Jolon sighed. "I'm glad you're still able to think for yourself, Lokua Sale."
"I'll ask Nawat for more information," you said placatingly.
"I can't make your decision for you," Jolon said, "but at least now I know that you're going in with all the facts."
After your training was complete and Jolon moved on to other duties, you'd spoken with Nawat about the details of your mission. The scarred wolf had been your master in the art of assassination since you arrived at Sonoma's camp, and the impertinence of your question seemed to strike him as amusing. He chuckled—it sounds like serrated blades scraping together.
"Your sparring partner thinks very highly of his skills. Maybe back in Haven he had few peers—I find that easy enough to believe—but in this greater pack there are many who are his equal." He stares at you through squinted eyes. It feels like he's looking into your soul. "His superior."
You swallowed audibly.
"I let Jolon hear what I wanted him to hear. I was curious to see if he would bring the information to you. More than that, I wanted to see what you did with it if he let the mission target slip. How you would react." One corner of his lips turned up in a snide smile. "So you came to me for illumination. That's a mark in your favor. Now tell me—what is your opinion on the nature of this mission?"
"What if I could convince her to sabotage the tech? Manipulation could be more useful to our cause than wasteful killing."
"I have no problems killing the human who allowed the government to cage us like dogs," I growled.
"Killing her is simply part of the mission; her life will end before she even knows I'm there."
"It doesn't feel right to assassinate civilians; maybe I could motivate her with fear? Disrupting the military's tech would be invaluable."
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