Following the afternoon prayers, and because he wanted to get a fresh look on things, Urdin decided to pay a visit to the Balarian shipyards.

That place, he felt, had caused considerable casualties among the nascent Hospodian Navy--and therefore, damage to the crew's morale--by preventing the defending Balarian lines from being outflanked, even at the cost of their ships. That, and because the general wanted to reaffirm that a female captain had been captured alive.

Given there already was a female officer in Urdin's own service, it was little surprise that now he wanted to meet and greet this new figure.

As the general approached the dockyard, several men at work looked up. Some stopped whatever they were doing, some others stood, two saluted, and one took the trouble to approach the newcomer.

"General, sir," he said following a salute.

"How fare the prisoners?"

"Decently enough, sir. Would you honor them by an inspection? I'd happily take you there."

"Lead on, then."

They went past mighty three-masted ships that bobbed and swayed to and fro--tied together by thick ropes--and on to the harbormaster's office, where it had been decided to house the naval prisoners. All in all, thirty captains were kept in there, awaiting the pronouncement of their verdicts; such was the intensity on the naval front.

As Urdin entered, he found them seated forming small circles between themselves. At his approach, said captains who could see him immediately stood, and those who could not, turned and stood with the rest.

"Salutations, comrades. How do you fare today?"

"General, your reputation precedes you," said one. "Long have I heard tales of your prowess in scores of land-based raids, little did I expect you to have any acquaintance with us men of the waves."

Urdin smiled. "I don't speak with nameless individuals, to begin with, Captain."

"Begging pardons, sir. Name's Idris, onetime captain of the Eastern Gale."

"Now's as good time as any to get myself acquainted, wouldn't you say?" Ingi's brother then paused to look around. "The seas are not without mysteries, it is often said, and some of our kind prowl them in part to learn of such wisdom. I wonder, how much of this would you be willing to share with me now, Captain Idris?"

"Your next question, sir, shall determine it."

"Quit bantering, will you," another voice rose. "You're here for me, ain't you, Hospodian?"

Things went quiet for several seconds as the crowd parted, revealing a lady captain standing haughtily with both hands on the hips

"My, that's quite the pose, good lady," the visitor remarked.

"Do forgive her, sir," Idris hastened to speak. "Histira's been quite a white crow among us, truth be told..."

"Why don't you keep quiet yourself, Id? The general only wishes to see me, the first female captain in Balarian history--"

"The first, now, are you?" Urdi snickered. "Quite the claim there, lady."

"Why, you're free to go over our naval records yourself, good sir, if you deem my words alone to be insufficient."

"You can feel at ease on that score. I also have a female subordinate whom I'd like you to meet someday. I'm quite sure you'll get along well, but for your previous boorish display of manners."

Histira stood straight at this.

"Ah. So the Banastrians weren't really the first to try and conscript women, were they?" she remarked in considerable wonder.

"Well, Sir Urdin," Idris put in following a brief awkward silence, "now you've met your quarry, what to do, if I may?"

"What to do?" Lord Hospodia's brother repeated, guffawed, then shrugged. "Wait and ponder. In the near future, you lot shall be called upon to realign your vows, you know the drill. I may be present... or not. Conquests are never easy, but harder still to maintain them, eh? Train hard. Serve well. Peace to you all."

The harbormaster's house was quiet as the broad-shouldered figure turned and began to stride away.

"And to you, good sir," Histira murmured, quietly impressed, as the door closed. "And to you."

***

As Urdin was cheerfully making his way back to the city's main fortress complex, part of whose walls were at that very moment being arduously repaired, he came across two other officers who, when they came to perceive him, hastened to his presence and saluted. The one to his right spoke first.

"General, sir!"

"Ah, Senna. Getting closer to your mentor by the day, I trust?"

"We were told you were at the docks, sir," Senna replied, smiling, "so we hurry here. At this rate, we expect to have the walls fully repaired, and all the necessary defenses set, by another three weeks."

"Very good. Don't forget to give the workers their dues, and resolve amicably any discomfort that might ensue. I will visit the site, provided the leisure."

"Sir!"

Ingi's brother then appeared to relax and take a good look on the piers, ships and crewmen going about their tasks with his balled fists on the hips; not yet dismissing the officers. At length, he regarded them again and spoke to the officer beside Senna.

