A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1686 - 1686: Like a Bird - Part 3

Simply the allowance to make mistakes – that was the greatest boon. It allowed his dance, and his strategy, to be that much more complicated and exciting.

"What are yer planning then?" Greeves said. "I can see you scheming away, but you've said nothin' for a handful of minutes and we're stood here looking like fools."

"Oh, did I tell you, Greeves? General Blackthorn had praise for the way you've handled our supplies," Oliver said. "I thought you would like to know."

Greeves grimaced, and turned away. Oliver supposed him to be blushing. One amusing fact about the merchant Greeves was that he struggled with an honest and sincere compliment. The directness of it seemed to disarm him entirely. "Well, did he? Now that's good, ain't it? That's alright. Just doing what you told me to."

"They gave you trouble for your unconventional approach, however," Oliver said. "Or at least, it seemed unconventional to them. But it was perfectly natural to us."

"That's right, there was a bit of a stir in the pot for a bit there," Judas said. "Almost came to blows, didn't we Boss?"

"Nah, I doubt it would ever have gone that far," Greeves said. "Was just a bit of fun, a bit of talking."

"That was more than talk," Nila protested. "You were pushing us towards a fight."

"And who was it that had an arrow in her bow ready?" Greeves said hotly. "This wasn't just me."

"You were getting wound up for how they were talking about Oliver," Nila said.

"No, I wasn't. Bloody you were," Greeves said.

"You're such a liar," Nila said, folding her arms. "Can't you just be honest and admit something for once?"

"I ain't admitting to anything, no matter what you say, 'cos it isn't true," Greeves said.

"My point, anyway," Oliver said, interrupting, "is that we can just do what we want to do, and it'll work well enough. As long as the results are what they are, it doesn't seem likely that Blackthorn is going to get in our way."

"Is that really such a profound bloomin' revelation?" Greeves said. "Wasn't that obvious from the start."

"It was not, Greeves," Verdant interrupted. "With a change in commander, we would be forced to act according to that commander's whims. That would have restrained us – and it was that future that we did rather fear. We would have been expressly limited."

"I suppose… Aye, I suppose. Those logistics men would have gotten in our way, if they were allowed to… Though I suppose they're not so bad as I first reckoned," Greeves said.

"Now you begin to see what my Lord is getting at," Verdant said.

"I suppose I do, but it only matters if we actually do something, doesn't it? If we get moving. You have the freedom ya want, but do you have a plan?" Greeves said.

"Not at all," Oliver grinned. "But when have I ever had a plan? As you have said, we shall simply move. Broadly, I wish to scout most of the terrain nearby personally. I want to assure myself of where the enemy will be likely to come, and what we might set in place to make their march more irritating. What of you, Greeves. If I asked you to find a way to get more supplies, what would your first thought be?"

"That I'd need men," Greeves said. "If I promised a bodyguard for any merchant that might be arriving, there would be a few more arriving. Or I could go further afield myself… Oh, aye, that's possible ain't it? Those Blackthorn men, they're handling the supplies now. Ain't no reason that I need to stay here, is there? I can go and deal with them in person."

"If you wish to," Oliver said. "You are quite right, there is no reason that you should need to stay. As long as you are back before the siege begins."

"Will you be back before the siege begins?" Nila said, staring him down, accusation in her voice and in her gaze.

"What, are you accusing me of looking for a way of running away?" Greeves said. "Have I run before?"

"Every time you don't run, I'm surprised," Nila said. "One day, when you do run, I won't be surprised."

"C'mon Nila, you're being too harsh on the Boss," Judas said. "We ain't gonna run."

"We?" Nila said. "So you're making sure that you're going with him, are you?"

"What? I ain't gonna run. Don't look at me like that too," Judas said. "Naturally I'd stay with the Boss, he pays me to look after him, he does."

"Hmmmmmm," Nila said.

"You can do what you wish to, Greeves," Oliver said, waving a hand. "I'll give you coin, and you get all that you can for us."

"All that I can?" Greeves said. "You've no more orders than that?"

"You handled it in the past, I'll trust you to handle it again. You're far more likely to secure results on your own than if I were to get in your way and try to dictate it for you. As far as merchant matters, you're always going to be more superior," Oliver said.

"What of you, girl, are you not going to jump in?" Greeves said. "You were claiming earlier that you were the superior merchant."

"Only because you're a child and it winds you up," Nila said, shrugging, refusing to backtrack any further than that.

"So you're not saying you don't believe it…" Greeves said.

"You're soooo childish," Nila said again.

"If I were to give you the men, the time, and the freedom, how well would you be able to do in hunting for our supplies?" Oliver asked, turning to Nila.

"Well," Nila said, scratching her cheek. "There was something I realized when we were hunting before… But it didn't really seem like a good time to bring it up, because of the danger… And we didn't have the men or resources to really make it happen."

"Hm? And what's that?" Oliver asked.

"A short expedition over the mountains, and into Yarmdon territory, that would give us access to more fields," Nila said.