Shattered Crown: Meeting of minds

## Page 1

Alice Beckett-Oswald - Knight - Fairhaven-Braile Border

Alice was, to her surprise, hesitant to explore the tunnels - or even to follow Barton to find food. She dreaded the possibility of running into the man in the fox mask - or that woman, Aveline. The dynamic was very different down here, where everyone knew she was a knight; she wasn't used to feeling so...outnumbered. More than anything else, it made her feel rather ashamed. Still, she had to busy herself somehow, and there were plenty of things to be done. For the time being, though, she decided it would probably be best to find somewhere out of everyone's way to just sit and rest for a while. She felt like she had been running all day - running and being hit in the ribs with a metal pipe.

Erick, on the other hand, seemed about as comfortable as one could hope to be in an underground tunnel full of strangers. Hearing the promise of food mentioned, he started to follow Barton, pausing briefly to shoot Alice a questioning look.

"Later," she answered quietly.

He shrugged. "Whatever you want. You just look pretty miserable is all."

Alice's eyebrows shot up, and she realized she had been scowling - probably for the past hour, at least. Then again, she wasn't the only one. She couldn't believe how much they had all gone through in just the past day. Really, it was a wonder one of them hadn't snapped. For everyone else's sake as well as her own, she had to stay positive. Alice moved closer to the nearest tunnel wall to make sure she wasn't in anyone's way, and thought on this for a few moments. Maybe she would try and visit Silas later - make sure he was being treated well.

Danor Arkaitz - Gunsmith - The Forest

Danor stayed quiet as they walked, her mind wandering now that she was more or less relaxed. The mention of a meeting was interesting, at least; she wondered if there was a possibility that they might catch the end of it. Regardless, it was about time for some actual planning. Whatever the truth behind this flood turned out to be, she was sure it would have both sides of the rebellion rushing to make a move. Maybe it was time for her to do the same.

Eventually, hoping to lighten the mood a little, Danor spoke up. "I'm beginning to wonder if the shade host might be bad luck. Perhaps we should tie him to a tree or something."

Asbel startled Danor with a laugh. "It's a bit late for that, love."

Anton Lutece - Rebel Leader of Acta Veritas - Fairhaven-Braile Border

​Anton stepped into the infirmary. Their casualties were made from fighting the king's army. It was inevitable, he supposed, but he would have liked for the United People's Army or Wood's Men or whoever-started-the-fight to have given them a warning. The rebels had been toeing the line these past few months, and the incident on the train finally gave the king a reason to attack them outright, plunging the kingdom into a state of isolation and chaos.

He passed by wounded. The representative of the United People's Army was still unconscious, while Silas lay at the very end of the row. Anton sat cross-legged next to him. Although the sickly man's eyes were shut, it was clear he was very much awake.

"Isn't this quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into?" Anton said. He was lucky that his faction could supply more advanced technology to the infirmary, or he would have to be taken to a hospital to the city, which wasn't a short trip. Still, if there was something about Silas to be admired, it was his resilience. "You look better."

He snorted, but his eyes held shut.

"I've been looking into you, Silas," Anton pressed. "I know you've had a difficult childhood."

"A difficult childhood," he scoffed. "As if that's an excuse for anything."

Anton looked at him thoughtfully. "Perhaps. You're not a boy any longer. You were well aware of the risks." He inclined his head. "I was surprised to find you, of all people, with the United People's Army. I didn't believe you possessed the inclination."

"I didn't," he said. "I lied to them."

"I see." Anton was quiet as he put together the pieces. "Why?"

"Self-preservation."

"Nature's basest instinct," Anton remarked. "But dragging them along to protect you, it seems awfully complicated. Surely, there was a better way to go about it. Are you certain you didn't have an ulterior motive?"

The space between them filled with sounds of the machine and his breaths inside the mask. "Well," Anton said, shattering the silence. "If you aren't on our side, then what can I do to convince you?"

Silas leveled him a look. "Why should I dedicate the remainder of my life to helping your cause, which has, if I haven't mentioned, ruined everything I've worked for? Do you mean to threaten me? Blackmail?"

Anton chuckled, as if the notion was ridiculous. "I take no pleasure in coercion, but how would you feel about an incentive, eh? I believe that the Scientific Society has limited the funding on that little project of yours. Lack of satisfactory results, or something like that. I understand how frustrating it may be, to have the pursuit of knowledge thwarted, to have your parents' research—"

"I didn't do it because of them," he interrupted, a surprising amount of venom in his voice.

