At long last the day came when Garnuk had ordered Tarq and Koah to return with any recruits they had found. Garnuk himself rose early and moved out to the command center, sitting in one of the rough stone chairs there and examining a detailed map of the Fells while he waited.
Marked on it were the locations of Danur’s spies, small black ‘X’s in seemingly random places. But there was a reason for every one of the positions noted. There was one that overlooked a popular hunting ground. Another that watched the city of men, Ishkabur. A few along the trade route men frequented, and a few more scattered across key passes. Some were positioned close to major population centers, the strongholds of other tribes. There were even three groups assigned to Dun Carryl itself. All sending reports to Garnuk and the rest of Shadow Squadron.
Brunn and Danur arrived a few hours after dawn with their morning briefing. Five of the spy camps had sent in reports, noting that there was nothing unusual yet. Garnuk accepted this information without comment, knowing that it was early days yet. Eventually, things would start to heat up. The Ramshuk’s forces would begin moving decisively, and when they did Garnuk would have to react quickly to keep up.
It was nearly midday when Garnuk heard the outer door of the hidden lair open with a rough grating noise. Voices drifted down the front corridor, murmured exclamations among them. Garnuk loosened his sword in its scabbard just in case, noting that Brunn and Danur also had their weapons close at hand and ready for use.
In another moment, though, their precautions were proven unnecessary. A sizeable group of vertaga, Koah in the lead, marched out of the front corridor and into the command center. Several of the warriors were looking around curiously at their new surroundings. Garnuk recognized some of their faces from the old days, during the war.
“Captain Koah reporting in,” the former Banuk Sentinel announced with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest in a quick salute.
Garnuk nodded shortly, trying to count the rams gathered before him and failing due to his position in the chair. “How many?” he asked finally.
“Ten newcomers,” Koah replied, looking back at the rams he had gathered. “They were quite eager to rejoin with you, general, after so many years on their own.”
They would be, Garnuk thought to himself. Especially if they had been hunted by the Black Hawks as he had. A few of the rams before him bore haunted expressions, their eyes sunk deep into their skulls, their jaws and necks twitching as they resisted the impulse to look quickly around for threats. He wondered how they would hold up in his Shadow Squadron, especially in stressful and dangerous circumstances.
“Welcome,” Garnuk said finally, standing and resting his clawed hands on the table. “It is good to see you all again. It has been a long ten years since last we stood together.”
A low murmur of assent rippled through the rams. Most were watching him hungrily, waiting to hear why they had been summoned.
“The reason I had Koah gather you,” Garnuk continued, “Is because the time has come to strike back at the Usurper.”
That got their attention. Some growled in agreement, gripping their weapons. Some flinched at the mere mention of the Usurper. One terrified ram shook his head wordlessly, dropping into a crouch and taking a half step back.
“Not directly,” Garnuk added quickly, lest some of the weaker ones before him turn tail and run. “This will require subtlety, patience. We are going to bring about the fall of the Usurper, by using the Sthan Kingdom. The Ramshuk, in his infinite wisdom, is beginning a war with men, a war that he cannot win. The Sthan have grown strong since the first war, stronger than us perhaps.”
“Almost certainly,” a vertag at the back interjected. “Ishkabur alone is five times harder a target than it once was.”
“Precisely,” Garnuk agreed. “What neither the Sthan king nor the Usurper knows, is that there is a third force in this war. That force is us, Shadow Squadron. We will manipulate both sides, help or hinder each in small ways so that we control the outcome of the war. We will weaken both our adversaries without them ever knowing we have played a role, and when both are weak enough, we step in to take control.”
The vertaga before him were nodding slowly now, envisioning how his plan might work. Some were frowning thoughtfully, lips moving soundlessly as they thought over some of the finer points of this endeavor.
“So,” Garnuk asked after a long moment. “Are you with us, my old comrades?”
The vertag who had spoken up before did so again. “What would you have us do, general?”
