Enough for you to make plans

Once the prisoner begins talking, his tongue seems to loosen with every word, and it is not long before you have the most valuable information you sought and can to turn the subsequent questioning over to others.

You are able to ride back to the tournament garden before the mid-afternoon break is concluded, thanks in part to Steelheart's speed, and find - somewhat to your surprise - that Liesel is entertaining the crowd with demonstrations of her fantastic archery skills. It would normally be somewhat incongruous to see such a lovely young woman in a shimmering white gown bending a hunting bow, but Liesel handles the weapon with such comfort and familiarity that it looks almost natural; indeed, you are struck with the fanciful image of her as Cupid, sending her darts flying to touch the hearts of young lovers.

"The King approaches!" Captain Navarre announces as you draw near, and heads turn in your direction. Liesel immediately unbends her bow and points the arrow to the ground; even though she lived among royalty for only a short time so long ago, it seems that it was drilled into her that weapons must be lowered in the King's presence.

"I have clearly missed a great deal in my absence," you comment as you dismount from Steelheart and enter the gardens on foot.

"Well Sire, of course no one present now questions that Liesel is the true Princess of Bavaria," Lady Rosaline says to you, glancing momentarily sideways at her cousin, "but there were some lingering doubts as to whether she could possibly be the infamous Vixen as well! Her Highness is currently engaged in putting those doubts to rest, albeit at some expense to the buffet."

You look over to the other side of the garden, and see a number of apples and peaches pierced with arrows, some of them clearly having been hurled a good distance before falling to Liesel's deadly aim.

"There were a few wagers placed, but only on the first three shots," Subhi says to you. "After that, no one would bet against her!"

"What can I say?" Liesel says with a shrug. "I am being offered such easy targets, after all."

"Easy targets, eh?" Subhi says, rubbing his beard. "Very well, then, Your Highness... there, do you see that horsefly? There flies the next victim of your bow, if you will!"

Liesel looks to you first, and you nod to give her permission to raise her weapon. Carefully she draws back, sighting down along the shaft, holding the bow almost rock-steady rather than trying to follow the insect’s erratic path -

-zing!-

"Hm... it seems there are indeed some targets beyond even your skill, Princess," Subhi says as the fly zips along through the air.

"Oh, the fly still lives," Liesel says, smirking, "but he will never be a father."

It takes a moment for her comment to sink in, and then the laughter begins to roll through the crowd. Leisel takes a theatrical bow, and hands her bow and quiver off to Lady Trina, accepting a goblet of wine from Lord Bertrand in its place. His smile is clearly ****; your best guess would be that he does not care to have it rubbed in that the daughter of a woman (and a queen) who he clearly greatly admired has been living as Elyssia's most notorious thief. It will be necessary to get further information from him later about the situation in Bavaria, with which he is undoubtedly familiar; hopefully, he will be amenable to sharing his knowledge with you.

"My Lords and Ladies," Sir Benedicht says, approaching from the tournament grounds, "Pray excuse my interruption... the second half of the day's events shall commence momentarily. The Kingsguard shall escort you back to your seats at this time."

As much as you need to speak with your advisors and make plans based on the information you have received from the prisoner, it is necessary for you to attend at least some of the tournament events. The crisis precipitated by Liesel and Velimir really could have come at a more convenient time!

While the archery contest proves somewhat anticlimactic to your noble guests following the show which Liesel put on for them earlier (you hear more than one mumble to the effect that she could surpass every other contestant on the field with her eyes shut), the quarterstaff duels are unexpectedly thrilling, due in no small part to the final match between Bwana M'Kubwa's granddaughter and one of Samurai Kuronuma Kuma's warriors. They both fight with equal skill but vastly different techniques - the eastern champion moves his staff with short and very deliberate steps, never moving an inch more than necessary, while Bwana's granddaughter (one named Jua) twirls her weapon about her with such wild speed and flair that the eye can barely follow where it lands. It takes perhaps a third of an hour for them each to score two touches on the other, and the last will decide the match. The conversation in the royal box suggests that the Samurai's warrior is favored to win, as Jua cannot possibly have the stamina to maintain such a vigorous fight for so long without tiring.

"Do you think your man will prevail, Kuronuma Kuma-san?" you ask the Samurai, who has been offered the seat next to you for this match. His translator, a young and very beautiful woman who came with him, whispers your words in his language, and he replies in kind.

"He says, 'No one has ever challenged Osaki Hiro-san for so long, but I am confident that his discipline will win out over youthful aggression, Sire,'" the translator says to you, her voice heavily accented but her speech remarkably fluent.

"I would be pleased to place a wager upon the outcome," Bwana M'Kubwa says from the chair on the Samurai's other side. "I offer a lionskin pelt of highest quality, should my granddaughter lose. And you, great Samurai?"

The words are exchanged through Kuronuma's translator, and you see him nod as he speaks.

"My master accepts your wager, and offers a robe made of the finest silk if Hiro-san is defeated," she relays.

