“You don’t really believe that, do you?” questioned the mayor with disbelief.
“No,” sighed the general, “but neither do I believe that the Sakovans are anxious for war. I truly believe that they hoped that the food shipments would buy peace for themselves. They were wrong.”
“What do you plan to do now?” asked the mayor. “Having the Sakovan bodies in the marketplace will keep the suffering of the people on their minds. We must do something to get the citizens back to normal.”
“Leave that to me,” replied the general. “I will have my men remove the bodies during the night. We will load the wagon up and drive it towards the Sakova. When they are far from the city, they will bury the dead and burn the wagon. It may take a few days, but the people will return to their daily tasks.”
“What of FalconEye?” asked Mayor Reaker.
“The mage, Temiker, took him away,” answered General Manitow. “He will try to save the Sakovan, but I fear there is no hope for him. I am surprised that he lasted long enough to arrive here alive.”
“And in a few days General Romero will arrive,” nodded the mayor. “I think you are right. The worst is behind us.”
“At least as far as the turmoil over the dead goes,” countered the general. “The people will still not have food to eat. We must find a solution for that problem before we are finished with this business.”
* * *
Ukaro carried FalconEye as Temiker led the way to the schoolhouse. The Omungan mage swept through the doorway and brushed everything off the teacher’s desk. The teacher backed away as he saw Ukaro enter with the body. The students all rose from their desks to see what was happening. As Ukaro was placing FalconEye’s body face down on the desk, the wind swept his hood away. The students gasped with shock at the sight of the Chula’s face.
“Quiet,” admonished Temiker. “Ukaro is a Chula shaman. You would be well advised to observe his powers in silence. No word of this will be spoken outside these walls. Close the door.”
One of the students leaped towards the door and slammed it shut. Ukaro drew a knife and cut the clothes off the Sakovan’s body. Temiker moved close and examined the shafts sticking out of FalconEye’s back.
“They are deep,” frowned Temiker. “There is not much life left in him.”
“There is enough to try,” replied Ukaro. “If we work together, we may be able to save him.”
“Then we shall work together,” agreed Temiker. “I can work the arrows free of the flesh.”
“I will start healing from the inside,” nodded the Chula shaman. “We must work in unison to succeed.”
“I will queue off your efforts,” volunteered Temiker.
Chapter 11
A Crack and a Cry
The magic student raced through the streets of Alamar. He dashed into the common classroom and along the corridor to the dining room. Temiker and Ukaro were sitting at the table, each on a different side of FalconEye. Temiker was feeding soup to the Sakovan.
“The soldiers are taking the Sakovan bodies,” the student panted.
“What are they doing with them?” asked Temiker.
“Piling them into the wagon,” answered the student. “I heard the soldiers talking. They plan to take the bodies out of town and bury them and burn the wagon.”
“No,” FalconEye said weakly as he pushed Temiker’s hand away. “They must return to the Sakova.”
“Eat your soup,” interjected Ukaro. “I will see that your people are returned safely.”
“That is not wise,” offered Temiker. “The Sakovans do not suffer trespassers. I will go. They know me.”
“Stay and teach your students,” Ukaro shook his head. “Alamar is not the place for me to be. The Sakovans will not attack me, and I will not attack them. Trust me.”
After a long pause Temiker nodded his agreement. Ukaro rose and pulled his hood over his face.
“Do you want help?” asked the student. “I will go with you.”
Ukaro smiled at the student and gently placed his hand on the lad’s shoulder.
“You are a brave one,” he said calmly. “Stay here and help FalconEye. There will be a test of your bravery before things are done in Alamar. A wagon I can handle on my own.”
“But there are soldiers escorting it,” frowned the student. “They will not let you take the wagon. You will have to battle them.”
“There will be no battle,” smiled the Chula shaman. “These flatlanders have not yet proven to be my enemy. When they declare that they are my enemy, then the battle will begin, but not before. This is their land that I am on, not mine.”
