Plans For War

You barge into the castle expecting to meet up with Karisi but to your amazement as you open up the doors you see two people that you wanted to meet up with today. There was the Queen, sitting down at one of the tables close to the actual throne with a bunch of scrolls laid out on it and right next to her is your red headed High Commander Ashe. They both look your direction as you open the doors and make your over exaggerated grand entrance which you like to do.

"Well there he is!" Karisi exclaims, looking at you but not standing up.

"About time, Darien." Ashe replies, looking over her shoulder at you before she turns back to Karisi and looks over the scrolls.

You walk up to the table and look at it briefly and as your eyes focus you see that these are scrolls of the entire continent, almost as if it was drawn out on a giant piece of paper, like a map that showcases everything as best as it can. "What do you mean, about time..." your finger trails across the map, looking around curiously.

"We've been going over battle strategies and game plans for hours now, sharing ideas and waiting for your sorry ass to show up." Karisi tells you, "So yes, about time."

"But that's okay, Darien." Ashe moves a small tiger across the continent, moving it towards the Turth River, "We've got a good plan, should work out well."

"Yes we have." Karisi smiles at Ashe, "Far enough away from the Syndicate, open fields so better for our Sunriders. We'll march there and set up camp, wait for their army to show up."

"I think that sounds good to me!" Ashe nods at Karisi, "Spread out far, keep scouts at the edges, flank if needed!"

"A moments break?" Karisi asks, "I believe it's wine time?"

"That would be lovely!" Ashe smiles.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa..." you exhale out, holding your hands out to keep the two ladies from standing up, "We're not taking a break, I just got here."

"Shows up late, then commands us to follow his word?" Ashe raises an eyebrow at Karisi, "It's just a drink, Darien, don't be such a dick." she turns to you and gives you a grin.

Karisi actually holds her tongue as she looks between Ashe and yourself. She knew those were the type of things she use to say to you but as of late, she's shown a little more respect towards you. Yes, Ashe was messing around but still, she wasn't sure how you'd take it.

With a grin back at her and a roll of your eyes, "Fine fine!" you let them know you're on board with a drink while they fill you in on the plans, "but you two stay here, I'll grab it." you say as you turn and walk towards the side of the throne room, over to a giant table which has plenty of goblets, vases, food and drink.

"Such a gentleman!" Ashe teases from behind you, "Thanks Darien."

Grabbing two goblets and a giant vase of wine you make your way back over to the table, giving each girl a mug pouring wine all the way to the top before setting the vase down by an empty chair and sitting down in it yourself. "Alright, so what did you two figure out?" you question.

"Nothing for yourself?" Karisi asks as she lifts her goblet to her lips, taking a quick sip.

"Yeah, that's unlike you Darien?" Ashe does the same, giving a shrug before drinking.

You raise an eyebrow at the two ladies who are drinking wine from their fancy goblets, "Who needs a goblet, I'll drink straight outta the jug." you smile before using both hands to pick up the vase full of wine and lapping straight from the jug, chugging down a hefty portion which only causes both the ladies before you to let out a few laughs.

"Of course you would!" Ashe laughs as she watches you slam the jug down with a big ear to ear smile on your face. "Aaaanyway..." Ashe sets her goblet down and leans forward over the table, "you or me, Karisi?"

"All yours..." Karisi sits back, smiling at the red head.

"Okay, so Darien, here's our plan." Ashe looks at you before her hand points out on the giant map of the continent, "So, we're going to bring our entire force south, away from the Syndicate and line up right around the Turth River. That river is basically going to be the line of war, we'll be north of it and eventually Rathkin will be south of it." she moves the tiny little tiger figurine from the Syndicate over to the Turth River. "We will send some scouts out around the sides to make sure we're not going to get surrounded, flanked or out maneuvered. We don't want to get caught off guard like...like what just happened." the red head takes a break, getting angry about what happened to Rynlee and her Sunriders, "It should work out great for us because it'll be flat, open fields for our horses and our tigers to have better mobility."

"Why wouldn't we keep marching to Rathkin? Fight them in their own city, hit them where it counts."

Ashe and Karisi both sigh as they connect eyes with one another, in unison they take another hefty drink out of their goblets, then and only then does Ashe continue to talk, "Darien, you want to march into Rathkin again, into their city, fight against their defenses against their entire army? Think about it, tight corridors, tons of fortifications, allowing them to fall back into the inner city if needed? That's not going to turn out well, especially since the Rathkin army does out number us and we did lose a good chunk of Sunriders already from their betrayal."

"Well, when you put it that way..." you grumble out.

