Daveth carefully stepped through the shattered wreckage of the barn that had once housed the steam-powered wagon. The farmhouse was long since destroyed, the only thing standing was remnants of a stone fireplace. The barn itself was more or less intact, except for shattered holes in the walls and the broken timbers and planks, evidence of Aurene’s brutal rampage.

The late afternoon’s sun cast thick shafts of sunlight through the remains of the structure. The bodies of the bandits were being removed, stripped, and burned.

Daveth gave Morden, one of his file leaders, an uncomfortable eyeroll. Looting was allowed, of course. Tacitly encouraged. You couldn't always expect timely pay. Besides, there was always the chance you could come across a better weapon, or a bit of armor that was less damaged than your own. Morden took it a step further; he looted clothing. At any stop in a city or town he immediately went to work selling or bartering the clothes of the dead for rations, mead, meat, whatever. Daveth could understand taking arms and armor. Coin, rings, jewelry, whatever. There was just something inherently distasteful about stripping the dead of their clothes, though.

Daveth noticed a broadhead crossbow point half-buried in the earth with no shaft attached; he plucked it from the ground and bounced it on his palm idly as he made a slow circuit of the barn.

“We’re wasting our time, Lord Commander.” Aurene affirmed confidently from the doorway. “They are dead.”

Daveth shook his head in disagreement as he eyed the hayloft, animal stalls, and wooden pegs for whatever myriad farming implements were stored. Daveth had no idea what farmers did. His father had been a clerk; his mother a barmaid.

“Well, you’re right; the ones here certainly are. Nobody disputes that.” He replied. “I get the feeling it’s not all of them, though.” He muttered, mostly to himself.

“Interesting. Where do you base your rationale?” She asked skeptically.

He touched his finger to his lips, and crossed the intervening space. Some of the rafters had fallen at some point, taking with them a section of the barn’s roof. He lifted up some beams and roofing and heaved them to the side casually, causing the other soldiers that had accompanied him to raise their eyebrows in wonder. Each of those beams were several hundred pounds apiece. Aurene blushed prettily and Audra’s eyebrows climbed. Daveth’s strength was the stuff of campfire talk in the army; to see him casually display it was sobering.

“There’s a cellar.” He indicated as he swept through the dirt and bits of wood, revealing a trapdoor. “Places like this occasionally get terrifying windstorms. Tor-nandos or something like that.” He said by way of explanation, and Audra snorted.

“Tornadoes, Commander.” She corrected, and he shrugged.

“Whatever.” Daveth gestured to one of the soldiers.“Your sword.”

He gestured again, and the man handed it over willingly enough. Daveth reached down and pulled the cellar door open and flung it back.

He peered in cautiously, and then chuckled, tossing the sword at the soldier, who, startled, fumbled and dropped it with a clatter.

“Fuckin’ told you.” Daveth declared with a grin of satisfaction wreathing his chops, hands on his hips.

In the cellar an injured man lay curled in a fetal position, drenched in sweat, dust, and dried blood.

“Fetch a healer. Bring some water.” Daveth stated. “And the Captain. He’ll want to talk to this guy personally.”

Aldric sat across a rickety table from the man they’d found in the cellar. The table was just a plank of wood precariously balanced across a couple of barrels, but it served as a table well enough in the barn.

The man they'd hauled out had been trapped in the cellar since Aurene had smashed the place, wounded and unable to move much, unable to climb out because of the heavy beams that lay across the cellar trap door.

“You smashed the war-wagon to bits, so it’s not like we have a choice.” The man was speaking with a grimace to Aldric, who shrugged noncommittally as Daveth came in, flanked by Aurene and Audra.

“Make no mistake, we’re very good at what we do- making war- but if we can negotiate then it’s better for the both of us.” Aldric replied smoothly. “Let’s negotiate in good faith. You were attacking the local hamlets. Why?”

