Winged Warrior fl-7

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “Someone stole it?” asked MistyTrail.

  “I think so,” nodded Temiker. “Gerock came to me in hopes that I might supply his friend with a boat, but I became very curious about the affair. I went to the village and spoke to Gerock’s friend. I became suspicious that he had been the victim of a mage, so I investigated him magically. I was able to retrieve his memories sufficiently to understand that two men did indeed steal his boat. At least one of them had to be a mage.”

  “What is the significance of this?” asked Marak.

  “I got an accurate description of his boat and the two thieves,” explained Temiker. “It appears that the two men sailed the boat to Alamar. The next day, one of the men left the harbor in the morning with the boat and has never been seen again.”

  “Which leaves one thief in Alamar,” noted StarWind.

  “If it were only a thief,” frowned Temiker, “I would not be so concerned. No self-respecting mage would steal a boat to travel up the coast to Alamar. No,” he added adamantly, “the boat was stolen to sneak into the city unquestioned. The fact that only one man left the city means that a spy exists in Alamar. My fear,” Temiker paused and sighed, “is that the mage is the one who remained in Alamar. Remember how the Katana’s body was taken over by an evil mage? We could have a very serious problem here. We have no idea who we can trust.”

  StarWind, Ukaro, and Lyra exchanged glances. Ukaro nodded his head affirmatively and StarWind agreed.

  “Can I assume from MistyTrail’s presence here that she has been briefed on our problem?” Lyra asked the Torak.

  “She is here to help you with it,” nodded Marak.

  “Then I see no reason to exclude Temiker,” Lyra decided. “He would not bring us such information if he had indeed been taken over by one of Vand’s mages.”

  “So you already know about this?” asked Temiker. “Has the spy been uncovered?”

  “No,” Lyra shook her head. “I mean, yes, we know about the spy, but we have no idea who it might be. StarWind was with me in Okata when the report was given to Vand. She is the only Sakovan that I can trust right now. Everyone else is suspect.”

  “That is why I thought you could use MistyTrail’s help,” interjected Marak. “What steps have you taken so far?”

  “Ukaro has developed a plan to hide our armies,” Lyra replied. “We have called a meeting for later tonight to present a false strategy to everyone. That will cause the spy to send the wrong information to Vand.”

  “And gives us a chance to identify the spy,” added StarWind.

  “What is the false strategy that you plan to unveil?” asked the Torak.

  “We are going to say that we think Zaramilden will be struck next,” answered Lyra. “I will be ordering the bulk of armies to abandon Alamar and mass at Zaramilden. This will cause Vand to show his hand when the attack comes. He will be attacking an empty city.”

  “We need to change your new strategy,” frowned Emperor Marak.

  “Why?” inquired Ukaro.

  “Vand will certainly attack Zaramilden if he thinks it is occupied,” answered the Torak, “but I want him to know that it is deserted. He is positioning supplies in Duran as we speak. That is the reason that the city was attacked so early.”

  “Stockpiling supplies?” echoed Lyra. “Why?”

  “Because it will be much closer to the fighting than Motanga is,” Marak replied. “He will not have to have convoys of ships crossing the seas while he is busy fighting us. It is a clever move on his part. Duran is so isolated that we would never discover its use. That is why he needs Zaramilden deserted. It is too close to Duran for him to risk having his convoys detected.”

  “Are you sure about this?” asked StarWind.

  “Positive,” nodded Marak. “There are three ships anchored there right now. They are already unloading supplies. The invasion will start soon.”

  “So you plan to station troops in Zaramilden to foil his plan?” asked Temiker. “Is that why you want him to think it is deserted?”

  “I am not sure yet what our reaction should be,” admitted Marak, “but we should not lead him to believe that we have massed out troops in Zaramilden. You must unveil a different false strategy.”

  “Where else would we move our troops to?” StarWind asked.

