Getting through Bearbhaile to the bears remaining territory was surprisingly easy. Suspiciously so if anyone had asked Temate, but no one did so he kept quiet. Also surprisingly his marchers were very quiet as well.

  At first he'd thought to dismiss them, they weren't taxing to control but they were clearly discomforting to Honey. That had been what prompted him to keep them instead, having six scary skeleton soldiers would do great in the coming verbal spar with this Nasai. So they snuck alongside their group, and despite feet of bones they made nary a sound.

  This was mostly thanks to Surrender. The mycelial hyphae were perfect for the forward scouting Gremlin. Multiple times she stopped them and either directed them around Darklings in the way, or in one case, prepared a quiet ambush.

  So in thirty clean, deathly quiet minutes of careful walking through uncannily empty caverns, they arrived. A shimmering barrier stood over a tunnel path. A bears open maw filled the center of the space as if preparing to bite, or roaring in defiance. Without hesitation Honey crossed through.

  Temate followed shortly after when Honey gestured for them to follow. Even the darkling marchers managed to pass the barrier.

  "Why weren't they stopped?" Temate whispered quietly to Honey.

  "I would assume because they are not alive. The barrier only prevents specific creatures from passing through. As they are dead, they are not those creatures but different." Honey mused thoughtfully.

  "Sgoinneil figured out her wards then?" Temate asked.

  "Indeed, she figured it out moments before the Darklings attacked, in fact this ward was originally an example ward, repurposed for the defense." Honey answered, voice no longer quiet as they move deeper into bear territory.

  It was surprisingly calm here, despite bears being crammed into the space like sardines in a tin. Several grizzlies stood to block their path at the sight of the marchers, but allowed them by after a quick word from Honey.

  "Honey! Do you have good news?"

  "I cannot speak to that right now but-"

  "Are the daog and goblins healed up yet?"

  "Not quite, though we have-"

  "What's the pn to rid us of these bastard monsters!?"

  "We do have a pn, the final pieces are being put into-"

  Bears of all shapes and sizes crowded them as they began to move forward, slowing their progress. Almost immediately as Honey began to answer the crowd moved away. Each spotting the accompanying squad of skeletons only after demanding or begging for answers. As they broke free from the crowd Honey turned to look at Temate.

  "I'll admit, those marchers are quite handy at dispersing annoying crowds." He smiled at Temate who forced a soft smile in return.

  "How many are in here Honey." Toni spoke quietly from beside Temate.

  "Bears, nearly half the remaining Bearbhaile popution. Total? Too many, too many to count." Honey looked behind them as he gestured them forward. "And not enough." He muttered quietly.

  They found themselves in a small meeting room they recognized. A rge circur table filled the center of the room, a pnt growing out of it and drip fed by a stactite from above. Pnts which once dotted the outer edge had been removed to allow more space.

  Sat in the room were three bears, and nearly a dozen goblins and daog. One goblin in a bright green vest and scks stared daggers at them as they entered. The room was filled with tension thick enough to bnket even Temate as he entered. Silence was the reigning sound, anger the prevailing mood.

  "I take it no agreement was reached while I was away with Sneak Surrender?" Honey spoke kindly into the atmosphere.

  "Of course not Honey. These creatures no nothing of diplomacy, like all their wretched kind they can only demand and shout." Growled a heavy, thick furred brown bear, bigger then any Temate had seen before.

  All bar Timbear would have seemed small and frail in his presence. Even Milis would have struggled to match his mass and stood almost a head shorter. His fur was an inverted patchwork where the occasional thick fuzz would thicken and darken further. It gave him the appearance of wearing a kilt and pauldrons of fur.

  Nasai, clearly.

  "Hey fuzzy nuts it would help if you'd even pretend to give more than a shit stains worth!" The green vested goblin snapped in reply.

  "If you had the civil decency to refer to me by my name, maybe I would bother to pretend you deserve consideration." Nasai growled back, leaning forward. The small goblin didn't back down, leaning into the bear as his tail shed behind him.

  "Oh yeah? What's my name fucknut?" The goblin barked back, jabbing a finger into Nasai's snout.

  He immediately withdrew it as Nasai went to bite the finger off with a crunch that shook the air like thunder.

  "A name stolen is no name at all." His growl this time stood all of Temate's hairs on end.

  "A name recovered from you lot who stole it from us!" The goblin started to step forward, putting his head danger close to those snarling teeth.

  "Malkus stop." A daog next to him grabbed Malkus' arms and pulled him back gently.

  "Wh- Milis don't try and convince me to back down again!" Malkus snapped at the daog who flinched back at the reproach.

  "Milis?" Toni interrupted the vignette of raised hackles and bared teeth with a simple question.

  "A name that is not yours to cim!" Nasai snarled and began to lunge forward until a wooden haft smacked his nose.

  "Stop that Nasai, we need their support." Said the second bear in the room.

  Another friendly face smiled up at them, long hooked cws gripping her walking cane. The weary aged expression of the tiny bear Sgoinneil smiled up at them.

