The Seeker Arises

[unpopularprophet]

Alice looked about the moonlit mountain trail. It was near the Witching Hour, and she knew she was being followed. Whomever was tracking her was good. Very good. It would take someone like Alice herself, or her father, to follow the snarled path she had taken to shake them off. Either this person was highly skilled, or had the Gift. Either way, they would regret it if she decided to confront them.
She considered the possibility. Was clearing up this one question important enough to risk her life? More importantly, did she have the choice? Whoever this was, it could be no accident that they had not only kept up with her, but was after HER, of all people. No, she would have to confront them now, while she could determine the circumstances.
Alice silently dismounted her roan bay, and tethered the loyal beast off to the side. On the same side of the trail back a small distance of the way she had come, she climbed one the the large pines that sheltered the trail from sight. Her dark wool tunic, leggings, and cloak helped her vanish from sight with ease.
Alice was not tall by most any standard, but she was fit, and had no trouble climbing, running, leaping, or fighting. She was actually very shapely of form and face, with dark chocolate hair, warm brown eyes, and a killer smile, but she had little use for them. Many fools had thought her a pretty nothing. No small number of the bastards were dead. She was the Herald of Death, and its Bringer. She was the Seeker of Truth, and now she sought the truth about her pursuer.
She had not long to wait. They came on foot, probably having heard her horse stop, and dismounting. She could see him, and she knew that HE knew he was being watched. He was not bad-looking himself, but that was not what had captured her attention. He moved at least as silently as her, and very nearly as stealthily as her overall. Nearly, but not quite. She saw the moonlight glint off his hawk like glance. Once, he would have appeared a threat to her. While Alice would not be so foolish as to be overconfident, she knew that he would have little to no chance if she struck. She silently and invisibly checked the Sword of Truth in its scabbard. The river of fury inundated her, clearing her senses even further. She waited until he arrived at her horse. Alice saw him stiffen with the realization that he was looking the wrong way. The clue to this was she had she had leaped full force from the tree, yelling at the top of her lungs with wrath. Alice reached out to the magic of the Sword in a way she had only done a few times before. She felt the past users of the blade, their wisdom and skill. One shone out above all the others, one she had come to call the Bringer of Death. In her mind she caught glimpses of piercing grey eyes, as well as a deep soothing voice speaking through the hot fury of the Sword. Roll with the impact of the ground. That force can still be used to your advantage. She obeyed, and as Alice landed a stride from the man, he began to spin to meet her. Use that force to follow his momentum. Keep him at a disadvantage. She leaped beside the man, Sword in right hand, long knife in left, and pivoted with his motion, pressing the knife right at the kidney, and pushing, not swinging, the Sword to the man's throat. A thrust is quicker than a slash.

"Care to explain what you were intending to do, when you came at me unawares?"

[unpopularprophet]