  “Khadora,” suggested MistyTrail. “Why not tell them that we think that Vand’s attack is geared to toppling the Torak? Marak’s visit today could be an appeal for Sakovan troops.”

  “That could work,” Marak nodded. “At least it would make sense to someone like Vand who is always concerned mostly with his own security. It is natural that he would want to strike me the hardest.”

  “Isn’t that what he is likely to do?” asked Lyra.

  “I don’t know,” shrugged Marak. “We truly have no idea what his strategy is. At this point, that is not the question. First we have to deceive him so that Alamar can be properly defended. It is too close to Motanga for him to ignore it. That is especially true if he is planning on using Duran as a supply depot.”

  “We need a plan to watch for the spy after the meeting,” mentioned Ukaro. “The strategy that Lyra unveils will be too important not to immediately transmit it to Vand.”

  “You think the spy knows how to use an air tunnel?” asked Lyra.

  “I would assume so,” nodded Ukaro. “We already think that they may have learned the spell on the Island of Darkness, but even if they didn’t, a mage in our midst would learn it easily.”

  “Plus they would not risk the spy by making him return to Motanga to deliver his news,” added Temiker. “If not an air tunnel, the spy will have some mechanism for transmitting the information without leaving.”

  “Finding the spy will not be easy,” frowned StarWind. “After the meeting our people will disperse quickly. There is no way that we can watch everyone.”

  “Give them a reason to stay behind,” suggested MistyTrail. “Maybe have a party following the meeting. Most people would stay to enjoy their friends, but the spy would be anxious to get his message off. I think very few people would leave right away.”

  “That might work,” StarWind nodded appreciatively. “We all know that we may not make it through this war. This could be the final party before the war begins. No one should be in a hurry to leave.”

  “And they will dribble out when they do leave,” nodded Marak. “I think it could work.”

  “With the Star’s permission,” offered Ukaro, “I will quickly return home and gather some Chula shaman to help with this effort. All anyone will notice is a larger number of cats around the palace than usual.”

  “Have them remain hidden if possible,” nodded Lyra. “My people are aware of the Chula capabilities. They are not stupid.”

  “But this spy is not one of your people,” grinned Marak. “He or she only appears to be Sakovan. I would suggest that at the meeting you mention that everyone will have his or her orders tomorrow. When the spy is discovered, he is to be allowed to transmit the false information. Then Lyra can come up with an assignment that will keep the spy busy and away from the action. We do not want Vand to know that we have discovered the spy.”

  “I do not like the thought of letting the spy live,” frowned StarWind, “but your point is valid. We can use him to send more false information in the future.”

  “Gather your shaman,” Lyra instructed Ukaro. “They can offer prayers to Kaltara while they wait for the meeting to end.”

  Ukaro nodded and left the room to head for the temple and the secret door that would eventually lead back to Changragar. Lyra made notes on the points of the new strategy she wanted to explain to her people. The others in the room watched Lyra writing the notes and offered suggestions.

  “Don’t forget to tell them about the elves not joining the war,” mentioned MistyTrail.

  “Do we really want to share that with Vand?” frowned StarWind.

  “We do,” chuckled Marak. “It is a lie. The elves are completely with us. T
hey will strike when Vand expects it the least.”

  “Excellent,” grinned Lyra. “My sadness will be profound when I explain that to the audience tonight. I pray that Kaltara will forgive the lies that I am about to speak.”

  “You are lying only to your enemy,” countered Emperor Marak. “The rest of your people will know the truth soon.”

  * * *

  The Sprite glided over the glassy sea, its black sails invisible to anyone along the coast of the Island of Darkness. Captain Mynor gazed skyward and smiled at the cloud cover blocking the stars.

  “Just a little while longer and you will be stepping into the jaws of the beast,” he said softly to Fisher.

  The spy finished pulling on his red Motangan uniform and turned to the captain for inspection.

