He was watching the movements on the castle ramparts idly, seeing the muted greens and browns of the forest rangers moving back and forth. And noting   the white cloak standing brightly out of the gloom of the stone and the dampness. He had frowned in thought as his eyes followed the bright ghost, trying to rack his brain on the limited knowledge he had of Aupanan symbols.

 Something told him that White was a colour reserved for their Regent, being the main colour of the Great Owl that was the Royal Sigil of Aupana. But it would not make any sense to have the heir to the kingdom, so far away from any protection, with only a small contingent to protect her. Shiar shook his head and glanced to his standard bearer for a long moment as if the man could answer the question itching in the back of his mind. When the White cloak disappeared into the gloom of stone, he continued counting those moving up along the wall, agreeing with his scout's earlier predictions on the small number of the forces inside.

"M'lord"

He looked to his translator who had approached in the meantime, then back to the castle, where the form in white stepped out of a side door in the gate, followed by two other fighters. Both moved easily on foot across the ground, belying their lack of heavy armour. Another mystery on behalf of the Aupanans, sending warriors into battle with only light Ranging gear.   It was almost as if there had been no intention to use them for heavy fighting. He dismounted and handed his horse off to his man, striding forwards to meet the two fighters, steeling himself up for the oncoming barrage of political jockeying that always accompanied these sorts of meetings.

***

She stopped a distance from him, frowning unseen beneath her hood as she took in the sight of the tall, broad shouldered man standing in front of her. Foxes waited, using silence to watch him despite the fact that he was armoured as if prepared for battle instead of parlay. Often, silence could make people say more than they were intending to say, even if it's with their bodies. And this time, it worked, though not necessarily on the person she had hoped to unsettle.

"High Lord Shiar, of Sellexu." The man beside the tall warrior said in Aupanan, offering a bow of sorts, his use of her language decently understandable but flawed enough to make her glad that she could speak both languages.

The Knight took off his helmet, exposing dark olive-brown skin, a trimmed bear, moss-green eyes, and short, but curling black hair. "Greetings". He spoke in Sellexun and the man working as his translator paused, before rendering it in her own language.

"Foxes." She said back, in her language, pulling off her hood, the lower half of her face now covered by a red cowl.

The translator blinked at her in confusion and she turned her gaze from the other warrior, to him. "My name is Foxes. I am a Diplomat on behalf of the Heir-Queen Rael."

She kept her features schooled in ignorance as the translator said she was a fox working for the Queen in Rael, looking once more at Shiar standing in front of her. His eyes never left her face for a moment, barely blinking as he finally spoke after a moment of careful thought. "Our people have not known direct conflict in several hundred years but Sellexu has grown tired of hearing of your atrocities and evils. We will take this pass and all Aupana after it. Surrender and you will be given leave to return to your Queen for her to prepare her submittal." 

She didn't look to the translator, as he did his best to turn those words into Aupanan, sensing the anger of the young  Rangers standing behind her building at the words that were stumbled through. 

She held up a hand to motion for them to stay calm, her eyes meeting the High Lord's unflinchingly. "Is that what you use as an excuse to trample across sovereign borders? Sellexu's greed and self-assigned superiority has met its final match. There will be no surrender to evil, preening Lordlings and Princes who wish to make names for themselves."

"We defend what is right. Sellexu has no monetary gain from war with Aupana. We seek to liberate its people from the tyranny that is the ruling Regent of Aupana." His voice was a low rumble of annoyance.

"Your King has overspent on his palaces around your country, your courtiers dine till they're sick, while your people starve. And you wish to Liberate us?" She growled back, barely able to hold herself to communicating solely in her own language. She had no desire to indicate to him that she understood Sellexun. It was easier to learn things when people didn't think you could understand what you were saying. Her father had taught her that and other teachers after him. 

He straightened at that, taking in a slow breath that belied his own anger, watching her through narrowed eyes. "The Prince Heir would not start a war, to fix his father's mistakes."

