originally posted in:The New Dojo
Ben now lead the group towards the large home. Many people looked at the group and either smiled at Bella, looked in awe at Can, or sneered at the Grenwalds. They approached the quaint looking home and Can saw the arrows soaring out of the windows one after another. To his left, he saw a Tokage member get shot with an arrow. He held his chest and reeled as his partner quickly grabbed him and dragged him behind nearby building. Ben knocked against the wood of the home, and the arrows halted. Ben quickly ran to the front of the home and opened the front door, the only entrance to the house. He waved the group in.
"Quickly! C'mon now!" Ben told everyone.
English
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Cannon staggered as fast as his exhausted body would go towards the door, cursing in Mando'a under his breath.
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As he entered the rest of the group followed them in. Ben shut the door behind him as the group walked into the quaint home. Purple cloaks filled the room and they began to fire their arrows once more. There was a set of stairs at the end of the large open room which had a dining table, kitchen and living area all on the single floor. Then, a larger man came up to the group. Can saw that it was Welters, the weapons. "Holy crap Can! What happened to you?!" He asked him as he got closer.
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"Diana Coulbourn." Replied the Mando, clutching his stump arm. "She set this all up and framed the Grenwalds."
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"What? That...that scheming bi-bad person!" Welters corrected himself as he gave Bella a glance. He knelt down and looked at her. "Bella, is that true?" "Y-ya. All of it. Can would have saved her even but she...well she didn't exactly give him the option." She told Welters as she nodded at Can's phantom limb. "Jeez." Welters said softly as he stood up. "So what, are the grenwalds here to negotiate a temporary ceasefire then?" "Permanent ceasefire, actually." Hiebert said. Welters raised an eyebrow at the man. "Ya can't feel like that's horse shi-doodoo coming from a green cloak." Welters told the man with skepticism. "Well that's just too bad isn't it?" Abraham told Welters. "Unless you want to be completely butchered, you'll figure out that we want peace." "Butchered? What are you talking about? We are holding up so well your people can't even make a good move!" "Said the mouse in trap..." Hiebert snickered. "Enough!" Yuri interrupted. "Bickering like this will get us no where! Welters, where is Ulfric? We need to negotiate this ceasefire immediately!" Welters pouted as he pointed to the steps. "He's up there. He's been firing at the Grenwalds non stop for the last five hours."
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"This won't end well..." Cannon sighed, heading towards Ulfric. Normally he wouldn't be worried, but he was without armor and in really bad shape for a fight should Ulfric go psycho again.
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As Cannon went up the stairs, Bella held him up and supported him. The growing group now consisted of Yuri, Can, Bella, Abraham, Hiebert, Ben and Welters. They all went up the stairs to fine the completely cleared room. A mattress was laid against the wall and all furniture was pushed to the side leaving it very open. There were four men up here. Three red cloaked men, and then one man who wore a black cloak with purple lining. He fired what seemed to be an arrow every three seconds as he brought them out of the barrel beside him, drew back on his black recurve bow and fired. This, of course, was Ulfric. "DAD!" Bella yelled. The man suddenly turned and his eyes went wide as he rushed to his daughter, who in turn ran towards him. He embraced her immediately and she returned the gesture. "Bella! Oh my god! Are you okay? What did they do to you?!" He asked her with panic and care. He took his eyes off his daughter and looked past her shoulder to look at Cannon. That was when Can saw anger, as well as confusion flood Ulfrics face. He gave the same look to the two grenwalds who walked to the front of the group. "....You bastards. What did you do to my-" "Dad! Wait! Stop...stop saying what you're saying!" Bella interrupted. "The Grenwalds didn't kidnap me! Diana did!" Confusion came upon the Tokage leaders face even more now. "What...what do you mean? She wouldn't do that. Why would she do that?!"
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"She wanted to cause chaos... And frame the Grenwalds for it. She wanted you to wipe each other out, which is why we cane as fast as we could." Cannon said, slightly out of breath.
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"It's true, dad!" Bella told Ulfric. "I-I'm sorry...Diana betrayed you! She tricked us!" Ulfric paced across the room now, deep in thought. Can saw that his eyes were sleep deprived and baggy, similar to that of his own by now likely. "God...damnit...." Ulfric cursed. He sounded disappointed when he spoke. "So...Can. I suppose you...dealt with her then?" Ulfric asked Can as he nodded to the man's loss of limb.
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"I did. She won't be causing anyone trouble ever again." He nodded. Oddly, he still looked more energized than Ulfric due to his augmentations allowing his body to operate on less sleep more easily.