"Whatever the case, you see what I'm getting at, don't you? If we're successful in this, we might even lend you a lab." Anton smiled. "What do you say?"

As quick as a whip, Silas shot up from the blanket, his hand tight around Anton's lapels. "I want to know one thing," he said with a harsh, shuddering breath. Despite the sudden flurry of motion and his aggressive manner, he remained very weak. "The man with the fox mask, are there more of them?"

Anton allowed him to hold him there. "If you mean more in the Syndicate, yes."

"And they'll be joining us?" he went on.

Anton nodded.

His grip on him tightened, seemingly debating something in his eyes. Finally, he let go and fell back against the blanket, his next words sounding as though they were wrung out of him. "I'll help you."

Klaus Grisha - Former Guard to Czarina Genya Andreyevich - Fairhaven/Braille Border

His wound was slowly, agonisingly, coming to it's literal close, and the Body Thief was in pain every step of the way. Anya had stayed at his side during the whole process, obediently covering her eyes and ears when he told her for fear of scaring her with his howls of pain.

The wound that had once been a thick gash in his side was now more than half-way closed. The silver shards are gone, but the damaged tissue still struggles to piece itself together.

After a moment or so of rest, the youngest Sato sibling, Taiyo, draws near to Klaus. "Um...how, how are you feeling?"

"The usual answer. Just like shit." Klaus struggles to rise slightly in the makeshift stretcher.

"Don't sit up then!" Taiyo scolded him, rushing over to examine his condition.

Anya spoke up then. "It's getting there. I think all he needs is rest and cleaning up with the stuff that stings to keep it from eating itself."

Taiyo raised a brow delicately. "Are you sure?"

Anya shrugged. "That's what all the people who know medical do with him."

"Well, I'm still learning...so..." She craned her neck to peer more at the wound. "How does your physiology work anyhow, Klaus?"

Klaus paused, not having seriously thought on this in a long time. "Well, with normal, un-silvered weapons, I can usually bounce right back. With a gash that I had, had the weapon been un-silvered, even with how bad it was, I could have healed from it within a day and a half. Obviously, the weapon was silver, which is fatal if it strikes something serious or decapitates me." He sighed softly, glancing at the wound. "In this case, I think it just severely damaged the tissues and skin and whatever."

Taiyo listened intently. "I remember learning about Kyuketsuki like you in school, but there was never anything super in-depth that could be useful to me."

 Celaena- Assassin

She goes up to Barton when he isn't busy and sneaks up behind him and blows into his ear, "Hey." She smiles a bit. Which she hope it didn't look too weird since she doesn't smile much. "Did you get your head checked out? What can I do to help out? Killing isn't my only talent." She winks at him as she said that. She continues on, "However it might be my favorite." She puts her hands on her hips and smiles a little more.

Jack- Blacksmith

He works the groups and helps where he can, and helps fix broken weapons and creates some of his own for the rebels.

Matthew Barton - Highwayman - Fairhaven/Braille border.

Matthew made a less than dignified yelp when something blew on his ear. He spun around his hand dropping towards the now empty holster his shotgun would have sat had it not been confiscated by the rebels. Once he saw who it was he stopped and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. A little jittery. A little claustrophobic too. Not entirely comfortable with being a prisoner in all but name either."

He shook his head. "Rambling. Sorry. I haven't had my head checked yet. Figure I would get some decent food in me before I went to the medical ward. No telling when they'd let me out. Or what excuses of food they would feed me."

"Can't think of anything I need. Probably get them to look at my head. No offense, it'll make them think I trust them more than I do." He leaned in and whispered the last sentence so only she could hear it.

"But if you want to get something to eat I'd be happy to share a table." He said with a tired smile.

Dimitry Popov - Mercenary - The Forest.

Dimitry glared at the darker normal shape in the trees. "Took you long enough jackass." He growled. Several rebels galnced at him and picked up the pace so they wouldn't be as close to him. He probably would have done the same if someone started getting irritated at the trees.

Tabaraamon materialized with out the normal flare, he looked terrible, half of his head wasn't there, one arm seemed to flicker between existing ant not, at his torso was full of holes. "Don't look so good." Dimitry commented.

"Blast tore out a good section of my life force. Been draining the local wildlife. A bunch of wounded as well. They wouldn't have made it anyway. Speed up the inevetable. Still... Not enough. Got to get something bigger. Like a couple dozen healthy adults. I'll talk to you when I can." Then he just sputtered out.

