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A Nice Quiet Retirement
Lynn finally has everything she wanted.
And she has no idea what to do.
She wanders her house, restless, anxious, feeling like the other shoe is about to drop. She stashes knives in strange places. The cupboard. Underneath the left chair in the kitchen. In a little gap between the window frame and the wall. Under her pillow, under her bed, in her sock drawer. She remembers them all. Once a week, she does rounds, and she checks to make sure they're well kept and sharp. Every time there's a loud noise from outside her house, she jumps. One memorable time, she upended the table for cover from archer fire because the kettle sounded just like a whistling arrow. Then she remembered that she's not in a warzone, anymore. She sweeps up the shards of china and buys another set at the market, and mentions it to no one.
Reading helps. She can almost be still, almost relax. Almost forget what she's lost and who she's killed. Almost ignore the looks people in town give her as they back away from their war hero. Sometimes, when it's a good book, she can even forget that the town nickname for her is 'butcher.' She can, in those moments, recall that she's human.
But she can't read all the time. Years of constant movement has ruined her for sitting in a chair day in and day out. She has to - do something. Anything. Or she'll go mad.
At near random, she decides to go to the market for window shopping. Maybe she'll find something interesting there. Or maybe not. Either way, it'll kill a few hours, and get her out of the house.
And she has no idea what to do.
She wanders her house, restless, anxious, feeling like the other shoe is about to drop. She stashes knives in strange places. The cupboard. Underneath the left chair in the kitchen. In a little gap between the window frame and the wall. Under her pillow, under her bed, in her sock drawer. She remembers them all. Once a week, she does rounds, and she checks to make sure they're well kept and sharp. Every time there's a loud noise from outside her house, she jumps. One memorable time, she upended the table for cover from archer fire because the kettle sounded just like a whistling arrow. Then she remembered that she's not in a warzone, anymore. She sweeps up the shards of china and buys another set at the market, and mentions it to no one.
Reading helps. She can almost be still, almost relax. Almost forget what she's lost and who she's killed. Almost ignore the looks people in town give her as they back away from their war hero. Sometimes, when it's a good book, she can even forget that the town nickname for her is 'butcher.' She can, in those moments, recall that she's human.
But she can't read all the time. Years of constant movement has ruined her for sitting in a chair day in and day out. She has to - do something. Anything. Or she'll go mad.
At near random, she decides to go to the market for window shopping. Maybe she'll find something interesting there. Or maybe not. Either way, it'll kill a few hours, and get her out of the house.
Plans
Yori had told them, she'd told them that she was in command now. It was the rules! Nobody goes and breaks the rules like that! NOBODY!.
They'd told her "one chance, or you're out of command". SHE WAS THE GREATEST GENIUS IN THE WORLD DAMN IT! THE VICTOR OF BATTLE AFTER BATTLE AND THEY TREAT HER LIKE THIS!
Yori's tears flowed like rainwater, messing up her nice Commander's Uniform but she didn't care even though it had taken her three days to get it made.
What had gone wrong, damn it? She was Yori! She should have been smart enough to stop this! Toshiko was counting on her and she was dead and oh god oh god she couldn't cope with this...
"Get yourself together!" Yori whispered to herself, tears still flowing like juice. "You're the Deceiver, damn it! Only Tomoko's as smart as you are, and she's dead! You-"
Yori cut herself off, spotting Lynn. She had to get together. She had to- she had to-
oh god oh god oh god oh god...
------------------------
Why were these troops asking for an explanation, damn it? They're soldiers- they should just do what they're told! Stupid little soldiers with their stupid little mutiny and-
"The Plan", Yori explained, trying to sound icy but coming across more like a pouting child, "is simple but effective. Lynn is the most devastating threat in the area, and must be taken out in a surprise attack."
The men were exchanging bewildered looks, as if this was about as believable as a cat putting on a production of Hamlet. Yori knew that look when she saw it! When she was done with them they'd all get the death penalty for this! All of them!
