Heirs of the Enemy

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “Yes,” answered the fairy. “They split up once they exited the canyon, and I lost track of two of them, but all three returned into the canyon, and I watched them fly upward until they were out of sight.”

  Clint sighed with relief and pushed away from the tree. He motioned to Morro and the elf joined him.

  “How did you know that they were magicians?” asked Morro.

  “I have run into such mages before. You know that Kalina can turn herself into an eagle. From what I understand, it is a fairly common spell for an accomplished magician. The problem with such magic is that the mages still think like humans. They were zigzagging on the way down the trail looking for any sign of intruders. A normal bird would not act that way.”

  “What made them decide to look for us?”

  “The Badgers are getting ready to leave, and they wanted to know what was waiting for them down here. I suspect that they will come down the trail tonight.”

  “And what are we going to do?”

  “Let’s get on our unicorns, and I will explain some of it,” smiled Clint.

  With the fairies keeping watch overhead, they made their way to the unicorns and mounted. As they started riding north towards the caves where some of Clint’s men were hiding, the Ranger started explaining.

  “I am going to split Colonel Hardi’s men into two groups. I will lead one group and Colonel Hardi will lead the other. I am going to put you into Colonel Hardi’s group so we can use our fairies to keep in contact.”

  “Will the colonel do what I ask him to do?” frowned Morro. “I mean what if you send a message to do something, and I can’t convince the colonel to do it?”

  “I will tell the colonel to trust your judgment. Don’t worry about it. Colonel Hardi is a good man, and he doesn’t let his ego make decisions for him.”

  “Alright,” agreed the elf. “Why two groups?”

  “I do not want to attack the Badgers close to the canyon. There is a possibility that the black-cloaks might keep an eye on things near their base and assist the Badgers if we attack. That means that we need to let the Badgers move away from the canyon a bit, but we don’t know which way they will go. I plan to have one or our groups north of the canyon and another south of the canyon. You and I will use the fairies to keep track of their movements. You will be in the north group and I will take the south. If the Badgers turn towards the north, I will come up behind them and we can coordinate on a strategy. If they turn to the south, you will turn around and come up behind them.”

  “And if they head east?”

  “That is what I expect them to do. If they do go east, they will be caught between our two forces.”

  “How many men does Colonel Hardi have?”

  “Around three hundred.”

  The elf frowned. “The men that attacked that estate and stole the women are not ordinary soldiers. They are trained assassins.”

  “I know,” sighed Clint. “The plan is not without risk. I have made the A Corps into a unit that I am proud of. I would willingly match them against any Federation army, but they are not Alcean Rangers. I fear this confrontation will be costly, but getting the emperor’s family back might avert the war.”

  “Do you really believe that?” challenged Morro.

  Clint sighed deeply. “I don’t know, Morro. I would like to believe it, but the Federation’s drive to war is being pushed by forces more powerful than the emperor. Our actions are akin to trying to stop a landslide by standing beneath it and holding a roof over our heads. Still, we must make every effort to stem the bloodshed. Garth and I have exchanged messages concerning this, and he agrees that we should try to rescue the emperor’s family, and that is what we are going to try to do.”

  * * * *

  General Forshire woke just in time to see the last of the sun as it passed over the peaks of the Barrier. He sat up and stretched as his eyes scanned the campsite. Most of his A Corps detachment were still sleeping, but he noted that Sergeant Treman was awake. The sergeant saw the general stretch and immediately moved to his side.

  “Anything?” asked Clint.

  “Not a peep,” answered the sergeant. “Are you sure that the Badgers came out of the canyon?”

  “I am certain. Are our sentries out?”

  “As you instructed. They have rotated three times during the day. There has not been a person anywhere near us.”

  “Good. I expect to be turning to the east for tonight’s march, but I will confirm that later. For now, get the men up and give them some time to eat. There will be a long night ahead of us. And no fire, Sergeant.”

  The sergeant nodded and moved off to carry out his orders. He was quite curious about how the general knew what the Badgers were doing, but he respected General Forshire enough not to pry. Within minutes, the camp was awake and devouring a cold meal. The sergeant watched as General Forshire moved into the trees. A moment later, one of the sentries entered the campsite and began eating. The sergeant quickly walked to the sentry to question him, but the soldier spoke without the need for questioning.

  “General Forshire relieved me so that I could eat. When I return to my post, he will relieve one of the other men.”

  Sergeant Treman merely nodded and returned to supervising the camp. As the men finished eating, he ordered them to prepare for a night ride. The camp was quickly put right, but no order came from the general. General Forshire had already relieved three of the four sentries, and the fourth suddenly appeared. Sergeant Treman frowned at the delay as he watched the men restlessly roaming around the campsite. The sky was already darkening, and there was no sign of a departure anytime soon.

  Out in the woods where the fourth sentry had maintained his watch, a fairy shot down through the trees and landed on the general’s shoulder.

  “The Badgers have broken camp,” Peanut reported.

  “Are they heading east as expected?”