Dimitry gulped. He had been depending on having Tabaraamon around in case everything went to hell. Can't get stabbed in the back when an ever vigilant murder ghost is watching out for that.

Celaena- Assassin

She laughs softly and skips next to his side, linking her arm with his. "Fine I will join you for food. Then I will make sure you go to the medic." She lowers her voice, "I understand about not trusting them. Though I hardly trust anyone which is why I'm not completely naked." She walks beside Barton to the galley. "What's editable in this place anyways?"

Boraci - The Forest, approaching border

Boraci shuffled backwards so that he was closer to the increasingly concerning Asbel. Lightly patting him on the back, he turned to Danor. "Are you kidding me? He's a good luck charm if anything." He said it with a slight smile. The boy leading them started to slow as they approached what appeared to be a tunnel opening.

"It's just through here a ways," the rebel said, looking a little spooked, from what Boraci assumed was Tabaraamon's brief visit. He wondered what the spirit was up to. Didn't sound well-fed, which would match the general consensus of the group. The few rebels lingering around the entrance stood defiant, if a bit curious. They staggered into the tunnels, going through a dizzying amount of twists and turns. More rebels were passed, each looking a bit different from the last in terms of official affiliation.

A clearing of sorts came to be, and a large collection of weapons were scattered about, on tables and the floor. "Surrender your weapons here, and wait over there," they were instructed, and the boy skittered away, presumably to get the attention of someone of import.

Anton Lutece - Rebel Leader of Acta Veritas - Fairhaven-Braile Border

Once Anton saw to his people, he quietly stepped out. Although they were already showing signs of improvement, some of them still had ways to go. Hopefully, they were able to compensate for those numbers once the alliance was finalized.

He skittered to a stop when he nearly bumped into someone in the tunnels. A month ago, the place was established as neutral ground for the rebels. Anyone from any faction could seek assistance they couldn’t otherwise seek without being questioned. Before that, the tunnels were a relic of a past, its original purpose lost to time. Now, as its importance grew, it was becoming much more crowded.

“Pardon,” he said, while trying to move past them. When he saw who it was though, he immediately brightened. “Boraci,” he exclaimed. “Just the man I wanted to see. Or swamp bat. Whichever you prefer. Now I assume these are your friends? How about I give you a tour?”

The lines on his face were more pronounced, and there were shadows under his eyes, but he thought he could put off his nap for a little while longer. After all, they had guests.

Erick Bailee - King's Bodyguard - Fairhaven-Braile Border

Erick moved by promptly and without a word when he noticed Celaena and Barton walking together, and the unusually cheerful tone of her voice. Oddly enough, he wasn't all that tempted to poke fun at them; he guessed he was either too tired or too tired. Then again, he might just be tired. Once he had his food, he resumed his wandering around the tunnels, eventually finding a place to sit. He spotted Jack in brief passing as he helped the rebels where he could, seemingly with some kind of repair job, but left him to his work.

He guessed he could adjust to this. These people seemed alright, for the most part. Sooner or later, though - probably sooner, by the look of things - they would journey to Hydris. The thought of facing the King was terrifying. He had come all this way and still wasn't entirely sure he really wanted to go through with it. Hell, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to protect the king or assassinate him himself.

Well, while he had all this free time, he guessed his only choices were to either lend the rebels a hand or to try and mentally sort out his screwed-up relationship with the most hated man in Falcon's Reach. This in mind, Erick finished the last of his food and immediately set out to find himself a job.

Asbel Sutherlin - Rebel Mercenary - Fairhaven-Braile Border

Asbel felt a light pat on his back and looked up to see that Boraci had fallen back a little to walk alongside him, his eyes on Danor as he corrected her. He smirked up at Boraci, back to his usual flippant self for a second. "Well, I'm certainly lucky that someone's here to stick up for the village idiot."

Danor grinned, encouraged by the small smile on Boraci's face. He guessed she had simply grown tired of the dreary silence.

Asbel never saw or heard Tabaraamon - but he did hear Dimitry's voice and then see his attention shift toward an apparently empty space. At first, he assumed the man was simply grumbling to himself, but a few words caught here and there clued Asbel in. The shadow's sudden appearance seemed to unnerve the nearest rebels a little, which in turn made Asbel rather nervous as well. The last thing he wanted to do was put these people on edge at a time like this.