“We already have spies scattered throughout the Fells,” Garnuk explained, noting Koah’s surprised reaction. “The roles I have in mind for you require vertaga of higher intelligence than those we have already deployed though. In the last ten years, you have developed survival skills that no one can hope to match. Therefore, I am sending you into the Sthan kingdom, if you are willing.”
“On raids?” a soldier asked eagerly.
“No,” Garnuk replied, shaking his head. “You will be spymasters.”
A rumble of interest rippled through the group.
“In order to succeed, we need information on both of the other sides in this war,” Garnuk continued. “The spies we have in the Fells will keep us informed on the movements of the Usurper and his troops. You will keep us informed on the activities of the Sthan kingdom. The movements of their armies, the leanings of their leaders, any rumors of internal strife, timetables for supply deliveries and reinforcement mobilizations. Anything that you can get your hands on really.”
“And how do you propose we obtain this information?” one of the warriors asked slowly. “We are vertaga. The Sthan are men. We cannot walk about in their cities.”
“No,” Garnuk agreed, “You cannot. But you can capture individuals with the information you seek, men whose disappearance will go unnoticed. Or recruit outlaws and underworld types to assist you. Threaten to turn them over to the Sthan if they resist, or kill them outright.”
“So we use men to spy on men?”
“To a point,” Garnuk agreed. “But you must be wary of deception and false information. And watch out for traitors. Move around so that you are not traced to one place, so that your informers do not bring unwelcome guests with them the next time they visit your camp.”
“This sounds dangerous,” a vertag near the edge of the group muttered, rubbing his horns. “And extremely risky. Is there no better way to strike back? No more direct way?”
“Would you prefer to stay here in the Fells, running from the Black Hawks for the rest of your life?” Garnuk asked the dissenter, gazing at him steadily.
The vertag shook his head slowly. “No,” he said at last. “At least the men of the Sthan Kingdom will not be actively looking for us. They will not know we are around.”
“Exactly,” Garnuk agreed, smiling. “If you look at it that way, you will be quite safe. And you will not be going alone. I will dispatch you in groups of three so that you will have extras to relay messages to me. But before I do, I need to know if you are with me to the end, whatever happens.”
The de facto leader of the group stood forward, crossing his arms over his chest in salute and tilting his horned head upward with a growl. “To strike back at the Usurper, yes. To avenge our fallen comrades, yes. And to live with a purpose again, yes, my general. I will fight for you once more.”
The other vertaga clamored to agree with him, saluting and shouting until the room rang with their cries. Garnuk smiled to himself and waited for the noise to die down.
“Then I accept you into our ranks once more, my old friends. Welcome to Shadow Squadron.”
The ten recruits threw back their heads and snarled triumphantly, baring their fangs and gnashing their teeth. It was a primal display of ferociousness, of triumph, and a thirst for the blood of their enemies.
“Rest tonight,” Garnuk told them. “Koah and his warriors will show you where to stay for now. Once the remainder of our newest recruits hav
e joined us, you will be deployed. But rest for now. You have come far, and survived much, to join Shadow Squadron. The future is ours, warriors. Ours for the taking and the shaping, ours to control.”
The assembled vertaga murmured agreement and began to disperse. Koah detailed three of his rams to show the newcomers to the bunkrooms, then moved to Garnuk’s side, a slight frown creasing his rough features, furrowing his brow beneath his horns.
“More warriors were recruited over the last few weeks?” he asked curiously. “You have been busy, general. I was under the impression that Shadow Squadron would be a small and select group.”
“They are,” Garnuk replied, a little stiffly. “Those vertaga who I have already deployed are not really Shadow Squadron. They are seeing to smaller tasks that are necessary for our more skilled operatives to do their jobs correctly.”
“I see,” Koah murmured, glancing back at the two vertaga that had remained from his group. “And where did these new recruits come from? Has Tarq’s group already returned?”