"Ukara."

"Sir."

"This harbor is said to be able to house three hundred ships in its prime, do you know? Yet back there I saw fewer than forty. I wonder if I'm missing something."

"It must be that the other captains are being kept in separate places, sir, that you have not deigned to visit. Or it could simply be the measure of their resolve to resist us, back then. In any case, Captain Jaras may give you a fuller account on this, er, exploit."

"Did you two come across him on your way?"

"No, sir."

"I'll have to see to that sometime, then. Meantime, it appears that the rumor is conclusively proven: the Balarians do have women in their military's active service, one of these I saw. Name of Histira."

Senna perceptibly smiled.

"Nice to know I am not alone on this path, sir."

"You never are, Sen. On that score, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Please, sir, name it."

"Be there for their oath-taking ceremony, as I may not. Help to keep them safe, the lot of it."

She saluted. "I'll do my best to, Sir Urdin."

"Nice. Have our quarters been seen to?"

"Oh, sir," Ukara put in, "you might not find it very dissimilar to those of our home city, I should think..."

Accompanied by these two crack officers, Ingeras's younger brother resumed on his way, his next stop being the barracks.

***

Having finished his tour regarding the conditions of soldiers' accommodation surrounding Balaras' main city to his satisfaction--which lasted until shortly before the evening prayers--Urdin moved on with his next agenda. Having been personally assured that the oath-taking of the new garrison would not take place before another week, the general had Ukara summoned the day after the tour.

"Ukara Velandis, reporting!" the soldier said, managing a stiff salute by touching his own chest accompanied by a bow.

"Alright, we know the drill. Just take your seat, and be at ease."

"Sir!"

"Now, Velandis, I was wondering: have you any knowledge of maritime trade, your records notwithstanding?"

"Well, sir, in that respect I could point only to rumors... if that's more to your taste."

Urdin's expression hardened. "Out with it."

"It has been so often said that, somewhere at the Sarsan Sea, lies an island whose exact nature is as yet obscure, aside from the hearsay that its inhabitants do possess some... commercial inclinations with respect to their northern neighbors; hence their nickname 'Sea Falcons'. There, sir, you might find the trade partner I believe you are seeking, now that this city no longer qualifies as one--"

Ukara's superior squinted. "It never did, mind you, so long as it remained under Yzarc's rule. Has this island been charted by any name?"

"Not to my knowledge, sir."

"Go find out. Report to me when you have, and bring your aide along to its shores for closer investigation."

Ukara smiled. "Something to look forward to, sir, dare I be so bold."

"Let's hope she doesn't have the malady of the sea. Does she?"

"I'm afraid I'm not privy to that, sir."

"No use detaining you further, then. My regards to her."

The soldier bowed, again touching his own chest, and turned on his heels.

Soon after this departure, Urdin clicked his tongue while drumming his fingers on both his knees. Trade, he had implored to his brother to be one of the most important aspects in helping to resuscitate their most recent conquest; but now, the idea that the Hospodians might well have to make do with trading with a people of whom they had scarcely heard of, gave him pause.

Might it not be wiser, then, to make the fateful trip himself, as opposed to having one of his lieutenants--who, moreover, had had no seaborne records--see to it?

When meeting new peoples with new customs, perceptiveness among other things determines if one shall have an inseparable ally or an implacable adversary. Sending uninitiated envoys, therefore, would at best be a stain in Hospodia's growing reputation as a new rising power bordering the Sarsan Sea.

"Be that as it may," Urdin muttered to himself, "the state of defenses here simply cannot be overlooked. Not to mention, successful accomplishment of this task might well add to Ukara's records to date... as well as Senna's, for that matter."

Having arrived at this point, the general again frowned.

For all his warm views about the lady aide, not everyone shall welcome them. Women in this period of time were sparingly perceived beyond the role of relief-givers within the army. When asked about women's possible presence on the ships, the captains had given only lukewarm support.

'Not that we don't respect their deservance to partake in future faths, General, sir,' one of the more straightforward of them had pointed out. 'However... the seas are full of perils, putting it mildly, and we cannot bear to have them shoulder beyond what is proper.'

'What of Senna?' it had been asked, and here the captain had tensed.