Still, they were promptly led inside once they finally reached the underground entrance of the rebel hideout, where they surrendered their weapons and were then met by a stranger who seemed familiar with Boraci. In stark contract to the wary attitudes of just about everyone else around them, this man was actually quite friendly. Hearing the offer of a tour, Asbel breathed a soft laugh and looked to Boraci expectantly.

 Dimitry Popov - Just got to be difficult - Fairhaven / Braille border.

Dimitry glanced at the tunnel entrance and a wolfish grin spread across his face. On the list of places he liked fighting, tunnels was a close second to "airing out brain pans from a mile away." They reminded him of the close confines of a sand ship, without the racket.

Once the rebel told them they would have to drop off their weapons he stalked over to whoever was in charge of confiscation and calmly, yet firmly said. "No. To put it simply. But before you start making a fuss, let me explain why."

"This rifle is worth three months salary. For me, a mercenary, so probably a year's worth for you. Would you hand some stranger you never met before a big sack of cash because they asked you nicely? Same with the pistol." He continued in a conversational tone.

Matthew Barton - Highwayman - Fairhaven / Braille border.

Matthew laughed. "Well if that is the definition of trust I don't think I've trusted anyone in a while." He followed the directions the rebel had given him and found a relatively large chamber with a random collection of tables and chairs that looked like they had been swiped from a dozen different bars, houses, or made from whatever was lying around.

He wrinkled his nose. "Define edible." The whole tunnel system had smelled less than pleasent to begin with, lack of ventilation could do that. But the mess hall smelled rancid.

"Might as well get this over with." He sighed and walked over to the long line of tables that acted as the serving area, picked up a large plate, bowl, and utensils towards the food. The choices were, brownish stew, greyish green stew, unidentifiable meat, and bread.

The brownish stew didn't smell that bad so he got that and bread. Then he walked towards an empty table to meet his fate.

## Page 2

Celeana Moonlight- Assassin

She laughs and wrinkles her nose at the smell, she got the stew and bread as well and sat across from him. "Its better than prison camp at least..." She pokes at the stew before eating it. "However at least this has a decent flavor." She watches him with her bright icy blue eyes. "Sorry for scaring you back in the forest by the way."

 Tula Nikos - Boyfriend getting riled up oh shit - Fairhaven/Braille Border

The man in charge of confiscation, of Kyushu-descent with round, violet goggles, remained persistent. "Sir, I'm sorry, but you will have to keep all your weaponry here."

Tula interjected then as she approached the tunnel entrance, her smile of having caught up to Dimitry fading at the obstacle preventing their movement forward. "All? Because anything could be used as a weapon. Want me to cut my fingernails down and hand them over?" She had grown agitated, having finally caught up with Kirari and another Voce child flanking either side. Enrico, Eis, and the other two Voce representatives straggled a bit behind.

"Now isn't the time for comedy, miss." The rebel retorted. "Look, now isn't the time for squabbling. If you all will just cooperate, we can get through this faster and you can have all melee and ranged arms personnel after entry or...whenever the higher-ups allow it."

Tula frowned, and glanced around, her vision catching a familiar tall person among the large group. "Ryouki!"

The man turned at the sound of his name, and then Tula went over and raised his metal arm for the rebel to see.

"Will he need to drop this off at entry as well? It's got..." The Grecian woman glossed it over in her hands. Tula was shorter, and had to rise on her toes to get a better look. "Well, it's got Rojyan steel plating, looks like available openings for compartments that could hold daggers and such, it weighs a ton, and a simple pat on my head could knock me out..." She sighed, lowering the arm. Ryouki backed a good several steps away from her, keeping to himself.

Tula turned back to the man. "Does he need to take his only good right arm out of the socket and drop it off here and simply...wait...to get it back?"

"You're being ridiculous, miss." The persistent rebel man lowered his goggles over his eyes.

 Dimitry Popov - Mercenary - Fairhaven / Braille border.

Dimitry did his best to conceal a smirk when Tula arrived and started in on the man. "How about this? I keep them unloaded." He fiddled with his rifle and pulled the bolt out, it was an easy thing to do, designed to make it easier to clean the rifle, but it made a gesture. "And I keep the rifle in a disabled state? It is a bit too long for me to use in a tunnel anyway, doubt I could make a full turn with it on my shoulder.

He dug through the pockets of his coat and bandolier and removed five small wrapped objects about the size of a deck of cards. "I'll leave the high explosives here too." He set the demolition charges on the table, then pulled a pair of hand grenades off his belt and set them down as well, followed by a smoke grenade and a fire bomb.

