Princess Findelye sighed as she sat in the chair I offered her. We were sitting around the mess table before the evening meal began, so we could discuss strategy for assaulting the capitol, now that we knew they would be looking for us. The cause for the princess’s sigh was our describing the aerial battle we’d had earlier in the day to her.

“That sounds like you fought members of the Coronal Guard. They are all warriors blessed by Corellon himself, and are extremely skilled. The wings are something they only gain later on, when they are near the pinnacle of their power. Favored souls would be the name of their class in the common tongue, I believe.”

I nodded slowly. “So, something like paladins, then?”

She shook her head. “Yes, and no. The elven pantheon is not regimented enough to have paladins, as a rule. Not that there are never elven paladins, of course, but they tend to follow other gods, or ideals, such as Law itself.”

“So, the elven gods looked for other ways to inspire divine warriors.”

“I don’t know which race first gained that power, though I have heard that all the gods have at least one champion like that in the mortal realms. But that was just something I heard when I was a child. It might not be true.”

She took a breath. “You know that clerics are able to draw power to cast spells from their deity, and have the ability to turn undead, yes? And that paladins have fewer spells, but more martial abilities?”

We all nodded, so she continued, “Well, a Favored Soul is supposed to be a blend between the two. They can cast higher-leveled spells than the paladin, but have fewer martial abilities. But their spellcasting ability is said to be restricted. Instead of praying for a set slate of spells, they only know a few spells, but can cast them so long as they have the energy available, like sorcerers.”

“So, why didn’t they use any of those big spells against us?”

“From what you told me, it is likely that they weren’t told the full extent of the threat you posed, which is why they did not summon reinforcements before the battle. Honestly, it shouldn’t have mattered. The Coronal Guard are some of the strongest warriors of the kingdom, and there are few around who could stand against eight of them at once.”

“So, we surprised them, and they decided to cut their losses, instead of just unleashing their most powerful spells from the start?”

“Exactly.”

I sighed. “Well, that’s not good. So, how many are in this Coronal Guard?”

“Twenty, when I was last in the country. That was almost ten years ago, now, so it could be more, but the most the Guard ever had at one time was thirty-two. Honestly, the mages of Safa Elunore and the Order of the Bow are greater threats, if you go by numbers.”

“So, a mage school and rangers?”

Findelye nodded. “Yes, Safa Elunore is especially known for its cadre of warmages. There are always at least two of their number in the Royal Guard. They are masters of evocations and damaging spells.”

“What about this Order of the Bow? Anything special about them?”

“They’re deadly accurate archers, in addition to their abilities as rangers. There are about five or six hundred of them, across the country. If we were to try and cross the country on foot, they’d be a constant threat to you.”

“And they comprise the elites of the army, no doubt, given that you have all those woods.”

“Correct. Of course, there are plenty of fine soldiers, as well, and healers, and all the rest. But those are the three groups to be most concerned about.”

“All right. If we’re just raiding the capitol, bringing you down and dealing with your sister, then we shouldn’t have to worry about more than a handful of them at a time. What about other elites, then? Individuals to be concerned about?”

Findelye sighed. “This is where I am less confident. Other than the royal family itself, there are only two individuals of great power that I know of, who aren’t in one of the groups I just mentioned. But I have been away for some time, and my sister will no doubt have individuals of power around her.

“Of the two I know, the most famous is Mirthal Daephryra, martial champion of Corellon Larethian, and General of the Army of Silverwood. He is one of the finest warriors in the land. Some say he has even transcended the bounds of what mortals can achieve, through strength of arms alone.”

I winced at that. ‘Transcending’ what a mortal could do was one of those terms that meant trouble, no matter what. If we were very, very lucky, it would just mean that a god had blessed them somehow, or they’d made some pact with an entity to boost their power. But she had learned much over the years, and knew that there was a level where the rules, according to all accounts, seemed to change, and great and terrible options opened to you.

I had the feeling that this champion would be one of those types.

I took a breath, and shook my head. “Perhaps we’ll be able to persuade him, instead of being forced to fight him head on. What about the other, then?”

Findelye leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. “This other, I know about only through whispers and tales at court, as I grew up. One of the few rogues to pass the trials of the Order of the Bow, the elf known only as Whisper is a shadow, a ghost. No one but the Queen herself has seen their face, or even knows if Whisper is male or female. They are a shadow, sent out to eliminate the enemies of the crown.”

“An assassin, then, even if they don’t have the class for it.”