  "It is good to see you back, though I fear you have thrown yourself to your death joining us here. Especially if we cannot come to an agreement here." She gestured with her cane across the table to the dozen goblins and daog who sat across from the bears.

  Honey moved over and sat between Nasai and Sgoinneil, right next to another bear Temate recognized. The scarred bck furred body of Craobh sat proudly next to Honey, her chest puffed outward as Temate examined her. She gred at him as if to dare him to make some sudden movement, to give her a reason.

  The fourth was a smaller, nondescript brown bear that Temate didn't recognize. She y calmly atop the ridged yer that used to house the many pnts Sgoinneil cared for. Her mouth yawned open wide and she nodded at the entering party. Of all the persons in the room, she was the only one who didn't visually react when the marchers entered.

  Malkus, Milis and their entourage all recoiled, stepping backwards and away from the door. Malkus' ears fttened as he hissed and stood protectively in front of his people. Nasai began to rise until Honey pced a paw upon his shoulder and shook his head. Sgoinneil's eyes widened, and then she ughed.

  "Hoheeeee you've grown quite a bit indeed haven't you lot? To think, a march master in our midst. Perhaps we do have a chance!" Sgoinneil chortled happily.

  "March master?" The question came not from any of their group, but from Malkus.

  "Hooooh yes, one who can control the dead, lift their bones to fight onward. A rare gift indeed." Sgoinneils smile as she expined belied some other meaning.

  She knew something, and Temate decided he would ask ter, it was important this initial announcement go as pnned. He looked to Honey.

  "Introducing Master Mate, Lady Toni, Spiras Pipuck and Sneak Surrender whom you all know." Honey nodded and gestured towards their group. "Lady Toni has a pn. A crazy bold pn, but I do believe it could work."

  At this Nasai narrowed his eyes at Toni who straightened her back in response.

  "Oh does she?" He asked.

  "Yes, and may I remind you she is the one who came up with the pn for clearing the spiders." Honey stated and Nasai nodded.

  "Speak human." He commanded, gesturing a paw at Toni.

  "Her name is Toni, and we have our own requests." Temate said stepping forward.

  Nasai growled. "Is this your pn human?"

  "No I-"

  "Then I am not speaking to -"

  "Silence."

  And there was. Though he saw Nasai struggle against the [Iron Order]. Unfortunately, with his [Authority] evolution his commands were strengthened. He could also give commands of a few words now. Shorter commands were more potent then long ones, and in this case even Nasai had to grow silent.

  Temate stood tall, csping his hands behind his back as he did his best to look down on Nasai. His [Towering Presence] spilled out of him as he took in the room. Malkus did not tremble but looked almost awed, a not uncommon thing from goblins Temate presumed. The daog who stole Milis' name cowered enough for both of them.

  Honey grimaced and Sgoinneil simply smiled cautiously. Craobh was the most impressive, standing her ground, but clearly shaking. Then there was Nasai, who gred a violent, reproachful look that swore violence upon Temate. The fourth bear slept soundly in the back.

  With the tone set, Temate matched his stolen posture with a stolen smirk of assured confidence. He walked slowly over to stand before Malkus, looked down at the goblin and then did a slow heel turn to face Nasai.

  "We will require the support of Malkus and his Nameless. We will require that you allow any who desire freedom to support us, and leave with us when we have finished saving your city." He looked with as much intense boredom as he could at Nasai and waited a beat.

  As Nasai opened his mouth to reply Temate cut him off. "We will also require the resources on this list, aid of Sgoinneil and any others who practice and understand mixture and poultice making." Temate gestured to Toni who stepped forward and pced a list before Sgoinneil.

  It was written on lined paper from a journal tucked into one of the bags. It was written with a small, inky needle previously supplied by Honey, all that long while ago. Sgoinneil examined the list before handing it to Craobh who promptly gave it to Nasai.

  "A bunch of pnts we have in abundance and the ingredients for your explosive mixture?" Sgoinneil summarized the contents of the list.

  "I'll also require my armor that you were making, and any and all loot rights to things the Darklings might have of value." Temate continued. "Finally-"

  "This is unacceptable." Nasai barked.

  "It seems perfectly reasonable to me, considering we are saving your lives and homes." Temate expined with practiced boredom.

  "The armor I understand it is yours by right, but the materials? We've learned so many uses for them and will need them to rebuild quickly! To give those up-"

  "Fine, then just the Nameless and my armor." Temate sighed with exaggerated exhaustion. "But that's my final offer, accept it or we leave."

  "But the Nameless-"

  "Die with you, or live without you. It's a good deal." Toni snapped right on queue.

  "Precisely. You need them, but you fear the chaos they will cause once free and living amongst you. So let us take them, we have a tribe they can join who would welcome new family and you would be rid of the dangerous ones." Temate stated.

  "Now hold on just a fucking minute!" Malkus stepped forward. "We want freedom for all those subdued by-"

  "And do they want to be free?" Temate cut him off, turning sharply to look down with cold eyes at the goblin.

  "Well... How would I-"

  "So we'll offer. Any who want free help with saving Bearbhaile. One st service to prove your worthy of being free, that you choose your own path. Then you never have to see this pce again. Any who don't may remain in their comfortable, cared for environment that is..." Temate looked around with an amused grin. "Normally safe."

