Spooking the Cow

Bessie felt a wave of relief wash over her, a vibrant anticipation of triumph. She had assumed Siomha was merely a naïve young girl, sheltered within the Ivory Tower, seeking guidance and perhaps a favor. Someone she could easily sway and control, a pliant tool to be wielded and discarded at her convenience. The young Seer’s sudden, unflinching acceptance of such a dangerous task played perfectly into the officer’s hands.

With a calculated smile, Bessie reached out, her hand resting firmly on Siomha's shoulder, giving an encouraging squeeze. "Go on, do whatever is necessary. Whether it's driving the soldier to madness or ending his life, as long as you uncover the location of the item, nothing else matters."

She hadn’t expected the human to be so obliging, so hungry for a chance, so ultimately disposable. But this was better, so much better than she had imagined. It was almost laughable how eager the girl was to throw herself into the jaws of peril. The outcome was assured, even if the little Seer believed herself invincible. Bessie knew the plan would unravel smoothly, that she would emerge victorious and unscathed.

The young Seer, clad in the distinctive uniform of the Support class who dared to venture beyond the Tower's protective walls, turned to face her. Her eyes, a striking crimson against her fair skin, seemed to pierce through the battle-hardened beastfolk, leaving her with an unsettling chill. Surely, it was just a trick of the mind. A human so fragile, so eager to fill her begging hands, could not be as dangerous as she seemed.

Could she?

Yet, the human's response came, cool and compliant. "Understood."