Teresa

Chapter Two: "Counterattacks"

Current Location: Greenhill

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8:01 am. Meeting with the Eyes-and-Ears regarding the Highland mishaps, as well as concerning how Greenhill will be affected, should peace treaty be nullified and war break out. Must have more information to act upon.

 

Important!:

1. Hold meetings that steer clear of any fast food centers, groceries, ice cream places, and anywhere else where edibles are in plain view. Office budget overtaxed because of it.

2. Negotiate with Tenna's Eats for bill settlement AND shop repairs regarding last month's meeting.

 

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    The Eyes-and-Ears, more than any other agency within Greenhill, comprised most of Teresa's spy network. The acting mayor prided herself on thinking of its name in the first place, unofficial as it was. The city was known for one of the best possible education of anywhere within the Jouston City-States; in an era where many hired professional spies to filch out state secrets, plots, and counterplots, who would have guessed that most of Teresa's own informants would come from Greenhill Academy's very own students and teachers?

 

    Teresa had a flair for the dramatic sometimes.

 

    Not all the students were privy to the little group, however; each spy had been carefully screened, had their credentials --and birthplaces-- carefully checked out, from their history to aptitude scores to loyalty, perhaps a week or so of scrutiny, before finally being invited to join the secret society they never even knew existed until that very moment. As this was a unique (and elite, she had no false pretenses about that) faction of some proportions, Teresa was insistent on making sure that there would be no turncoats among the fold. It was in truth quite a small group, but they were all adequate for the job on hand.

 

    More than adequate, sometimes.

 

    Meetings were sporadic and rarely formal; Teresa found it an interesting and consequently more refreshing relationship than she did over political matters with the other City-States. And for this, she was willing to overlook little things like teenage overenthusiasm and fondness for excessive midday snacks, one of the more unfortunate side effects of her idea.

 

    At the moment, the Eyes-and-Ears were clustered around one of the more secure rooms of the local inn; the innkeeper and his wife, both active supporters, were gracious enough to offer them a place to discuss, as Teresa had put it, "monthly changes in the Greenhill Academy curriculum", a ploy she usually uses in reference to their secret rendezvous......right after she promised to make good whatever damages that may be inflicted upon the room during their stay. Word got around regarding the last time a meeting took place, and it was nearly a month before Tenna was civil to her again. Semestral curriculum must be a hotly-contested debate.

 

    At the moment, there were a dozen or so present; Emilia, the head librarian, and the rest, students. The roster was far from complete; Nina was busy in detention for some outburst during class; Jeane was busy supervising Nina in detention; and she had no idea where Shin had disappeared off to, curse it. There were still more, but she had chosen only these select few for a reason.

 

    At the moment, the tension was thick; thick enough for Teresa to believe that she could reach out a hand and take hold of something solid from the air. Unlike the previous, more festive meetings of the past, everyone was quiet; almost sober, save for the quiet musings and mutters from some of the students, singly or huddled together in small groups. The only thing unchanged was Emilia; as usual, the dreamy-eyed librarian had her nose in a book; unsurprisingly, it was a romance novel, at least from what Teresa could make out admist its all-too flowery design.

 

    The mood was bleak, and for good reason. The runner she had sent to gather information along the borders was back, with even grimmer news.

 

    Highland had finally mounted an attack; and Toto was lost.

 

    Teresa had been to Toto once; it was a quiet and peaceful place, with simple folk and simple pleasures. It was destroyed completely overnight; burned down into discernible ashes of what were once houses and people whose hopes and dreams much like her own dashed in a symphony of fire and screams. People that never stood a chance against soldiers trained to kill. 

 

    Toto was probably only a stepping stone. From what she knew of Highland, they wouldn't stop until the City States would come to be under their possession; and after that, who knew what would follow? Will Greenhill follow the same path Toto had gone?

 

    She wouldn't allow it. Not while she had breath in her body. And that was the crux of the matter.

 

    She cleared her throat, the noise loud enough to catch the attention of the rest of the party. Faces turned to gaze expectantly at her, and Teresa felt a lump catch at her throat. So many looked up to her as their leader through wartime and peacetime, and even with so many happening all at once, still they continue to expect much of her, to lead them on to victory during these times as well.

 

    She wasn't a warrior; she was a politician, although she had to admit that there was very little difference between the two when it all came down to it.

 

    She was their acting mayor. Therefore, she must deliver.

 

    Especially now. "I trust you've all been briefed on the recent developments." A dozen heads nodded in affirmation. "So I'll simply summarize. An ambush was made on the Highland Unicorn youth Brigade at Kenzai Pass, leaving few survivors. The attack has been blamed on one, or all of the City-States, and Highland was quick to respond, burning and sacking Toto. I'm afraid that doesn't leave us much choice, people. Whether the accusation be true or false, we're being plunged into war whether we want to or not, and our location do not help things at all."