  “Yes and no,” frowned the tiny man. “The Badgers have split into two groups. Half of them are continuing eastward. The other half have turned south.”

  “South?” echoed the general as his brow creased in confusion. “Which group has the women?”

  “The group heading south. What should I do?”

  “Continue to monitor the group heading southward,” answered Clint. “Leave the other group for Sparky. I want you to monitor the position of the women. Once an hour you should report back to me so that I am kept informed of their location.”

  “I shall be your eyes in the night.” Peanut saluted the general and took to the air.

  A few moments later, the sentry returned to take up his post. The general returned to the camp and pulled Sergeant Treman aside.

  “Half of the Badgers are heading south. They have the women with them. As one who knows this area of Bloodwood, can you think of any place they might be taking the women?”

  The sergeant remained silent for a while and then shook his head. “There are some hunter cabins to the south, but they are much farther to the east. I do not think they would be heading towards them.”

  “Why not?”

  “The terrain to our south is rather broken,” answered the sergeant. “There are lots of gullies and ridges. It is difficult to make any time riding through that type or terrain. If they were heading for the cabins, they would travel east for another night and then turn south. The only destination I can think of would be the headwaters of the Despair River. Perhaps they plan to move by raft.”

  “Fifty men and horses by raft?” General Forshire frowned and shook his head. “I don’t think so. Could there be caves that they might hide the women in?”

  “It is possible.” The sergeant shrugged. “I have never stumbled across a cave that far south, but I cannot claim to have explored every bit of the area. We did some hunting there a few times, but game was scarce. It was not a favorite area for us as the Despair River marks the boundary of Elfwoods, and we were forbidden from going there.”

  The general’s eyes suddenly wid
ened. “Elfwoods! Of course! Where better to hide the women than in an empty land where people are forbidden to go? The elves are gone, and there are scores of empty villages. They are taking the shortest route to Elfwoods so that anyone coming from Despair will not find them.”

  “That makes sense,” agreed the sergeant. “The headwaters of the Despair River are within a good night’s ride.”

  “Is there a likely route that they would take?”

  The sergeant thought for a moment and then nodded. “If they know the area, there is one track southward that is much easier than the rest. Of course, we don’t know how familiar they are with the area.”

  “Let’s assume that they are familiar with it,” suggested the general. “The Badgers probably try to spend the majority of their time in places where few people exist. They certainly cannot practice and train near the cities of the Federation without being discovered. What I need is a good ambush site along their route. Preferably one where we have the high ground on both sides of the trail. Ideally, it will also be a place where it is difficult to access the high areas when coming from the north.”

  “So that their outriders have to rejoin the main group?”

  “Exactly,” smiled General Forshire. “Do you know of such a place?”

  “I do,” grinned the sergeant. “We used to call it Dead Man’s Gully. The trail narrows over the distance of a league. Towards the end of that league, it dips into a narrow gully which has a sharp bend at the end of it. The Badgers will not be able to race through it.”

  “That almost sounds too ideal,” frowned the general. “Is there an easy way around it?”

  “There are other paths to get to Elfwoods,” answered the sergeant, “but they would have to make that decision well in advance. Once they start along that league of trail, they will not alter their route unless they know an ambush is waiting. It would be a significant detour.”

  “Then that is where we are bound, Sergeant. Get the men mounted and on the way.”

  * * * *

  Sparky shot through the trees and glided to Morro’s shoulder. He quickly ducked under the elf’s hair and moved towards his ear.

  “Their outriders are moving more northward,” whispered the fairy. “If you don’t go more to the north, they will see you.”

  Morro didn’t respond. He quickly moved alongside Colonel Hardi and spoke softly. He repeated the fairy’s warning. The colonel rode to the side of the trail and halted. Morro followed.

  “I don’t like this,” frowned the colonel. “First they divide into two groups, and now they are forcing us more northward. It is as if they are trying to drive us apart.”

  “That is assuming that they even know that we are out here,” replied Morro. “I don’t think they do.”

  Colonel Hardi passed the order to turn more northward, but he was still troubled by the Badgers’ maneuvering.

  “How sure are you of this information, Morro?”

  “I am positive,” answered the elf.

  The colonel sat in silence for a while, but he soon turned and stared at the elf.

  “I know that you have a close relationship with General Forshire, and that requires that I trust you, but I am still concerned about mysteries when they might endanger the general’s life. I want to know the source of your knowledge.”

  Morro sighed. He liked the colonel, and he knew that the men of A Corps were loyal and devoted to Clint, but the Ranger had not given permission to reveal the fairies, and he was not going to do so unless he had to.

  “I am an elf,” smiled Morro. “We know many things that humans do not. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “The secret you are sharing with General Forshire has nothing to do with elves,” retorted the colonel. “The general has the same uncanny ability to sense where people are. I vow to keep the secret from my men, but I insist that you explain it to me.”

  Morro sighed again and shook his head, nearly tossing Sparky from his hidden perch. “I cannot address your concerns. Perhaps you should ask the general the next time you see him.”

  Colonel Hardi suddenly ordered the column to halt. Morro frowned deeply as the colonel glared at him.