Ukaro walked out through the kitchen and the back door of the schoolhouse. He transformed himself into a kitten and ran towards the main street through the city. It waited patiently for the wagon to appear. As the wagon rolled by, the kitten raced into the street and leaped aboard. It stood next to the bodies for a while to see if anyone had noticed its entry and then curled up for a nap.
Several hours later the wagon jolted to a halt. The kitten immediately rose and stretched. It hid in a dark corner as the soldiers reached into the wagon and removed the shovels. Calmly it waited until it heard their voices and the sound of digging. The cat moved to the rear and gazed out. Five soldiers were digging individual graves while the other seven were relaxing. Some of them were stretched out on the ground with their eyes closed.
The kitten leaped out of the wagon and landed soundlessly. It looked around until it found where the Imperial Guard horses were tied and then it padded softly in that direction. Before it reached the tree that the horses were tied to, the kitten hid and transformed into Ukaro. The Chula shaman walked softly to the horses and untied their reins. The horses were skittish as if they sensed something abnormal in the Chula. Ukaro’s split lips smiled and then opened wide as he let out a low growl. The horses panicked and fled while Ukaro stepped into the darkness behind a nearby tree.
The soldiers noticed the noise and turned to see their horses running away. Several of them raced after the horses while the others looked on in confusion. Ukaro waited patiently for the soldiers to resume their digging. He watched the chasers go by and wished them luck with their task of retrieving the horses. When there was no further attention directed his way, Ukaro moved silently to the wagon. He climbed onto the seat and grabbed the reins. He felt the horses begin to fidget nervously. With a light slapping of the reins, he urged the team to begin moving.
The wagon creaked terribly, and Ukaro held his breath as they moved slowly away from the soldiers. As soon as Ukaro heard the first shout of alarm from the soldiers, he growled mightily at the horses. The team panicked and began running as fast as the wagon would allow them. Almost immediately, Ukaro tried calming the horses even as he fought the reins. A few minutes later he managed to get the team under control.
* * *
StarWind’s eyes popped open and she sat up quickly. She jumped to her feet, and a Sakovan star slipped into her hand. She turned and saw StormSong standing just outside the clearing. The tall Sakovan warrior signaled for the spymaster to move to the opposite side of the clearing. StarWind immediately complied, even as her mind was trying to analyze the sound that had awoken her. She moved into the darkness outside the clearing and waited.
Suddenly, she heard the noise again. It was a faint noise, but one that was unmistakable to a Sakovan. She waited patiently for the chokas to arrive. When the large warbirds came into view, LifeTender was astride one of them. StarWind deliberately stepped into the path of the giant warbirds.
“Why are you here?” asked the Sakovan spymaster.
“We had a message from Temiker,” LifeTender said as she slid off the warbird. “I must inform Lyra right away.”
“Inform me of what?” Lyra asked groggily as she moved from one of the wagons towards the healing mage.
“Our caravan to Alamar was ambushed on their way home,” reported LifeTender. “Only FalconEye has survived and his condition is not
good.”
“So Alamar is already closed to us,” Lyra sighed with frustration. “How could they have reacted so swiftly? What else did my uncle have to say?”
“Several things,” reported LifeTender. “The attack was not by the garrison soldiers at Alamar. It was a group from Okata. General Manitow has ordered them arrested.”
“So Alamar will still receive us?” asked StarWind.
“Maybe,” frowned LifeTender. “The situation there is volatile. The citizens carried the bodies of our dead to the marketplace and mourned them. They appeared genuinely distressed by the loss of our people.”
“You mean they will miss their food shipments,” snipped StormSong. “That is what they cry for, not Sakovan dead.”
“Temiker doesn’t think that is the case,” LifeTender continued with a slight glare at StormSong. “While the citizens did speak loudly about the end of our food shipments, they also paid tribute to our fallen warriors. Even the Imperial Guards knew better than to interfere.”
“That is saying a lot,” StarWind interjected as her eyebrows rose. “It sounds like General Manitow is walking a fine line. He is allowing the citizens to mourn the enemy, and he is arresting those responsible. That will not make the Katana happy.”
