When we finally had rested enough to be functional again, a scout that Jenna had sent out earlier to check on the resistance returned. "My Queen, the remnants of the resistance have fallen. The camp is deserted. I took the initiative to investigate the nearest settlement of Lizardmen; their numbers have been thoroughly culled, but they still were victorious against the resistance. I estimate only ten remaining guards, as there were only five on duty when I scouted them. Due to the hunt, I can imagine another five out hunting." The scout bowed low and awaited my response.

  I raised my hand towards her. "Rise, well done. Get yourself some food and proper rest. I'm sure that the good General knows of the Settlement in question and can guide the assault mission. I, however, intend to assault another location at the same time. The construction can support more refugees, and removing two at once will hasten our overall victory." Jenna stiffened, not liking my going without her, but held her tongue.

  We set out for our different targets along the same line, until the last camp before we had to diverge. Lyssrah had taken the initiative to learn the spear and held her weapon with resolve. There were few hunters on our route, and those we found had no chance to fight before they were felled. Upon reaching our target, we found only twelve active guards. This was pathetically low for the size of this settlement. "Thisss isss where the firssst headman ssstarted hisss madnessss. It isss the largesssst sssettlement of them all. To have it ssso unprotected... we couldn't have asssked for a better opportunity. I advizzze exssstreme caussssion." Lyssrah was right, naturally; it was too tempting.

  I ordered my soldiers to fan out and search the surroundings for hidden foes. Sure enough, we eliminated twenty hidden Lizardmen without raising the alarm. The remaining guards also fell without so much as a hiss of anger. The Slaves were still moving about their business and pretended to notice nothing as we moved stealthily through the town. The sleeping guards that had stood the night watch, didn't have the chance to wake before their throats were slit. Soon we stood outside the Headman's House. It was almost a proper house. Some stone was used in its construction, it almost looked like a human construction. Looking around, I could envision a farmer's croft here. This was a human farm ages in the past, and the Lizardmen used it as a stronghold due to its stone walls. The Sanctum here was an old barn with a walled pathway connecting it to the back door of the farmhouse.

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  I silently cut the latch on the door, and we snuck inside. Lyssrah's spear made a quick thrust into the back of one Lizardman's neck, and even as a second bellowed in rage, trying to slash back at her, my own sword cleaved him in two.

  The Headman ran towards the back door, but I had anticipated that and placed a few soldiers inside that pathway, by cutting a small gap in one wall. The clash of weapons was brief, and when we reached the door, two of my soldiers had bloody swords, and the Headman lay lifeless. "Well done, let's get everyone out and en route back home." They bowed and got to work.

  What nobody else had been told was that I wasn't leaving after one settlement. With everyone else sent off to protect them from the fire, we set the town ablaze, then my husband, Lyssrah, and I went scampering off to another settlement. This was the newest of the ten, and with how many Lizardmen had been culled during our March back home last time, we knew we could manage ourselves. The second target was barely an hour's run from the first. We dealt with it even easier than expected. It seemed that most of the hidden fighters we had slain were taken from this settlement. The sixteen Lizardmen Guards stood not a chance as I boldly sliced my way through the village, and the Headman there was too stunned to even try to protect himself.

  Lyssrah was able to motivate the Lizardwomen to collect their eggs, and I had freed all the humans, so we collected all the resources we could find or carry, and departed, arriving at camp not long after the other two parties had arrived. Jenna's startled expression morphed quickly into one of annoyance laced with concern. "You could have mentioned you wanted to attack a third settlement. The soldiers should have accompanied you at least."

  I shook my head. "It was the newest and smallest of the ten settlements they had, plus we killed most of their guards at the first target, which was the oldest and largest they had. There was no risk with only sixteen total guards and the Headman. Besides, what's done is done, no sense worrying about what if's now."

  She harrumphed, but I could see a twinkle in her eye, knowing that only three targets remained in all the Queendom. The trip to the Castle was swift and uneventful. The Lizardwomen were overjoyed to have rooms to themselves, bathed by the sun's light for the majority of the day. The humans in this lot were blessedly all loyalists, and a few more crafters arrived, including thankfully a weaver. We managed to haul her loom with us, so we could now make our own cloth, instead of relying on the Castle's stores of cloth.

  That night, during my dreams, I saw what it was my brother had been jealous of. I was the heir to the family, a tradition carried over from the Queendom, but my brother was resentful because every other house allowed the male line to inherit. Such treachery could not be born. DumVal would pay if I ever caught him. I could almost see my Mother's face, but neither it nor her name would make itself clear to me. He would pay for what he had stolen from me.