13 Day War (42 page)

If you plan on running away, Zaran, now is your last chance. Leaving the saddle up in the sky is not a wise choice.

The third unicorn leaped into the air. Colonel Rotti gripped the saddle tightly, and his eyes widened as he looked down at the receding ground.

I hope you are not afraid of heights
, giggled the feminine voice.
I can’t stand nervous legs constantly pounding on my sides.

Colonel Rotti stared at the unicorn’s head in wonder. “Are you talking to me?” he asked out loud.

Is there someone else upon my back?
quipped the unicorn.

Colonel Rotti shook his head as if to wake himself from the dream. He glanced down at the tiny moonlit strand of water that was the mighty Chi River and inhaled deeply. He could not believe what he was seeing. But it was more than merely what he was seeing. He could feel the bite of the wind against his face, and he could hear the powerful strokes of the creature’s mighty wings. He glanced once more at the back of the unicorn’s head.

“Where is your horn?” Colonel Rotti asked. “If unicorns truly do exist, they are supposed to have horns.”

Must everything be proved to you?
taunted the unicorn as she made her horn appear.
One would think that such skepticism would have shown itself much sooner. Like maybe when you agreed to attack a country that you truly knew nothing about. Where was your skepticism then?

Colonel Rotti stared in awe at the spiral horn just in front of him. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, wondering if anything would change. Nothing changed. For a while he sat silently, letting the unicorn’s taunt sink in.

“I guess that I have been a fool,” the colonel sighed softly. “I do not know which comes as more of a shock, whether it be riding a mythical unicorn through the night sky or being lectured by one.”

Well
, chuckled the unicorn,
you are doubly blessed this night. We have a couple of hours to go before reaching Hun-lo Heights, and I can lecture on any number of topics. Perhaps we should start by discussing the proper degree of respect to be shown to the Knights of Alcea
.

* * * *

Corporal Chitor made his way through the encampment of the 21
^st
Corps of Spino. He glanced uneasily at the trees marking the perimeter of the camp and sat down next to Sergeant Turang.

“Can’t you get us a site deeper into the camp?” the corporal asked softly.

“Sites are assigned at the regimental level,” replied the sergeant. “What difference does it make where we sleep?”

“We are too close to the perimeter, complained the corporal. “The dwarves would overrun us before the rest of the camp was even alerted.”

“Don’t start with the dwarves again,” scowled the sergeant. “I am not in the mood.”

“It’s not just me,” retorted Corporal Chitor. “Well over a hundred men saw the dwarves today. The whole camp is talking about it. Why is it that you are the only person who is trying to deny their existence?”

“I am not the only one,” snapped the sergeant. “You will not find an officer in this entire camp that believes in dwarves. In fact, I heard that General Ritka is threatening to make an example out of the next person who reports seeing a dwarf. You would be wise to keep your mouth shut.”

“I can’t believe that not a single officer saw the dwarves today,” countered the corporal. “Men from every single company saw them. It is not possible for all of the officers to have missed seeing at least one dwarf. Do they travel with their eyes closed?”

Sergeant Turang sighed and stared at the ground. “Look, Chitor,” he said softly, “you and I both know that the dwarves are out there, but the officers cannot admit that. They cannot allow the soldiers of the 21
^st
Corps or the 29
^th
Corps to get frightened silly. They have to maintain order and discipline and that means that they will make an example out of someone. Keep your mouth shut or that someone might be you.”

Corporal Chitor frowned deeply. “I understand what you are saying, Turang, but not talking about them doesn’t make the dwarves go away. The generals are doing nothing about the situation. I am positive that the dwarves are probably right out there now looking at us sitting here. All I am asking is if you can figure out a way to get our site moved deeper into the camp. At least we would have a fighting chance when those creatures attack.”

“And what do you think the generals should be doing?” grumbled the sergeant. “Do you want them to send patrols out? Do you want to be in one of those patrols? Think about the results of your complaining before you speak. If another squad leader heard you talking, he would be recommending you for just such a patrol, and me and the rest of the squad would get to reap your punishment. Just shut your trap about the dwarves.”