  "Well that's-" Malkus trailed off thoughtfully.

  "I agree to these terms, Nasai?" Sgoinneil agreed readily, smiling broadly at Temate.

  "Really? You'll give everyone the choice?" Malkus squeaked, clearly surprised by the turn.

  "We will." Sgoinneil probably would have said. If Nasai hadn't beat her to the punch.

  "You will?" Temate barely curtailed the surprised question into one which sounded like he was seeking affirmation.

  "I see no reason why not. Freeing them will be painful but my concern was with their threat afterward remaining here, as well as the drain on resources they would cause during rebuilding. Especially when we would have to fight and debate like this in order to receive an even return of consideration from them." Nasai nodded crossing his paws and looking for all the world like some old warrior trope given life in a bear costume.

  "We accept!" Malkus shouted after a hurried huddle from those gathered within. "But we want you to help us rescue the others!"

  "That-" Nasai began to deny the request.

  "That was always part of the pn Malkus." Toni said over him. "Apologies for cutting you off Nasai, but this is a bit of a long form pn."

  Nasai grumbled but nodded to her to continue.

  "The pn is pretty complicated, and crazy, and risky like Honey said. It uses a tactic from our realm which we call gueril warfare." Toni began to expin.

  "But we are bears, not goril's." Craobh spoke for the first time and Temate ughed as he sat down.

  "Not the animal Craobh, let Toni finish please." He chastised her and rexed as Toni took over the presentation.

  He loved watching her work her magic, the logistical and tactical brain on the girl was incredible. She would be one of those pyers who would abuse the shit out of silly mechanical loopholes at the table. The one who would help their party trivialize deadly encounters with enough info.

  "This is your nd. You know the tunnels and caverns around here. They don't, at least not as well right?" Toni began.

  "Of course, it's how we've stayed ahead of them so far." Craobh snapped. "We knew what tunnels they could use to get here and colpsed them. We possess Timbear and other experienced stone speakers who can feel them coming and cut them off. If Timbear's energy were limitless."

  "It isn't." Nasai stopped Craobh. "He grows more weary every day, eventually their tunneling will break through. Continue Lady Toni, and apologies for my apprentice's intensity. She is still young."

  Temate thought that was funny, considering how intense Nasai had been moments before. Though knowing Nasai's concerns with the Nameless he could understand a bit. Willingly allowing a hostile, and admittedly probably violent if goblin led, insurgency in your home? Well that's going to kill it just as surely as surely as an invading force.

  "We're gonna use that to our advantage. We're gonna harry and harass them. Attack them from pces they don't expect and force them to slowly pull themselves back to a pce they feel comfortable. Do you know where that is?" Toni asked.

  Nasai nodded and took a thick roll of hide out from somewhere in his fur. He unfurled it to show a rough map etched from ink and inid with bone. He tapped it in two spots, the first identified by him as this room.

  "This one here is a marketpce nearby their initial holes, on one of the lower levels. They've been basing themselves there and raiding up into our homes with regurity. Though recently they've started expanding and inhabiting the rest of the caverns. It's still small numbers here and there." Nasai detailed to Toni and she grinned.

  Temate was smitten by that grin, the manic excitement of a pn coming together. An idea coming to fruition. The same one she had right before she just called him daddy. A thing which, if he read her right, was something she pnned to do a lot more of.

  It was the same grin he imagined he got at the thought of a good fight.

  "Perfect. So we'll start from here and here." Toni began to go into detail, forcing Malkus and Nasai to look over the map.

  "No no no, that tunnel is thicker than that, and they converted that to a refuse pit." Malkus mentioned as they discussed a potential assault on a well traveled spot.

  "Hmm, yes this market should still have lots of stores, if we wait." Nasai muttered, trying to think with hit and run tactics, something which bears seemingly struggled to grasp.

  "Not wait at market, wait here, one stone speaker could watch and we hit when they run by!" Malkus pointed to a specific tunnel. "They have to go there to bring back!"

  "Yes! I see that's a good idea goblin."

  "Malkus." Malkus snipped.

  "I will not call you by a name you stole from the bear I loved." Nasai snapped back.

  "I-... Oh." Malkus mumbled and turned back to the map his eyes scrunching up. Instead of fighting Nasai he pointed to another spot. "What about here?"

  "Mostly wood and other base materials, probably not important."

  "But they don't have materials like that in Darknds I bet, so they would think it's special right? I would." Malkus expined.

  "Yes yes!" Nasai excimed.

  For nearly 3 hours the council, led by Toni, Malkus and Nasai, poured over the map. Picking out pces of interest and pnning ambush locations. Travel paths by tunneling support from the various Nameless who possessed Powers or practice in doing such.

  "Good, that's a good start, but it'll take time." Toni dragged them away from their pnning. "And it's only the start of the pn, the ying of the wood for the fire I haven't even told you the best part!" Toni grinned in excitement.

  "What?" Malkus and Nasai replied together, gncing with irritation at each other.

  "We're gonna drown them." Toni stated.