“You've not heard from the Ap Sithisai then,” Kaie asked. In the absence of any real jailbreaking experience amongst the Forsworn, Mireen had had the idea of turning to the few outsiders the Forsworn trusted and tried invoking the Black Sacrament. Nothing. No Speaker come to treat with them, no contract to slaughter Thonar Silver-Blood and get the King in Rags out of Cidhna Mine. Their one real leader was as far away as he'd ever been... and yet information still got to him and orders still got out, which meant no one was brave enough to declare themselves king in his place for fear of his loyal agents. The violent ends of those who'd tried made that point very clear, and as his one remaining child, Kaie had personally dealt with more than a few upstarts herself. The only way anyone was taking over from Madanach was by getting into Cidhna Mine and challenging him personally... and that had never gone well. The Reach's most feared battlemage still had all his skills and all his ruthlessness.
“Nothing,” Mireen sighed. “We're one camp among many and our only real advantages are that we control the sacred Karthspire mountain, and I was his wife once. Sharreela would love a camp in the centre, Drascua has people surrounding us and would like that hole in the middle of her territories plugged, and Keirine hides in the North, being no help whatsoever. She never did like me.”
You married her twin, treated him and his daughters horribly, made his life a misery throughout, so much so that he actually prefers prison to having to deal with you, and you're surprised she doesn't like you? But Kaie was loyal and not a fool, and Kaie said nothing. It wasn't like her mother wasn't at least trying to hold the camp together, and maintaining the place independently both as a human woman for twelve years and then as a Hag herself for the last eight was no mean feat. Both her parents individually were formidable mages and talented leaders. It was just a pity that together they were as likely to tear each other apart as work as allies.
“Much as I hate to say it, we need your father,” Mireen sighed. “Keirine knows what's happening, I am near certain, but she hoards her knowledge. Drascua hoards her power, Sharreela hoards her Briar Hearts, and here we are caught in the middle. I was queen once and now look at me. We need our king, Kaie. He was the one they swore loyalty to, and Keirine will tell him what she will not tell me. The dragons go beyond infighting among us, even beyond the Nords. We need to be organised, unified, and we are not. We need Madanach, and I would go into that mine and haul him out by the hair personally if I could. As it is, I was hoping the Mor Gwadoreen might do it for me, but they have clearly got bigger concerns.”
“What about the Thieves' Guild in Riften?” Kaie asked. “They must have done jailbreaks before now?”
Mireen just laughed, mad Hag's cackle as she actually grinned at Kaie. “To do that, they will first have to survive Cidhna Mine and win your father's trust. That will take some doing. He despises thieves, and Nord thieves worst of all. I think not. No, inyeen, we have no choice. You'll have to go.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 11.2
“Nothing,” Mireen sighed. “We're one camp among many and our only real advantages are that we control the sacred Karthspire mountain, and I was his wife once. Sharreela would love a camp in the centre, Drascua has people surrounding us and would like that hole in the middle of her territories plugged, and Keirine hides in the North, being no help whatsoever. She never did like me.”
You married her twin, treated him and his daughters horribly, made his life a misery throughout, so much so that he actually prefers prison to having to deal with you, and you're surprised she doesn't like you? But Kaie was loyal and not a fool, and Kaie said nothing. It wasn't like her mother wasn't at least trying to hold the camp together, and maintaining the place independently both as a human woman for twelve years and then as a Hag herself for the last eight was no mean feat. Both her parents individually were formidable mages and talented leaders. It was just a pity that together they were as likely to tear each other apart as work as allies.
“Much as I hate to say it, we need your father,” Mireen sighed. “Keirine knows what's happening, I am near certain, but she hoards her knowledge. Drascua hoards her power, Sharreela hoards her Briar Hearts, and here we are caught in the middle. I was queen once and now look at me. We need our king, Kaie. He was the one they swore loyalty to, and Keirine will tell him what she will not tell me. The dragons go beyond infighting among us, even beyond the Nords. We need to be organised, unified, and we are not. We need Madanach, and I would go into that mine and haul him out by the hair personally if I could. As it is, I was hoping the Mor Gwadoreen might do it for me, but they have clearly got bigger concerns.”
“What about the Thieves' Guild in Riften?” Kaie asked. “They must have done jailbreaks before now?”
Mireen just laughed, mad Hag's cackle as she actually grinned at Kaie. “To do that, they will first have to survive Cidhna Mine and win your father's trust. That will take some doing. He despises thieves, and Nord thieves worst of all. I think not. No, inyeen, we have no choice. You'll have to go.”