“And if they strike out in the direction of Banta Kodu?” Carh asked ominously.
“Then they will have to be intercepted, contained, and destroyed,” Garnuk said with a shrug. “Including their birds, which will be difficult.”
“Yes, difficult,” Carh agreed absently. “Do you realize that the position you have put me in is rather ‘difficult’, Garnuk? Do you realize that by granting you sanctuary I may have exposed my entire tribe to discovery?”
“Yes,” Garnuk said. “And I appreciate the difficulty you are facing. But Banta Kodu is not discovered yet. The hunters can be diverted, with patience and subtlety. But not by force.”
The Banuk chief hefted his war club, running a rough hand over the embedded wedges of metal.
“We will try it your way,” he decided finally. “Because it is the only way available to us that is likely to succeed.”
“A wise decision, great chief,” Garnuk agreed, inclining his head slightly. “And as a gesture of good faith, I swear that should the hunters become a problem or escape with knowledge of your tribe’s home, I will personally hunt them down and destroy them. Or, at the very least, draw them off. They are really hunting me, after all.”
“I would expect no less,” Carh replied. “Now go. And pray to the spirits that your plan does not fail.”
Garnuk bowed deeply, backing away from the Banuk chief. “Of course, Chief Carh.”
The Sentinels escorted Garnuk back to the entrance hall, where Danur and Brunn were waiting anxiously.
“What happened?” Brunn asked as soon as Garnuk emerged. “What has gone wrong? Is the chief angry? Has he reconsidered helping Shadow Squadron?”
“Quiet,” Garnuk snarled. “We will discuss this elsewhere. Outside, perhaps.”
“I know a place,” Danur suggested quietly. “Peaceful and out of the way.”
“Lead on,” Garnuk replied distractedly, waving a hand for the other vertag to precede him.
Danur grunted in reply and led the way out of the stronghold. The Sentinels let them go without complaint. Their business with Garnuk was finished, and the Banuk chief had spared him for a little longer, at least.
Outside, the secret city of Banta Kodu was awash in bright, noonday light. Glaring shafts of natural light slanted down from above, illuminating the city. All around, vertaga of all ages, shapes, and sizes were going about their business cheerfully, with no idea that their secret home had come so close to being revealed.
Danur led the small group down the stone steps and out through the gate of the stronghold. Then, he veered sharply to the right, moving parallel to the stronghold walls. Garnuk kept track of directions and turns with one part of his mind, thinking furiously with the rest. He had failed to acquire additional troops and support from Chief Carh during their meeting, and he had desperately needed those resources. The sooner he got his spy network up and running, the better. It was impossible to know how events were progressing beyond the walls of the hidden city, but the Exile was willing to bet that the Ramshuk and his soldiers were not waiting idly for Garnuk to join the war.
The Banuk warrior continued to lead the way, weaving between buildings, circling plazas and pillars, and shouldering through crowds. Brunn followed dutifully behind, watching Garnuk’s back for him. They proceeded in this manner for some time, until Danur suddenly veered to the right, towards the mountains, following a narrow, seldom-trod path.
The path led up the side of the mountain, darting among boulders and scattered trees, rising above the buildings of Banta Kodu, rising above even the suspended paths of the second level. Finally, a half hour into the journey, Danur scrambled around a pile of rocks in a hairpin turn and stopped, breathing lightly and gazing back out over the city.
“There,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Here we can talk undisturbed general. It is a good place to think, to plan, and to watch.”
Garnuk raised his gaze from the ground and sucked in a quick breath. There, laid out before him, was the whole of the Banuk world. From this vantage point, he could see little of the stronghold, but he could see out across every other structure, including the platforms and bridges hanging among the support pillars. In the distance, sheltering everything, was the camouflaged outer wall, Banuk sentries pacing back and forth.
“It’s beautiful,” Garnuk murmured.
Danur nodded sagely. “Our race is not known for beautiful works,” he reflected. “We are known for strength. Power. Ferocity in battle. And talented warriors. I wonder, sometimes, if we would not be better off focusing on things like this instead.”
