[center][h2][color=#b3ccff]Esben Matthiassen[/color][/h2][/center]
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He was not physically capable of a deeper frown, and yet he found it lacking to express his displeasure. [color=#b3ccff]"So they have eyes we don't know about,"[/color] he grumbled under his breath. [color=#b3ccff]"Or our communications aren't as secure as we were hoping. Or they've been comfortable in their positions long enough to start pushing further out, or [i]worse.[/i] Wonderful."[/color] The soldiers that had been sent along with the greater part of the Kirins followed their captain's commands, starting to take positions hunkering down in the snow, no attention at all paid to Esben's complaints.

An airship coming through the sky was not exactly the epitome of stealth. Even in Skael's turbulent weather, one could be seen far enough out to take preparations to face. Radio communications weren't foolproof either, if the invaders could figure out which frequencies were being used, and with at least [i]one[/i] traitor SEED working with them, it would be hard to have a code they couldn't break. All the same, given how she liked to pop in at the worst times, Esben had to wonder whether that traitor wasn't part of the reason the Valheimer patrol knew when and where to be to meet the raiding group, just as soon as they were all out and starting to move and their airships were in the middle of [i]leaving.[/i]

Paranoia. Tiresome paranoia that wouldn't give him anything worthwhile to work on, just the remembrance that, tied up with other objectives and other [i]people[/i] as he was, there was no way that he could manage to get ahead of his trickster former mentor. If he could devote himself [i]only[/i] to trying to hunt her down and cut her off, then maybe, there might be a chance...But not when he had Solitude to try and free, a wider invasion to repel, an Etro-damned quest to try and get to some fancy crystals before the invaders could, and six others to try and keep in one piece as well!

[color=#b3ccff]"Sometimes it feels like Iðar can only help me with the small things anymore,"[/color] he muttered. [color=#b3ccff]"And the rest of you just counteract it...Chisato! Come with me. Elly, Rudi, stick by each other, watch each other's backs, and don't let anybody get behind you that you [i]haven't[/i] spent the last couple months travelling with. I don't want a repeat of that village up north. We'll keep an eye on things and step in if it's needed. Understood?"[/color]