Wolves and War
Page 67
CHAPTER 22 (Northern Continent)
The Vada made sure their armour was secure. They were also careful to keep as quiet as they could. Francis felt a thrill of pride. They had achieved so much and now it was time to fight, to put that training into practice.
The infantry was stationed in the centre of the allied lines and directly in front of the command post. The men and women gathered there had the determined look of those prepared to do their duty, whatever the cost. They all carried the short sword of the infantry and their shields were strapped to their other arm. When in place the shields would form a wall of wood, leather and strength through which, despite their size, the Larg would find difficult to force through.
Behind the shield wall and the infantry ranks sat a long row of Arthur Knott’s arrow contraps, ready and waiting for the order to fire. Each crew consisted of six humans and one Lind. Even if the Larg had seen them being manhandled and lindpawed up the hill they would have had no idea of their purpose and what damage they could do. A full Lindar from pack Ranetei guarded the contraps.
Sharp stakes lining the approach were another protection. The Larg would have to negotiate them, further slowing their advance. These stakes were not as effective as they would have been against cavalry. The Larg were far more intelligent than horses; they would weave themselves in and out of the stakes, but they would slow them down.
“Are the Larg aware that we are in the woods?” asked Jim of Larya.
“Yes.”
“They’ll get a surprise when you don’t move down the hill to meet them,” said Jim with a malicious smile.
“True.”
“Remind each Lindar not to show itself beyond the tree line before the order is given,” Jim reminded her. “I want the Larg caught off-balance. Hopefully they will not have realised just how many Lind we have.”
Even Zanatei had been amazed at the numbers who had arrived from the west.
When the members of the Gtratha were asked about it their answer had surprised Jim and the others. “Humans give us hope.”
“Do you still think that the Larg will attack us and the convicts the settlement?” asked Jim. “If we see any of the Larg kohorts sidling over to the settlement we’ll need to warn them.”
“The Larg will not wish to attack human domta. They will think it is better that men fight other men.”
That fitted in with the rest of the intelligence gathered from the south. Although General Murdoch and Aoalvaldr had an alliance, the two branches of their army would fight their own separate battles.
“Larg use bad men to keep our humans away from Larg,” added Larya and Jim came back to the present with a start.
It took Jim a moment or two to work out exactly what she meant.
“Get a surprise when they come up against Robert’s infantry,” he said with grim humour.
“They will not expect it,” agreed Larya. She wagged her tail in satisfaction.
Larya was correct. The Larg kohorts did not expect to face any men in battle. As far as Aoalvaldr was concerned, humans fought humans and Larg fought Lind. He knew of the friendship between the northern settlers and the Lind but not of its full extent. Murdoch’s men were there to keep these humans occupied whilst he dealt with his traditional foes.
He had made concessions to his convict allies. The coastal plain on which the Argyll’s crew had settled Murdoch could do with as he wished. Aoalvaldr’s prime concern was the Lind. He needed to defeat their army so that the kohorts could move freely throughout the western part of the northern continent to gather in the large herds of kura and zarova. He did not intend to kill all the herds. The waters between the continents were low this hot season; the kohorts could easily drive the herds south over the island chain. When he arrived home with them he would be a hero, bringing so many animals down to the packs where the local herds had been decimated over the last few seasons due to the lack of rain.
He had made another concession with the full agreement of the Largan, the Chief Larg. The area of hilly and wooded lands beside the southern river where the convicts made their home, from the encampment north to the coastline, he ceded to Murdoch and his descendants in perpetuity. If they could also hold on to the western edge of the northern continent it would be even better as this would ensure that the Larg would have a friendly ally in the north, a stepping stone from which they could raid the northern continent any time they wished.
Aoalvaldr was confident that his army would be able to defeat the Lind. He splashed ashore that dawn with a sigh of satisfaction. He was on his way to becoming the most renowned and important Larg the world had ever seen, of that he was sure. Perhaps he would oust the Largan and take command of all Larg. That was his ultimate aim.
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