“No,” Garnuk said shaking his head.
“Then Chief Carh saw fit to give you more resources? More soldiers?” Koah pressed.
“I have many contacts and friends in the Fells,” Garnuk told him. “Rest assured that the vertaga I have recruited are loyal and capable. That is all that you need to know at the moment. As for Chief Carh, we have had little interaction with him since the day that Tarq and I first arrived at Banta Kodu.”
Koah shrugged. “I just wondered is all,” he said, as though it didn’t matter at all. But Garnuk could tell the former Sentinel was not entirely satisfied.
“Speak with Danur and Brunn about what has transpired since you left if you must,” Garnuk replied. “They will tell you what they can, although there are some things that must be kept compartmentalized.”
“I am one of your captains,” Koah growled indignantly.
“All information shared in this force is on a need to know basis,” Garnuk replied curtly. “If you cannot deal with that, then you should never have joined.”
Koah sighed, clearly frustrated. “You can trust me, general. I am no traitor.”
“I know,” Garnuk replied. “But we have enemies out there, Koah. If you were captured alive, as unlikely as that is, the less you know the better. The information you need, you will be given. But that which you don’t need I must protect by withholding it, just in case.”
The Banuk warrior considered this, then nodded reluctantly. “All right. I will trust you to hold to your oath for now. Have you heard anything from Tarq?”
“Not yet,” Garnuk replied. “Did you see him in your travels through the Fells? Or anyone else?”
“No one, other than the new recruits and my own warriors,” Koah replied. “These areas are sparsely populated. That is why so many of your former followers were in the area I expect.”
“I only wondered,” Garnuk muttered. “We did have a run in with the Usurper’s elite Black Hawks not long after you left. They nearly reached Banta Kodu but turned away at the last moment. Carh was understandably distressed.”
“But the Banuk valley is still a secret?” Koah pressed anxiously.
“Obviously,” Garnuk replied as confidently as he could. “Otherwise the Usurper’s servants would be knocking on the gates. No, at this point I am more worried about whether they will pick up Tarq’s trail or run into him by chance.”
“I am sure Captain Tarq will be fine,” Koah murmured. “If there is nothing else, I will see to my warriors now.”
“Go,” Garnuk replied distractedly. “Rest. You’ve earned it.”
Koah took a few steps towards his warriors, then stopped and looked back. “I noticed that the mission you gave the new recruits was slightly different.”
Garnuk smiled thinly at him. “The mission has not changed, Koah. Only the audience whom I spoke to. Do not worry about it.”
Koah nodded several times. “It’s just hard to know what to believe.”
“Believe in me, and in our warriors,” Garnuk suggested. “And trust us to be your brothers in this noble cause.”
The former Banuk Sentinel smiled wryly and saluted quickly. Then, he turned away and joined his warriors, murmuring to them quietly.
Garnuk watched him go, trying to gauge what was going through his captain’s head. Would the Banuk warrior remain loyal? Was he suspicious?
The Exile’s own thoughts drifted back to the captain who had not returned. There was still plenty of time before nightfall, but Garnuk would have expected Tarq to return before Koah, even if only to attempt to prove the Banuk captain to be inferior.
An hour passed. Then another. And a third. Garnuk continued sitting in the command center, the others coming and going throughout the afternoon. Koah, Danur, and Brunn all checked in several times to see if there had been any news. Each time, they were turned away with a brisk answer in the negative. Finally, two of Shadow Squadron ventured out into Banta Kodu to bring food for the expanding force.
And still no sign of Tarq or his recruits.
The food returned and Shadow Squadron feasted in the command center. The new recruits, having recovered some of their strength, were in noisy good spirits. Strong Banuk ale was in plentiful supply, as well as succulent haunches of all manner of meat, roasted and raw. In the center of the room though, the atmosphere was far different. Garnuk and his advisors ate quietly, avoiding making eye contact with each other.