“General Romero is arriving within the week with his army,” LifeTender continued.
“Who is he?” interrupted Lyra.
“He is one of the Katana’s generals,” answered StarWind. “There are four major generals in Okata, Didyk, Romero, Kapla, and Valdey. Those are the men who control the armies that will invade the Sakova. The rest of the generals are much like Manitow. They control regional armies centered in the main cities. They are more likely to be defensive and try to thwart any Sakovan offensives.”
“Continue,” Lyra said to LifeTender.
“The Imperial Guard stole the bodies from the marketplace this evening,” the healing mage continued. “They had planned to bury them and burn the wagon, but there is a complication, and this is why Temiker felt I needed to reach you tonight. There is a Chula shaman who plans to get the wagon and the bodies and return them to the Sakova. Temiker does not want the man hurt. He stresses that Ukaro is an ally.”
“Ukaro?” echoed Lyra. “He is here in the Sakova?”
“Marak mentioned that he was sending a shaman to help with the Omungan crops,” StarWind offered.
“Yes,” nodded Lyra, “but I hardly expected Ukaro to be the one. Marak is a friend indeed.”
“You know this Ukaro?” asked StormSong.
“Yes,” nodded Lyra. “I met him during my visit to Khadora.”
“There is something that you are not telling,” accused StarWind. “Why is this Ukaro so special?”
Lyra realized that she had overreacted to the news. She was not about to reveal that the shaman was Marak’s father.
“Ukaro is the head shaman of the Zatong tribe,” answered Lyra. “His presence here is a bold statement of Emperor Marak’s support of our cause. He must not be harmed or challenged in any way.”
“Why have you brought three chokas?” StarWind asked LifeTender.
“MeadowTune suggested it,” the healer answered. “She feels that the knowledge of General Romero’s army coming to Alamar presents a serious threat to Lyra’s life. She would like the Star to return to StarCity, but she knows that Lyra will refuse. As long as Lyra is going to the city, she wants the journey to be swift so the Star can leave before General Romero gets there. She wants us to go on ahead of the caravan to Alamar. Temiker has promised to get horses and have someone wait outside the city so we do not need to ride the chokas close to the walls.”
“We?” questioned StarWind. “You are a healer. You are not one to go to an Omungan city. She should have sent a warrior or a spy.”
“We,” nodded LifeTender. “I want to help FalconEye. Temiker and Ukaro have saved his life, but he is still in danger. I can help him.”
The clearing fell quiet as everyone waited for Lyra’s response. Finally, the Star of Sakova nodded.
“MeadowTune is correct,” she stated. “StarWind, you will accompany me and LifeTender to Alamar. StormSong, you are to stay with the caravan. Try to push them so they get to Alamar well before General Romero.”
“We are still going to send food to them?” scowled StormSong. “We will just be feeding Romero’s army. It is better that they starve and return to Okata.”
“The caravans are continuing,” Lyra said emphatically. “Let’s go.”
Lyra, LifeTender and StarWind mounted the chokas and disappeared into the night.
* * *
Mistake led the way up the side of the mountain. The narrow footpath they had started on was a distant memory. They had abandoned it when it appeared to skirt the base of the mountain rather than climb the side. Angry clouds still moved across the night sky allowing the full moon to only peek through at times. After a long hike through the darkness, Mistake called a halt.
“We need to get some rest,” she said softly. “We have no idea where we are going, and there is not enough light to see well.”
“You will get no argument from me,” replied MistyTrail. “Let me lead for a bit. I will look for a flat spot for us to rest on.”
Mistake nodded and MistyTrail took the lead. She found a small ledge, but it was much too narrow to sleep on safely. She changed direction and followed the ledge hoping that it would grow wider. It did indeed grow wider, but even better, she found the mouth to a small cave. She knelt on the ledge and squeezed into the narrow opening. It was totally black inside. MistyTrail ran her hand over her head and found that the small cave opened up enough for her to sit up.