"Same with knives. I just don't want to leave my most valuable possessions just sitting around." He said as he unclipped his fighting knife sheath and set it next to the rest of his things, did the same with his bayonet and the trio of throwing knives on the inside of his jacket.

"Don't have a sheath for this one, well, I do, but I'm not leaving my footware here." He yanked the stileto style knife out of the sheath sewed into his boot and jammed it into the table where it vibrated slightly.

He drew his pistol with a flick of his wrist snapped the cylinder out and removed the five bullets then slid them into a bandolier pouch. "See. Empty."

He did the same with his rifle.

"Now. The only reason I would need my weapons is if you lot tried to attack me or those I work for. And it would take too much time for me to reassemble my rifle or reload my pistol if you people know anything about tunnel fighting. Is that good enough or do you want me to start counting off individual bullets to make sure you don't try and swipe any of them?"

The man glanced at the small pile of knives and explosives, then at Dimitry, and back to the pile.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"Nope." Dimitry grunted.

"You certain?"

"Yes."

Matthew "Black Bart" Barton - Highwayman - Fairhaven / Braille border.

"I would assume you'd be hard pressed to find food worse than that." He said before he tore a hunk of bread and dipped it into his bowl of stew and ate it. "Not bad. It's free, so I can't complain."

He ate in silence for a moment before responding. "It's alright. Lot of confusion back there. I probably would have reacted the same way. Hell, probably would have been jumpy enough to shoot on sight."

He had heard of the prison camps. Never actually seen them, or knew where they were. But he had heard rumors.

Celeana Moonlight- Assassin

She chuckles and moves her red hair over her shoulder so it would be out of the way as she ate. "I guess, certainly helped me survive with no food for weeks." She chuckles darkly as she stares into her soup and just moved it around, "You know I got arrested for killing a landlord only because I was caught trying to free his slaves. They escape except for me. They were more mad about me freeing slaves than killing their precious landlord." Celeana lets out a sigh, "I was suppose to stay in prison for life at the age of 18... but Jack busted me out about a year or so. He was a local blacksmith who made weapons for the guards to use on us. Somehow that bastard got the key and I was able to escape that night after exacting my revenge for...." She stops and goes quiet for a while before laughing softly, "I'm sure you don't want to hear any of that. Sorry."

Jae-Hyun Frost - Fairhaven/Braille Border

Jae-Hyun rolled his eyes at the commotion going on up ahead, cursing the man in charge of confiscation for taking so long and being a general pain in the ass. He was tired and hungry, both of which made him a bit more irritated than usual. He rolled his neck, letting it pop, and then sighing in relief.

He had gotten a bit frightened back there when Dimitry called up whatever the hell that thing was. Jae-Hyun remembered reaching for his blades in fear, ready to strike the man down...or at least attempt to. Thankfully, Chase had gripped his shoulder I'm warning, getting him to let go of his blades before he did something he was sure he would have regretted.

Jae-Hyun's jaw tightened at the memory, the shadow of the fear he had felt causing his jacket to feel right against his chest. He took some deep breaths and cleared his mind, glancing again at the hold up caused at the entrance to Braille.

Well at least that memory kind of shortened the wait time. Jae-Hyun smiled wryly to himself, making light of his own worries.

Chase Frost - Fairhaven/Braille Border

Chase cast a concerned look at his brother, who had suddendly broke into a rather weary smile. He decided it was best to not ask, and went back to kicking at the ground beneath, waiting for his turn in line. He wasn't too happy about leaving his staff behind, not that anyone but him could actually find it useful - it just felt like he was leaving part of himself and his home behind. He reached to his hip and rubbed his thumb over it in a circular motion, letting it comfort him.

The staff had been a gift from his partner, Nowaki the Shade, whom he had left back in the Wastes. Chase felt the connection between the staff and the Wastes, it tethered him to the land and his partner, made him feel like he wasn't leaving them behind on this journey. But he supposed that was going to change, as the staff would leave his possession when it was confiscated.

Boraci - Fairhaven/Braille Border

Mr. Lutece looked worse for the wear. Nothing much could be said for the rest of them, though. He guessed they all could use a rest, and something warm in the belly.