“That bastard Ulric”, the man began, sneering at the man’s Noble title, “He asked us to help rebuild parts of Doran.” He shrugged. “Might as well, right? The man’s a fuckin' Lord. So we were there. ‘Now, I want you to build me a manor.’ Ulric says, and that was fine too. That wasn’t a problem either. He’s a Lord, right? But when it came time to pay us for the work, he laughed in our faces, had us arrested and cast out from the city.”

He shook his head. “You know, my wife’s still in Doran? I can’t even go see her without thinking I’mma get my neck stretched. Fuck that asshole. So we decided, “Okay, we’ll hit him in the money pouch.” and that was that... until he hired you.”

“Well that’s some shit.” Daveth remarked from the doorway.

The man spat and turned to Daveth. “That’s a fine load of bullshit from you and don’t you deny it. You’re at least getting paid.”

Aldric laughed. “Because we negotiated for pay up front.”

The man sighed and slouched back in his seat. “Whatever. You killed all my buddies, right? What’s next, you going to kill me, too?” He asked.

Daveth snorted. “Well, that depends. You going to tell us where the rest of your buddies are holed up?” he asked, and the man frowned.

“There is nobody else.” He remarked sulkily. “Yon blonde bitch killed them all.” He flung a casual hand at Aurene, who raised an eyebrow.

“And you’ll soon join them.” She remarked, drawing a knife from her belt. “If you’ll step aside Lord Commander, this won’t take a minute.”

Daveth placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t fuck with us. We know the barn was a forward camp. Where are the rest of your friends holed up? If you’re willing to give up on attacking the villages, we’ll send you and yours on your way. Urthan, Metzcal, Philipia, Yamato...” he trailed off. “Wherever. If you want a chance at Ulric, then do it directly. There’s no dignity in kicking over some farmer’s house and setting his crops ablaze.” He cracked his knuckles. “If you don’t, I’m going to find the thinnest knife I can find and I’ll perforate you. Don’t think that it’ll kill you, not right away. Your own insides will poison you, and that can take days.”

“Blackwater Cove.” The man muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“Blackwater Cove. We’re all set up there. It’s a cave that opens up into the Mirras. Nobody goes there, and you can only get there by boat.” He admitted begrudgingly.

“Excellent.” Aldric said, and clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. “We’ll head over there and open up negotiations. Daveth, rally the troops.”

Daveth glanced down at Aurene. “You heard him. Let’s get the men saddled up.” Daveth glanced at Aldric, who stood stretching.

“We going to talk with them, boss?” Daveth asked, and Aldric stared at him as if he’d grown a third head. “Of course we are. War is a great way to convince someone they’re in the wrong, but negotiation is better. If we can get them to fuck off someplace without any more loss of life, then I’m all for it. Besides, fuck Ulric.” he added as an aside.

Outside the barn, Daveth gestured at Audra. "Go back to Andersnacht; get Aldric's troops down here. Get the quartermaster to pack up the Tross."

Audra snapped off a salute, trotted over to her horse, and made a beeline back towards the hills.

"Why did you not give me that order?" Aurene asked. "I am your second, am I not?"

Daveth armed some sweat from his forehead and glanced down at Aurene. "You signed on last night. Do you know who the quartermaster is?" He asked curiously. She shook her head. He nodded at that. "You'll get your share of work, don't think you won't. Learn as you go."

She nodded at that, and then Daveth smiled down at her. "Here, I've got a wonderful idea. Feel like sparring?” He asked her and she glanced up at him, a frown already drawing the lines of her face.

“What would be the result of this, Lord Commander?” She asked.

“I need to work off some stress.” Daveth replied glibly.

"You would not likely survive the experience." Aurene replied coolly, flicking her braid over her shoulder.

Daveth muttered something in a language Aurene wasn't familiar with, nodded, and then gave her a challenging smile. "Well, let's make things more fair. Call your sisters over, too. That should even things out."

Aurene's eyes widened, blazing with fury from the explicit insult.

:I'm certain that will not be necessary." She stated dangerously.

"Fantastic." Daveth smirked.

Aurene blew out a breath, but nodded. “I think I would like to spar with you, Lord Commander.” She finally stated.