“Crawl inside,” MistyTrail called softly.
Mistake crawled into the cave and felt around until she felt her partner. She sat down in the darkness.
“Small,” commented Mistake, “but it will keep us dry if it rains. I am ready to nod off. I doubt that we will need to keep watch here. Get some sleep.”
MistyTrail nodded in the darkness and then laughed inwardly at her gesture. She stretched out on the floor and fell asleep.
When the morning sun broke over the mountains, a faint sliver of light lanced into the small cave. MistyTrail opened her eyes and stretched. She gently nudged Mistake and then rummaged in her pack for some food. She took out two pieces of dried meet and handed one to Mistake as the thief rubbed her eyes and sat up.
“Are you alright?” Mistake asked the Sakovan warrior. “You don’t hate me for getting you into this mess, do you?”
“No,” MistyTrail replied. “I am fine. I was just a little tired last night. Don’t blame yourself for this mess. I would rather be with you than have you go through this alone. I am glad that we are together.”
“Do you really mean that?” brightened Mistake. “I heard you crying last night, and I thought it was because I dragged you into this by leaving the Sakova.”
“Crying?” MistyTrail frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about? I wasn’t crying. I slept through the whole night and just woke seconds ago.”
Suddenly a sharp crack was heard in the distance immediately followed by a scream. The sounds were quite distant, but both of the women had the same reaction. Mistake beat MistyTrail to the mouth of the cave. She eased herself outward slowly and cautiously until her head was sticking out of the mouth of the cave. The sky was clear and sunny, and she squinted to shut out the brightness. Her eyes scanned the valley as she tried to locate the source of the sounds. She watched for several minutes and saw nothing. She heard nothing and slid back into the cave.
“What is out there?” whispered MistyTrail after Mistake had reentered the cave.
“Nothing,” answered Mistake. “It is a bright and sunny morning.”
“You couldn’t see who was using the whip?” asked MistyTrail.
“I thought it sounded like a whip,” shrugged Mistake, “but there is nobody outside that I could see.”
“Well maybe we can’t see th
em from here,” frowned MistyTrail, “but I bet they will see us when we try to leave. Now we are trapped in here.”
“It was only one sound,” chided Mistake. “It sounded like a whip and a cry, but this cave probably played tricks with our hearing. Canyons can do that sometimes. I think it has to do with how sounds echo off the rock walls.”
“One sound?” retorted MistyTrail. “There were three more while you were out there. How could you miss them?”
“Three more?” frowned Mistake. “You are joking?”
“I don’t consider beating somebody with a whip a joking matter,” scowled MistyTrail. “I saw too much of that in my youth when I visited Omungan cities to think it is funny.”
Mistake sat stunned for several moments. “Those sounds did not come from outside,” she finally said as she turned around.
She crawled into the darkness of the cave, her hand before to find the wall. MistyTrail moved swiftly to avoid Mistake’s feet as the thief changed directions as she ran her hand over the back wall of the cave.
“Here it is,” Mistake whispered. “It is smaller than the entrance. We will have to leave our packs here.”
“To go where?” asked MistyTrail.
“This cave leads somewhere,” Mistake said as she stripped off her pack. “I want to see where it leads.”
“Can’t we just go to the city?” objected MistyTrail.
“No,” Mistake said adamantly as she crawled into the tiny tunnel.
MistyTrail sighed anxiously and removed her pack. She followed Mistake into the black hole. Mistake moved slowly through the dark, one hand always before her testing for walls or drop-offs. The narrow tunnel meandered for fifteen paces before it gradually opened up wider. Mistake’s ears listened for any telltale sounds, but dripping water and her own breathing were the only things she could hear.
As Mistake rounded a bend she smelled sulfur, and smoke drifted in the air. She crinkled her nose and continued onward. After another forty paces, she saw a dull flicker of light ahead and stopped. She waited until she felt MistyTrail behind her and then continued slowly. The flickering steadily grew brighter as she crawled forward. The tunnel widened quite a bit, although the ceiling remained low.
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