Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK II - Scene XL

Eartaria stood as overseer as Julen and the two half-tails loaded the boat, readying for the return journey back from Brynnyfirdia. Still, even as the few weapons and precious black powder were being taken aboard, the exact destination was unclear. As Julen listened to the back and forth he felt a sense of guilt that he wouldn't be going with them. As did Box, who stood alongside Goola and Liofia, watching from the shoreline.

"It's one thing knowing the ingredients of black powder," noted Eartaria, airily, commanding the scene, "..but it's a different issue getting hold of the ingredients, and that's before you think about mixing it up, or making the actual weapons. What you have here won't last long."

Allakat listened, but returned to a previous point of discussion, as he waded once again through the water. "We can't go to Terrella. It's out of the question."

By this point Eartaria had been making the case for heading to Terrella repeatedly, and though the words of Allakat were strong in sentiment, they were becoming more desperate in tone; worn down as he was by the constant haranguing. Eartaria, sensing victory, pressed on further.

"You'll be wiped out before these things can be put to use. Stop on Terrella, build up your supplies. Then start launching attacks from there. You don't need to enlist the half-tails, you just use it as your base."

The logic was sound, but the morality was doubtful. Celalah looked over at Allakat, as both began to wilt under the weight of the argument.

"I guess we could stop off and speak to them," conceded Allakat, a glum look on his face, "It is on the way, I suppose."

A grin came over Eartaria's face in chorus. It was clear his plan was to rabble rouse the half-tails on Terrella once there, but it was a problem they could head off later. After all, the situation in Once Woods was looking dire, so maybe a dash of cunning was necessary.

"There's no time like the present," affirmed Eartaria, breaking these sour thoughts, as he loosened the rope that moored the dainty craft to the dock. The yellow sun shining with promise on the water. Julen looked on with ambivalence. As he stepped back off the boat to remain, however, Box stepped forward into the water to put one foot upon it. Liofia, in quick response, leapt forward and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away.

"Why are we staying here?" groaned Box, the sense that they were abandoning the cause teasing her to leave. "We can't just retreat and hideout on an island - an island where we don't belong - forever. We should be helping."

"We have our own path," insisted Liofia, thinking of plans that were now fermenting in her own mind.

"No, she's right," countered Eartaria with eagerness, nodding in the direction of Box, "You should be returning with us. Especially Julen." He prodded Julen gently in the stomach with his sword as he said this from his elevated position on the prow. "Plus," he then added half-joking, aiming his words at Liofia, "You're Queen of the Half-Tails, you could be very persuasive. You should be with your people."

"Our hearts are with you, but we have our own journey to be completing," came Liofia's reply, one hand gripping Julen, the other still having a tight hold on Box's jacket sleeve.

Eartaria looked down at her growing figure as he lent over the prow of the boat. "I know," he commented sardonically. He then ushered them all away from the boat with his hand, as if to punctuate the conversation. Allakat then reached over to the clodden mud of the cove with his oar and wedged the little vessel deeper into the waves. The lemon sun and evening shadows calling them in the direction of the little island of Terrella.