After choosing a spot with more or less level ground, Daveth squared off against Aurene. There were a few muttered bets and the quiet clink of metal being passed from hand to hand as those that watched made their bets.

Daveth was a known quantity. He'd fought beside them through many campaigns; his prowess in combat was known. His strength was phenomenal, his stature was massive. For many, his victory was as certain as carved in stone.

On the other hand, while Aurene had yet to fight in the line, she carried herself with the grace and poise of a born soldier. Although Alysia and Lynnabel hadn't been with the Seventh Seal for very long, they'd proven themselves to have unparalleled physical strength and stamina. The hot rumor that Aurene herself was even more formidable than the two silver-eyed sisters caused some to throw cautious wagers in favor of the golden-eyed, golden-haired woman who circled each other warily.

Aurene took a simple, uncomplicated stance, sword out and in front of her, point raised. Daveth took a similar stance for a moment, and then stepped in and attacked Aurene with an overhead slash, confident that she’d sidestep it. Instead, she caught his blade with her own and turned it, and responded with a thrust. He brought his blade back around, twisting as he did, and parried hers.

They stood observing each other for a moment, and then they attacked simultaneously. Daveth’s blade clanged and scraped across Aurene’s breastplate, skidded across her bracers, and once slammed into her right leg. The loose circle of witnesses murmured amongst themselves as the fight progressed.

For Aurene, her own sword was having trouble finding its way through Daveth’s guard. Every time she felt sure that a thrust would take him in the chest, somehow his sword seemed to be there just in the nick of time, knocking hers away. Strikes at his arms and legs were just as ineffectual, though at one point she angrily thrust through a deflection and tangled the point of her sword into the vulnerable gap between shoulder and chest.

Daveth stepped back eyes wide with surprise, and then lowered his sword and tossed it aside. He took a deep breath and let it out. For a moment Aurene thought he was going to maul her, but he smirked, and then smiled.

“That was well done, Aurene.” He approved, rubbing his shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting it.”

Aurene stopped in the middle of picking up his sword. “Expecting, Lord Commander?” She asked with a frown. He nodded.

“Something I was taught. You watch how someone places their feet, moves their body, and you anticipate how they’re going to attack.” He said with a shrug. “That last thrust was unexpected.”

She frowned. “You were reading my moves?” She asked, and he nodded. “That’s right.”

Her jaw worked, and Daveth could see the muscles in her neck working. She didn’t like the idea he was reading her moves? His eyebrow twitched.

"We should try hand-to-hand sometime." Daveth offered, lacing his fingers together and popping his knuckles. Aurene eyed him with a guarded look for a few moments, saying nothing. "This is one of your jokes, Lord Commander?" She asked cautiously.

He raised an eyebrow, but shook his head. "Certainly not. I think it'd be great fun to spar hand-to-hand with you."

"You definitely would not survive the experience." She replied coldly, and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

He smiled predatorily. "Now I can't wait." he replied eagerly.

She shook her head and pointed past him. He turned and Aldric was there, stepping out of the barn.

“Okay, so there’s a rowboat down on the coastline we can use, and it can hold six people. I’ve elected to take four.”

Daveth raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’s wise?” He asked. Aldric nodded. “You can take one person. I’ll be taking Jonan. Along with our buddy here, that’ll be five.” He leaned to the side.

“Aurene.” Daveth called, and she stiffened, saluting fist to heart.

“Lord Commander.” She responded immediately.

Aldric raised an eyebrow at this, but grinned at her. “I see I chose well- If you can put a sword in Daveth you were a good choice for the Seal. I have great expectations for the future.”

After a lengthy discussion with the file leaders from both Aldric and Daveth's camps, and consultation with several maps that confirmed that this "Blackwater Cove" was located near the hills directly behind and partially underneath Andersnacht, the Seventh Seal would return to a standby position in Andersnacht, which caused a great deal of muttered complaints. They'd just broken camp, after all.

