Eirian was not thrilled when she received Chenzhou and Mingzhe's letter. Their conclusion made sense. Eirian had accompanied Eric and her Uncle on diplomatic trips to a handful of the kingdoms in the Land of Song and Snow before her marriage, and it didn't surprise her to find out they'd planned such an elaborate scheme. The kingdoms that made up the Land of Song and Snow were as known for their wealth and opulence as they were for their drama and constant battles for power. It seemed like they couldn't go a year without someone trying to take a throne or invade another kingdom.
The Land of Sorrow was their longtime opponent, though not their most violent one. Their battles with the bordering Wasteland and the Isles of Salt to the south were far bloodier. Due in part to the fact that there was no buffer like the borderlands between them.
They'd also filled her in on what happened with Beng Shai, and that was enough for her to forget about Death for a while. At least until she got to the part of the letter where they outlined a plan to approach the tribes with the information about the Land of Song and Snow and to try to talk them into switching sides.
Maybe that was the task Death had been hinting about, stopping two idiots from putting on their own nooses.
Chenzhou had just killed Beng Shai, accident or not, the tribes were going to be too angry to listen to them. It would just turn into another fight, and more people would die, and Chenzhou would feel even worse after, if he even managed to survive. The tribes, at the very least the Bandri, were likely salivating at the chance to get revenge for the death of Beng Shai, and Eirian wouldn't put it past Chenzhou to be moved by their pleas and offer himself up as a sacrificial apology.
She didn't think Mingzhe would let him go through with it, which was the only thought that let her remain somewhat calm as she turned to her sub-commanders. "We're going north. Every able-bodied." Before any of them could argue, Wen Chunhan looked like he was gearing up for it, so she pushed on. "Get me twenty thousand for a vanguard that can leave in an hour." Tanning shot out of the tent like he was on fire. "Find the scouts and tell all of them to start scouting the fastest route north. Was there any update on Yuze?" Wayland and Vitali shook their heads, and Eirian's heart clenched painfully. It had been almost two weeks without news of Yuze, and the likelihood that he was alive dwindled every day. Likewise, there'd been no news of Snake, and Fox had missed his last report with Chenzhou before everything had gone to shit.
Was it possible that agents of Song and Snow had gotten to them? Or even the tribes?
How many more of the Camelia's spies and scouts were already dead?
How long had Song and Snow been planning this?
How the fuck did all those kingdoms that fought each other every day manage to set aside enough of that hatred to work together against Sorrow?
It must have been some level of hatred they felt towards them, she thought as she put on her armor and grabbed what supplies she could before rushing out of her tent.
Mingzhe hadn't mentioned in the letter how he'd gotten north so fast, but Eirian could do the math. He'd used his magic, which was concerning enough given how uncomfortable he was with it, but also because neither of them knew enough about it to understand how using it would affect him.
Wayland and Vitali were waiting, already packed and mounted, when she made it to the gate. Fleet Goddess stamped an impatient hoof as she leaped into the saddle.
"Two of the scouts are going to join us two hours north," Vitali reported, messenger sparrows flying over her head. "They said to head straight north, and they'll guide us from there. The tribes are on the move, too, so we need to stay alert."
Eirian frowned. The tribes were likely moving in response to Beng Shai's death. A vanguard of a meager twenty thousand wouldn't be much help. The main body of the Crimson Army would have to move fast, even for them, to arrive in time to help. "Let's not waste any time then."
The first leg, until they met up with the scouts, passed in a blur. Even riding Fleet Goddess at full gallop wasn't enough to force the noise out of Eirian's head. Worry for Chenzhou and Mingzhe and Yuze and every way every situation could go wrong.
The two scouts didn't say much, just let them rest for a few minutes and let the horses drink at a nearby creek before pushing on. They were the two Eirian had sent after Snake originally, and they hadn't had any luck finding any proof of her location, but they had their suspicions. It was a moot point now, though, they both said. The tribes were just moving; they were massing, and Chenzhou and Mingzhe were doing the same with all the forces in the north.
~ tbc