i am the mace, the map, the fall and the high
Reave nearly laughs again when she bombards him with diseased and dying trees, images swimming in her hatred and vengeance. He nearly laughs because it seems she could not see the forest through the trees. The metaphor hadn’t been about trees - he could have used a pile of rocks just as easily. Aela wished so badly to be right that she had entirely missed the point he had been trying to make. And as he stares at her, he has to wonder if she could ever truly achieve the level separation she would need if she wished to pull this off.
Those thoughts he keeps to himself however.
Instead he grins at her proclamation. Though he has not taken the time to dive too deeply into the history of each kingdom, he knows Loess has long been an unstable kingdom. “Loess is always easy,” he replies, blue eyes gleaming with his amusement. There are few who would keep Aela humble, but Reave has never shied away from the more dangerous paths. But then, they both know the southern kingdom is not the problem.
While Aela dreams of chaos, schemes and plans swirling as she tries to piece together a strategy to inspire, Reave watches her. And he watches the future shift and change around her. He could see no clear path to the complete and utter madness she so wished. His warnings had not been given because he wished to stop her. No, they had been given because he needs her to be clever about it. She wants to target one first, then the other. But it’s a foolish tactic. It would give the other time to plan and prepare, and as he follows that route, he can see their successes dwindle and falter.
No, they need more.
Her plan to involve Gale is not uninspired. But Reave has seen enough the aftermath of their mutual relation’s antics to know no loyalty beats in the cursed creature’s heart. Finally, after a lengthy silence spent watching her plans unfold, Reave speaks. “If you wish to involve Gale, you should place no trust in him. Even if he agrees to whatever you might offer, he does it for only his own gain.” He smiles, though it is a dangerous smile. A warning, much like the one she had given. “Whatever you offer needs to benefit him as much as you.”
But while Aela courted and woo’d the shifters of the East, Reave is beginning to form other ideas. A two-pronged approach, as it were. “You are a better diplomat, so it makes sense for you to court them.” Reave shifts, the wicked thoughts bringing forth an equally wicked expression. “I will take a different approach.” He grins, anticipation bubbling inside his chest. “You wanted chaos? So let’s poke the bear.”
reave
@Aela