>>5366935You narrow your eyes. “You would poissson your own protectorsss? Iss thiss not… Disshonoruable?”
“If it’s to save their lives… If there’s no other way…”
The Herbalist trails off, trembling a little in… Fear? Shame?
She continues, mumbling now: “If you give me the time, and the resources… They won’t be able to fight back even if they want to.”
“You are asking me to let several valuable captivesss go free, including YOURSSELF, knowing all that you know of our numbers, our abilitiesss and sstartegy.”
“I only know what you’ve left me know, sir!” she points out. “I don’t’ speak any of the languages you discuss those matters in.”
She’s not wrong, but she is demonstrably clever. Even through untranslated observations, she knows a great deal about your people, your allies, your armaments and logistics…
“And what of the defendersss who remain behind?” you ask, ignoring the other concerns for a moment, humouring the Herbalist. “The garissson, do you think they will surrender?”
Davora stares at her feet, and shakes her head.
“They’ll fight to the last dwarf,” she acknowledges, looking sick with herself. “But… If they die, so the rest can live…”
You consider her proposal carefully. It is… A LOT of trust to put in a slave, but this Herbalist of yours IS quite guileless. Then again, what does that imply for her ability to pull this off? And to even dream this up… Perhaps you have misjudged her innocence to begin with?