  “Looks good enough to fool a blind man,” quipped the captain. “There is not enough light to actually see it right now. How it looks in the daytime is what really matters.”

  “I just hope it dries by then,” frowned Fisher. “The air feels like rain.”

  “You could go ashore naked,” suggested the captain. “I have a wax sack that will keep your uniform dry if you don’t submerge it.”

  Fisher stood staring at the bow for a moment and then nodded his head. “An excellent idea,” he replied as he started to strip off the uniform. “Even if it does rain, a uniform soaked with saltwater would be a giveaway.”

  The captain nudged the navigator and told him to fetch the waxed sack. The seaman returned quickly and handed the sack to Fisher.

  “Are you sure that you can make your way back here tomorrow night?” asked Captain Mynor. “I could come back a second night if you miss the rendezvous.”

  “No,” Fisher shook his head. “Tomorrow night for sure. If I do not show, return to Khadora. I will not endanger your ship and your crew by making you come here three nights in a row. How do you know where we are? I cannot even see the shore.”

  “We charted this island,” grinned the captain. “I know exactly where I am. In just a minute, we will be coming close to a long sandy point that stretches away from the city. That is where we will drop you off. I am not even going to slow down as we pass the point. You will get ready over the rail and jump when I tell you to.”

  “Alright,” nodded Fisher as he carefully tied the wax sack closed.

  “Tomorrow night,” continued the captain, “we will sail by the exact same way, only we will be trailing a line in the water. You grab that line as it goes by, and we will pull you in. Can you handle that?”

  “I can handle it,” agreed Fisher as he saw palm trees off the port beam. “It is smart not to break the wind in your sails this close to the island. That would be foolish.”

  “Aye, lad, it would be,” smiled the captain. “Get over the rail. The point is coming up.”

  Chapter 24

  To Catch a Spy

  The dining hall was packed with Sakovans as everyone sat and listened to Lyra reveal the new strategy that she was going to implement. The crowd verbally showed their disappointment about the elves not joining in the struggle against Vand. MistyTrail felt sorry that her friends were being deceived, but she knew that thousands of lives depended on the spy delivering a false message. The glares that she received from many of the Sakovans hurt her feelings, though.

  The Sakovans were surprised to learn that the bulk of the armies were being sent to aid the Khadorans, but most of them accepted that it was logical for Vand to attack Khadora. What caused the crowd to become extremely vocal was Lyra’s statement that Alamar would be abandoned when it was clear that they could no longer halt Vand’s advance.

  “You can’t do this,” StormSong yelled loudly from the back of the room. “The people of Alamar have become our brothers and sisters. You can’t just abandon them. It is not right.”

  “We are not abandoning them,” insisted Lyra over a roar of jeers. “There will be a noble defense, but let’s be practical about this. Without the bulk of our armies, Alamar cannot be saved.”

  “What about our mages?” shouted HawkShadow. “Surely they can halt the advance.”

  “The mages will also be going to Khadora,” answered Lyra as she sighed and shook her head. “At least most of them will. They are needed up there.”

  Temiker frowned as he watched his niece perform a task that he knew she hated. She had grown to love the Sakovan people, including those who used to be Omungan. Her only pleasure in life seemed to come from making them happy, and now she was intentionally misleading them to the point where they were ready to rebel against her.

  “That is unacceptable,” HawkShadow shook his head vigorously. “The citizens of Alamar are Sakovans now. We have all pledged our lives to protecting our brothers and sisters. I formally request leave to help defend Alamar. I will not leave those people to be crushed under Vand’s boot.”

  “I am with HawkShadow,” declared SkyDancer. “I offer my life in defense of Alamar.”

  “And mine,” added FalconEye. “Let the armies go to Khadora, but I am staying here.”

  “I suspect you will find that all of us will stay in Alamar,” shouted StormSong. “Lyra, what has gotten into you? The words you are saying cannot be yours. Rethink your policy.”

