Lion Head Mesa fear is the mind killer

A small curl of his lip twisted into a wry smile when the stranger informed Sihaya that she was the Samurai he had sought. He dipped his head once again, eyes bright with amusement. “Then I am a fortunate man for finding you, my liege,” he said.

The queen did not mince words. “War? Whatever for?” he asked plainly without batting an eye. The tactician in him giggled gleefully. He could see she assed him with a dubious eye. “Ah, for war you must need many battle-ready wolves… and you must look and me and see only what I am not.” A tilt of his head, challenging her perception. “But who will hunt to feed your warriors? Who will scout in front to find an enemy’s weakness? Who will help you build your dynasty once these warriors have slaughtered your enemies? And who will help you maintain order when these strong underlings grow thirsty for blood and attempt to usurp the hand that fed them?”

He paused. “I have seen it happen before,” Sihaya explained.