"I know what you're thinking!" exclaimed Yori, barely avoiding a shout. "Lynn is retired. Intelligence reports say she doesn't want to fight any more, and fought very hard not to. If we attack, she will leave it to the formal security until it is too late!"
Yori slammed her fist onto the conference table like Toshiko would, making an underwhelmingly soft noise. The soldiers looked like they were struggling not to laugh. Thank god they hadn't chosen a leader yet, or he'd probably be scolding her. Stupid bastards.
"Back in the day, I insisted to Toshiko we send spies to foreign powers. Our spy may be dead now, but I read Lynn's intelligence profile. I can't be sure about this, but Lynn cares enough for what goes around her that there is a good chance she will rejoin her comrades if we invade.
Right now, Lynn is alone, unarmed, and in civilian clothing! She is as weak as she will ever be! If we do not strike now, we won't get another chance like this!"
At least they were all listening. None of them were taking her seriously, but they were listening. Maybe, just maybe she could get them to see that she was a worthy Commander.
"We do not have the equipment for fake tears. In my brilliance, I have decided that stolen oninons will work just as well. I will go up to Lynn's house, and say that Toshiko is planning to have me executed. Our troops are tired, and if she attacks now she can wipe them all out. You just have to do your jobs and SET THE DAMN TRAP!"
-------------------
"Lyyynnnn!" shouted Yori, running up to her with a faked look of desperation. Yori was pretty sure it would look desperate. Wouldn't it? But she didn't know Lynn before and and then Lynn might suspect and oh god she was screwing it up oh god oh god-
"You've got to help me!" shouted Yori, clinging to Lynn like she was the last person Yori had left. Even though she didn't have Lynn. Damn it she'd used up all her tears earlier they weren't coming out and this was going to ruin everything her plan was all over and-
"To-toshiko", Yori exclaimed, "She's gonna kill me! I've lost her too many battles and she's going to have me executed and they're all coming after me and I'm gonna die!"
Re: Plans
- a child?
She leaves the knife in her jacket pocket. What do you want? she plans to say, but quickly finds that she has more pressing concerns in the form of a clingy thirteen year old. There is exactly one thing that Lynn can do with a panicked teenager.
She wraps her arms around the girl, gently.
"Shh," she soothes. "It's okay. Slow down, I'll help. 'They'?"
Re: Plans
"Toshiko has fifty soldiers and I've lost too many battles and she was talking about killing me and I've got nowhere else to go!"
Yori clung onto Lynn like the mother she didn't have and the tears kept coming she started to cry again, she was crying, this was embarrasing and she couldn't stop herself! This was Lynn! Yori was going to kill her, but Lynn was being so nice to her, why was she being so nice?! Yori was going to kill her but she needed this she hadn't had someone hug her in over a year and she needed this!
She had to kill Lynn, she didn't have a choice, she had to! Lynn had people and those people would brief her, they'd tell Lynn about her, then Lynn would see her for the scumbag she was!
Yori's tears kept flowing and soaking her Commander's Uniform all over and she didn't care any more at least it wasn't silk.
Re: Plans
"It's all right. I'll take care of it. They won't kill you." Short careful sentences are the way to go here, she thinks. Briefly, she toys with the idea of questioning Yori for details of the fifty soldiers, but dismisses it. She did not want to put any more pressure on this poor girl. Fifty soldiers isn't enough to take the town. A hundred might be able to manage it, but as long as Yori was within the town, she was some reasonable degree of safe. It would be a waste of resources to attack an entire town to kill one person. Much simpler to just wait until she was less well guarded, and alone.
Fifty, though? The number nagged at her. Who needed fifty men to kill a child? She was missing something. Why would Toshiko warn Yori about killing her? A quiet killing would be easier - poison, an assassin, a 'trip' down some stairs. Or, hell, even just ordering the guards to drag her to the dungeons and have her executed. And yet Yori escaped. Either Toshiko's losing her touch, or Yori's quite a clever girl.
