Cynetic Wolf
FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

The next few days flew by: training, planning, sleeping… that was it. It was brutal, but the simple monastic life was what I needed.

One morning, I awoke to Paer’s voice outside my door. What was she doing here? Jumping from bed, I opened my door, conscious of my scruffy beard and messy hair. I hadn’t shaved in weeks.

Lars was talking to a hologram in the corner. “Agtha,” he said, voice tense, “I need to know the Initiative’s readiness for war. And this needs to be off the record.”

“You know I can’t do that, Lars. It’s against protocol.”

“Screw protocol!” he snapped. “After all we’ve been through together. I need you to do this for me.”

“You sound like Lyam, you know that?” she said in a voice she’d only used with Fitz. “Have you heard from him by the way?” she added in a more serious tone. “Bugger shows up after how many years and disappears again.”

“He was murdered, Ag.”

“What?” She froze. “What are you talking about?”

“Lyam was murdered. By Lilia.”

“Shit! Why would Lilia… wait, how do you know?”

“She was afraid he’d protest the fighting,” I cut in.

“Is that Raek? Is he there now?”

“Yes.” Lars flicked his wrist, and my image appeared.

I told her everything.

“Wait, Hrun?” Her jaw dropped. “Are you saying he was murdered too?”

“Why do you think I ran?” I snapped. “I saw her and Fitz fighting and heard his heart stop. She laughed about it!”

“Shit!” Her nostrils flared in a mask of rage. “I knew Lilia was extreme, but never thought she’d do something like this.”

“So, Agtha,” Lars interrupted, “what are the Initiative and the Council planning? We saw the Broag sting. Odds are DNS is closing in on other cells as we speak.”

“The Council’s been arguing since it happened. We’re prepping soldiers. It won’t work though. We have some citizen support, but not enough.” She shook her head. “If fighting starts soon, we’ll be crushed. We need more time, and more men.” She sighed. “You were our only hope, kid, and you disappeared.”

“What if I came back?”

“Are you coming back?” Her eyes brightened. “When?”

“I said what if.”

“With you, we could get more towns and militias onboard so the fighting started more places at once and spread faster. There’s no guarantee, but we’d have a chance.”

A chance… I could live with that.

“Look, Agtha,” Lars said, tone hardening, “nothing we say here leaves this conversation, understood?”

“You know I can’t—”

“Cut the crap. You need us and can’t afford to do anything else. Are you in or not?”

She was, and we explained what we had in mind.

“That could buy us a few days, maybe a week. When?”

“Today, now,” Lars said. “There’s no time to waste. Can you make it happen?”

She nodded. “I’ll manage. I’ll have to call in some favors and keep certain people in the dark, but it is doable.”

Good. “And then, part two,” I began. Paer listened as I outlined the big picture, Lars jumping in as needed. “There’s one thing,” I added. “Lilia. I want Lilia and I need your help. Deal?”

“Deal, kid. I like the spunk. Give me until the end of the day to get things sorted. I’ll send you an update tonight.”

“Sounds good, Ag, you’re a doll.”

“Oh, shut up, Lars, you old dodger, you.” She killed the call, leaving us to look at one another.