“Indeed. Whisper got their name because the only sign of their passage is the whisper of an arrow streaking past one’s ear as it finds the mark. Often, Whisper’s targets don’t even know they are dead until they hit the ground.”

“What can you tell me about Whisper’s style, outside of being a phenomenally skilled archer?”

“Well, not much. They are known for being an archer, and I have to assume they are at least somewhat capable of defending themselves close-up, but no one has ever seen them in person. They are supposed to take orders from an agent who knows how to contact them in the capitol.”

“Then that leaves them as something to ware against, but nothing that we can control, or attempt to sway, beforehand.” I took a breath. “So, before we just rush into the palace and slaughter your sister, is there anywhere you would suggest we go first?”

The princess pondered the question for a moment, and then said, “If there were anywhere I’d suggest we go, it would be to Ah Alora, the military headquarters of Silverwood. It is a day’s ride upon the highway from the capitol, but that is where the military keeps its headquarters. General Daephryra is a reasonable sort, despite his stern demeanor.”

I chuckled. “Would his ‘reasonableness’ extend to an… exotic crew, like we have?”

“Yes,” she nodded, emphatically, before pausing. “Well, maybe keep the undead on the ship and out of sight, at first. But otherwise? Yes, he will listen, especially if he sees me with you, alive and unbound. He was one of my favorite tutors growing up. We would often spar against each other.”

I nodded slowly. “Right, if we can get the general to at least not come rushing to the capitol with his army, that would be a great help. And we might get some information on what has been happening here since you left.”

Findelye rose to her feet. “In that case, we should head to the South. The fortress of Ah Alora is to the south and east of the capitol.”

“All right, come with me, and we’ll inform the Captain of the new course.”

Captain Dawson was still on deck, not needing any rest or food. Findelye kept her eyes focused on the clouds the ship was sailing above, doing her best to not focus on the undead all around her. The captain and crew were reasonable sorts, and didn’t do anything to try and force the issue, even though some could say she was being very rude. Better to be a bit rude, and avoid some potential trouble, than deal with a brawl on the ship. No one would come out a winner from that fight.

“What it be, lassie?”

I grinned at the Captain. “Well, our guest of honor has given us insights on a way we might tip the scales in our favor, before we go taking on the entire country and their army. Not that I doubt the abilities of you and your crew, mind, but for my own peace of mind, I’d rather stack the deck in our favor as much as possible before we begin.”

The Captain laughed. “Aye, that be right pirate-like thinking there, lassie. Trust in ye crew, trust in ye ship. But there be no sense in fighting a fair fight when you can get yourself a bit of luck. Even if it is just persuading old Beshaba to turn her gaze elsewhere, even if for just a moment.”

“And turning the gaze of the Goddess of Misfortune typically involves getting her to focus on someone else, for a time, I know.” I grinned, before continuing. “In this case, the idea is half getting the lay of the land, and finding out what has been going on, and half convincing the army that everything would be better if they simply stayed out of the fighting, or delayed any response until it was too late for them to mobilize and cause us troubles.”

“A worthy goal, and that’s no mistake. So, which way ye be wanting us to be going? I am good, but I can’t chart a course without a destination in mind!”

For the first time, Findelye looked in the Captain’s direction. Not at him, but more focusing her gaze just off the side of his head. Rude, in normal circumstances, but she was doing her best not to cause trouble, or have her oaths and vows be called into play.

“The fortress-town of Ah Alora, Sir Captain. The General there is an old friend of mine, and I know that we can, at least, learn more about the current situation in the capitol. I am hoping that the general will be able to keep some issues from starting before we have a chance to stop them.”

The Captain nodded. “I know where that is. We’ve been making good time. Shouldn’t be more than two days to get to the fortress city, assuming that we don’t get attacked, or have to make any detours. With the sails enchanted to always have a fair wind in them, we can make a decent clip, to be sure.”

Findelye looked to me. “In that case, I guess we have some time to prepare. It will be good to see the General again. He was one of the few who supported my decision to walk my own path, going the route of an ascetic. He didn’t understand it, of course, but he supported me in it, even when much of the nobility looked at me as if I were insane.”

I chuckled. “Well, I can’t say that I don’t get where they’re coming from. I’ve lived in a tribe where we were living on what we could get from the wild, and even though we had less to lose to get to what you’re committed to, we would have died if we tried that in the frozen north. I can only imagine what the people in the nobility thought of it.”

“Well, when I get back, they will have a great deal more to consider, especially if any of them have aligned themselves with my sister.”