She paused, looking at the translator for a moment as the man stumbled across those words against his own regent, before she let out a slow breath. "Our people do not need liberating. We need allies, not more enemies"

High Lord Shiar rocked back on his heels as her words were translated, tilting his head to the side and watching her more intently. She was surprised at his humility, at the fact that he did not show disdain or impudence in that admittance of weakness.

 It stirred a long-quelled hope in her gut and allowed her to shift her focus on what was going to be happening in the next few days. He was silent for a long time, before saying softly. "Regardless, The Prince must march to the Plains to parlay. No more blood needs to be spilled here between us."

She almost responded, almost wanted to let her guard down and ask him what the hell they were doing out here, fighting a battle that meant nothing if it were only a road to Peace. It made no sense to her and she had a suspicion that this war meant even less to him. 

For a moment, they stood there, watching one another with that helpless expression of the dogs of war. She saw those thoughts in his eyes and hesitated, wanting to put a stop to the insanity they were miming at. Then she saw a shadow flit across the ground, pulling her gaze up to the sky, where a large bird coasted overhead to land on the castle ramparts above them. She watched the owl for a moment before finally turning back to look at him. "So be it, you will have your battle".

She watched the consideration in his features as he looked to the bird, then back to her, a question in his features. But she couldn't answer it, though she felt that perhaps he deserved to understand more than anyone else. Perhaps the world needed him to understand, in order for this to work. But she couldn't risk that, not until she was completely sure and the driving force in her soul told her that she was done.  For her Gift told her there was still a little bit more of this game to play before the world could be set to rights.

With those quiet thoughts, Foxes turned around and walked back to the castle.

***

Shiar watched her pull her hood up as she walked, standing there long after the two women and one man had slipped back into the shadows of the castle. Finally he roused himself and turned to the translator, pulling his helmet on as he addressed the man. "Are you sure that's exactly what she said. She just left it at that, that ambiguous statement."

"Yes, M'lord. I translated everything perfectly to the best of my abilities."

Shiar nodded, "You must begin to teach me how to speak Aupanan."

"Of course, my lord. The Owl... they see them as messengers, you know. The white owl... is probably from the Queen herself."

Shiar paused, considering the man's more indepth knowledge of their foe. After weighing his words, he asked a question he should have long before now. "Are they as evil as our reports make them out to be?"

The translator seemed to evaluate how much he could trust Shiar, his expression wary as he murmured. "No, M'lord. It is said, this new Queen, along with her friends, they have started an initiative that ensures no one in Aupana goes without food or shelter...even the lowest."

"Where is that said? And why isn't it said to the men who started this war?" Shiar frowned, but the translator merely shrugged to him, expression closing off. With a scowl, Shiar got onto his horse and rode back towards his host of men, who had  begun to settle into a new camp just outside the castle, priming for a full on siege.

The translator hurried onto his own horse, catching up to Shiar in order to respond, belatedly. "In the docks... where the traders come in from other countries, the free traders mix with the rest of us at times, they travel freely between our two countries."

***

Prepared. Get as much information as you can. Then return. Stand down the pass.

She looked at the paper, then at the bird, a snowy white owl the size of some dogs, then back at the paper again. The animal watched her with an odd intelligence that reminded her strongly enough of her friend  that she wondered about the histories of past Regents being able to shape-shift into their Sigil animals.

 With a sigh at the insanity of that line of thought while she had to prepare for battle, she flipped the paper over and scrawled a message,

All may be as hoped. Talk to the Rangers. Will return when can.

She rolled up the paper, gave the owl another strip of meat as she tucked the message into the leather holder on its foot. "Go say hi to your mom for me, buddy."

Foxes let the owl jump on her arm, carrying it to the window and scratching its chest, before letting it fly off back towards Aupana, whispering behind it. "Bring my love to the streams and trees." She watched the bird disappear into the distance as she heard someone approach her from behind. 

"M'lady. They're digging in. Another attack is surely imminent."

"Nathax, follow me." She turned to the man, offering him a careful smile and draping an arm around his shoulders. "We have stalled as long as we needed to, you and yours have done well."