Worth the Risk
Nov. 20th, 2012 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feredarStory: Worth the Risk
Year: 990 FY
Characters: Isshiri, Mel
Warnings: Some ableism, war
Isshiri took a deep breath. This was probably going to be one of the most difficult arguments he'd ever had--harder even than when he'd had to convince his mother to let him participate in the siege in the first place. Although, oddly enough, it would probably be easier to persuade her that his plan was the right one than it was going to be with Mel, or Andrell, or any of the other commanders.
But Mel had to come first, since Mel had to be part of it.
"Hey, Mel, can we talk in private for a minute?"
Mel looked up from the knife he was sharpening. "Sure." He held open a tent flap for Isshiri to join him with relatively few prying eyes or eavesdroppers. "What's up?"
"Well, I've been listening in on some of the command meetings--not saying much, but listening, and sort of thinking things through on my own, and...well, the general impression I'm getting is that if we manage to kill or capture King Kellom, a lot of the resistance will collapse, yeah?"
Mel bit his lip. "Don't think it'll end up bein' quite that simple."
Isshiri shrugged one shoulder. "I mean...probably not, no, it's never as simple as just getting one person, but...it'll be a big step towards victory, won't it? Especially since we have Prince Andrell to step right in?"
"Far as I know," Mel agreed, after a moment's thought. "Never was much for combat or strategy or anythin'."
Okay. Good. Step one achieved. "Well, to get at Kellom, we have to get him kind of isolated, don't we?"
"...what are you plannin'?"
Isshiri flushed. "Other than Andrell, I'm probably the one person out here who Kellom wants most, either dead or..." His hand drifted up to his neck.
Mel copied the motion, almost certainly subconsciously. "You tryin' to get yourself killed?"
He shook his head. "No, of course not. But I'm a good hostage, and...well, I fight better at a distance than face to face."
It was Mel's turn to flush. "I didn' mean that."
Isshiri gave a crooked little smile. "But it'll mean that Kellom will be off-guard around me. And if you shadow me, as backup, plus maybe a couple other people the commanders recommend...we could do it."
"The siege would end..." Mel still didn't look entirely convinced, so Isshiri tried another angle.
"Just...back me up when we go talk to the commanders, all right? If we can't persuade them, then it won't happen, but I think it's worth the risk," Isshiri said, watching Mel's face. There was still a chance that they'd get shot down, but if he had at least one person there backing him up, so it didn't come off as a poorly-thought-out whim...
Mother would get it. Value in valuelessness, she taught me that. She'd see it right away...
"All right," Mel finally said. "I'll back you up."
"Thank you," Isshiri said, with a faint smile. "I promise you, this'll work. And we'll come back heroes."
You and I will save the world.
Year: 990 FY
Characters: Isshiri, Mel
Warnings: Some ableism, war
Isshiri took a deep breath. This was probably going to be one of the most difficult arguments he'd ever had--harder even than when he'd had to convince his mother to let him participate in the siege in the first place. Although, oddly enough, it would probably be easier to persuade her that his plan was the right one than it was going to be with Mel, or Andrell, or any of the other commanders.
But Mel had to come first, since Mel had to be part of it.
"Hey, Mel, can we talk in private for a minute?"
Mel looked up from the knife he was sharpening. "Sure." He held open a tent flap for Isshiri to join him with relatively few prying eyes or eavesdroppers. "What's up?"
"Well, I've been listening in on some of the command meetings--not saying much, but listening, and sort of thinking things through on my own, and...well, the general impression I'm getting is that if we manage to kill or capture King Kellom, a lot of the resistance will collapse, yeah?"
Mel bit his lip. "Don't think it'll end up bein' quite that simple."
Isshiri shrugged one shoulder. "I mean...probably not, no, it's never as simple as just getting one person, but...it'll be a big step towards victory, won't it? Especially since we have Prince Andrell to step right in?"
"Far as I know," Mel agreed, after a moment's thought. "Never was much for combat or strategy or anythin'."
Okay. Good. Step one achieved. "Well, to get at Kellom, we have to get him kind of isolated, don't we?"
"...what are you plannin'?"
Isshiri flushed. "Other than Andrell, I'm probably the one person out here who Kellom wants most, either dead or..." His hand drifted up to his neck.
Mel copied the motion, almost certainly subconsciously. "You tryin' to get yourself killed?"
He shook his head. "No, of course not. But I'm a good hostage, and...well, I fight better at a distance than face to face."
It was Mel's turn to flush. "I didn' mean that."
Isshiri gave a crooked little smile. "But it'll mean that Kellom will be off-guard around me. And if you shadow me, as backup, plus maybe a couple other people the commanders recommend...we could do it."
"The siege would end..." Mel still didn't look entirely convinced, so Isshiri tried another angle.
"Just...back me up when we go talk to the commanders, all right? If we can't persuade them, then it won't happen, but I think it's worth the risk," Isshiri said, watching Mel's face. There was still a chance that they'd get shot down, but if he had at least one person there backing him up, so it didn't come off as a poorly-thought-out whim...
Mother would get it. Value in valuelessness, she taught me that. She'd see it right away...
"All right," Mel finally said. "I'll back you up."
"Thank you," Isshiri said, with a faint smile. "I promise you, this'll work. And we'll come back heroes."
You and I will save the world.