The corporal’s eyes grew large, and he seemed to have trouble swallowing. He glanced at the dark trees beyond the perimeter, and his body shuddered.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” vowed the corporal, “but I still think you should try for a better campsite tomorrow night.”

The sergeant sighed again and picked up a rock as he rose to his feet. “I actually did try for a better site tonight,” the sergeant said softly. “It seems that every squad leader wanted to be in the center of the camp. Colonel Pierce was not happy with the requests. He was the officer who brought up the dwarves and the threat by General Ritka to make an example out of someone. They all know about the dwarves, Chitor. They are just lying to us so we don’t get nervous and start thinking about deserting.”

“I wouldn’t fancy deserting and being alone in those woods,” Corporal Chitor replied nervously. “If I did desert, I would turn around and run as fast as I could back to the portal. I don’t want to be in Alcea any more.”

“The portals are gone,” the sergeant said softly. “I overheard a cavalry captain telling the general about it. Both portals were ripped out of the walls.”

“Ripped out of the walls?” gasped Chitor.

“Probably by dwarves,” nodded the sergeant. “I can’t imagine the strength of a creature who could just rip a door out of a wall, but that is what the captain reported.”

“Interesting that the generals sent riders out to check on the portals,” mused the corporal. “Do you think the generals were thinking about heading back home?”

“I don’t know,” answered Sergeant Turang, “but I know they are worried about the dwarves. Colonel Pierce had suggested sending the cavalry out to capture one of the dwarves to interrogate, but General Ritka squashed the idea. He was afraid that the cavalry wouldn’t return and that the effect of that loss would devastate morale.”

“So we just do nothing?” balked the corporal. “Sooner of later we will have to meet those creatures. You have to know that the dwarves are just biding their time. I don’t look forward to fighting them, but I would rather do so on our terms than theirs.”

“As long as you had twenty-thousand men clumped around you?” scoffed the sergeant.

Corporal Chitor shrugged and nodded. “If you mean that I am afraid to face the dwarves, you are right. I admit it, but this waiting every day for them to finally attack is far worse than fighting. I wish they would just kill us and get it over with.”

“I am not ready to die,” the sergeant scowled. “Maybe we should just kill them instead.”

With frustration, the sergeant turned and hurled the rock into the trees.
 
It was merely his way to ease the tension by using force in some way, but his eyes widened as he heard the rock strike something metal. The rest of the men near the perimeter also heard the noise in the woods, and they all jumped to their feet. Their act of alarm saved the sergeant’s life. Something shiny shot out of the trees, firelight glinting off its polished surface. The object tumbled end over end in a fast and furious flight that ended in a solid thump and a gurgle as one of Sergeant Turang’s men fell to his knees. The stricken soldier teetered on his knees before falling to the ground, a small polished ax protruding from his chest.

Shouting erupted in the camp, and the soldiers all dropped to the ground rather than grabbing their bows and firing in defense as they had been trained to do. The sergeant cursed loudly when he realized that he was the only man standing, but none of his men rose to their feet. As much as they feared to be punished by the sergeant, they feared the dwarves more. Sergeant Turang walked to the fallen man and pulled the small throwing ax out of the soldier’s chest. He glanced at the ax and then gazed into the trees. He imagined a grinning dwarf hiding in the darkness as he raised his hand in a defiant gesture.

“Are you crazy?” Corporal Chitor called up to him from the ground. “You do not stand in the open and insult a dwarf when he is only a few paces away. Get down!”

The sergeant shrugged. “He already threw his ax. If he wants to fight, he will have to come out of the shadows.”

“You are nuts, Turang,” retorted Chitor. “They have a dozen of those small axes hanging from their belts. Besides, it might not be just one dwarf.”

The sergeant’s face paled as he understood what the corporal was telling him. He felt a great need to immediately drop to the ground, but soldiers came running from deeper in the camp to see what was happening, saving the sergeant from embarrassment. As the first of the soldiers arrived, the sergeant casually stepped back, keeping at least one of the new arrivals between him and the trees at all times.

