MarbitChow wrote:Buffy, Faith, and Rona set down. Buffy takes Yuri's arm, and Faith clings to Rolf. Buffy says, "Now that we're friends, why don't you introduce us to the shockamancer who charged up these towers, the healamancer who warded you so well, and the dollamancer who made such fine cloaks? We've got plenty of time. It will be four turns before the elves get here."
Yuri had expected the Archons to tear every scrap of information they could out of his side during the alliance, but it was surprising how blatant they were about it. Titans, but he hated chatterboxing. This was going to be turn after turn of battles with an enemy he couldn't croak, he could feel it looming before him as surely as the walls of an opposing city.
With the thought of the turns to come as a battle, still-fresh Warlord instincts started coming into play. What had to be sacrificed, what could be protected for multiple turns from a nosy ally? Hiding the units inside Dis City and their equipment would be impractical at best; those secrets were Fated to be lost at this point, like screening units defending against a charge. But specific capabilities beyond the obvious, units elsewhere, and past actions- particularly the successful foray into the ruins and the resulting spoils? Those were not yet lost, if they could be protected properly. But the Archons would be strong opponents, fast and deadly, seeking out points of weakness- units with loose tongues- and tearing them apart with pretty smiles and assurances of friendship, leaving secrets exposed and destroyed. Who did he have to counter?
Himself. Yuri didn't think he could really match an Archon in this, but he was already on the field and engaging- withdrawing would be impossible now. In fact, he needed to engage right now, before the Archon got suspicious of his thinking instead of replying. Acting on first instinct to keep the situation under control- and perhaps other instincts as well- Yuri moves the arm that Buffy has taken to slide a hand around her waist and pull her closer, turning to the stairs and moving so that she is swept along with him as he replies with another booming chuckle. "Is fond of important units, yes? I call meeting, for sharing of information on elves."
As he moves, Rolf's actions catch Yuri's eye. His brother heavy was disengaging from one of the Archons, clearly concerned. But if he was worried, then he was exactly the sort of unit that Yuri needed to engage them. The massive warlord quirks an eyebrow at Rolf and comments in a joking tone, "Rolf, negotiations done. Is breaking stack and enjoying time
accompanying pretty girl, yes?" Though his tone does not change, he slams the force of an order behind three of his words. Faith's choice to stick herself to Rolf gave Yuri a perfect excuse to assign a unit with a sense of caution as her minder to stop her from running around loose and hopefully asking awkward questions, and while the other heavy might be no more comfortable with his Duty than Yuri, few were the units who got any choice in such things. He'd cope.
That left one Archon unaccounted for, and... already talking with Bill. Bill, who had interrupted negotiations by boldly striding out and trying to take charge. That would be a problem. Who could he send to reinforce that hex? A quick glance over the roof yielded... some newbie warlords he didn't know well, a number of infantry who had yet to distinguish themselves as notably special or sensible, and William. Did he trust any of those units with this? Perhaps William, but... agh, he didn't know. He'd try to remove Bill from the situation and hope another idea presented itself soon. As he reaches the top of the stairs he pauses and calls to the croakamancer, "Bill, is finding Triage and Vinny for talking with flying women, yes?" Ordering a caster around wasn't something Yuri could do, but hopefully Bill wouldn't prove stubborn... or bring the Archon with him and chatterbox with her the whole time. Titans, that could have been a mistake.
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