  Lyra felt the meeting slipping from her grasp. If she allowed the dissent to continue, she would lose the chance to send the disinformation to Vand.

  “Quiet,” Lyra shouted sternly as she banged on the table. “I will have quiet.”

  The crowd quieted down, but many of the Sakovans stared at Lyra as if they did not know her. They had never heard her shout before, and pounding her fist on the table was just not her style.

  “I admire the spirit of everyone in this room,” Lyra said calmly, “but many of you are forgetting something very important. You are forgetting the Scroll of Kaltara.”

  Hushed murmurs rippled through the room, as many people knew what was coming next. Lyra never thought she would see the day when she threw this into the faces of the Sakovans, but she knew that she had to.

  “Kaltara has anointed me as the Star of Sakova,” Lyra declared. “You know that means that Kaltara has placed his trust in me. There were times before when the Sakovans have turned away from their Star. Are you ready to once again slap Kaltara across the face? Are you now willing to turn your backs on the one sent from God?”

  The murmurs continued quietly, but no one rose to speak. Lyra’s eyes scanned the large crowd. Some people glared back at her, but most of them averted their eyes when she looked at them. Lyra felt so ashamed and dirty for doing this to her people, but she could not stop now. When it was over there would be time to cry about how she lost the faith of her people.

  “The strategy session is now over,” declared Lyra, “but before you leave this room, I have another announcement. I know that many of you are not happy with my plans. You probably will not feel inclined to an evening of cheer, but there will be a party in this room in just a few minutes. I think it is important that you all have one last good time with your friends and relatives, and tonight is that last chance. One caution, however.”

  She saw that she had the group’s attention, but she worried that many would want to leave the party before it started. She didn’t want that to happen.

  “I will start issuing final orders to each of you individually in the morning,” Lyra continued, “so do not drink too much. Each of you should be ready to ride out of here at sunup. An assignment list will be posted later this evening with the times that each of you are to report to my office. I will not stay for the party as I think it is best if you enjoy it among yourselves. I know my presence at this time would dampen your spirits. May Kaltara watch over each of you in the coming days.”

  The Star of Sakova turned and strode from the room. She barely made the corridor before the tears started streaming down her face. Temiker rushed after her and tried to console her.

  “Leave me, Temiker,” urged Lyra. “Your services are desperately needed elsewhere. Plea
se find him for me. I want my people to know the truth.”

  Temiker halted as the Star of Sakova hurried to her office. He frowned as half a dozen people left the dining room before the party had even begun. He slowly started following the group out of the palace. When the people started to split up, Temiker made impromptu decisions on which one to follow. Cats appeared out of the shadows and followed some. Temiker ended up following a Sakovan to the Garden of Hope, one of the gardens that occupied the five points of the star that was StarCity. The mage from Alamar followed the Sakovan into the garden. He slid into the shadows and cast an illusion to conceal himself while the Sakovan sat on one of the benches in the garden.

  For half an hour the Sakovan sat silently on the stone bench, his head bowed in prayer. No one came or went during that time, and Temiker realized that he had drawn the wrong person. Finally the Sakovan rose and left the garden. Temiker was about to drop the illusion and return to the party to follow another Sakovan, when another Sakovan entered.

  The new Sakovan did not bow in prayer, but rather looked around the garden to see if anyone else was around. With no one else in sight, the Sakovan wove an air tunnel. Temiker listened in rapt fascination as the spy began giving a report about the Sakovan plans. The report was thorough and detailed, and uninterrupted by any reply from the other end. The spy’s head swiveled the entire time, as if expecting to be interrupted at any moment, but no one entered the garden. It was as far from the palace as one could get without leaving StarCity.

  Temiker let the spy leave the Garden of Hope, keeping his illusion in place for a full half hour before heading to Lyra’s office. When he got there, he found Lyra still crying, her head resting on her crossed arms, which were placed on the desk. He walked over to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.