There was a conversation with the mages; could a path be opened from Andersnacht to Blackwater Cove? The answer was a tentative affirmative, but it would take weeks, would be unsubtle and without someone to pinpoint exactly where the cove was, pointlessly time-consuming.

Going in by boat was the only option, and the Seventh Seal couldn't appropriate any ships with the necessary size to move any troops of significance into the cove.

Aldric, Daveth, Jonan, Aurene, and their captive would travel by rowboat to the Cove, and attempt negotiations. Meanwhile, the Seventh Seal would look for ways through the hills and down the cliffsides to provide backup in case things went sour.

The approach to the cove was spent mostly in silence. Aldric manned the rudder, Daveth worked the oars, their captive muttered to himself in a frustrated voice. Jonan produced a handaxe and carefully ground the edge with a whetstone. Aurene gripped the side of the boat so tightly that her fingers splintered the wood, at which point Daveth sarcastically observed that if she continued to do so, she’d tear the boat apart and capsize them all. Whatever else there was to know about Aurene, it was certain she didn’t like being in a boat.

The cove itself was a massive underwater cave. As they approached, Daveth could see massive beams spanning the interior, a handful of rowboats like theirs, and a somewhat wide riverboat that looked to have been modified to sail in the sea.

Riverboats were typically wide with a short keel, because rivers were more or less predictable. You either went upriver or downriver; that was it. Ocean vessels had deeper keels and were usually narrower in order to accommodate the deeper depths of the seas and oceans while maintaining a rolling buoyancy in the unpredictable oceans. As long as you hugged the coastlines, you could reasonably expect a riverboat to survive a trip in the ocean, though if you wanted to cross the ocean, you would need a ship with a deeper keel.

All of this was explained by Aldric to Daveth, who noted the depth of Aldric’s knowledge of the sea and said nothing, focusing on his rowing and his examination of the cavern they were slowly making their way into.

As they pulled into the docks, Aldric freed their captive, and told him to run and fetch their leader. “We’d like to negotiate in good faith.” He said, and sent the man off. He eyed Daveth, Jonan, and Aurene.

“I’d like to be optimistic and hope that this goes smoothly, but don’t lose your edge. We may have to do a spot more killing before this is through...” He paused, and spat into the water, “Though I hope we don’t have to.” He eyed them one at a time. “Ideas?”

Daveth eyed the cavern, and the heavy beams criss-crossing it. “Roof supports. They knew what they were doing when they built the place.” He observed.

Jonan eyed the few moving people throughout the place. “Not too many of them left. That boat could have more cannons they could turn on us, though.”

“They’re criminals.” Aurene replied flatly. “They should face the justice of the blade.”

Daveth, Jonan and Aldric rolled their eyes at this pronouncement.

“If the only way in or out of this place is truly by boat, and we have to take them out, we’d probably want to secure ...” Jonan pointed further up the dock. “That dockhouse. No access to the riverboat on the other side, so there, that’s where we make our stand.”

Daveth made a noise in this throat at this, and Aldric was about to ask him what he thought, but the man returned.

“I’ll take you to the leader. He’s willing to talk. You’ll have crossbows on you at all times, so don’t think you can try anything funny.” He stated flatly.

“Hear that?” Aldric observed. “No funny stuff. Let’s go talk to their leader.”

Their leader turned out to be a swarthy man with a ruddy complexion and a crop of carroty-red hair. Bizarrely, a pair of spectacles perched precariously on his nose.

“You killed everyone in our forward base... and you destroyed the landship as well.” He mused, brows furrowing. “You say you’re here to negotiate, but what you’re really doing is extortion.” He folded his arms across his thick chest and tapped a finger against his bicep thoughtfully.

Aldric smirked a little. “"No, this is a transaction." he replied blithely. “But really what this is, what this really boils down to, is that we’re about as interested in further bloodshed as you are.” He stated, pulling out his pipe and a tobacco pouch. He gestured to the man, who shook his head dismissively.

