The liars alliance

Firefly was formulating a plan of his own. That is, if the offer was sincere, and it wasn't a trap. He gazed into Rienlest's stony eyes. "You're serious about all of this, aren't you?"

"Am I laughing?" quipped Rienlest. "I want power, and I will get it any way I can. You need help in conquering, and so do I. It's that simple. Necessity makes for the strangest of alliances at times. Wouldn't you say so, General?"

"Exactly how are we supposed to pull off this elaborate little scheme of ****?" asked Beefheart. "It all sounds too good to be true, if you ask me. It can't be that easy."

"Oh, but it will be!' exclaimed Rienlest. "I know right where the Queen and her two slutty little daughters will be in one week. They will be at a ceremony honoring the bravest of those who fought against you. It will be easy to way lay their small party." He pulled out a map and showed it to them. The route of the Queen's party was well documented. You can set a trap for them anywhere along this route in safety, twenty miles after they leave the castle. The first twenty miles are well protected. After that, it's wild lands and they have to enter the Great Forest of Timormere. After the forest, it's open land between here and there. I propose you kidnap them in the forest itself, then bring them straight to Sorrow's Vale. You can either hold them here, or take them back to your homelands. I don't care which."

Firefly was curious now. "You say bring them here? how? You Elves hold this fortress."

Rienlest smiled. "Not for long we don't. There is a secret tunnel under the stronghold that was used by the visiting nobility in emergencies. It leads to freedom, or to the means you need to conquer this stronghold from the inside. There is a large cache of weapons in those tunnels. Arm yourselves, and do what you will. There are more of you than there are Elves to guard you." He pulled out another map to show them the tunnel network. He released the General, and gave him both maps. Then he released the others. "This is a show of my good faith, and that our alliance will prove profitable for all of us."

Beefheart studied the maps for a moment. "According to this diagram, the tunnel lies directly beneath my cell."

"Indeed it does" said Rienlest. "And since it does, here's a gift for you." He produced a key from his pocket, and handed it to the admiral. "That is the master key to everything in the stronghold." Rienlest then turned his attention to Captain Cabot. "You also have your chance to get **** on the very ones who **** you. Savor the moment while you have it."

Cabot looked up into his eyes. "Thank you. I will enjoy torturing them, just as they tortured me. Then I will make sure they do this to no other woman, Human or Elf, ever again. I think I will let them live with that knowledge. No woman, regardless of who she is, deserves that kind of treatment. Are you sure that's what you want to happen to the Queen and her two daughters?"

"These are her men that have done this to you. Whose orders do you think they were acting under?" Rienlest was intentionally trying to fuel the fires of hatred.

Cabot's eyes flashed. "I can't believe another woman would order this kind of treatment."

"Perhaps it wasn't her. Perhaps it was her lover, Broden, who gave the order. Either way, she is involved in what happened to you. You may see it differently when you meet her face to face." Rienlest gently caressed the side of her face. "So, do we have an alliance?"

Firefly looked at his two companions. "Yes, we do" he said as he stuffed the maps down his pants.

"Good' said Rienlest. "I'll see you next week." He opened the door and had the guards escort the prisoners back to their cells. He smiled to himself as watched them leave, secure in the feeling that after next week, he would become King in absentia of all Trymir.