 

    "The border is kept under heavy guard by some of our people." One of the students, a freckle-faced girl named Andrea spoke up. "At the very least, we'll know when the next attack comes, if there is one coming."

 

    "It's standard tactics, milady.", Emilia said, finally lifting her eyes off her novel, enabling Teresa to discern the work's author; a Milich Oppenheimer. Teresa shuddered inwardly. Surely that couldn't be his real name? "On a political level, we can't mount any obvious attacks unless Highland mounts any sort of expedition against us personally. We're going to have to resort to our usual subterfuge."

 

    "Highland spies can infiltrate Greenhill as easily as we can infiltrate theirs." Teresa pointed out. "I'm afraid we're going to have to step up our political status one level higher." Few were going to like what she was about to say next. "If this becomes any worse, I may have to invoke the Greenhill Close Door Agreement, at least for an indefinite period of time."

 

    Teresa never knew how silence could be so deafening, as each person within the vicinity of the room pondered the consequences of her words. The Close Door Agreement had been declared only once before, and then under extreme circumstances; a period where Greenill closes its gates to the other City-States, living in isolation and banning all from entering or leaving the city. It distinctly had its advantages and disadvantages; the army were the most experienced when it came to sieges, and can successfully hold the city for several years if need be, yet it would also mean self-imposed exile -- away from the alliances of the other City-States.

 

    "It's only a precaution." Teresa broke the silence. "A last resort. I don't like it any more than you do, but if it's the only way to save Greenhill, then I'll take a spear and those ugly smocks my general calls a uniform, and man the gates myself." 

 

    Some of the students giggled, mood dispelled, trying to picture their acting mayor in an oversized helmet and knee high war boots, strutting about the battlements barking orders.

 

    Teresa smiled a little. "Silly picture, huh?" She went on. "I'm not saying that war *will* break out, but it's best to plan things before they happen. We can't do much at the moment, not until a formal meeting is actually called with Annabelle, Granmeyer and the other State leaders to discuss the best course of action. But as Andrea pointed out, we still have our spies." She took a deep breath. This was the hardest part. "We can't base everything on simply rumors. We need more facts, more information to work on and plan our next move. But most of the spies working for us outside of Greenhill have been becoming too well-known; we need people no one would ever think of suspecting....."

 

    Teone, another of the students present, began to nod slowly as it began to dawn on him, a grin spreading over his face. "People like us." It was a statement.

 

    Slowly, even hesitantly, Teresa nodded. A small voice began to speak up in a far corner of her mind, but she abruptly brushed it aside. "I'm extending that invitation to all of you. I'll arrange it so that you'll only be taking a short break from your studies, which will resume once you get back." 

 

    -- If they get back. Will they get back, Teresa?, that small voice taunted --

 

    "Keep in mind though, that this is strictly on a volunteer basis. I want all of you to search your hearts and minds tonight, people. This isn't a game; it's risky and there's a certain amount of danger involved, but sometimes it's more courageous to refuse than to accept."

 

    The others nodded again, but Teresa could already see a few grins from some who failed to hide them, and inwardly groaned.

   

    -- But it is too a game to them, Teresa. But it won't be so much fun soon, wouldn't it?.... --

 

    "...I'll await your decisions in my office tomorrow. I'll give more specific details to those who'll be volunteering...."

 

    -- ...to die, you mean?.... --

 

    The innkeeper's wife chose that very moment to step into the room. Her entrance was not looked on with too much ill favor for most of its occupants, though the cartload of small pastries and cakes she was wheeling in may have something to do with it. "I hope I'm not intruding, but I was wondering if you were all hun--"

 

    "CAAAKKEEE!!!" The Eyes-and-Ears roared in a loud chorus quicky rising into a crescendo, with undertones of soprano and bass wobbling in between. Emilia heard the sound, and quickly shoved the paperback onto the front of her face to spare herself the view of what was to come.

 

    With a rueful sigh, Teresa laid down on the bed as her informants pounced onto the poor woman's tray cart, an argument quickly ensuing on who best deserves the one lone chocolate pecan pie. It was a start, at the very least. She needed all the help she can get. No one had ever thought of suspecting Greenhill students as her agents, and by next week at the very latest, no one would ever suspect a small band of students interviewing townspeople for a world history assignment either.

 

    -- But how many students will return, Teresa? That cruel, cruel voice. How many will return? --

 

    Firmly, Teresa pushed the voice towards the back of her mind.