Garnuk looked around the little ledge. There was a low wall fronting it, a rough pile of stones picked up from the mountain, and four stool-sized moss-covered boulders sitting in a rough semicircle, facing out towards the city.
“Did you build this place?” he asked curiously.
“Not build, exactly,” Danur replied, sitting on one of the boulders with a sigh. “But I . . . arranged it to my liking. I often come here to get away from the turmoil of being a warrior. The view is soothing, and it strengthens my resolve.”
“Oh?”
“Yes,” Danur confirmed, nodding. “Even we Sentinels weaken sometimes. Standing concealed in the forest for hours on end, killing any living thing that comes near, it wears on even the fiercest, most dedicated vertag. But when I come back here, I remember why it is all worth it.” He gazed out over the valley. “What we really fight for. Not a valley. Not a stronghold. Not a legacy. A people. A tribe.”
“A family,” Garnuk murmured quietly.
Danur looked back at him, surprised. “Aye,” he agreed. “A family.”
“I have no mate,” Brunn grunted. “But I do have friends and other family in the city. They are the reason I fight. For their safety and prosperity.”
“My mate and cubs live just there,” Danur told Garnuk, pointing to a multistory dwelling off to the right, about halfway to the outer wall. “My oldest will be a warrior, just like me. The younger one, though, he will be a great craftsman of our race. And he has the freedom to choose that path because of vertaga like me. Like Brunn.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Garnuk asked. “I mean, the city is beautiful and everything, but – ”
“Because I see in your eyes the same thing that drives me to be a great warrior,” Danur replied, staring fixedly at Garnuk. “There is someone, or multiple someones, who you care about and want this peace and security for.”
Garnuk did not flinch, though he felt an inward thrill of panic. How had this Banuk warrior divined his real purpose so easily? Discovered his deepest secret?
“You must be mistaken,” he said finally. “I have nobody.”
“I do not think so,” Danur countered. “But, I will not force you to admit it. I see the pain you feel as you remember them. As to the reason I tell you all of this, it is so that you will realize you are not alone, general. You may have been an exile once, but no more. You are the leader of Shadow Squadron, and we are proud to be in your service.”
The Exile looked out over the city a moment longer, memorizing every exquisite detail. The patterns of bark decorating the thick pillars, the organic nature of the dwellings, the cheerful Banuk robed in forest colors. And the thousands of glittering lights hanging from every surface, gleaming every shade of orange, yellow, and gold
“Thank you,” he said at last, glancing at his two companions. “Now, suppose we talk about the next step?”
Brunn sat on a boulder as well, facing towards Garnuk and slightly away from the city. “First, what happened with the chief? If we know that, we will be able to advise you better on affairs concerning the Banuk tribe going forward.”
Garnuk nodded. It was a good thought, and he had no problem sharing that information. After all, it would make them more effective in their roles and Garnuk was short on warriors at the moment. Every one of them had to be as effective as possible.
“The Sentinels accosted two of the Usurper’s Black Haw
ks about a mile from Banta Kodu,” Garnuk explained. “Four of your brethren fell before the hunters were slain.”
“I imagine Carh was frustrated,” Danur observed grimly. On Garnuk’s other side, Brunn was cursing under his breath and rubbing his horns with his hands.
“He was furious,” Garnuk confirmed. “He blames me for drawing the hunters here.”
“Did you?” Danur asked sharply.
Garnuk shrugged. “I suppose I could have. But it seems unlikely. Tarq and I had not seen hide nor horn of the Black Hawks, and we were being quite vigilant.”
“Yet they arrive the day after you,” Brunn pointed out. “Maybe they did find some way to track you.”
“Maybe,” Garnuk conceded. “It really doesn’t matter either way. I have offered a solution and tempered Carh’s anger for now. The real problem is that I was not able to request the additional resources I wanted.”
“What resources?” Danur asked, interested.
