Jackal Among Snakes

“There’s something you should know,” Anneliese told Argrave.

Argrave set aside his duster, preparing to finally head to sleep. “Something wrong?”

“I believe Elaine is cooperating with the Bat, too. She felt guilty when you mentioned that name, as though she had informed on you and regretted it,” she disclosed seriously. “Although… the last bit is only my personal conclusion. I cannot say with certainty.”

Argrave frowned. “Not entirely unexpected… but good to know,” Argrave nodded. “I’ll be sure to watch my tongue.”

“You always do,” she noted, finally relaxing now that she’d conveyed what she had wanted to.

“Another thing,” Argrave pointed at her. “I need your help with something.”

Anneliese raised a brow. “Magic advice?”

“Durran advice,” Argrave said bitterly, then moved to sit on the bed, removing his shoes.

“Oh,” she took off her own duster, casting it atop his.

“The Margrave had no intent to release us,” Argrave stated plainly. “From what I remember of the conversation… he had plans for me. He wanted to introduce me to his vassals. That meant we’d be forced to stay, and with the importance of ending the spread of the plague, that’s simply not an option. This was a good outcome,” he reflected.

“But I don’t care if everything worked out—him going off on his own like that, it could cause problems in the future. It can’t happen again. At the same time…” Argrave shook his head, leaving a question unspoken.

Anneliese slowly shook her head, then sat down beside Argrave. “I think that is reasonable,” she reassured him.

“He needs to be reined in,” Argrave nodded decisively now that Anneliese agreed with him. He trusted her opinion more than his own. “I have to nip this in the bud, especially when dealing with that holy fool Orion. He could get us all killed. I can’t abide him continually doing things like this. If I can’t predict him, he might not be welcome. Durran’s a resourceful bastard—crazy, but smart. He’s got brains, balls—if he’d fucking be straight with me, I could use all that,” he said quickly, frustrated with the situation.

Anneliese shrugged. “Though I loathe to admit it… I do not know where to begin.”

not how,” Argrave turned to her. “He doesn’t respect me. That’s the

Anneliese shook her head.

the horizon. I have to show him that there are consequences for doing

“We just conversed with two people who might help you with that—Elaine and

gaze grew distant. “I don’t know… that seems like something Titus would do. I want

did win, no?” she pointed

sighed. “I’ll have to think on it more, but it’s better than what I had before. This is why I ask you,” he pointed out, wrapping one of his arms around her. She smiled lightly. “Another thing,” Argrave continued. “I want you to stay inside until I get the things

she looked at him. “We had this discussion. It serves no

and it would mean a

stared for a long while, expression inscrutable. Finally, she sighed, then leaned

He sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, there’s something I want you to do. Talk to Durran, find out what

see you have already

a bit dirty, frankly, and it might cost me… but having Durran be truly steadfast will be a big boon. And the alternative… I don’t want to cut

may come to that,”

out. Durran had ever been his favorite character, largely for his reckless

that could fit into

#####

calming a crowd using a common enemy was not as immediate a task as

days and five nights on the battlements of Elbraille’s castle, largely sleepless, shouting out to the people just outside the gates, urging them to settle things amicably. He ate only bread and soup before them. They threw things, made outlandish demands, and even threatened to kill Elias and

eventually, his endurance outlasted their own and they could shout no longer. Like that, he was able to engage in dialogue with the revolt. He spoke to many people of their misgivings with the Duke, patiently listened to the people and their grievances, and tried to relate to

was talk, yet perhaps that was all the people needed. Eventually, he stepped down from the battlements, and moved to stand directly across from them, just beyond the gate. He befriended many and remembered countless names just as the people came to know him.

things that he had already intended to give them. He promised to root out the corruption in the city and ensure that each and every man would be treated fairly under the law. He promised that the people who had been wronged would be given justice—promised that those people unfairly seized and executed by rogue knights of the Dukedom would have their family compensated and receive vengeance against

the common enemy. He drilled that idea into their head ever so slowly and deliberately so that soon enough, the people themselves were suggesting it would be best to focus on the plague and abandon this revolt. Elias never would have been capable of doing such a subtle thing—it was Stain’s idea,

Elias dared to open the gates. He was the first to walk among the people. His dialoging had not been without merit—he’d made friends among the would-be rebels, and they all greeted him without hostility. He could not

own men to organize proper treatment

highly contagious thing. Elias was not foolish enough to think that he could conquer it within the day—even still, by restoring order

to Elias, who stood in a tent with the plagued. Helmuth stood just beside