"Yeah, this is 'em. Take it away." The commotion with the rebel in charge of weaponry drew his attention for a second. Dimitry and Tula were making quick work of the situation. A small smile tugged on his lips as he lowered his rifle and dug out the various pin-thin knives he kept in his jacket pockets and boots. He noticed Chase was hesitating, his hand on a staff. Boraci could feel the draw of the Wastes emanating off of it. It felt of longing and hidden danger. He caught himself - that feeling wasn't exclusively for the Wastes these days.

 Asbel Sutherlin - Rebel Mercenary - Fairhaven-Braile Border

Asbel set his weapons down without question or hesitation, thinking much less of it than he probably should have. He just wanted a place to rest; his weapons were no use to him when he could barely walk in a straight line. He felt a twinge of annoyance when Dimitry began negotiating with the person in charge of confiscating their weapons, but the humor of the situation didn't take long to sink in. He shook his head, smirking as he watched the scene unfold. Thankfully, it ended in a compromise rather than an actual confrontation.

Just when he'd begun to feel relieved, thinking the day was nearly over, a familiar presence startled Asbel, and he glanced toward Chase. That staff he'd been carrying... Just looking at it made his head ache. Asbel shot the thing a dirty look before facing forward again, listening and waiting.

 Chase Frost - Fairhaven/Braille Border

Chase finally let out a sigh, watching Jae-Hyun finally wipe the odd smile off his face and set his weapons down before him. As the person reached out to touch his katanas he let out a deep growl, snapping at the man and telling him to not "even think about soiling them with his hands". The man looked annoyed, opening his mouth to retort, but Jae-Hyun sent him a withering glare, eyes almost glowing with irritation. That made the man promptly shut up and take the swords with a rag nearby, passing them on to someone else and relying them Jae-Hyun's message. Well, more like threat. Chase chuckled at the thought.

Chase suddenly felt a two gazes piercing the hand he had set to rest upon his staff come and go. Though brief, he was still startled by them, curious as to who had taken an interest in the object as his side.

A quick glance over his shoulder had him see Boraci and Asbel, both averting their eyes. Boraci seemed a bit drawn to the staff's aura, while Asbel seemed absolutely repulsed by it. Chase grimaced, feeling a bit guilty a bit the reactions that the staff had elicited from the two. A rebel that had stopped before him to collect his weapons cleared his throat to catch Chase's attention. Chase let out a sheepish smile and set his staff down, along with three daggers made from a translucent metal. The rebel made a face at the objects and held the container of the objects away from his being. Smart move. Chase observed as the man walked away.

A loud grumble made Chase whip around in panic, making him regret giving his weapons up on the spot. As soon as he made the turn, his eyes landed on his brother. Jae-Hyun was clutching his stomach in mortification, and when his eyes met with Chase's he immediately turned a deep shade of red.

"Sorry," Jae-Hyun squeaked out, "I'm just a bid tired...and uh, hungry?"

Chase had a good laugh at that, almost choking on his own amusement.

Matthew Barton - Outlaw - Fairhaven / Braille border.

Matthew shrugged. "Hey, at least you started with a noble deed. I became a highwayman simply because I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and I couldn't handle the boredom. So I held up a stage coach with my Pa's old hunting shotgun and here I am now."

He finished his stew and sighed. "Always wonder what would have happened if I never left the farm. Probably would own it now, might have kids, who knows. Certainly would've avoided getting dragged into this rebellion. Jessica Stuart - Long time no see - Grail embassy, Fairhaven.

The mobs were gone, which was nice. But now Jessica had to deal with the political fallout of the super combine. A military science team was already en-route to "attempt to identify the culprit." At least that's what she told the Falcons Reach official who came demanding information. Of course, there was no way to figure out who did it, all the evidence had been atomized. They were really there to see how well the bomb preformed in the real world.

She knew who did it, Dimitry, obviously. She had informant in the massive Grail criminal underworld. And they all told her that it was a former member of a Scout Vanguard team. Now no one explicitly said Popov, since no one was dumb enough to rat out a man who was the personal hitter for Darton, the defacto leader of the Grail criminal underworld in Falcon's Reach. But it could easily infered. But there was the issue of due process, evidence, and all the other protections Grail citizens were granted.

And despite him being a lying, murdering, mercenary piece of shit she couldn't order him dead. He hadn't done anything that directly threatened Grail-El, which meant she couldn't sign a kill order. At least not yet.

Celaena-Assassin

She laughs softly, "I can't see myself anywhere. I've started killing when I was only 13, though if Erick wasn't here and alive... I would be far away and left you with a dead leader by now." I push away my half eaten stew away and stand up, "Let's get you to the clinic."