"Hai, Kuronuma Kuma-san," Bwana replies; it is clear even to your ears that the pronunciation of the Samurai's name is mangled by his accent, but Kuronuma nods in acknowledgement (he does not smile, but you have yet to see him smile at anything).

“If I had an honest coin to wager, I would place it upon Jua,” Liesel says. “I can see it in her eyes... her spirit is unconquerable. The man is formidable, but a man will always underestimate a woman in combat.”

“That is how Hiro-san failed to block Jua’s first point, I concur,” you say, “but he has learned his lesson and fights now with caution and respect for her skill. The match could go either way, I think... but I cannot help but feel that Jua expends her energy too freely. The longer they go on, the less likely she is to win.”

The contest continues below you, Jua leaping about Hiro like a cat chasing a shaft of moving sunlight through the leaves of a tree, always on the attack - the blows directed at her are mostly dodged rather than deflected, forcing Hiro to check his swings nearly every time so that he can block her relentless advance. Jua’s stamina is incredible; she never stops a moment to catch her breath, and shows no sign of slowing her step.

Suddenly, Jua backs away, dropping almost to one knee, bending low to the ground with her staff held at the vertical. You happen to glance at Bwana at that moment, and his eyes sparkle with a new excitement; you quickly look back to the arena, knowing something is coming.

For only a heartbeat, both fighters are carved from stone.

Then, Jua explodes into a flying leap, planting her staff on the ground and using it to vault high over Hiro-san's head. His defensive swing sweeps between Jua and her weapon, for she no longer holds it; but as she alights to the ground, she snatches the staff as it falls toward her and swings it around behind Hiro's legs. The warrior leaps into the air himself, clearing Jua's blow, bringing his own staff down upon her - but she blocks it solidly with the center of her shaft.

The crowd cheers at this unorthodox display, and for a long moment the two contestants stay locked in that position, staring at each other. Then, as if coming to some unspoken agreement, they separate and back away to opposite sides of the circle. Osaki Hiro turns to face the royal box, and shouts out something in his own language. The woman behind you whispers his words in your tongue.

You stand up, and the crowd goes silent so that you may be heard. "My Lords and Ladies!" you shout to the arena, "Osaki Hiro-san says that he and Jua of the M'Kubwa tribe are evenly matched; that this contest may show who wins today, but neither can truly lay claim as the better fighter. Therefore, he offers an honorable draw. Jua, do you accept?"

Jua looks over at her opponent, and nods once.

"Then, by command of the King, both finalists are declared equal masters of the staff, and they will share the purse for first place! Congratulations to both of you!"

The crowd resumes cheering, and Bwana M'Kubwa stands to shout out a whooping victory cry for his granddaughter. It's impossible to read the Samurai's face; you cannot tell whether he approves or not! Then, he says something to M'Kubwa, and you must wait a moment for the crowd to quiet down enough for his translator's quiet voice to be heard.

"The Great Kuronuma Kumo-san says that since neither his warrior nor yours was defeated, neither of you is bound by honor to pay the terms of the wager. However, he suggests that in the spirit of goodwill between his people and yours, the prizes offered by each of you may be exchanged, and that you may claim the silk robe while he accepts the lion pelt. Is this agreeble to you, Kiongozi?"

"It is most agreeable!" Bwana replies with a wide grin, revealing his brilliant white teeth - and at last, the Samurai shows something which might be a smile in return.

"The one question he utterly refused to answer was his name," you say to your gathered council. "The price of his cooperation was his anonymity, and our promise that he would be held in protective custody for the next fortnight, at which point he wishes to be released into the upper woods during the dark of the Moon. I agreed to his terms, and so long as his information holds true, we will honor that agreement - but I have warned him that he must never return to Elyssia."

"Of course, Sire," Duncan says with a nod.

You and three others sit in the small guard house at the base of the stairs to the royal box, speaking in low whispers. The Kingsguard stands outside (save Mshindi, who guards the door) and it seems unlikely in the **** that anyone could be in a position to overhear, but the Warlord's spies have earned well their reputation for cunning. Duncan is there, as is General Ferdinand; Bwana M'Kubwa is also present. Your other advisors are busy keeping the guests entertained; unfortunately, it was not practical to pull anyone else away from the festivities, and even so the meeting must be kept brief.

"What he told me may be summed up as follows," you continue. "Lord Velimir's daughter Katyana is indeed encamped near the covered bridge; this was already known, thanks to the information given us by Bwana M'Kubwa. However, he also told me that the Warlord himself is nearby. He claimed that Velimir is moving his camp each night to avoid detection; that they are lighting no fires and sleeping beneath leather pelts covered in leaves and scrub, so that one might stand in the midst of their camp at night and never see it."

"Such a thing is possible for men, but not their horses," Ferdinand points out. "I very much doubt that the Warlord has walked here from Bavaria!"

"Yes, and therein may lie our chance," you say. "The horses and a few men to care for them are camped far up in the Summer's Eve Canyon, among the trees surrounding the small meadow by the waterfall. The animals are let out into the meadow without saddle or barding a few at a time, for a few hours each day; so that if any visitors happen to hike up to see the falls, they will only see what seems to be a small herd of wild horses. We cannot catch Velimir in the woods, not without a good deal of luck. But we may be able to take those men prisoner, and secure their horses, and then lie in wait for Velimir to arrive - as he inevitably must, at some point."

