse you faced at the hands of the rest of your unit that led you to leave, Nell? The theft of your armor and weapons, the lack of reprimands for their behavior? Or do you truly no longer care for the people who look to you for protection?" she said, drawing Nell's sword and standing up.

As she walked around her desk, Kura pointed Nell's at her. "I'll know if you lie to me, Nell di Bellona. I've been dealing with people for the past century and more. So? Which is it? Do you still care for our people, our Empire? Or is the abuse you suffered just a convenient excuse you could use to try and worm your way out of trouble." she said, her tone calm and collected, not quite accusatory but not friendly either.

[Nell]

Nell's eyes never left Kura, watching at her intimidation tactics. In all honesty, Nell knew that the marshal had all the power in the world to have her executed, but she wouldn't let her see that she knew. It was hard to tell which was more inflexible, Nell's sword or Nell's attitude. She clenched her jaw as Kura questioned her, staring holes in the woman.

What really got her was the marshal pointing her own sword at her. Though she didn't struggle against her restraints, Nell started examining her options with her peripherals. She could try to rush through Kura, but might get stabbed. She could roll around and out the flap, but she would be cut down before she ever made it out of the camp. She could challenge Kura directly, but she likely wouldn't survive that either. Her only option was to move forward.

"Would you blame me if it were the latter? Could you blame me if my love for our people has been diminished by those who would seek to do me harm? Why should I love them when they produced those who would do me harm?" Her eyes shone in anger, flashing across like fire on ice. Her lips pressed into a thin frown.

"But it is not the latter. I do not feel any less for the citizens of the Empire, just those who would defend her. My exact reason for leaving shall remain my own, however. If that displeases you, cut my throat now and toss me in the desert. Should that satisfy your questioning, I'll take my gear and be on my way. And if they found my horse, I'll take her too."

She was unbending, unwavering in her commitment. She could feel herself losing control, and she wanted to remain as calm as possible to avoid slipping out. She watched Kura with suspicious eyes, waiting to decide on her course of action.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura let Nell answer her questions without comment, and when she was finished the Mortalborn had made her decision. "Nell di Bellona. You have been accused of treason against our Empress and our people. I have stood witness to your defense and now act as your judge." she said, her tone calm and formal. As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed Nell's hands before bringing down the blade she had held, slicing the ropes that had kept her hands tied. "I find you innocent of treason, Nell di Bellona." she said, handing the other woman back her sword.

Leaning back, Kura suddenly tilted her head to the side and smiled. "But don't think you can leave just yet. You might want to know why I knew about the troubles you had prior to your desertion without you telling me." she said, shedding the heavy cloak of her uniform and sitting down in a chair on the same side of her desk as Nell. "You see, one of the people from a different unit found out and reported it to his Quinctus, a woman named Vierka Gardise. She sent it up the chain. Three times as it turns out. When you deserted, she figured either her Quinctus or her Centurion wasn't doing their jobs and told a Beta she was friends with. He sent it up his own chain and eventually, word reached the Marshal." she said, before smiling thinly at the end.

"He took steps. Your former Decadrion and former Quinctus have both been stripped of rank and flogged. Quinctus Gardise now leads your old unit. Centurion Veron was also flogged for gross negligence, but he pleaded ignorance which we couldn't fully disprove. Your entire former century is now moving to a currently very hot warzone bordering Yaralon, where your former commanders will either sort themselves out or die." she said, before cocking her head to the side as she regarded Nell. "Which leaves us with what to do with you. You have three options, Nell. I am perfectly willing to reinstate you as a Legionnaire in a different unit. Likewise, you could take honorable retirement from the Legions if you so wish." she said, before leaning back and pushing the water pitcher over to Nell. "But, your situation presents with a...unique opportunity. You see, neither your desertion or your acquittal have been made a matter of public information. And I have a need for skilled individuals with strong sense of individuality so often lacking in our legions."

Kura pulled her gloves off as she spoke, setting them on the table before looking at Nell. "So. Do you want to go back to fighting on the front lines? Go live a life empty of any chance of further glory, but safe behind the legions. Or do you want to come work for me directly and take that fire I still see in your eyes and put it to use protecting people in a way most other Legionnaires would never get the chance too?" she asked, her tone calm and collected.

[Nell]

It all seemed a little convenient to Nell. She wasn't surprised that the mistreatment had been reported, but everything seemed to be falling into her lap. Marshal Wolfsdotter just happened to be where she was hiding, just happened to have scouts out looking... Nell's eyes narrowed as she grew more suspicious of the Marshal.

She listened intently, though, when the Marshal outlined the punishment and replacement of her Quinctus and Decadrion. It brought her no joy to hear. In fact, she felt nothing. Even though she'd met both, she didn't care for their lives, didn't care for their pain. She couldn't even bring herself to be grateful for their punishment. Instead, she felt nothing stir in her, and it didn't change when the Marshal offered her the options.

Three options. Go back, go away, or go forward. She couldn't go back, not even with another unit. Even though they would likely learn of the behavior she'd run from, they'd know she still ran. And deserters were as good as traitors to most of the Legionnaires. She could take the honorable discharge. Many would not blame her, and she wouldn't have to hide in the Hotlands, Nashaki or the Empire. But she couldn't see that being any better in terms of how her fellow soldiers would view her.