"So instead!" she blurts out, "We go south about a full days march north of the Turth. There, the grounds are flat, the sandy dunes are slowly turning into more grasslands and we'll have the open fields to wage war. We get there, rest up, set up camps and get ready while we wait for Rathkin to show. Or hell, they may already be there as well. Once word gets out we're marching, they will as well and vice versa if we hear they are marching out." Ashe continues, "We'll send out scouts early, to make sure we know where their main army is going and at that point, we'll match them to make sure we don't dodge giant armies again, like what happened before." Ashe nods at you, making sure you're still following along, "Maybe we can get Hawk and his team to scout the area, I'm sure he'd love to do that." Ashe turns her attention to Karisi.

Karisi just gulps down hard as her eyes veer over to your own, "Umm, yeah maybe..." she weakly states while picking up the goblet and taking another drink.

"But either way!" Ashe exclaims, "How do you like it, Darien?"

"Well, I mean I guess that's a good plan." you say casually, picking up the jug of wine.

"You guess?" Karisi laughs out, "You guess?" she says again, "Okay mister big shot, what is your grand idea?" the Queen is getting sassy with you.

"No I mean, it's good! It's simple enough, should work out just fine."

"Simple enough?" Ashe retorts, "Yeah, it's super simple to make a plan for war when you have the minds of Karisi and myself on your side." she teases, "You come strolling into the castle, fashionably late mind you, but lucky us two are just that amazing."

"Wow, somebody is full of themselves, eh?" you fling the tease right back at her.

"Seriously though, do you have any thoughts in regards to that plan? Any ideas you may have had?" Karisi replies, leaning forward on the table as well.

"Umm..." you rub your chin with your fingers are you pretend to be deep in thought, "I'm gonna have to go with..." your forehead scrunches up as you think hard, "That you two are fucking awesome!" you smile before picking up the giant vase full of wine, "Cheers!" you smile causing the two ladies to laugh, pick up their goblets and the three of you share a drink together. With a giant exhale of air afterwards you lean back in your chair, glancing between the two ladies before you, "So, when should we march south?"

"Couple days most likely." Karisi replies, "You should probably make an announcement to the warriors tonight or tomorrow and then give them a few days to unwind."

"Yeah Darien, you know how much the Syndicate loves to enjoy the day or two before war." the red head gives you a wink.

Your mind thinks about the first time you left for war, back when your sister was still around. Then the next time you were going to war, at Murnic and how the Syndicate basically turned that entire city into a giant fuckfest and now this will be the third time you're going to leave for war and you can only imagine how ridiculous it could get. "Yup, I remember..." you grin, "Well, most of it anyway, that Murnic bath house..." you laugh at Ashe who returns the laugh as Karisi looks on curiously.

"Hah!" Ashe lifts her goblet up again, "Cheers to that night." her smile seems unending, "And maybe this time, our dearly beloved Queen will join in on the festivities. I know you would like that, Darien." her lip curls up, giving you a smirk, "You little Queen fucker you." she holds back a laugh.

"Zoe..." you grumble under your breath as your black haired high commander must have told your red haired high commander about those stories on the ride back to the Syndicate.

"I don't even know what you guys are talking about..." Karisi mumbles out, "I've never been in the Syndicate before a war started although I remember being in Murnic that night and it being quite loud outside..."

"Well well well..." you reply out, giving Ashe a tasteful look before glancing towards the Queen, "We'll make sure it's a night to remember for you as well." before you turn to Ashe once more, "Or not!" you wink causing a seductive grin from Ashe, "Although, since Lexie isn't traveling south I may want to just lay low and hang with her."

"Oh please, Lexie will join us and you know that! Hell, she'd probably be the one initiating everything and getting the most intoxicated if you didn't have to go and knock her up."

"Here we go again," you say with an eye roll. "But anyway, I'll make the announcement tonight and let's say we leave in...three days? Give the Sunriders tomorrow and the next night for fun and leave that following morning?" you ask.

"Sounds good! Although if word from Rathkin comes up, we may need to leave sooner, so make sure to let the warriors know that as well." Karisi informs, "I'll make note to some of the guards here to spread word, meet down at the Training Grounds later today, after the sun sets?"

"Yup yup!" you smile, "Sounds like a plan! I want to say, thank you two again for all your hard work! I couldn't have done it without you!"

"You uhh, didn't do a thing?" Ashe replies, "You actually didn't do anything in regards to this plan." that snarky smirk appears on her face again.

"You're lucky I love you to death, Ashe." you playfully glare at her, "Or else I'd have to put you in place as well. Either way, I'm gonna head out, got a few other things I want to take care of, plus I suppose I need to plan out a war speech as well, especially since I'm giving that tonight." you smile, "Thanks again ladies! Oh, and Ashe, I'd like to see you later, catch up with you a bit?"

"Oooh, am I in trouble?" she bites her lower lip looking ever so sexy.

"If you keep up this attitude I may need to teach you a lesson." you wink back, happy to have Ashe back in your life. With that, you nod at the two of them, thank them again, take another hefty drink out of your vase of wine and turn around to head out of the throne room.