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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4741635" data-attributes="member: 3285">Serpentine Path: Part 4b – Do I Know You?Kham and Ilmarė spent the remainder of the night as Attalus’ guest in the Shining Patrol’s officer’s quarters. Kham and Ilmarė were served a hot gourmet meal and a stout drink. “Please, eat, drink.  It must have been a long journey.”“It was,” Kham said between mouthfuls.  “The caravan was ambushed, but we recovered what we could.”Attalus nodded. “And I am thankful for that.  It seems you are always saving my hide, one way or another.”  He grinned a white-toothed smile.  It quickly vanished.  “I did not see the dispatch pouch amongst the inventory.”Kham took a swig from a goblet.  “Destroyed, sorry.”Ilmarė leaned forward and poked at a piece of meat with a fork.  “What are you doing here, Attalus? Last we met, you were in Coryan.”“Ah yes.  I’ve been here for the last several months.  My service is almost complete.  General Bunkakin recently put me in charge of the fortress to make sure the new operations proceed smoothly.”“So Garan pulled some strings.”  Kham chomped on another mouthful of food.“Garan val’Mehan and Muatama Bunkakin once served together in the Patrol.” Attalus frowned.  “He thought it’d be safer for me here.”Ilmarė sipped from her goblet. “Safer?” “Although there have been recent reports of Ssethregoran movements and activities, that’s not out of the ordinary.  General Bunkakin seems to think that the region is in some pending danger.  We can house several thousand troops here now.”  Attalus leaned back in his chair.  “In fact, our biggest problem is getting dispatch pouches from Althre’!”Kham stopped chewing.  “All the Shining Patrol has been called back to Altheria, along with all able-bodied Altherian citizens.  That sounds like preparations of war to me.”Attalus shrugged.  “The general has been stockpiling ammunition and even set up labs and workshops within the fortress to manufacture war materials.  I don’t know why he doesn’t do it in the citadel at Semar.  It’d be much safer there.”“So Bunkakin thinks a war is imminent,” said Ilmarė. “I’m not sure.  The general sure is peculiar sometimes.  He makes a big fuss over preparing for war, and then authorized a huge project just to build a bunch of statues of old Heroes of the Patrol.  I still don’t understand why priests of Anshar would be commissioned for such a project. But what do I know, I’m just a soldier.”“Yes.” Ilmarė peered at Attalus disdainfully over her mug. “Just.”Attalus didn’t catch her tone.  “Do you have business in Semar or will you be returning to Althre’?”Kham cleared his throat.  “I uh…have business there, yeah.”“Kham came to Althre’ to pay respects to his deceased father and cousin.”“Oh.” Attalus’ expression turned grim.  “I’m sorry.  As a member of the Shining Patrol, we will provide Dril with a memorial service tomorrow morning.“Kham rubbed his forehead.  “I’ve done enough of that lately.”Attalus nodded.  “Death seems to come in waves.”  He clapped his hands.  “Enough talk about such things. You’ve a hot bath and tub waiting for you, and goose down bedding to sleep on.  Let it not be said that Attalus knows no hospitality!”“What of the others?” asked the elorii.“Oh, they’ll be taken care of.”</blockquote>

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