She walked out of the dining room and used the same small casting she’d used earlier to find Hilde except this time she targeted Krarrnic’s token, a moment later and she knew which way he was if not exactly where. She hurried through the tunnels around what had been the heart of the Dwaris Caverns, where Spaendt had lived and worked for all the turnings he’d been the Overlord of the Mines. They were cramped, dingy, cold, and uninviting, Spaendt’s loathsome presence still seeming to taint them even after his death.

Walking around a corner into a particularly out of the way tunnel she felt the spiritworld reverberations of a just completed banishing and saw Krarrnic still kneeling with his eyes closed, and the tracks of tears shining on his cheeks.

She asked, “Who was it?”

His voice quiet he said, “A mother and her infant child, murdered by her husband on Spaendt’s orders. He died horribly didn’t he?”

Puzzled she asked, “Who? Spaendt?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and said, “He died suffocating. Choked by his own tongue and bleeding from his pores, completely helpless. A witches curses are never a pleasant death.” Raelea neglected to mention he’d also been unconscious and unfeeling.

She stood there in silence waiting for Krarrnic, eventually he sighed deeply and said, “Good. Since you have returned I’m guessing your scouting was successful?”

“Very. I have a plan but I want confirmation that I did truly see what I thought I did in their camp. Your spirits can get that for me and we need to discuss the plan.”

Nodding he stood and still subdued followed her out of the tunnel.

By the time they got to the former Overlord’s office, Hilde and Fheargus had made it there and were sitting at the large table that had replaced the ornate stone desk that had been shattered by angry Dwaris.

While they came in and sat down Hilde gestured to the image of the Fae Chanar camp which was up on the wall behind her and said, “Alright, we’re all here. What’s happening over there that isn’t visible in the scry?”

Smiling Raelea said, “Earlier you told me that was sixteen Fae Chanar and their troops, it isn’t. Not really anyway, I’m fairly certain it’s four mutually hostile groups of eight, five, two and one with quite a bit of internal friction in the largest group. That was what I wanted you to check Krarrnic, could you get your spirits to read the emotional ties between the groups? Carefully. I don’t think there were any particularly strong spirit handlers among them or none that I could notice but I wouldn’t discount it entirely.”

He nodded and rumbled, “Of course.” before settling into a trance.

Turning to them she said, “Hilde, Fheargus, you know the Fae Chanar don’t you? When I point them out could you tell me what you know about them?”

They nodded and Hilde said, “Sure, who do you want to know about first?”

Raelea pointed and said, “The loner, he has no troops and seems to be intensely disliked by all the others moreso than anyone else.”

Hilde said, “That’s Charlesetria, he’s a nasty one even by Fae Chanar standards. Not surprised he’s all alone. I am surprised he’s here, he’s never shown much interest in the hunt before.”

Fheargus said, “He’s one of the strongest Fae Chanar, top five in magical strength and combat skill definitely. Probably how he gets away with being so utterly detestable.”

Raelea nodded and said, “Ok, what about those two. They don’t have troops either.”

Fheargus said, “Feroun and Dawn, always together and everyone says they’re husband and wife. Both lower on the scale for strength as High Fae Chanar but Feroun’s Regina Immaculata staff more than makes up for his lacks.”

“Anything to add Hilde?” When the Dwaris woman shook her head pointing at them Raelea said, “Ok what about the group of five, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one. They all have troops as well.”

Fheargus said, “That’s Carpascie and his followers, Jotern, Andiye, Kellek and his sister Dalschimie. He’s a very middlin’ High Fae Chanar but all of his Fae Chanar followers are almost as strong as High Fae Chanar. They’re a regular on hunts and always fight with their troops.”

Raelea said, “Good, that’s usable. Now what about the last group, the largest and they have the most troops?”

Hilde said, “Surore and his sycophants, he’s a top five easily but of his followers only Larmont and Lamont have anything approaching the same strength as Carpascie’s followers the rest are realtively weak, well weak as far as Fae Chanar go. He also keeps his followers fighting among themselves constantly for his favour and I think for his own amusement. They have a much more hands off style when their armies are fighting, too much paranoia among them because they can’t afford to weaken themselves.”

Fheargus said, “Of the four groups I’d suspect only Carpascie’s will support each other and none will support the others unless it looks like Fae Chanar lives are threatened. But then, may the gods help you because they will be savage.”

Raelea nodded slowly, “That matches what I found. As long as Krarrnic confirms I think my plan is workable.”

Hilde said, “What is your plan?”

“I’ll wait for Krarrnic to explain it properly but in general terms it’s divide and conquer, we make use of the fact they are not a cohesive group.”

Shaking his head Fheargus said, “That’s been tried before.”

Smirking Raelea said, “Maybe but has it been tried by a Witch?”

He said, “Not as far as I know.”

“Manipulating groups of people is what Witches do, stoking paranoia, quashing caution, driving wedges between people, usually I need to talk to them to do it but I have other means as well. We will need to tie the Fae and the Fae Chanar up and your people will pay a butcher’s bill for it but Fae Chanar will die.”

Fheargus said, “You said it. Plenty of ours will die, can you guarantee that they will not die in vain?”

Shrugging Raelea said, “There can be no guarantees in war but I will do my absolute best.”

Krarrnic suddenly sat up straight again, opened his eyes and said, “The Fae Chanar even in their groups are constantly playing each other, I’ve seen arguments almost reach the point of open combat between his followers, egged on by Surore. He keeps them at each others throats for fun it seems. Charlesetria is a monster his warped desires, wants, and needs pollute the spiritworld badly but he has the attention and possibly the favour of some dark denizen of the far reaches of it. He is certainly not here for us but I don’t know what he is here for. Fair warning it may be a bad idea to do anything permanent to him or it may not be the connection isn’t very clear. I wouldn’t risk it myself. Carpascie does not set his followers on each other but they are still not a well fully unified group. Feroun and Dawn are partners, they are disliked by everyone else who is here I have no idea why but there is a lot of animosity.”

Raelea nodded and said, “My plan is very simple, divide and conquer. Feroun and Dawn are disliked I can draw them far from the camp and kill them out of view, I assume that as soon as the others learn they’re dead they’ll attack. That is when you and your people must pay that bill and keep them busy while I stoke their paranoia and fears, killing whichever ones I can catch when they’re exposed. Hilde also needs to keep what I said earlier in mind and remember they are not gods, they are not immortals. They are just powerful creatures hiding behind lies and deceit. YOU can kill them you have the strength you just have to know it deep in your gut. By the time Surore and his followers take the field I’ll must have Carpascie and his killed already, if I don’t we are in trouble.”

Hilde and Fheargus shared a look then Hilde nodded and said, “We’ll do it, it’s not much of a plan and I can see it will kill many we’ve long known but it’s more than we’ve had before. We’ll take the risk and take the cost, it’ll take us most of a tenday to ready the Brandanbarg for the fight. So we’ll go then.”

“It’ll take me several days to create my kill zone out on the plateau, I’ll need one of those river beds close enough to get to and deep enough to get out of sight of the others.”

Fheargus said, “The rivers get deeper and fewer to the west before they enter Boreegoods Marsh probably best to head that way. Good hunting and good luck, I think we’ll be needing it.”