"Hmm? Oh, right," I say, "my skills. Close combat, with a blend of psionics and divine magic. I'm pretty sneaky, too. More so since the whole 'ghost' thing. Also, the walking through walls. I couldn't do that before."

I regard the ghost woman thoughtfully. "How sneaky? Can you be completely invisible, as we have seen, and also undetectable by other common means? If so, I'd ask if you could accompany Pepper back to the outpost." I add, "I hope you intend to see this mission through with us, Madam Mari. Your abilities are great, though it would appear they came at some cost."

I frown at Astra, but let her vent. The ghost seems oblivious, or perhaps amused, by the girl's open distrust. And certainly there was no love wasted on Mari in the fort, though no great effort seems to have been made to be rid of her.

Idiot, I scream internally at Leatherleaf when she frowns at me, nails digging into my palms though I keep my face neutral.  Get yourself killed or driven mad if you want, but leave me out of it!

"Also maybe losing the last of whatever grip on reality she still got and trying to kill everyone around her," I put in.  Helpfully.  "That's a ghost skill too."

"Snapping and killing everyone around you is a pretty common skill, kiddo," I say mildly. "You military types are often rather good at it. Turns out little balls of murderous rage restrained only by some vague system of rules can be quite dangerous."

I shoot a quick but pointed glance at Pepper.

Death doesn't seem to have dulled her tongue in any sense. Just as well, if it replaces an urge to smite anyone who pisses her off.

I regard the ghost woman thoughtfully. "How sneaky? Can you be completely invisible, as we have seen, and also undetectable by other common means? If so, I'd ask if you could accompany Pepper back to the outpost." I add, "I hope you intend to see this mission through with us, Madam Mari. Your abilities are great, though it would appear they came at some cost."

"Invisible? Nah," I reply. "Though 'inside a wall' is a pretty close approximation. And yes, I'll stick with you. Not like lurking around old Dull-inch was doing me any favours. Besides, it's...sort of my job, I guess."

I regard the ghost woman thoughtfully. "How sneaky? Can you be completely invisible, as we have seen, and also undetectable by other common means? If so, I'd ask if you could accompany Pepper back to the outpost." I add, "I hope you intend to see this mission through with us, Madam Mari. Your abilities are great, though it would appear they came at some cost."

"Invisible? Nah," I reply. "Though 'inside a wall' is a pretty close approximation. And yes, I'll stick with you. Not like lurking around old Dull-inch was doing me any favours. Besides, it's...sort of my job, I guess."

I nod, satisfied. "Good. I'd still be grateful if you could accompany Pepper. There are a number of, um, wall-like objects around the outpost probably suitable for cover."

"Sure," I say. "Whenever you're ready, Pepper."

"Is this to be recce only or do you require intelligence extraction?  With prejudice?"

My eyebrows shoot up momentarily. "In all likelihood the fellow is just a clueless soldier with no security clearance. Given the posting, perhaps he has... personality flaws." I scratch my chin, considering. "Try not to inflict any lasting damage. Or be seen by anyone else. Otherwise, you two will be the women on the spot: do what you think is wise once you believe you have the lay of the land." Momentarily I have a vision of those poker playing skeletons and a few thousand of their buddies pouring up out of the tunnels. Dismissing it quickly, I give the order. "Go now, and be swift and safe."

"Acknowledged."

"Creon will remain on perimeter duty.  In the event I should not return, he'll know what to do."

I swing up on my clawfoot and look to Mari, "We will travel west and loop around the outpost from its southwest.  They won't be looking for us from that direction.  It will take longer, so we must make speed."

I dig my boot heels into the flank of my raptor and hold on with grim determination.  It screeches in response and bolts under my guidance.  Soon the others are left behind to their own devices.

I hop up onto Fluffy's back and set off after Pepper. "Back soon," I call to the others.

[Tablet posting is hard]

As Pepper and Mari circle around, giving the lookout post a wide berth, Pepper with her perceptiveness thinks she still spots the flash of the lookout tower spyglass glinting in their direction.  She's not sure whether they've been seen, though.  With her knowledge of nature, she can also see that while this ground is genuinely marginal land, there are the occasional twisted stumps and fallen, slowly decomposing small trees trunks that suggest it hosted more foliage in the past, but was cleared down with burns, controlled or otherwise, some years in the past.

They ride undisturbed, and when they begin to change direction to encircle the other lookout from the west, they spot a figure in the distance atop a horse, riding the dirt trail that links the lookout points, ambling slowly toward the outpost where they left the colonel earlier today.

Climbing to the edge of the depression and laying flat, I watch the pair ride away until they are out of sight. Then I scoot back down and look for Astra. "Youngling, I need to know if your dislike of Mari has a basis in reality. Why are you so  afraid of her? If there is some danger of which I am unaware, spit it out."

