It was past midday when Akorsa determined that the wisest course of action would be to seek out the Captain-General. Though she was still a bit angry at the man for the inconvenience he had caused her upon her arrival, she was on the path to forgiving him; for such were the ways of her people. She also thought that he might be a man who could have some advice for her concerning her problem with the messengers. Being a Proctor, Akorsa discovered that she was more than privy to the information concerning any one of the citizens within the walls. Therefore, finding the Captain-General was not too terribly difficult a task.
She eventually was directed toward his house by one of the many guards she had questioned. The Captain-General�s house was located on the Uljayan half of the city. The house was pleasant and clearly well kept; a detail Akorsa noted as she was escorted inside by her entourage of three guards. She was taken up to his study, where, outside the door, she ordered her entourage to wait.
She knocked on the door, which was open a bit, and then walked in. The Captain-General was sitting at a desk with a large pile of papers in front of him. Upon noticing his guest, the disheveled man stood and offered a quick salute.
�My lady? I was not expecting such an important visitor,� he said, almost as if faking the excuse in hopes of justifying his cluttered study and his less than tidy appearance, though his tone was clearly mocking.
�Your flattery is in your words only, Captain-General; I know you have no use for any of the Proctors, let alone for the likes of me. As a simple shepherdess, I come humbly in hopes of speaking with a great leader. Might we both speak plainly?� she asked, motioning for him to sit.
�I do suppose I could manage that for a short time,� he said, stern expression still on his face. �My lady, you ought to have summoned me to the Hall.�
�My name is Akorsa, and as you know, I am no lady. Do not refer to me with such titles as I do not deserve,� she said.
�Very well, but please, I have not given a formal introduced myself. I am Verican of Uljaya,� he said, extending his hand grimly, which Akorsa shook with a strength that surprised the Captain-General. �How might I be of service to you?�
�I desperately need to send a message to Arimythia. Though, I fear that none of the messengers that serve the Proctors will leave these walls, and I have been forbidden to deliver it myself,� explained Akorsa.
�And you sought my help?� he said with a hint of smugness to his tone. �Very well, I shall send one of my men and act as your messenger, whenever you may need him to do so. Will this suffice?� he asked.
�Oh, very well, indeed it shall do! I thank you; you have done me a great service!�
�Tell me, though, why will not the messengers leave these walls? What is it that the Proctors fear shall happen to them?� he asked, feeling he knew the answer, as he knew the girl before him did.
�You know, Captain-General, equally as well as I, that the Proctors fear they will fall to the hands of the Maseriff. They recognize this threat in their hearts, and they do fear it, but still yet do they refuse to acknowledge it amongst themselves in council!� she exclaimed exasperatedly.
�Aye, I do know it,� Verican affirmed. �I would prefer it if you were not to inform the Proctorage of how I am assisting you. I would catch a great bit of trouble that I do not feel so inclined to deal with at the moment. As I am sure you can relate; I have a terribly difficult time maintaining my temper when I am nitpicked about such things.�
�None shall hear of this. I do ask that if any correspondence is received from my people that you will send for me?� she asked him.
�You shall be informed immediately. I do have one concern, however. I know that the Arimythians have received the brunt of the Proctor�s prejudices. Shall the messenger I send be safe within your village when he delivers your message?� asked the Captain-General, the concern for every one of his men showing clear and bright as the midday sun.
�Whomever you send shall be cared for, housed, fed, and clothed, or provided with whatever else he may be found needing. You need not fear in the least for your soldier�s safety,� Akorsa assured him, placing a folded and sealed parchment letter on his desk.
�Very well, then. If that is all, then I would very much like to return to all this,� he said, motioning to the papers on his desk, �work which demands my attention.�
�I am sorry to have hindered your work, my lord. I thank you for your help,� Akorsa said, as she departed from the Captain-General�s house.
- - - -
Akorsa returned to her quarters feeling considerably better than she had in the past several days. She was more cheery, one might say, though she felt a bit giddy on the inside. She was excited something awful, and could not help but be. Within a short period of time her family, as well as all of her people, would know that she was safe and, for all intensive purposes, doing well. This was a comforting thought, for she had been missing them terribly all the while.
While she sat in the Hall with the other Proctors she thought of Keihl and wee little Wyllim. She thought of all one hundred and fifty-seven of her sheep under the care of her dearest friend Fionn. She dreamt of her mother working about the house and her father working in the fields. She remembered images of Doyle and Lenna on their wedding day; every one of which was so blissfully happy. For a short time they served as a reprieve from everything else she had to deal with from day to day.
Unfortunately, when she arrived back at her quarters, Akorsa received quite a shock. When she opened her doors, which she found to be unlocked, she discovered the two unknown figures that were moving things about in her room.
�Identify yourselves,� demanded Akorsa, grasping her axe in her hand. Both figures jumped and turned around, revealing themselves to be two women in servant�s garb.
�My lady, we are your servants. We were appointed to you to tend to whatever your needs you may have,� said the one nervously. �We did not mean any harm, we swear it!�
�I am Meada of Uljaya, and she is Daysha of Ilyana. We honestly did not mean to intrude, my lady, we were simply cleaning about your quarters,� continued the other. Akorsa lowered the gigantic axe and studied the two carefully. They were not very much older than she was, she noticed, but they seemed honest enough, and therefore trustworthy.
�I do not need servants,� said Akorsa, who was so used to the idea of doing everything herself that the thought of her necessitating such a thing appalled her.
�You might dismiss us, if you were not to find us suitable, my lady,� said the blonde one woman, Meada. �We would beg you not to, if we might; for then we would be without jobs.�
�Are you paid for the work that you do here?� asked Akorsa, not wishing to dismiss either of them if such action would deny them the actual pay to which they needed and were entitled.
�Aye, we are,� said Daysha with a nod. �It is not much, but it is enough for us to send back to our homes. Our families make as much of what we earn as they can to survive.�
�Then stay if you wish to stay. I need you not to clean after me, I have a tendency to do that myself. After all, we Arimythians are wont to clean up after themselves. Though, tell me, have you served Proctors before?� she asked.
�Not for any extensive period of time, my lady, but aye, we have served them,� said Daysha.
�Then perhaps you can teach me what it is I am supposed to be doing?� she asked. She needed a guide somewhere along the line, and she knew that the Proctors were not about to explain how to do her job. They were still hoping that she would become frustrated and leave for Arimythia. Akorsa was not about to let them have their own way, and so she needed to learn, quickly. Both Meada and Daysha nodded enthusiastically at the prospect.
�We would be more than glad to assist you, my lady!� exclaimed Meada, bouncing slightly with exuberance at the prospect.
�Very well then,� she laughed. �We can start by you calling me Akorsa.�
