Once upon a deception

Two black sheep

Nighttime in the serenity of the village was a sight to behold. There was no fear. Just graceful pouring of the lunar lights and crackling of the fire as everyone sat around a rectangular table, under a thatched roof to have supper. As Clarisse was blessed her portion of pottage, A bran looking soup containing meat, She studied Lord Vincent who was in the center of the table, gulping down a sack of ale. He seemed disturbed. When their eyes met, She saw him swiftly look away. Clarisse could already guess why. He did not want to bring up the topic.

“Lord Vincent,” A fellow soldier began, “What happens now?”

Lord Vincent's face dropped in a scowl. Whatever the soldier was getting at, The lord resented it. Clarisse could not blame the man. Lord Vincent had avoided human contact all day and the man merely seized an opportunity to ask a much-needed conversation.

“We remain retreated. We wait, let our soldiers heal and when the time is right, We strike again. The cause is never over.” He replied. Despite his calm demeanor, Many could tell his anger was rising.

The table was quiet but there was a struggle in every person’s heart. Wives supported the lord’s idea and others believed they would have to follow suit for the time being but not Clarisse. She continued her mental assault on the lord who found it nearly impossible to ignore her gaze. Eventually, he did break.

“There is something we all need to know though…”His sullen expression grabbed everyone’s attention. People stopped eating and turned in the direction of the lord. The attention he was getting made him nauseated. “…The superiors believe we will keep on failing if we do not try a new strategy.”

A horrified gasp filled the entire table and tongues began to wag. It was a mixture of fear, worry, and suspicion.

“Do you mean we have a rat?” Someone muttered. It was Lina. She was shaking just considering it. The poor girl still had not healed from all the torture and trauma she had faced in the indentured farms.

 “No.” The Lord assured. “Every single person here has had a tragic past. One we all want to forget. You all have my trust. I am certain you would not betray the cause but the court of Wohar has grown. The superiors believe our hold tactics will no longer be effective so they suggested a new one.”

“And what is that?” Lina asked.

“They want us to infiltrate the castle and kill the king,” Vincent replied.

“What?” Someone choked. “The King’s legion is nearly invincible. We will be crushed like ants if we dare that. Why would the superiors even think about that?”

“The superiors do not want a full-blown war.” Clarisse was quick to point out.

The eyes focused on the Lord drifted to the insignificant girl. What did she know?

“What does she mean?” One of the surviving soldiers queried.

“The superiors want just one person to infiltrate the castle. Someone that will not be suspected. A woman.”

 A horrified gasp filled the entire table as the Lord’s words sunk. Then it all became silent as everyone processed the upsetting news. Lord Vincent seemed to take pride in the reaction of the people. There was a devilish grin imprinted on his lips as his gaze found Clarisse. He let his words reecho into the people’s mind before continuing.

“Tonight, If there is anyone who would like to volunteer, please make it known.”

 Clarisse swallowed. This was something he had predicted and Clarisse hated that he was right. Looking back in the eyes of the women seated close to her, There was fear in their eyes. They all had possessions they held there and even if they did not, They wanted to live. Wohar was war, Wohar was death, and everything they had run away from. It just did not make sense that they would ever willingly return to the stronghold.

 To add salt to the injury, Clarisse was facing, The Lord added, “You are not obligated to do so if your heart is not in the same space.”

“But… we swore our lives to cause?’ Fidgety voices sent back. “We cannot back out now.”

“I understand that we are all humans.” Lord Vincent replied. There was so much he had hinted to prove to Clarisse that he was guaranteed the plan would fail. The wordplay had exposed his intentions but Clarisse wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip from her grasps. Lord Vincent had begun the charade to get the “Absurd” thoughts off her mind but in the end, It only strengthened Clarisse’s resolve. They all had something to lose. They all had a life they were not willing to give up. She had none of that. The life she had was set in the past A past in Wohar and she could not get rid of it. She would never get rid of it!. Which only made her certain she was a perfect tribute. 

 Lifting a hand in the air, Clarisse spoke. “I volunteer.”

 The people froze. The eyes on her looked at her like she was some sort of being out of the cosmos. The surprise slowly morphed into admiration. Lord Vincent was not pleased but there was nothing he could do but press on. Clarisse’s heart soared. Most people would believe she had earned herself a ticket to her own grave but to the girl, There was something to live for. Just as Clarisse mentally celebrated her victory, Another hand went up. It was Lina’s.

“I volunteer.”