* * * *

General Kolling stepped out of the column as it stumbled to a halt. Whatever the problem was, the general was sure that Colonel Ednor would advise him shortly. As the Baroukan general waited, he gazed up at the night sky and shook his head with disappointment. The moon should have been bright this night, but angry clouds drifting over the coast had darkened its glow and eradicated the stars. He cursed his bad luck, and he cursed night marches.

“General Kolling,” Colonel Ednor said when he had located the leader of Team Barouk, “we have trouble. The enemy has destroyed a bridge ahead.”

“Why am I not surprised?” scowled the general. “I wish these Alceans would just come out and fight like men. Is the river fordable?”

“It is,” answered the colonel, “but I ordered the column stopped. I have men searching upstream and downstream for a more suitable crossing point.”

“Why?” frowned the general. “If we can get across it, why bother searching for alternatives?”

“It doesn’t feel right to me, General. We have crossed dozens of streams and rivers, and the enemy ignored those bridges. I think this particular bridge might hold some significance to the Alceans. I thought it would be wiser to search out alternatives than to play the hand dealt by the enemy.”

“We are already far behind schedule,” snapped the general. “Get our men across that river, and do it now.”

“As you command,” replied Colonel Ednor. “I will see to it immediately.”

The Baroukan colonel turned and ran towards the vanguard of the column. When he arrived, he stopped and gazed at the ford as he tried to catch his breath. The opposite shore of the river was dark, the forest extending to the edge of the riverbank. The colonel frowned as he surveyed it. The river itself was running swiftly, but it was neither a great torrent nor exceedingly deep. He turned and waved a captain forward. The captain hurried to the colonel’s side and gazed across the river.

“I want your company to get across the river and set up a defensive perimeter on the opposite shore,” commanded the colonel. “Signal me when the bank is secure.”

The captain saluted the colonel and retreated to his men. Moments later, one hundred Federation soldiers gathered on the near bank of the river. The captain’s hushed orders were brief and the men of the company nodded in understanding. One squad immediately moved down the bank and into the river while the other four squads stood with arrows nocked. The lead squad moved quietly out into the river, expecting trouble from unseen foes, but nothing happened. The squad slowly made their way across the river and climbed up the opposite bank. The twenty men spread out, creating a semicircular zone of protection for the rest of the company. When the short perimeter was established, the squad leader signaled the captain to send over the rest of the company. Four more squads slid down the bank and into the river, their arrows secured in their quivers, and their bows strapped to their backs.

The larger part of the company was halfway across the river when the enemy struck. All twenty of the first squad fell in the first volley of arrows. The second volley of arrows was already speeding towards the men in the river before anyone understood what was happening.

“Archers!” shouted Colonel Ednor. “I want withering fire on the opposite shore, and I want it now!”

The men in the river were caught midstream. Some of them tried to complete the trek across the river while others turned and tried to flee. Some even tried to nock arrows midstream and fight the unseen enemy, but all of the choices made were illusory grasps at the unobtainable. Within seconds of the opening barrage, all of the men were dead. The Federation archers in the vanguard of the column stepped up to the riverbank and fired volley after volley of arrows into the dark forest, but silence was the only victim. After a few minutes, Colonel Ednor gave the order to stop shooting, and an eerie stillness fell over the river. The colonel turned to select another company to attempt the crossing, but he frowned as he gazed at the men standing before him. Of the four captains who had gathered near the river when the column had halted, none of them were currently visible. The vanguard of the mighty 9
^th
Corps of the Empire of Barouk had suddenly become bereft of company commanders.

As General Pryblick, commander of the 8
^th
Corps of the Empire of Barouk and team leader for Team Danver Shores, approached the rendezvous place, he noticed the crude sign on the side of the road. He shook his head and then turned his gaze to the assembled officers waiting for him. General Mackle, commander of the 12
^th
Corps of Ertak, was already present, but Pryblick ignored the other general and rode straight towards his own colonel.