No, of course he doesn’t like when his things are stolen. She doesn’t blame him. She doesn’t like when her things are stolen either. But, as it turns out, she rules a kingdom and does not simply get to plow headfirst into a war. The kingdom has burned too many times, and she is not yet ready to watch it burn again. They’d only just regrown the trees, rebuilt themselves into something worthwhile. She’d like to keep the kingdom that way for as long as she possibly could. Not forever. That was a naïve dream.
But she wasn’t ready to watch it all burn again.
“Carnage,” she says somewhat flatly. “He’s no God. Dark or not.” The magicians may fancy themselves Gods, but they were just really old magicians. She does not entirely understand Beqanna’s reverence for him. “You are welcome to try it. Maybe we’ll be lucky, and he’ll be bored. If not, see if you can’t find Evrae. She knew my father, and seemed somewhat keen to help the Chamber once. Maybe she still feels the same.”
She had never met her sister’s mother, and in truth, she doesn’t think on her sister much anymore. The girl was gone, and even if she were still around, there would never be much in the way of sisterly bond there. Lu was too different, too fragile to be close to Straia.
He jumps at the bait for the Gates though, and her grin grows just slightly. “Weed might be interested. You may be able to find him lurking. Kushiel or Erebor for the fire, or both. If it’s Kushiel alone, tell him I’ll send a fire raven along for his use.” She doesn’t add Cellar, because she already knows he will take the girl. Why wouldn’t he? A girl with poison skin is certainly useful in any situation. “I would keep the immediate party small though, less obvious. Perhaps have some backup not far away. Warship, or Killdare if he’s returned by the time you go. Would you like the other pair of army wings? You can have them until Warship tells you otherwise.”
But again, Warship had been rather MIA. And so she figures she’ll hand out his army’s traits until he returns to actually do so himself. But if wings can help Gryffen in this little endeavor, then she would hand them over to him gladly.
When they are done (she waits for his response, and answers if she needs to), she finally turns her attention to the boy. “Do you have a name, princeling?” she asks, moving closer to the boy now. She had no plans to give the boy back. They could pay for being stupid, and she’d keep him just as long as she could.
straia
the raven queen of the chamber