Noland's confidence surprised Ernest. Here he was, calmly planning to take down one of the guilds. As if this were some project he could get done before tea-time. "I'm not sure it'll be quite as easy as you think," she said. "They'll probably notice me posting strange signs around their guild."

She shrugged. "Finding the hideout won't be the problem. I know where to find people. It'll be getting out of there that'll be difficult. I hope your soldiers know what they're doing. The guild will have protections up. They have back doors and probably hidden places they can attack from. These people know how to evade the law."

"Don't worry about me not getting out of the way. I'm used to hiding. A side effect of being small. I'm not noticeable."

Noland frowned at her "won't be as easy" statement. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Well he could believe she was connected, and that she could do her part that wasn't what concerned him. What made him frown was her doubt in his ability to get the job done. 

He spoke a little more seriously, "I'll worry about how easy it will or won't be, but you can't be this low energy going in. You gotta believe that this is something we can accomplish, or it just won't work. You've gotta believe in yourself and you gotta believe in me and my fighting men. Follow me."

He respected that Ernest needed proof of his abilities. It only made sense. He stood and began strolling towards what he believed would be solid proof that he could do what he said he was going to. As he walked smoke rose from an old building, and Noland began to smile. 

Ernest met his eyes. "I'm not low energy," she said. "I'm trying to be realistic. I trust that you can accomplish this, but I doubt it will be as easy as you say. The guilds can be pretty powerful." She raised an eyebrow slightly, but followed him anyway.

She noticed the building starting to burn, and turned somewhat to look at it. "Would you look at that," she said. "Part of the old city's going up. That hasn't happened in ages, from what I've heard." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "You're behind this, aren't you?" If he'd managed to take out one of the hideouts in the old city… Well, he must be better at this than she'd assumed. "I may have misjudged you. That's pretty impressive."

"I sure am behind this. It's truly magnificent. A signal fire to the rotten underbelly of this kingdom!" No land said proudly. He puffed out his chest knowing he had done a great job. He thought to himself "why hasn't someone done this before?" he thought right up until he reached the on fire building, and received his answer. What he saw shocked him. He saw his men's bodies mixed with dead thugs being drug out of the building. There were so many. This isn't what he expected, but he couldn't give that away. He had just convinced Ernest he could do this. He quickly gathered himself never changing his facial expression. He approached one of his knights who was shouldering his wounded companion.

"What's the report Sir Wingston?" Asked Noland with a surprising lack of concern. Even to him. Sir Wingston reported that they were still fighting, but it should be over soon. As he said this an explosion could be heard within the building. The battered knight hanging on to Wingston's shoulder mentioned that the captives will be emerging shortly. Sadly there weren't many to speak of. 

"Well, how are our men?" Asked Noland. Wingston replied that they had sustained moderate losses, but nothing too heavy. He then reassured Noland that his men were still one hundred percent behind him, and that his cause was just. This succeeded and Noland's unease was once again put to rest. He looked to Ernest "all according to plan." He said with a smile.

This wasn't a victory, Ernest thought. This was a massacre. 

"What happened?" She didn't know why she was so concerned. She didn't even know these men. But, somehow, she was overwhelmed by everyone and everything that had suddenly happened. She heard the explosion echo in the building in front of her, and she tried to force her face into a mask of indifference. She failed. She managed not to tear up, though. That was something, at least.

Noland's calm demeanour bothered her, but it wasn't until he smiled - actually smiled - at her that she lost her control. "According to plan? According to plan? This is just how plans go?" She stared. "Look at how many people died here! Do you have that little sympathy for people?"

Calm down, a voice in her head said, and Ernest paused just long enough to realize who she'd just insulted. Not that that made her much less angry. She'd gotten mad at more important people before. Calm, she told herself, and she caught her breath, forcing her face into something that was supposed to be indifference. It was about as effective as the last time she'd tried it.

"Your people are dying, Noland," she said, more softly. "I thought you were trying to prevent that."

Noland's smiling face broke. He chose not to let his uneasiness about this situation, and his judgement of it, show. He had to appear in control. He couldn't get the funding he needed if he didn't act in control. There was no way the young thief in front of him could know that. He didn't blame her for her disgust at what was unfolding before her, there were far more deaths on his end that he initially planned for, but the law must be upheld and the land protected no matter the cost. His men knew that.

"Our plan is to uphold what is just and what is lawful. It is terrible that these men died in their service to Adeluna, but their deaths will not be in vain. I promise that. The men who died today will live on in the hearts of every Adelunian who craves freedom from a corrupt organization."

"Justice is a funny word," Ernest said. "You may say this was just. I would not. It's not that I don't believe in your cause. It's just… did these men deserve to die? Any of them?" She didn't understand how people could shrug off deaths like this. It made no sense.

She stared back at what remained of the building, and the last few stragglers clambering out of there. It all seemed so pointless. Ernest understood what they were trying to do, but it wasn't worth this much. "Is this worth it to you, Noland?" she asked. "Is your goal really this important?" She wasn't angry now. She was sad, and confused. 

The men who died today will live on in the hearts of every Adelunan who craves freedom, he had said. She shook her head. Not all of them. Never all of them. Someone was the loser, and they would never be remembered. She knew enough about history to know that. 

"Justice is a very objective word." Noland corrected, "the law decides what is just." He then ordered his men to tend to the wounded. Once they were alone. His facade faded slightly, but he didn't notice. Suddenly grim, he said "if we all got we deserved we'd all be right there with them. The law isn't concerned with morals, and I can't afford to be. If I am to be a beacon of order in this city. People will hate me, and call me cruel…" he looked to the dead and wounded, "and they may be right to do so, but things are never that simple." He continued. He had an altogether different demeanor now. He was no longer the proud noble from before, but a sad yet determined man. 

Ernest raised an eyebrow. It was something to be said for this man that he stuck to his ideals. Still, she didn't find things nearly as black and white as he did. "If the law is to decide justice," she said, "then whose law is the standard? Every place operates by its own laws, and many of them are very different from here." She wasn't trying to challenge him so much as simply wondering. 

She sighed. "It is true, things are never simple. People will call anyone cruel without knowing their motives, or why something must happen. It's the way of people in general, I think." She shook her head. "I don't think you deserve to die with them. I don't think anyone does. There's good in everyone, Noland. Even people who oppose you. It's hard to understand. I still can't sometimes." 

Remembering something, she added, "I've learned that dwelling on what could have happened isn't always the best. Remember this, and make it better next time. Otherwise, you'll be bogged down, and the world will sweep right past you." That was the only way she'd managed to live this long. She put everything behind her, and tried her best to forget.

A genuine smile spread across Noland's face. "You're right. We can only learn from our mistakes now." He said with renewed confidence. "You really are the best. Fantastic." As he smiled another explosion echoed from within the building, and the rest of Noland's men walked out.

"we've cleared the area my lord" said the knight, "our captives are being brought out now." There weren't many thieves captured. The few bound men that were removed from the building was a grim hint towards what was waiting inside. Noland's men then brought out a man who was screaming curses at the knights. 

"This was the boss of this hideout." Reports the knight currently holding the screaming man, "do you want to interrogate him now or later."

"Later, let him simmer down first." Noland said dismissively, then he looked at his men and said, "we will take the dead to the abbey. Those who can be brought back will, and last rites given to our truly fallen brothers. You all did a fine job today! I will send for a healer straight away. You've done a fine service for your city and your country. The good people of this neighborhood will sleep easy and live well because of the Justice dispensed here today. We have learned more about how our enemy thinks and defends. We will learn from this and continue to push forward!"