“We’ve been killing your men pretty easily.” Daveth put in. “Your men are decent enough bandits I suppose, but they’re shitty warriors. We’re offering you the chance to leave with no further loss of life. Stop picking on the peasants. Go raid Doran, go off to Metzcal or Philipia or whatever. We don’t care, just leave. Take your men, take your families- don’t think we didn’t see them here- take them and go. Make a life for yourselves somewhere else.”

“Or else what?” The man challenged lazily.

“Or else we kill everyone in here. No quarter.” Daveth replied.

The man leaned back in his chair. “It’s true your forces... we didn’t count on encountering mercenaries... and you’re right, we’re no fighters. We’re craftsmen by trade. But it’s just you four here with us now.” He remarked.

“There isn’t anyone here that is a match for me.” Aurene piped up.

Jonan scratched the back of his neck. “You might offer a decent fight in a pinch, but I think in a long-running battle our stamina would win out.” He replied.

Daveth gestured out the window of the wooden shack. "If I were to tear out that support column there, I'm pretty sure your roof supports would collapse on this side." he offered, and the man blanched. Aldric's hand jerked in shock, spilling tobacco. Aurene's eyes widened at the implication.

"That'd trash the docks, right?" Daveth offered curiously. "No way out. What do you think would happen then?" He asked curiously.

The man's mouth opened and closed like a fish. The falling roof supports would shatter their riverboat into scrap. The docks would lose stability and peel away from the sides of the cove like the skin from an orange. It was very likely the roof of the cavern wouldn't collapse without the reinforcement, but everything they'd built here would be so much detrius in the sea.

Aldric shrugged self-deprecatingly, tamping his pipe with tobacco with a practiced thumb. “I don’t think I need to tell you of my own prowess, but I’ll agree with them in full confidence. Us four are more than enough to stand against anything you have left to throw against us.” He shook his head, and took a wooden splint he pried from the rough-hewn table and lit it from the cluster of candles in the center of the table, and puffed on his pipe until it was lit. “But that’s not why we’re here, though. Can we get you to agree, so that there’s not any further bloodshed?”

"What are your terms?" The man asked after he shakily ran his hand through his hair.

Aldric nodded. “Good man. Now, I don’t particularly care where you guys go, but if you’re interested in some work as craftsmen, I can arrange something- I have a contact in Metzcal that could get you some respectable employment. Legit work, paid up front and as you go.”

“Metzcal, hmm?” The man mused. “That place is mostly jungle, right?”

Aldric nodded. “Of a sort. But it’s a great place to make money as a craftsman. The colony there, Teh’wantin, is expanding. Think about it: roads, sewers, aqueducts, buildings, the works. I expect that you’ll make yourself a killing there.”

The man eyed Aldric suspiciously. “Why would you do this for us?”

Aldric spread his hands disarmingly. “A few reasons: Because I want you out of our hair and away from the Tiba Penninsula.” He tickked one off on his finger. “Because there’s something better you could be doing with your time than picking on farmers.” he ticked off another finger, "And because fuck Ulric. That asshole should have paid you, and he shouldn't have hired us to clean up the mess he made. Fuck him." He finished, ticking off his third finger.

The man extended his hand. “Thank you for giving us this opportunity.” He said, finally.

“Is this really the attitude someone should have when they’ve been defeated?” Alric asked sardonically, but he took the man’s hand willingly enough. “Oh, and I want you to hand over your banner, as the loser.”

The man nodded. “We’ve been defeated, after all.”

As the tiny boat rowed back to the rocky shore where they’d first embarked, Aurene caught Aldric’s eye.

“Lord Captain, Why did you negotiate with them?” Her eyes bored into his. “There was no cause to negotiate with them.”

Aldric snorted. “You tend to see things in blacks and whites, don’t you?” He asked rhetorically. “Probably have an idea in your head about how everything fits neatly into place.” He shook his head. “Because of proper application of force. You don’t swat flies with fireballs. They weren’t soldiers. If it were soldiers it would be something different.”

"What next?" Daveth asked curiously.

"I thought I told you already: The deserts of Bel-Arib."