Hounds of War [Yandere Generals x Female General Reader]

41. Just Comrades?

"So those are the Luccian Generals?" Eslinn commented as he strode with Y/N through the city of tents. "Just as mousy and pathetic as I expected." He scoffed.

"Well, they're definitely not Estainians," Y/N responded as she led the way through the campsite. Once they arrived at her tent she held the flap open for him. "But if we expect them to reach that level of excellence then this army will never march out to victory -  come in."

"You have a point there," He ducked his head under the frame of the tent as he stepped inside. "It really is good to see you again, how long has it been?" He mused.

"You know that I'm garbage at remembering trivial dates and milestones - the only reason I know what day my birthday is because Esclave reminds me every year," She replied as she began searching around her tent for something. "But it has been a while. How's life back in Estain been?" She asked, not looking at her guest as she continued her search.

"About the same as always. The new king and queen are far more reclusive and stay out of military management for the most part, which actually makes my job easier," he answered as he leaned against the small desk and watched Y/N search. "The real question is how you've been? You've been all over since we last saw each other." He asked.

"Well, I was deployed to the frontier lands not long after I last saw you - where is that bloody map?" She interrupted her story with a curse as she dug through a disorderly pile of papers. "The frontier was great! Got to live out in the wilds for a few years, killed some Nöerrc Giants, fun times." She finished as she began searching through another paper pile.

"FOUND IT!!" She exclaimed, causing Eslinn to jump from the sudden volume of her voice as she pulled one of several maps out. "And then I was given the mission to help Luccia win this war, so I packed up and came here." She concluded, double-checking that she had the map she had been looking for.

"Y/N why did you agree to help this pitiful nation?!" Eslinn asked suddenly, unable to repress the question that had been burning in the back of his mind since he first heard that she was being sent to Luccia. "You had more than enough authority to refuse it, you still do!" He banged his large fist on the table, his dark brows furrowing in confusion and frustration.

Y/N glared at him in silence her face both grim and unamused. Ignoring his question she shoved the map she had been looking for into his arms. "Here's a map of the prairie we're camped in and the surrounding mountains. You should look at it so you can understand what I'm talking about as we discuss strategy."

Eslinn wordlessly took the map from her and spread it out on the desk, as much as he wanted to pressure her about her decision to agree to fight for Luccia, he knew not to push his luck. She had made it clear that the conversation was over.

"There's a large open road that leads directly to Vascini with only a small village right at the border that could be used as cover," He thought out loud as he traced the details on the map. "This looks like the ideal for an offensive, is Luccia so incompetent that they can't even manage this?" He said with a chuckle of amusement.

"It's more complex than that," Y/N snapped, still a bit cross with him. She pointed at the mountain range separating Luccia from Vascini and explained, "Do you see this here? It is a mountain range that is only passable on foot by skilled climbers. And the sheerest part of the mountain range is this cliff face where the road leads. The only way to get troops through is the mountain pass, but the Vascinians build a giant wall at the head of the pass as soon as war broke out seven years ago, sealing it entirely."

"I see the problem," Eslinn mumbled as he rested his large hand on his chin. "Even if we were to lead the mass of this entire army against them, they could easily pick us off before we had a chance of breaching the wall." He glowered in thought as he understood the greater complexity of the war.

"Yes," Y/N agreed before she looked over at him with a smirk, her E/C eyes sparking with mischief. "But luckily, we have something that no one else does."

"Estain's Fire - That's why you asked for it!" Eslinn, said, his face lighting up with realization as he understood what Y/N's plan was. He let out a bellowing laugh at the genius of it.

"Exactly," she nodded her head, before bending over the map to look at it again herself. "We'll have to move quickly, I want to have this war won before winter sets in and there's already frost in the air. I expect there's already snow in Estain... I miss the snow." She said quietly after a moment, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Then come home," Eslinn said, his voice more gentle and subdued than when he had been addressing the other Generals. He reached across the table and caught Y/N's hand in his own. "Come home with me to Estain."

Moments passed in silence as the two generals just stared at each other. They looked at each other, both pairs of eyes frigid and brutal but there was something beneath that. It felt like they both had things that they desperately wanted to say, yet neither said a word.

"You know how I feel about the king and queen," Y/N finally broke the silence, pulling her hand away. "And I have a duty that I've sworn to fulfill."

"I know duty always comes first," Eslinn said, some of the marble quality returning to his face. "But after the war is over, promise that you'll come back to Estain and not immediately sign up for another faraway mission just to avoid contact with our king and queen."

"... Fine," Y/N sighed after a moment of consideration as she offered him her hand. "Once we win the war, I'll go back to Estain, I promise."

A/N

Ooooo, what do you think of the relationship between these two warlords, is it just friendship or is it sometimes more?

And why does Y/N trust Eslinn as much as she does? Let me know what you think, and

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~