"The waterfall at the head of the Summer's Eve Canyon marks the border of Elyssia," Duncan points out. "If they are alerted to our presence, they can slip away, and we would have no right to pursue them."

"The Warlord does not respect borders," M'Kubwa says. "When dealing with such a man, we cannot be concerned with imaginary lines in the dirt."

"I do not suggest that we ignore practicality, Bwana," Duncan says. "Naturally, we would follow them across the waterfall and beyond, if it came to that. I merely point out that it would be in our best interests if we can catch them on our side of that line, if possible."

"The prisoner said other things as well," you continue. "For the sake of brevity, I must ask that we hold discussion until I have told you all of it. Katyana believes herself to be in command of the forces in her camp, but this is not truly so - one of the men is in fact one of Velimir's captains in disguise, and he has orders to assume command should she fail at her mission. The primary goal of that mission is to capture alive the one who is known as the Vixen. The prisoner did not know why - of course, the reason should be obvious to all of us. Lord Velimir has no doubt discovered Liesel's true identity somehow, and means to **** her into marriage, thereby enabling him to personally claim the Bavarian throne."

Bwana M'Kubwa's lip curls in disgust. "And they call me barbarian," he mutters.

"The last piece of important information we have learned is that Lord Velimir means to attack this city," you say, dropping your voice even lower. "He will wait until our allies have left, and make his move before we have had the chance to replenish our supplies. The prisoner did not know anything about Velimir's war plans or his intended strategy, only that the attack would happen within the next two months."

"Does the Princess know of all this?" Duncan asks.

"No, but I intend to tell her. She has the right to know."

"Indeed, we may need her help," Ferdinand says. "The Summer's Eve Canyon is treacherous. The migratory path is the only safe way in or out, certainly the only path which horses may follow. However, if we approached that way we would be easily seen from the waterfall; we could not hope to take them by surprise, or indeed at all. The Princess may know of other ways. She is obviously familiar with our woods, and since the canyon is the only local source of obsidian, she doubtless visited there often to tip her arrows."

"Certainly, Princess Liesel's knowledge of the woods could be of great value, but is it wise to deliberately bring the very thing Velimir seeks most into one of his camps?" Duncan asks. "She could not simply tell our people the way to go; it is not as if she followed maps or signposts when making her way through the canyon. Undoubtedly, she would need to accompany them. That may be too great a risk."

"I will think upon the matter," Ferdinand says. "I feel that I have the beginning of a plan, but I must work out some of the details before sharing it with the council. This will not be easy, to be sure... but we cannot let this opportunity to geld the Warlord slip away."

"It will also be necessary to deal with Katyana," Duncan adds. "But how can we do all we must do so quickly, and without the Warlord discovering what we are up to? Once we start assembling our men, his spies will learn of it; they must be in our midst. He will know what we do as soon as we make our plans known to our own people, as we must."

Ferdinand leans forward. "We may yet be able to keep him in the dark, if we can move quickly enough. Velimir is operating in stealth, and that works both ways, to an extent. As he must stay in hiding, it is more difficult for his own informants to reach him; they will only be able to do so at certain pre-arranged times and places. We cannot intercept such messages - we do not know enough about who is delivering them and how - but we may be able to outpace them, if we act immediately. We must confront Katyana first, as it seems she commands a larger **** and they are more prepared to immediately move against us. We should do that tonight - before sundown, if possible. I can have twenty men ready to ride in an hour; it would be less time, but I must take caution in who I choose. I will select only men born and raised here in Elyssia, with squires who may claim the same, so that I can be sure none are Velimir's spies."

"Twenty will be too many,” you tell him. “The more men we must summon from our own ranks, the more likely that Katyana's informants will be tipped off no matter what cautions you take. We must have only ten from our own forces, no more. Bwana, I must ask a great favor - ten of your people, to join with mine in this endeavor.”

"My people and I are more than ready to strike at the Warlord," Bwana says. "I will give you eleven, for I shall lead them myself! I may be an old man, but for this task I will summon the strength of three warriors."

"By your leave, Sire, I will go to make my preparations at once," Ferninand says, coming to his feet.

"You have my leave. We will assemble our **** at the Sandstones; I want you to take a moment to drill them in some form of precision riding, make it appear that they are being summoned for a festival event. Bwana, your people should meet in stealth at the trees beyond the Sandstones. Once I arrive, we will take the path through the woods to the clearing by the covered bridge, moving swiftly so that we arrive in advance of any spy or informant. We ride into Katyana's camp with sheathed swords and spears held at rest, but make no mistake - we will use those weapons if we are met with even the slightest hostility!"

Ferdinand bows his head briefly, then makes his exit. You are about to do the same when Duncan coughs softly.

"Excuse me, Sire..." he says with some hesitation, "when you say 'we,' do you mean to imply that you will take part in this personally?"