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"So then Can..." Ulfric stopped pacing. He turned to Can and his eye brows were furrowed. "What are you still doing here then. I know this is not your fight...you were never a Tokage to begin with. Nor were you just a farmer." "We know that, dad!" Bella told him. "Can is apart of the dojo! And he saved me! So he's good in my books that's for sure!" "And as much as I want to have him in my good books as well Bella the dojo was likely an accomplice in the murder of your uncle! My BROTHER! They've worked with the grenwalds as well! So how do I know that this wasn't some elaborate dojo scheme for Can to get close enough to us just to pick us off one by one?!" "Because killing is not Cannon's style." Yuri began. "He spared the Grenwald spies, he spared an assassin of our OWN clan who tried to kill him, it was Rory by the way, and he even tried to spare Diana before she made the decision herself. If he wanted us dead, he could have made the kills easily by now."
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"Besides, if I wanted you all dead, I'd have just let you and the Grenwalds kill each other." The Mando added.
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"Which was DIANA's plan, not Cannons." Yuri told Ulfric. "Jesus. You guys have one hell of a drama going on here." Abraham snickered. "Oh shut up green cloak!" Ulfric snapped. He calmed himself for a moment before he looked at Can. "Cannon, I suppose that is your real name. Despite your less than honest arrival, I suppose the end here justifies the means. You killed Diana, saved my daughter and now you have come back. Because if this..." Ulfric trailed as he walked closer to Can. "There is nothing else I can call you, except that you are my friend." Ulfric told him as he offered Cannon his hand.
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Cannon shook it, smiling slightly. "I'm just doing my job, sir."
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"I think you've done more than that. And let's drop the formalities, you weren't Tokage to begin with after all." Ulfric told Can with a grin. Can saw Bella's big smile as she stood behind Ulfric. Then, he turned his attention to the two grenwalds. "Speaking of which...why the hell did you bring these two green boys here?" "We came willingly actually." Hiebert said. "What? Why? I could capture you right now and none would be the wiser. So what the heck are you doing here?" Ulfric asked.
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"The war has to end. Niether side will gain anything aside from casualties if it continues." Cannon stated.
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"Wait, what?!" Ulfric asked as he was taken back. "I'm...sorry I know I'm a little more than sleep deprived but what are you saying?!" "The war needs to end, Ulfric." Yuri stated. "We have been fighting for too long and too many of us have died over what, a disagreement in beliefs?" "Those beliefs are what define us, Yuri!" Ulfric told them. "Those beliefs are the reason you are getting killed!" Abraham spoke up. This immediately made Ulfric red faced. "Why you listen here you-" "He's right!" Welters spoke up. "We are dying for what we believe, I get that. But this shi-stuff is ridiculous! Ulfric do you have any idea what the body count is?!" "Of course I do Welters! It's exactly why we have to finish this! We haven't worked centuries up until this moment just to make peace!" "Why not?" Bella asked her father. "It's because...!" Ulfric stopped himself as he raised his voice. He turned to his daughter, and let out a breath. "It's...it's because..." "Because why, dad?" Bella asked again. Ulfric seemed stumped by the question.
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"War for survival is one thing. Heck, even war for conquest makes sense, but neither of your beliefs demand the other dies, correct? Then why fight?"
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"Because centuries ago the Grenwald persecuted and discriminated against us for our beliefs!" Ulfric told Can. "We separated from the original clan of the Kakusa grove a long time ago because of that. And clearly, nothing has changed." "Except everyone who is here now." Hiebert said. "We, the people of these clans, are different. We can live together in peace as long as no one tries to kill the other." "Precisely. It's about respect for the other party no matter what they want to believe in." Yuri stated. "And why would we have enemies when we can have friends, right?!" Bella exclaimed to her father. He looked down at her, but Can saw that the man was still conflicted.
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Cannon remained quiet, Bella having taken the words from his mouth.
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"That...it isn't that simple." "Of course it is!" Abraham said. "The easy part is making the choice. The hard part is seeing it through."
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"Wise words." Cannon agreed with him.
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"For crying out...fine! Fine!" Ulfric declared. "Let's end a thousand year war with peace! I give in!" "YESSSSS!!!" Bella exclaimed as she hugged her father.
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Cannon smiled, albeit tiredly, leaning on his sword.
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"But how are we going to do this then?" Ulfric asked. "We need the grenwalds to co-operate. Cannon do you have any ideas?" The Tokage leader asked Cannon.
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He shrugged. "Stop shooting at them for one thing. White flags are also useful in these situations."