  “The next time I see him?” scowled the colonel. “You do not understand, Morro. These Badgers are driving us away from General Forshire. At least that is what you are telling me. I don’t particularly care to be separated from my general by an enemy army. I have one-hundred-fifty men under my command. If you do not level with me, I will order them to attack and destroy the Badgers we are following so that I can take my remaining men to assist General Forshire.”

  “You would violate his orders?” balked Morro.

  “His strategy was for both of our forces to attack the Badgers together. That is getting more unlikely with each passing minute as we are driven farther apart. It is up to you, Morro. Level with me or prepare for battle.”

  Morro returned the colonel’s stare, but he knew that man was right. He nodded in resignation and rode a little farther away from the column. While the soldiers were far enough away to not be able to hear what was being said, he didn’t want to chance one of them seeing the fairy. Colonel Hardi silently followed the elf.

  “Show yourself, Sparky.”

  The fairy pushed his way through Morro’s hair and proudly marched to the end of the elf’s shoulder. The colonel stared at the little man in disbelief.

  “What am I looking at?” gasped the sergeant.

  “I am Sparky,” announced the fairy. “I am your eyes in the sky.”

  “He is a fairy,” explained Morro. “I will say no more, but Sparky has the ability to fly swiftly and report the movements of the Badgers. He is also extremely loyal.” Loyal to the King of Alcea, Morro thought as he frowned at the thought of the colonel pressing for more information.

  “Does he also know where General Forshire is?” asked Colonel Hardi.

  “I do not know,” answered Sparky, “but I could find him. Is there a need to find him?”

  “I think there is.” Colonel Hardi nodded. “I want him to understand the situation here and tell me what to do.”

  “We are doing what he wants,” retorted Morro. “He certainly does not want you to attack those Badgers. We are only after the women, and they are with the other group. There is no point to expending your men by attacking this group.”

  “Is there any reason to continue following this group?” posed the colonel. “If we are after the women, General Forshire will be attacking the other group alone. We should be there to help him. This group no longer holds any interest for us.”

  “I don’t know.” Morro hesitated. “You are correct that our original strategy is no longer valid, but we could never reach the general before daybreak, even if we started right now.”

  “Then send Sparky to seek his advice. I will halt the column here and wait for a reply.”

  “Then we will lose this group of Badgers,” Morro pointed out.

  “We can find them again with Sparky’s help. I will push my men day and night if that is necessary. They will be a little tired from the extended ride, but if we are not to engage the Badgers anyway, no harm will be done.”

  Morro sighed and nodded. “Fly, Sparky. Carry word of the situation to General Forshire and return with his orders.”

  Colonel Hardi chuckled as the tiny man saluted the elf and leaped into the air. “Where did the general ever discover such creatures?”

  “There are some things I do not ask the general about,” Morro answered evasively. “I hope that you will remain faithful to your promise not to disclose the fairies’ existence. General Forshire holds his secrets close for a reason.”

  “I can well appreciate the advantage such creatures offer,” answered the colonel, “but I am disappointed that the general chose to keep me in the dark.”

  “How many of the A Corps should he have told?” asked Morro. “And how many of them would keep that secret under the threat of torture?”

  Colonel Hardi frowned
as he considered the question. “He shared his secrets with you, Morro. Would you not also break under torture?”

  “I would not,” the elf answered with certainty. “I would never allow myself to be captured. I know what the Federation does to elf spies. I would rather die.”

  Colonel Hardi nodded with understanding. “I begin to see things in ways I never could before. As you know, I have seen the inside of a Federation prison. I vowed when I joined the A Corps that I would never return to one, and I still hold that vow. Like you, Morro, I will not allow myself to be captured, either, but I now understand the general’s hesitation to share his secrets. In a way, we are brothers in the service of General Forshire. I will never betray his trust or yours.”

  Chapter 40

  Dead Man’s Gully

  General Forshire arrived at the southern end of Dead Man’s Gully, and the general began dividing his men, sending half of them up on the eastern ridge and the other half up on the western ridge. Sergeant Treman and the general remained at the shallow end of the ravine.

  General Forshire glanced up at the sky and nodded appreciatively. “We will have more than enough light to see the Badgers, but they will be able to see us as well if we are not careful. I want you to take charge of the western ridge. Keep your men low and out of sight. They will be tempted to peek into the ravine as the enemy approaches. Warn them that to do so is to invite death into their ranks. They are to remain silent and motionless until the battle begins. Also, the women will be in the center of the column. Great care must be taken to keep them safe. The Badgers should be under orders to keep the women safe, but take no chances. Eliminate the Badgers nearest the women at the earliest opportunity.”

  “How will we know when to attack?”

  “The eastern ridge will start the attack. There will be enough cries of surprise to wake the dead. When they hear that the attack has begun, they are to attack with arrows. Your men will not enter the ravine until the battle is over. This is important, Sergeant. While the moon will cast enough light to see our targets, it will not be bright enough to tell friend from foe. If your men enter the ravine early, my men will be killing them.”