When last we left our fearless griffin, creaky, grumpy, too-old-for-this Mistress Commander Angharad Godkin—that’s me—I was hip-deep in a foreign province surrounded by natives not convinced of my kingdom’s having conquered them, and outnumbered by soldiers from my own country turned rogue at the behest of the Godson’s former governor, Chordwain. Soldiers, I might add, whose instructions do not include “accept Angharad Godkin as our new governor” despite those instructions having been issued by the Godson himself, probably because they have appended “also, she is probably a traitor, having taken up with seditious natives and foreign gods.”
I might add that the king of my own country, my master the Godson, seems to care very little for the state of near-rebellion fomenting in Shraeven, nor about the outrageous behavior of the governor he’s sending me to replace. No, he’s fine as long as I don’t overspend my budget and send him some ridiculous number of maidens for him to use in our country’s quest to re-create the godhead. While I am deeply committed to seeing the godhead on earth, I find myself a little busy attempting to prevent the destruction of my own company–by men and women I have served alongside in battle. We’re supposed to be on the same side.
That’s the thing I keep returning to. We’re supposed to be on the same side.
What’s gone wrong here?
* * *
When I first heard that there were soldiers of the Godkingdom’s army in the mountains of Shraeven, raiding the people of Shraeven on the orders of the governor, I formulated two plans with my captains. One involved a military solution: an attack on their camp. The other involved subterfuge: I would ride into their camp, present myself as the new governor, and take command. And then attack their camp, once I’d maneuvered them into a position more likely to afford success. Gavan had suggested using my new position to tell them to disband, but I know better: their orders come from the Godson and the only thing I’ll accomplish by ordering them to cease operations is to warn them that I’m going to obstruct the plans of the sovereign we’ve both sworn fealty to. Honestly, the first solution feels much easier to me, but I loathe the idea of fighting my own countrymen. The second solution is far more palatable, except for the slight drawback that it will get me killed if the Master-general there decides submitting to me is more of a risk than remaining loyal to the current governor…who after all authorized their current mission on the Godson’s behalf. Since what they’re doing is technically turning brigand, I can’t help but distrust their sense of honor.
And if they are honorable? Then the pressure being brought to bear on them must be tremendous, more than enough to justify killing one lone woman on a mount.
But we have done the scouting, and we are outnumbered almost four to one. The military solution is not an option. There is nothing for it, but that this old griffin turn actress.