The Heart of a Leader
The redheaded mage looked between Brigade, the Orlando mage, and Vitrea, the only woman close enough to her heart to be called her sister. She closed her eyes, unable to look at them to make her decision. The entire strategy hinged on the information that they recieved from this operation, and it would be her decision on who to put into an extremely dangerous situation to get what they needed. One person might not come back, and it would be her fault. How many times had she agonized over this before, worried that her position would force her to sacrifice someone else to prevent more death.
In her Mind's Eye she saw him then, not far from where she was standing just now, starlight making his eyes sparkle as he looked into the night sky.
"The hardest thing for a leader to do is to send good men and women to their death."
She had understood his words before, but only know did she feel the weight of them on her soul as he must have felt so many times before.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, knowing who was more suited for the job. Brigade was more suited for front line work and wouldn't do in a subtle role, whereas Vitrea could be. But, if she was caught, it would put her daughter and fiancee at risk and tear her family apart.
And it would be her fault.
And she would have to live with that decision, just as her father did. Just as he did. She would have to stand tall as Skeleton Key and Miriam got angry and looked at her as if she was condemning Vitrea to death. Vitrea was an Arrow. She knew what she had signed on for.
She would pray for them, implore the Kami to watch over them when she could not. And she would have faith in Anderson and Vitrea as they tiptoed into the Lion's Den. But even Namaste's words and Skeleton Key's harsh temper tantrum couldn't shake the feeling that she had not been alone in those decisions.
Namaste swore that her heart bore the color of his flame.
She swore that she had felt it burn just behind her eyes...