Eventually, night came and Garnuk gave up. Tarq would not be returning this day. Perhaps in the morning the missing captain would arrive. By now the Exile was bouncing back and forth between nervous concern and fiery anger. Concern for his friend and for the safety of the Banuk and Shadow Squadron, anger at his captain for failing to follow a direct and clear order. But, there was nothing he could do other than wait. He would give Tarq until dawn before he really worried. And if Tarq had not returned by this time tomorrow, he would have to start adjusting his plans.
Garnuk slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning in his bed. Horrible possibilities kept occurring to him, keeping his mind working feverishly as he strove to find answers to every problem he was facing or might face in the future. He growled and snarled to himself, trying to block the errant thoughts out but to no avail. Eventually, he resigned himself to a restless night and closed his eyes, doing his best to breathe deeply and slowly in hopes it would calm his racing mind.
Dawn came, and Garnuk rose soon after. He had only managed to snatch a couple of hours of solid sleep during the night, and he felt worn down by the constant worrying. Hoping that perhaps Tarq had snuck into the city under cover of darkness, the Exile made for the command center. But it was disappointingly empty.
Danur and Brunn arrived next, bringing with them their daily report on the spies in the Fells. There was nothing of consequence, no thorny problems or suspicious movements to devote careful thought to. And so the two vertaga departed almost as soon as they had arrived and Garnuk was left to continue his lonely vigil in the command center.
Koah passed through next, roughly three hours after dawn. The captain was bleary-eyed and grimacing as he sat down opposite Garnuk, stretching muscles stiff from several days of hard traveling.
“Any sign of them?” the Banuk captain asked cautiously.
Garnuk simply shook his head wordlessly.
Noon came and went. Garnuk did not bother fetching food. He was not hungry, his stomach and appetite both shrunken by the anxiety. Only a few more hours until he had to come up with a new plan, a way to deploy his meager force that might result in success. He had been counting on the rest of the survivors, as well as Tarq and the soldiers he had taken with him. Shadow Squadron needed every warrior.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the headquarters’ door opening and closing, followed by a low rumble of voices. Garnuk’s spirits lifted for a moment, then he realized that there was not enough noise for a large number of warriors. Less than half a dozen, he would guess. Prob
ably members of Shadow Squadron returning from lunch.
Frustrated, he rose and started to make his way back to his room, intending to continue his thinking there. It would be quieter, and he could light a fire to stave off the chill that permeated these dwellings.
As he was leaving the command center though, a voice stopped him. “General!”
Garnuk stopped and turned back to look at the command center. Four vertaga were standing in the hallway opposite him, three of them looking around uncertainly. The fourth Garnuk recognized as one of Koah’s Sentinels.
“Rovuk,” Koah exclaimed, rising as well. “What’s going on? Where is the captain?”
“He’s bringing up the rear,” Rovuk replied, chuckling to himself. “He thought we had best split into groups to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”
The Exile frowned, confused. “Split into groups? What are you talking a – ?”
The outer door opened again and another group of four vertaga stumbled through. Then a third group. And a fourth. All Garnuk could do was stare around the rapidly filling command center, speechless. This had exceeded his wildest dreams. Here were twelve new recruits already, with more coming all the time. Even as he had the thought, a fifth group entered. This group had six vertaga, five of them hiding a wounded warrior in their midst to conceal him from prying eyes.
“Get a medic,” Garnuk told Koah. “From among our own, if you can. If not, we will have to send this one to a Banuk that you trust to keep his mouth shut.”
Koah nodded wordlessly and hurried from the room, making for the bunkrooms in the rear hallway. Almost as soon as he had left, the outer door opened for a sixth time.
Six more vertaga entered. Then a seventh slipped through the door, pulling it shut behind him, murmuring instructions to his fellows. They let him move ahead of them and followed him into the command center. There, Tarq came to a halt and saluted Garnuk proudly.
The Ramshuk (Heirs of Legacy Book 3) Page 12