She left the man unconscious by the trail. He had held his silence, but... killing him for unknown causes was too much-- this time.
A few hours down the trail, just before dawn, Alice trotted her horse into the town of Northwick. Something had appeared to have riled the barracks to the west of the town. Alice weighed her desire for a soft bed against potentially valuable information. As usual, the soft option did not appeal as strongly to her. She coaxed her loyal bay in the direction of the D'Haran forces.
Approximately five thousand D'Haran soldier's lived in the structures that almost were a town unto themselves. There was no apparent threat, but the was a slight shadow of worn apprehension across each soldier's face, most of whom were so preoccupied that even the sentry barely noticed her.
"Halt! This area is restricted to forces loyal to the Lord Rahl." Alice noticed that he did not say "D'Haran" Forces, and this raised her suspicions. She brought her horse to a stop. Quickly assessing his markings, she responded.
"Lieutenant, you should have called me to a halt before now. What is the cause of this lapse in discipline?" Directly asking what had happened would have resulted in less reaction than telling a D'Haran that his discipline was lacking. With him tired, hopefully this would elicit a response before he could think better of it. He regarded her with suspicion, and grumbled something about trouble up north. Alice had been tired of secrecy for some time now, and the lack of recognition was hindering rather than helping her here. The soldier was waking up, so she casually slid the Sword an inch out and let it drop again. The D'Haran caught the motion, and saw the hilt. His pale eyebrows shot almost into his golden hair.
"North, you say? Please tell me this has nothing to do with that thrice-damned fool, Alaric." The corporal was now thoroughly spooked. Clearly he had little knowledge of what a Seeker's capabilities were- not surprising, considering how long it had been since there was a Seeker. However, it seemed that she had given the correct response.
"Yes, the Keeper take him, Alaric is the cause of the gloom around here. You'd best speak to someone else about this-"
"I want to hear it from YOU, lieutenant."
Clearly the corporal was unsettled by such authority coming from a woman. Unfortunately, this was intentional on Alice's part- she needed him open, which meant off balance for the moment.
"We received word from up North that Alaric has captured Lord Rahl. Alaric is demanding that all D'Haran forces swear allegiance to him: something we have no intention of doing. The bond itself... is feeling... distant..." This, more than anything else, was obviously the cause of the poor man's discomfiture.
"Don't worry too much about that. The Mother Confessor is not going to be thrilled about this, and it will surely mean war if they harm Lord Rahl. Besides, the Rahls have always had a curious habit of emerging on top in impossible situations."
The man seemed reassured, but regarded her with new suspicion.
"What does this matter to you?"
"Information is always useful. Now, I believe D'Haran military protocol demands that you-"
"Be taken to the Commander. I have not forgot my duty completely."
"Good, Lieutenant... "
"Meiffert."
She wanted to remember this one. With him focused, she could feel his commanding presence. She dismounted and allowed him to take the bridle of her bay.
"Lieutenant Meiffert?"
"I like you. If things go sour here, run. It would be sad if I had to kill you."

[unpopularprophet]

"What news has the scouts looking bloodthirsty, Commander Behr?"
The grizzled Special Forces Commander sighed deeply. Alice had gained permission to stay with the garrison for the time being, and in the week she had already been here, sensing change in the air, she had tried to get a good feel for the officers. The Commander was practical and level-headed, and rarely displayed emotion of any kind. Even that weary breath was a dire omen.
"It's Collin, isn't it? He is moving to cut us off from D'Hara." Behr glared at her. It still irked him that a woman so easily anticipated information, no matter how many times Alice held up the Mother Confessor as an example. She knew his irritation to be good-natured, however, and he replied amiably enough.
"Yes, damn him, he is moving to attack Bandakar. I would do the same in his position: leaving five thousand D'Haran Specials free to turn around and bite you in the arse is never a good idea."
"I quite agree, but the objective is not to annihilate us."
"What else could he be doing?"
"I've already told you that."
"... Oh, but why would they just cut us off, and leave us? There is nothing to be gained but-"
"Five thousand Specials loyal to Lord Rahl. Trabane's rebellion was beneficial when it divided D'Hara so effectively, but now that Trabane has the upper hand, it is not so good for Collin's cause. A unified D'Hara, under Rahl or Trabane, might be the death-knell for Emperor Collin's empire. D'Hara has always been too unified to be anything but suicide to assault. But a politically and militarily divided D'Hara..."
Behr cursed loudly. "That fool Trabane has doomed D'Hara, one way or another."
"I always thought he was the most intelligent idiot who ever had the misfortune to cross me... but that's a story for another time."
"Bandakar is a highly defensible place- we should be able to hold off any assault for a time."
"And thus play right into Collin's hands. But 'if you're outnumbered and the situation is hopeless, you must attack,'".
Behr looked momentarily confused.
"I've heard that before...I think I heard Lord Rahl quote that from a book during my time in the First File."
"If I ever meet a Rahl who has not read the Adventures of Bonnie Day, I shall know D'Hara to be at its end."
Behr looked at her closely.
"So, Seeker, what would you suggest?"
"We attack...and leave behind more men than we had to begin with."
Now she had lost him. Alice smiled at the confused expression on his face.
"Commander, are you willing to put aside your loyalty to the Lord Rahl in order to protect the secuirity of D'Hara and the whole of the new world?"
"I am loyal to Lord Rahl fo r the purpose of the safety of D'Hara. What are you suggesting NOW?"