'The major is more like the exception than the rule, dare I be so bold. Even then, she is not employed in the naval rolls.'

At that time Urdin had scoffed, regarding it as a hearty joke, and had thus dropped the matter. Now he realized he ought not have scoffed: not only was he going to put this female aide aboard a ship and thereby endure the sea's thrills, the general's even going so far as to entrust her with partaking in a trade delegation--never mind formalities!

At this, Ingeras's younger brother smirked.

"Well, would this not be quite a sight!" he mused, snickering. "Those so-called 'Sea Falcons', we'll see if they indeed have the guts to deal with a lady officer. See if they shall come out of such an encounter with any reason at all to still throw names at us Hospodians!"

***

That same evening, following the prayers, Senna turned up before her superior's quarters with a request for an audience. Urdin, having learned that she was with her mentor, assented; receiving them sitting on his desk and waiting for the door to be properly closed before commencing.

"Why this hour, Sen?"

The 'lady officer', without hesitation, went down to one knee as Ukara looked on.

"General, sir! With due respect, is it true that you have ordered me as part of the naval expedition to sound out the Sea Falcons?"

"Ukara told you?"

The lady's silence gave the general the answer.

"Do you disapprove?" Urdin continued, prompting Senna to look up in horror.

"Sir, I would not dare to--!"

"What, then, are your reservations?"

The aide hesitated. "It's just that... if approved, I shall indeed be the first woman to undertake such an assignment. Should this be known, I fear envy would ensue, now that we have another female officer to speak of."

"Not baseless, indeed," the general admitted following a brief silence. "That Histira had also struck me as one who would not readily submit to established patterns... not unlike yourself, to some extent."

Senna blushed. "Be that as it may, you can only appoint one of us to the task..."

"Have you tried the personal approach?"

"Try I did, but her aide said that Histira is shunning all appointments before the oath-taking ceremony... excepting personal visits by you, General, if any."

Urdin blinked, his expression betraying almost nothing.

"Gracious. I may be having another admirer at hand."

The lady officer blushed even more deeply at this.

"N-not, er, not impossible... I mean..."

"If such is the case, sir," Ukara put in, "why not rely on the amir's advice?"

"The amir's?" Urdin repeated, standing in mild surprise. "You must be aware that he has occupied himself with many tasks already. I'm not entirely sure, besides, that he shall regard this upcoming expedition with the credit it deserves."

Senna's self-recovery was quite considerable.

"I would rather you delay said expedition than proceed with unclear conscience, General," she joined. "Recall as well that we are soon to partake in fervent expressions of loyalty and obedience. Would you indeed be the first to forsake both for the sake of a people we have yet to even recognize?"

Urdin considered this, and at length resumed his seat.

"Since you are putting it that way, Major, there is little reason to object..."

The discussion was interrupted by three knocks outside.

"General?"

"I'll go get--" Senna began to utter, standing up in the process; but trailed off as she saw her superior going for the door himself.

The general was soon face to face with a liveried servant.

"Yes?"

"Sir, the amir wishes for your immediate attendance."

"Is this official?"

"No, General. Supper."

"I'll be there. Pass that to him, will you? Might bring a few more attendees, at that."

"Of course, sir."

"Well, go on ahead."

The servant bowed and left.

***

"Things are going forward, lady and gentleman," Urdin said as he closed the door. "A direct chance to present your case, don't you think?"

Senna and her mentor, however, exchanged unsure glances.

"Come now, off with that look," the general put in, clicking his tongue. "Be there as my guests, say the words, wait out his reaction. What's so hard about it?"

"But sir," Ukara tried to reason, "we are but common soldiers who dare not overstep our marks."

Urdin looked at his guests one after the other, and huffed while putting a balled fist on his own hip.

"You'd have me do the donkey-work?"

"We understand in case of refusal," Senna added with an earnest look. "You, sir, can afford to have others go in our stead, dare I be so bold..."

"What I regret more, girl, is how you misplace such boldness."

"Sir--"

"Point taken. I made the choices in the first place; I should now be the one making the point. But you better not rely on me too often. Do I make myself clear?"

Both guests thumped their respective chests, and said as one:

"General Urdin, you have our heartfelt thanks!"

***

*Character Section*

General Urdin Husniris

Major Senna Karistra