"Like I said, ma'am," I say flatly after a moment.  "That's just what ghosts do.  Don't matter how nice they seem - though yeah, she could be lying too - how much they seem like they get what's going on around 'em.  Can sneak up on 'em, even.  In time, they either pass on or they lose it, think everyone around 'em is their enemy.  Stronger they are, worse it is when that happens.  Rule is, you don't mess with old ghosts and you don't mess with thinking ghosts.  I'd never even -" I cut myself off, pausing a moment before continuing.  "Was up to me, ma'am, you'd throw that thing the general gave you far away and we'd ride fast the other direction."

"I like her," I say, patting my feathered beast gently. "She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her.

"As for me, Leatherleaf, I am Corporal Valenae, largely chosen, I suspect, because I'm not dead yet. I was in the 2nd of the 3rd until they got wiped out, then the ones that were left were added to 5th of the 3rd, the Fighting Fish, until we were decimated down on the Plains. Most of my squad survived and we were quietly sent to join the 1st of the 2nd, since there was no more 3rd. About that time the undead, bless their silent hearts, turned the tide. I survived to the end of the War, with most of my comrades intact. Probably another reason why I was chosen. I keep my guys alive by killing the enemy in the middle of the night. We'd sneak in and kill as many officers as we could, set a few fires and get back to our lines. Come morning they are in disarray and we roll over them.

"Not entirely sure how that will translate here but happy to help anyway."

I think for a moment, absentmindedly tapping the hilt of my sword.

"You realise that we're the fifth best the General had, right? And I know that I'm pretty good at what I do. And you three look capable. As do our two companions. So just how good was the first squad that was sent out? And where are they now?"

I look at the other three pointedly.

"Melee combat training," I say, hefting up an unusual-looking warhammer--each face of its two heads having a small circular indentation in its center decorated with a sunken relief.

"Also divine combat medic. And a fair accountant," I say with a grin, tapping the steel abacus strapped to my pack. "Should we need one."

By Kol Korran, I hope we need one!

"Are you handling our pay, then, sir?" I ask, very politely.

"Like I said, ma'am," I say flatly after a moment.  "That's just what ghosts do.  Don't matter how nice they seem - though yeah, she could be lying too - how much they seem like they get what's going on around 'em.  Can sneak up on 'em, even.  In time, they either pass on or they lose it, think everyone around 'em is their enemy.  Stronger they are, worse it is when that happens.  Rule is, you don't mess with old ghosts and you don't mess with thinking ghosts.  I'd never even -" I cut myself off, pausing a moment before continuing.  "Was up to me, ma'am, you'd throw that thing the general gave you far away and we'd ride fast the other direction."

I regard her gravely, then nod. "Understood. Nevertheless, the evidence before me is that she was tolerated, perhaps even indulged if not liked, at the fort. If she is attached to the key, as seems likely, then if she shows signs of this deterioration you fear, I have the means to be rid of her. In the meantime she is a powerful ally and we are setting out on a mission which has already swallowed up several other undoubtedly more than competent squads, with not a word of their fate returning. It's conceivable that her skills may give us the edge they did not possess.

"So I ask that you try to keep your fears controlled until such time as you see them manifest. You can come to me any time you sense something wrong, or even to express your ongoing distress. I'll neither censor you nor offer censure.

"Now how about you creep up the bank there and keep a good eye out for our companions, or for anything unusual at the outpost. I'm sure Creon is a competent guardian, but I cannot translate 'woof woof' into 'ten thousand skeletons are approaching'.

"Ma'am," I say neutrally, then crawl up the bank as ordered.

Ouch.

"Are you handling our pay, then, sir?" I ask, very politely.

"I have not been contacted by our paymaster yet. I assume they are taking a... cost-effective approach, given the nature of our mission, and will distribute our wages to us at the end. Of course, should our company capture resources from the enemy, be assured I am sworn to the gods to give a fair account and divide the portions between us equally."

I watch the girl obey my order and inwardly shake my head. Her concerns may be legitimate, but older, more seasoned members of our team have accepted the ghost as an asset. Valenae in particular seems more than appreciative of Mari's presence. Sighing, I walk over to Chickadee and feed her a handful of dried mice.

"Are you handling our pay, then, sir?" I ask, very politely.

"I have not been contacted by our paymaster yet. I assume they are taking a... cost-effective approach, given the nature of our mission, and will distribute our wages to us at the end. Of course, should our company capture resources from the enemy, be assured I am sworn to the gods to give a fair account and divide the portions between us equally."

How absofuckinglutely brilliant. A fair account. Divided equally. Nice hammer though.

They ride undisturbed, and when they begin to change direction to encircle the other lookout from the west, they spot a figure in the distance atop a horse, riding the dirt trail that links the lookout points, ambling slowly toward the outpost where they left the colonel earlier today.

"Guess that's him," I say to Pepper, turning Fluffy towards the distant figure. "Shall we?"