“Mainly, enough vertaga to create a spy network,” Garnuk said ruefully. “Though I doubt he will give me anything for a good long time.”
“Not all of our strength must come through Carh. We can quietly recruit a few Banuk ourselves,” Danur suggested. “I know some who yearn for adventure and would be willing to help.”
“Are they reckless?” Garnuk had no desire to bring on unreliable help.
“More eager than reckless,” Danur replied. “We don’t even have to say they will be working for you. Brunn and I are still technically Sentinels. We can recruit them for a Banuk intelligence network.”
“If Carh finds out, he will not be pleased,” Brunn murmured.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Garnuk agreed.
“War is a game of risk,” Danur said stubbornly. “This is one we may need to take.”
Garnuk thought it over. “I would want to keep these spies within the Fells,” he decided. “Since they won’t be as reliable as the vertaga Tarq and Koah are seeking out.”
“Then you agree?” Danur asked.
The Exile nodded slowly. “Yes. Gather your recruits, Danur. It’s time to find out what the Usurper is up to.”
Chapter 11:
Infiltrating the Fells
A week passed. There was no sign of the Black Hawks, nor any other indication that the location of Banta Kodu was no longer a secret. But Garnuk did not push his luck by requesting a second audience with the Banuk chief during that time. Certainly not when he was building a secret spy network of Carh’s subjects without his knowledge.
The Exile saw little of Danur during those seven days. The warrior spent much of his time away from Shadow Squadron’s headquarters, moving among his friends in the city, quietly mentioning the growing intelligence force to certain individuals. As it turned out, many of the rams he approached reacted favorably to the idea, eager to assist in spying on the rest of the world.
At the end of the week, Danur gathered his recruits in a seldom-used sixth-level chamber, well away from the normal goings on of the stronghold. They had debated about bringing the recruits to Shadow Squadron’s headquarters, but ultimately decided against it for a number of reasons. Beginning with the issue that Garnuk struggled with every day from dawn until dusk: trust.
And yet, here they were, he reflected as Danur stepped out of the shadows at the front of the room to take control of the meeting. Sixty new recruits he was about to put his trust in. Sixty more rams who might betray him, willingly or unwillingly. Sixty more calculated risks.
Garnuk himself stood well back from the action with Brunn. They were half hidden in an alcove near the rear of the room, sitting at a small table. Both he and Brunn had drawn their weapons and leaned them against the wall, acting the part of guards or security. This was Danur’s meeting, after all. He would command these rams, give them their assignments, collect their reports. And pass everything to Garnuk, who in turn would pass down the next round of orders. Danur would be the Banuk face of a decidedly non-Banuk initiative.
Garnuk smiled slightly to himself and leaned back in his chair, surveying the room. All of these rams had the look of warriors. They were strong, tall, and thickly built. Each carried his weapon of choice with him. Most had axes or swords, but there was a good scattering of spears and a surprising number of war clubs.
No ranged weapons though. No crossbows or longbows. Not even a sling. Vertaga excelled at, and delighted in, hand to hand combat. Only a few took up ranged weapons, and then usually not by choice. The Ramshuks of the past had always maintained a force of crossbowmen and archers, just in case a major war should arise. For even if the vertaga as a race did not favor ranged weapons, they recognized their strategic advantage in battle.
Now Garnuk turned his attention to the front of the room once more, as Danur began speaking. The warrior kept his voice low, so low that Garnuk had to lean forward slightly to hear him properly. Much of the audience was doing the same, eagerly and raptly listening to the ram who would be their leader.
“Welcome, friends,” Danur began, nodding gravely to them. “It makes my heart beat strongly to see so many gathered here today, to witness the beginning of something the Banuk tribe has never accomplished before.”
Danur stopped, looked out over the crowd, and clasped his clawed hands in front of him. “The world is growing ever more dangerous, brothers. The cursed Sthan grow stronger every year, while we vertaga hide in the Fells and struggle to survive. The spirits have blessed us with peace for ten good years, but that peace is in danger now. You see, the Ramshuk is preparing to declare war on men once more.”
