"Master Tiernan," Ashlynn said as her eyes and voice softened. "I never intended to ask you to help us wage war. Not this war at least. Whether you participate in the war that will follow this one or not is a different matter, but one I won't ask you to decide for now."
"Then what is it you want from us?" Isabell asked, keeping her focus on the question at hand. "You went to so much trouble to draw us out here to the frontier. You went to even more trouble to bring us into the Vale of Mists. It can't just be because of our friendship."
"Yes and no," Ashlynn said as she stood to pour fresh tea for each of the guild masters. "Mater Isabell, no, Isabell," Ashlynn said, trying to draw the other woman back into a conversation between friends. "You told me once that you wanted to leave the wars of the old countries across the sea, so you could build something instead of tearing things down."