She realized suddenly how much she actually cared of their opinions. It wasn't that she craved the approval, it was that she had worked hard, bled for those people. She couldn't bear to have her fellow soldiers and the people of the Empire view her as a coward just because a few Legionnaires were horrid. With a frown, she considered the two doors she'd just closed, and shook her head. Because the Marshal was watching her, it must have seemed as if she were disagreeing with all three.

Eyes of frost found their way back to the Marshal's face, scrutinizing it for any sign of insincerity or a hint of what she was thinking. For a long moment, Nell's eyes just roamed her face, and the expression was blank. Finally, a cynical smile crept onto her face.

"I don't really have much choice, do I, Marshal? But I must admit, this whole situation seems rather suspect, does it not? The Marshal was informed of my desertion. She just happens to be close to where I was making camp." Nell smiled, but it wasn't one of pleasure. "And what does my interesting and unique service include? Am I to assassinate your enemies behind their own lines, yet if I die, I was just a rogue Legionnaire? Makes it easy to wash your hands if you don't admit to blood."

Her tone was derisive, but her interest was piqued. It was evident from the shine in her eyes, and they never left the Marshal.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura raised her eyebrows at Nell's suspicious words, then gave a satisfied smile. "Smart, to catch that. I was wondering if you would. I am not traditionally a Marshal. I was given the rank for this assignment out of necessity. Being Mortalborn, I have benefits that could be of use to our mission here, and I have previous command experience. Normally that would be enough, but the mission necessitated a Marshal." she said, before standing up and handing Nell her file off her desk. As opposed to being addressed to Marshal Kura Wolfsdotter, it was, in fact, addressed to Professor Kura Mareth.

"I'm traditionally a history professor, technically. That was the rank and position that put me in the high courts. My usual function to the empire, however, is organizational. Treason is a capital offense and all accusations of it pass through the Imperial Palace before going to trial. As do accusations of negligence or out-right maliciousness on the part of our commanders. Your desertion isn't so recent that word didn't reach the capital, both of the desertion itself and the problems you were facing. I personally sent word to every Marshal, and through them, every other commander in the Empire, that you were be questioned regarding your desertion, but were not assumed guilty." she said, sitting back down and grimacing slightly.

"In truth, we expected you to head west and already be outside our borders. I am, admittedly, curious as to why you came to the desert instead of our more hospitable neighbors. As for your interesting and unique service, I am not going to recruit a Legionnaire to perform assassinations. It's not even remotely what you're trained for. It'd be like trying to carve a bow with a foresters saw." she said, before giving the girl a stern glare. "And you one of ours. We do not leave our own to rot while we sit clean. The Empress would personally have the hide of any commander or official who suggested it and my mother would feed the remnants to her wolves." she said, her tone icy before she let her expression slide back into a smile.

"You see, the mission I lead is one of many in preparation for our invasion of the Hotlands. Fairly soon we'll be pulling back from the Western front for the most part, including Rharne. That's where you would come in. You see, pulling those forces away from Rharne could give them ideas about biting off chunks of our Western region. What you would be doing is going to Rharne, Nell, is watching for any sign of mobilization aimed at the Empire. There are people already in Rharne for you to report too. Your status as a supposed deserter should keep suspicion off you, and if you get caught, will hopefully confuse them long enough for us to get you out of trouble." she said, her tone calm as she laid out the job she had for Nell. "Of course, your true status will be distributed among the Imperial Commanders, so if you have to flee across the border, you won't be in danger of execution."

[Nell]

Nell's cold eyes watched the marshal as she spoke, and her jaw clenched with the flow of the words. She didn't like being someone's spy, especially when she wasn't sure that it wasn't a setup. But it may be her only choice to remain alive. Should the Empire deign her desertion to be a matter of import, they'd be sending assassins after her no matter where she went. And though she would likely kill most of them, she didn't want to sleep with one eye open every trial.

But her face was a mask. She stared at Kura for a long time, what few like ten bits, before she leaned back in the chair. She seemed to relax a minute amount, but it was noticeable. She weighed the options again, this time in a less defensive light. When her cool blue eyes fell on the Marshal again, they were different.

"You've got a deal. But listen to me, Marshal. If this is a trick, if this is in any way a ruse to keep me corralled, I will leave a trail a bodies so long at your doorstep that the Immortals themselves won't be able to keep track. I am a woman of my word, Marshal, and if you look in my eyes, you know it's true. But if this proposal is one made in earnest, you've earned yourself a loyal spy."

The word sounded funny on her lips, but it's what she was. And she knew that Rharne wasn't likely to try and wrest any of the Western lands from the Empire. From what she'd heard of the city, it was full of affable buffoons who liked to drink too much and care too little. To Nell, it seemed that the Marshal was offering her a relatively peaceful deal that would ensure she wasn't beheaded this trial. It seemed insane not to take it.

"I must ask that I rest this trial before I head to Rharne tomorrow. All this... excitement... has worn me down to embers." She smiled, but it was tight. Her eyes were less defensive, though, and the Marshal was seeing a completely different side to her.