"Fine, fine" Heather began. "We'll talk. It's the sky leopard statue from the story of the mountain eagle and the sky goddess. We know that. But it could be a trap. After all it's in thirteen locations. If their story is even half true, then they're well-travelled."
"I know the 'safe' place they're talking about. It's No Man's Land, North East from here. We're talking a month with wings, and they have no carriage. That's two to three months at least. That's a long time." Nomonda said.
"So? What are you saying? What's the distance got to do with anything?" Heather asked.
"I don't believe they've been there. If their story is true, they wouldn't leave. It's a land of wizards. It's incredibly safe and powered by earnest real non-belief-based magic."
"Could you lead them if you were asked?"
Nomonda shrugged. "If you find the right check points, it's a treacherous road, only-"
"They're protected by prophesy? Is that what you were going to say?" Heather asked.
Heather could feel the sullen looks from supposedly war hardened women. The most talented of the talented in the Warchief's army reduced to children by words of prophesy, but not any, this was about them.
Lindi, spoke up.
"We cannot choose the left road for them; you can't steer their destiny. If they take that road their kingdom-"
Slap!
Lindi's legs dropped from under her. She fell back onto her wings and clung to the side of her face.
"I have never and will never take orders from one beneath me. I'll take requests, but I'd have to be at the height of insanity to accept that one. We will offer them the option of getting directions to the land in their dreams. The vision had symbols, correct? We all know how the law works, if the symbols are correct then the visions are true. And they'll live happily in No Man's Land. That's the better alternative, if the vision involves us. I don't know about you but there were no actual Black Air Raiders in their vision. The look of Black Air Raiders may mean they do not survive. Not that it is us in that vision."
Lindi stood up, her face pale, but calm, apologetic. She raised her hand. "Ma'am?"
"Yes, Evening?" Heather said.
"So, the plan is to get the symbols, continue the mission, then go back to the Needle Point Mountain Range and present the prophesy to the Warchief? Or maybe abort the mission and travel directly to the Warchief?"
Heather hesitated, running her fingers through her hair.
"We aren't going to end our mission in the name of a prophesy that doesn't come from Black Air Raider. If we did and it was wrong, we'd only lose out on a fortune"
"Okay ma'am" Lindi said slowly. "It's decided then?"
"That we finish the mission then present to the Warchief?" Nomonda added.