(Or Lynn was missing something.)
Regardless. Yori needed a place to calm down. A safe place.
"My house is safe," she murmurs, wondering if it would be overstepping her bounds to pet the poor girl's hair. "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"
Re: Plans
"Toshiko!" shouted Yori.
Damn it! That was a faux pas and she shouldn’t be calling Toshiko by her first name and Toshiko was going to hate her for this and-
“Yori”, Toshiko replied warmly, removing her glove so as to prove her identity. After Yori had gotten a symbol of her own (on her left hand, for some reason), she had learned all about her symbol from Tomoko. Just as Tomoko had told her, it was a depiction of the sun so bright, it was a source of light all on its own. It was Toshiko’s Mark from when she acquired her magic, and a mark not even a God could forge.
Yori tried for "calm and cool", but she was pretty sure she looked like a flustering moron like now. Really, who could blame her? This was the Dawn Warlord! The Young Conqueror! The Third Super Mage! Toshiko had an army of a thousand men, and she risked her life to visit her village in person just to talk to her!
"Yori", replied Toshiko warmly. The Dawn Warlord knew her name! T-this had to be flattery right? She- she couldn't be that important to the Dawn Warlord, right? "Do you mind if we talk for a bit? I would very much like your help."
T- the Dawn Warlord wanted her help! That was impossible! Next to the Dawn Warlord, Yori was just a silly little girl who'd done a black magic ritual! S-she wasn't that good! She couldn't be!
"I have a problem right below us", explained Toshiko. "Perhaps you could take a look for me?"
Toshiko and Yori were standing on Nan Hill. They had withdrawn from attacking the South side Yori could see, but right below them was a pile of rotten, stinking corpses.
Yori wretched in disgust. This- this was horrible! How- how could anyone possibly want to-
Yori threw up. Toshiko smiled calmly, pulling Yori's hair back as Yori let it all out of her system. For a few agonising minutes, Yori splashed her waste onto the side of the hill while the Dawn Warlord waited patiently.
“Here, have some chocolate”, suggested Toshiko, pulling a bar of it out of her pocket. “I used to use it when I was too stressed. Perhaps it’ll help you out.”
“General”, hesitated Yori, “I-“
“I’ll have none of that, young lady!” exclaimed Toshiko, stretching out her right hand holding the chocolate bar in it. “You are my guest right now. I insist.”
Yori hesitantly took a bite. She was getting deep in debt to the Dawn Warlord, and she didn’t want to- ooooh! This was good! This was really, really good!
"You know", remarked Toshiko wistfully, "This reminds me of when I first saw a battle. Warlord Hui attacked my home village. I threw up myself, actually.”
Yori was curious in spite of herself. She knew she really, really shouldn’t, but the Dawn Warlord’s past was shrouded in mystery. Who wouldn’t want to know about it?
Toshiko, seeming to sense this, continued. “Father had had the chance to become a Warlord once. Warlord Shun had wanted him in charge of her supplies. He refused, saying it was against his conscience."
Toshiko sighed wistfully. "Warlord Shun was benevolent. She didn't kill Father or anyone close to him, and left his village alone. But Warlord Hui wasn't so generous. He demanded Father serve him or die. Father refused, so Warlord Hui killed him and tried to kill us all. I barely escaped with my life.
After that, I learned a lesson. The world is divided into tyrants and those they tyrannise. The only choice there is is to be the former or the latter."
Toshiko stared at Yori quizically, as if to ask if she had any more objections.
“I…” Yori muttered, her jaw quavering, “… don’t want to leave my parents. But-”
"Do your parents respect you for who you are?" asked Toshiko, the corners of her mouth twisting.
They’d told Yori to stop studying so hard and accept she could be nothing more than a retard! Dad had hit her for trying to learn to read when she could be learning ‘practical things’! Even now, when Yori [b]knew[/b] she was just as smart as Tomoko, they treated her as nothing more than an imbecile!
"No", replied Yori softly, bowing her head in embarrassment. That was very much an understatement.
"Do your parents treat you kindly?" asked Toshiko, raising her voice slightly.
Dad was off working so late he didn’t even look at her! Mom spent all their time making them work in the fields and hit Yori whenever she tried to learn to read for ‘wasting time’! It was so unfair!
"No", replied Yori resentfully. That would certainly be a change of pace…
"Have your parents ever done anything ?", Toshiko asked, almost shouting in outrage.
"No!" replied Yori, loudly this time. The [b]other[/b] kids certainly got kindness from their parents. But Yori’s parents were “too poor” and “wanted her to be practical” and never gave her anything she wanted!
"Then why do you want to stay?" asked Toshiko.
“I-“ hesitated Yori-
Toshiko gave a bitter laugh. “I think I understand”, she replied. “It’s often hard to leave behind your loved ones, isn’t it? Even if you think you hate them, to some extent you can’t help but love them because they’re there.”
She smiled warmly at Yori, though this time Yori was pretty sure she was putting it on. “I understand. Really, I do. The Warlord Life isn’t for everyone. Only an extraordinary person can possibly handle the pressure of it all.”
Yor- Yori WAS extraordinary, damn it! Not compared to the Dawn Warlord or anything, but she was! She could totally do this! She could!
“My Lady”, cried Yori, bowing on her knees, “I, Yori, swear I will do whatever it takes to fulfil your ambitions! I promise!”. That was the most simplified version of an Oath of Vassalage Yori knew of.
Toshiko smiled approvingly at her. It was time to think.
Before she died, Tomoko had always tried to teach Yori as much as she could. Since her “miraculous” upgrade, Yori had pieced together from memories of Tomoko how to learn about people from what travellers said about them.
Yori twirled her hair instinctively, thinking about what she knew. Sui was a native of Nan, who had deserted his liege to protect his home and family but refused Toshiko’s offers of wealth and title in exchange for a peaceful surrender. Though Sui was outnumbered five to one, he had thwarted Toshiko’s attempts to lure him out from the town, to set it ablaze, and to overwhelm it with brute force. Both sides had taken about equal casualties each time, so Sui's defeat was only a matter of time but was causing Toshiko more trouble than he was worth. The…. The corpses certainly confirmed that.
“Sui”, Yori began, “can inflict heavy casualties on your forces but not win. His only hope for victory is to kill you, My Lady, personally, so that your army’s morale will be shaken and your men will rout. To defeat him, we must lure him out with false hope.
Your forces have been defeated three times. That must be bad for their morale. You should fall back and form camps outside the town. If you order your troops to make their retreat as disorderly as possible, Sui will see a ray of hope. He will think-“
Toshiko knew exactly what she meant. “Sui will think that with my forces in chaos, a night sneak attack on my main camp will be his only hope for victory. He’s desperate, and will take a chance on anything, anything, that will allow him to save his family. If I set a trap for him, not even with wings will he get away!”
Yori chuckled to herself.
“That’s not the best part, My Lady”, she added. “With the town lacking able-bodied men, a hundred men should be enough to occupy it while Sui is away. It should be trivial to capture Sui’s parents, wife, and children. With everything he fought to defend hostage, Sui will have no choice but to swear allegiance to you!”
Toshiko laughed. “You’re learning fast, young one…”
-----------------------
Yori was pretty sure she was out of tears right now. She still wanted to cry- she just didn't have it in her any more.
"That- that sounds nice”, she muttered softly to herself, staring at her gloves. She was pretty sure her mark, a depiction of a brain too realistic to forge, would give her away. Everyone knew that meant somebody who’d used a magic ritual to enhance their intelligence.
Yori was going to be given away and Lynn was going to hate her and then the plan would fail and she’d be executed and she didn’t have it in her to be afraid any more...