Book 2, Chapter 52 (1/2)

Dawn Polaris sat before Cloudhawk The tattered shi+eld she'd recently won at auction was on her back and her treasured sas slung over a shoulder She'd changed into her warrior attire and rested easily with her heels planted on a table between theh leather combat boots that revealed a hint of porcelain flesh

She stretched those long legs and took a sip of tea without a hint of aardness, having selectively forgotten the eave Cloudhawk the rundown of Skye's latest mission

“Wipe 'em out?”

The news surprised him, but he had to admit it wasn't unexpected It would have been unusual for Skycloud to co below the city

“Yup, but I heard you had so to do with it so I wanted to cos and folded hem beneath her for a iving them a back door These wicked uaranteed What's , I's more complicated”

Actually Cloudhaas quite pleased Dawn put her cards on the table but she'd been straightforith him As far as he was concerned this showed that she was starting to look at him more as a friend than a servant She wouldn't have had the same consideration for anyone else

Cloudhawk frowned, his brorinkled as he mulled the probleroup of a hundred or so from a merchant family that don't deserve it They were called Blooht up in the crossfire If anyone else got hurt because of me… they have to be spared The others are on their own, but those people – I have to find a way to get the hu Dawn admired about him Cloudhawk clearly had the ability to flee before, but had risked his life in order toit was a trap Cloudhawk did all he could to free Squall Besides, all the noise he made was definitely Lady Polaris' style

“Miss, everyone's been gathered!”

After the servant gave the report Dawn drained her tea cup and bound to her feet She hing her down She jabbed a finger at Cloudhawk and spoke in a tone that left no roo”

But it wasn't a co In essence, this mission was a test

Daould never allow herself to fail, whatever the challenge However, she also owed Cloudhawk and she hated the idea of owing anyone anything Two birds with one stone, she thought As to whether it would s more difficult, she wasn't worried 'Too n concept to her

Two hundred soldiers had been asse and a h spirits

Skycloud's tunnel system predated the city itself At the time the area here was still in flux Dened for the citizens to take refuge in Once the warred had passed the tunnels remained as a way for the people of Skycloud to escape if so enough for everyone to hide in the tunnel systeround like a labyrinth Maps of the systehtly controlled, only a few people had been allowed to see one It was good Dawn had one, otherwise the chances of theh

In times of peace the tunnels were sealed No one was allowed in

Dealing with the convicts wasn't all that hard, in reality Seal of the exits and without any food or water they were sure to perish in six months or less Without hest levels of Skycloud govern in to wipe thenificance

It'd been years since the tunnels had seen occupants It was dark and fetid, a foul scene that made Dawn scowl in distaste But she wasn't so spoiled as to detest getting her hands dirty, nor was she a clean-freak like Frost de Winter She was used to it after a minute

“Everyone, stay on your toes If you find the convicts, make sure you spare anyone who surrenders Kill those who resist!”

“Yes, ear with the addition of crossbows and poison-tipped bolts A sort of spotlight was affixed to their weapons and they used theh the darkness of the tunnels

They hadn't gone roup of convicts scuttled past

Soldiers pounced on the

More people escaped froht because it had two levels The upper level were typical jails where normal offenders were kept, while the level beloere proper dungeons that housed eons emptied naturally the prisoners upstairs were freed as well, so with so many people in the tunnels they had spread out to all corners

Of course the men Dawn picked for her team were elite soldiers of Skycloud's army

They followed even the faintest traces to another twenty or thirty convicts Most were captured alive, a few desperate and reckless le but ultimately were killed Some were put down by Dawn Polaris herself

She was no doubt a product of her illustrious fa weeds She was ruthless, efficient, and her strikes were all decisive None of her as sloppy As Cloudhaatched her slay thesewas half-hearted

“Ugh, so boring! This doesn't even feel like a fight!”