Kitana looked around her room taking in her surroundings again. She was in the Council Chambers. It was a room built with the privacy of the High Council in mind. There were lamps affixed to the walls in various intervals to shed light for there were no windows here. The fireplace stood silent, for it was seasonably warm outside at this time of year, and that caused the room to be perhaps a bit dimmer than usual. Across the walls were various heavy drapes and tapestries depicting historic events of the Republic woven by the women of the village on the outskirts of the Great Hall. But this was not their only purpose. Kitana had been gone on crusade for many years but she still recalled her own time in the High Council. She knew these heavy cloth drapes served the purpose of muffling the sounds within the room as well. The rocks would not be allowed to tell the secrets of what went on in this chamber.

Kitana shifted her attention back to the table at which she sat and she watched, barely containing a smile, the three men in front of her arguing, they called it debating, sometimes at the top of their lungs. Albertus, Dennizon, and Freedom were all three very passionate in their reasoning and as equal members of the War Council Freedom had just as much to say as the two Councilors did for a change.

“The simple fact remains,” she said interrupting them suddenly, “that it makes no sense for the Char to sacrifice a position they worked months to attain, namely the Great Northern Wall, and to sacrifice an officer of their ranks all in an effort to dupe us and Rurik into ignoring their siege on Nolani and divert our attention to a prison camp. In my assessment the documents seem to be legitimate and I can’t see that the Char are working to hard to deceive us when our added numbers would still be overwhelmed by the force of their numbers if they applied themselves.”

“I agree with Kitana” Freedom said eagerly, “These Char simply are not as strong as people have made them out to be. They are a worthy foe yes, but they can be beaten and were with our retaking of the wall. Fort Ranik would have been a key staging point for cutting supplies to Ascalon City. If they wanted to win the war they would not have given up their best chance to take it. No, we pushed them back and came across some papers they never intended us to. It is an opportunity we must not ignore!”

“But that is just it!” Dennizon said as he slammed his fist down on the table for emphasis. “These Char must KNOW that this line of thought we come soon after their defeat. And how convenient that these papers were waiting for us at the end of such a battle. How can we be sure that this is not a trap meant to lure us into a trap that would but us off from reinforcements and indeed take away from the added force we could apply to breaking the siege of Nolani? How can we take that risk not even knowing if these prisoners are still alive, when they will be executed, or if they are even our long lost comrades?” He questioned heatedly.

“Dennizon” Kitana said quietly, “The Char outnumber all of ours and our allies’ forces by at least three to one. How would our presence or lack thereof at Nolani really affect those odds?”

“I will not discuss what the determination of one man can do against incredible odds” Dennizon said in reply, “But I will say that you are making my point for me. The Char do indeed have enough numbers to have taken Ranik and Nolani at the same time, yet somehow our small forces overtook them at Ranik?”

“Well do not underestimate our forces Dennizon, after all Albertus himself was there” Freedom replied in a manner that must have sounded too much like chastising to Dennizon for he shot him an annoyed look before speaking. “Freedom, I don’t need a lesson in our forces or their capabilities, but simple figuring shows that they could have overwhelmed us in sheer numbers. Why did they not? And why these papers at the place they were, when they were?”

“My sources say the wall served as a crucial supply point for the char between the breached lands and their siege at Nolani. We have already intercepted countless supply wagons still trying to get through there to them who were not yet aware of its change in ownership. Perhaps this letter was bound for Nolani.” Kitana replied thoughtfully.

“That’s as may be,” Dennizon replied in turn, “but it doesn’t clear the possibility that it is not a trap either. That is the risk that concerns me. We can ill-afford to take chances here considering our weakened state as it is.”

Kitana was about to speak again but stopped as she saw Albertus raise his hand in a placating manner. The old man had been silently listening after presenting his thoughts on the matter and listening to what had been playing out since. “Both sides presented here have merit. I will concede that. It could well be a trap, and Dennizon knows battle well as he and I have planned it together over the course of many years. However,” he said turning to look directly at Dennizon seeking to better explain his position Kitana assumed, “there is a chance my old friend. There is a chance that there are those out there, in that camp, for nearly two years now, scheduled to be executed in what is certainly a terrible fashion.” He stopped and let those words sink in for a moment before continuing. Albertus directed his steely gaze at each of them in turn as he spoke his next words. “There is danger here to be sure, trap or not, but the more important element present, at least in my mind, is the chance. The chance to save some of those who once fought to save us. For that chance, I cannot sit idly by and ignore what we found in those manuscripts.” Albertus paused and let out a deep breath before continuing. He looked hard at the table in front of him as he spoke as if he were weighted down by them.

“I have ultimately hurried back and called this meeting of the war council so that it can be decided if we will send our people out, to risk their lives, in an effort to take advantage of a chance to save others. I cannot, and will not try to impose my decision, which was already made in honesty, on you my fellow leaders. If it seems best that we do not chase after this rumor, then so be it. But for myself, I will go, alone if I must. I can see no other way.” Albertus finished his words and it looked to Kitana as if his shoulders sagged beneath the weight of what he had said. Kitana had never seen him make a decision in this way, not even when she had once been in the High Council. She looked at Dennizon and saw that from the look on his face neither had he.

“Well he cannot go alone! He is a councilor, the eldest among us! Albertus you cannot go by yourself, we must send those with you, but if the others do not agree, you cannot go alone. It simply won’t do!” Freedom said in rapid succession almost stumbling over himself to get the words out. Kitana knew that Freedom held Albertus in deep respect and admiration and Albertus going at something alone that was dangerous didn’t suit him at all she could tell.

“He is right Albertus; at the very least you cannot hope to undertake a task like that alone and should not. Let us debate this issue to its end and all accept the decision of our peers.” Kitana added feeling a slight flutter of her heart as well at what Albertus was suggesting. It was silent for what seemed like an eternity and Kitana found herself looking back and forth between Albertus, looking down at the table, and Dennizon who was doing the same while clasping and unclasping his fingers ever so slowly.

Freedom apparently could not take it any longer and began to speak, “Well what madness is this, has everyone gone silent?”

“Calm yourself Freedom.” It was Dennizon that spoke now, though not in anger. On the contrary Kitana thought he looked rather, decided she thought was the word.