Agitated murmurs swept through the chamber as the assembled recruits voiced their opinions to their neighbors. Danur waited for the discussion to run its course before continuing his awkward speech.
“There is opportunity in this path, but also risk. Our people are not as strong as we once were. The Ramshuk’s forces suffered terrible losses in the last war, and are only just starting to recover. In all likelihood, the vertaga have not the strength to win.”
“And if the Ramshuk’s armies falter or fail, there will be no place in the Fells left to hide!” Danur continued angrily, raising his voice. “The Sthan armies will sweep through these mountains, bent on extinguishing our existence after two bloody wars. They will hunt every ram, dame, and cub until all lay slaughtered at their feet. There will be nothing left of our people when they are done, no sacred mountain hall unspoiled, no stronghold unbroken.”
“That includes the Banuk, and Banta Kodu,” Danur added grimly. “That is why we are taking action. To preserve our way of life.”
“What, exactly, are you asking of us Danur?” a vertag near the front asked.
Danur nodded in his direction. “Good question. You will be dispatched across the Fells to keep watch on the movements of all forces. Humans, vertaga, everyone. You will report back to me with any information you gather, which I will pass on to the appropriate leaders in our tribe.”
“We will spy on our own people, our own kin?” another vertag asked, concerned.
“The Ramshuk is not of our tribe,” Danur countered. “What he is attempting goes against all of the principles of the Banuk and endangers all vertaga. Therefore, we must keep an eye on him and his plans, lest he bring about the downfall of our entire race. What is done with the information you gather is not my decision, but the decision of other, wiser vertaga among us.”
“Banuk leaders?” the first vertag asked.
“Yes,” Danur said as firmly as he could. He did not even glance at Garnuk and Brunn, who were still playing the role of competent but bored and disinterested guards.
“Any more questions?” Danur asked, looking around.
“Can we tell anyone what we are doing?” a larger vertag near the back called.
“No,” Danur said quickly. Garnuk breathed a sigh of relief. That was something he had not originally thought about. If word of this secret force leaked back to Chief Carh he would be in serious trouble.
�
�Why?”
Garnuk’s head snapped around as the belligerent question was voiced. He could not identify the speaker, so he looked at Danur, wondering what his guard would say. The warrior was hesitating, head tilted thoughtfully.
“Do you disagree?”
“Yes,” the voice came again. “I have a mate and three cubs. They will want to know where I am going.”
It was a fair question, Garnuk thought. He could understand where the vertag was coming from. After all, Garnuk’s own quest was at least in part for the sake of his own family. But just now, he wished that the other vertag had put such concerns as family aside.
Danur nodded thoughtfully and began pacing at the front of the room again, meeting the eyes of individual vertaga as he did. “I understand your concern, friend. But our mission must remain a secret. It is easier to scout and observe in safety when no one knows what we are doing. There is also the fact that other tribes, or factions within our own tribe, may not look favorably on our actions. For your own safety, your mission must stay within our ranks.”
“Then we lie to our families and friends?”
“Yes,” Danur said without flinching. “Tell them you are visiting friends in another tribe or going on a long hunting trip. Or maybe an extended cruise, those of you who work with the boats. That should keep them satisfied for a few weeks.”
“And how long do you expect this to take?”
“I don’t know. A few weeks, possibly a few months.”
There was much rumbling at that, especially from the vertaga that had been upset about not being able to tell their families their mission.
“I know it is hard,” Danur admitted. “It is difficult even for me to ask this of you. But this is for the future. Those among you with cubs, think about how a world where the Sthan control the Fells would be like for them. Think about the oppression they would face, if our race even survives. This is not a future that I want for my kin, nor for anyone else’s. It is a future that I am willing to fight to avoid. And I daresay many of you are as well.”
The Ramshuk (Heirs of Legacy Book 3) Page 10