“No, sir!” Flare said.
Colonel Holt smiled again, “Although, I guess your orders from General Vergillion actually give you command for another two days, don't they?” His comment was a joke, and Flare took it as such.
“Now, this afternoon I am going to ride westward and investigate some reports of the goblins massing. I want you to pick some of your better men to go with me. It will give me a firsthand account of your abilities, and the abilities of your men.”
Colonel Holt stopped in front of Flare, appraising him. “I want you and five of your best men to ride with me. Pick your men and meet me at the western gate at noon.”
“Yes, sir. We'll be ready.”
Flare hurried out of the Colonel's office, and wasn't surprised to see that Dale had left with his tail between his legs. He went straight back to the temporary quarters, and hastily selected the most qualified soldiers.
He tried to find all of the squad, but not all of them were around. Derek, Kara, and Mikela were still scattered amongst the soldiers, when he addressed the squad.
“Listen up. Colonel Holt wants me and five of you to ride with him westward. Heather, I want you to go as our woods guide.”
Heather ran her hand through her hair, “Fine.”
“Also Atock, Philip, Enton, and Trestus are to ride with us.”
Callin jumped up from his chair, “Why are you taking Trestus? I’m a better archer, and a better swordsman than he is. I should go, not him.”
Flare appraised him with a stern glare. Callin held the eye contact for several moments before dropping his eyes to the floor.
“Callin, you may be better with the bow than Trestus, but he will not question my orders in front of the Colonel. If you were better disciplined, you would probably be going with us. Now, I want you to stay here and watch the soldiers. Understand?”
A somewhat cowed Callin answered, “Yes sir.”
“Good.” Flare said, nodding. Then to everybody, “All right, people. Let’s get moving.”
They stopped only to get their equipment and horses, and arrived at the western gate fifteen minutes early, but Colonel Holt was already waiting for them. He was rubbing the nose of a beautiful brown mare, with about fifteen well armed soldiers standing around him.
“You’re early, Sergeant, but that’s good. Are these your best men?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, put one of them at point, and let’s get going.”
Flare glanced over at Heather, and she moved forward to take the foremost position, and then the rest of the soldiers formed a rough diamond shaped formation around the colonel. It was noontime, when the soldiers rode through the gate.
The mountain range ran away from the fortress to the north and south. The ground ran from the gate at a steep angle, until gradually leveling off at the edge of the forest, and there was a noticeable absence of any trees or shrubs near the fortress. They were afforded a wonderful view of the tops of the trees as the forest ran off into the distance.
They rode for an hour, along the remains of the crumbling ancient road. Colonel Holt said no one knew who had built the road; it had just always been there. It was called the forest road today, but once it had been known as the cutting road. The road was wide and had grass growing all over it. In spots, tree roots were pushing the stones out of the ground.
The group was moving along at a relaxed pace, when Heather came back toward the main formation in a gallop. She pulled up in front of Colonel Holt and Flare.
“Sir. Were approaching a large clearing, and there are goblin prints all around. There are also some prints that I have never seen before. Sir, may I suggest that we ...”
The colonel raised his hand to cut Heather off. “I’m sure that we can handle whatever we find. Lead on.”
Flare was surprised, “Sir. May I suggest that we at least send out scouts to explore the area first? That would at least give us an idea of what were going up against.”
The colonel stared at Flare for several moments, “Sergeant. I am not used to having soldiers question my orders. I’m sure that we can handle a few goblins. But even if we can’t, it is my decision, not yours.”
Knowing that no matter how much he disagreed with the colonel, he had been placed under his command, Flare bit his tongue and apologized. “Sir. I apologize. I did not mean to question your orders; I simply meant to offer you alternatives.”
“When I want your alternatives, I'll ask for them.”
Somewhat cowed, Flare answered, “Yes sir.” His thoughts drifted back to earlier in the day, when he had given much the same speech to Callin.
The colonel turned his attention back to Heather. “Now, lead on.”
Approaching the clearing, they spread out and moved as silently as possible.
They broke through the brush, and entered the south-western part of the clearing. There were ten goblins gathered around a fire. Goblins were evil creatures, with wicked looking fangs. They were about the same height as humans, but much stronger. They were furry, and wore little clothing. They lived in clans, or tribes, and were constantly fighting amongst themselves. They jumped to their feet as the soldiers entered the clearing.
Colonel Holt drew his sword, shouting, “Charge!” The colonel and his soldiers from the fort quickly spurred their horses forward.
Flare, however, tried to restrain his men from joining the battle. Philip was in the battle with the goblins before Flare could stop him, but he stopped the rest of the squad members from charging.
“Wait! Guard the rear. Trestus get your bow ready and scan the trees. Heather, get back into the woods and make sure we’re not being ambushed. Atock, Enton, draw your weapons, and stay alert.”
The fight continued for several minutes, but the soldiers, with their superior numbers, were easily defeating the goblins. Eight goblins were already dead, while only two soldiers had fallen.
All of a sudden, Heather burst back through the trees. “Flare! There are goblins everywhere. We're surrounded!”
“How many are there?”
Heather shook her head as she answered, “I don’t know. A couple hundred, maybe.”
“Damn. All right.” Flare quickly gave orders. “Form into a wedge, we’ll have to burst through them and make a run for the fort, but first I must warn the colonel.”
He turned his horse around and sped off toward the battle.
The last two goblins had not been killed, but instead they had been caught and tied up, presumably for interrogation later.
Flare pulled his horse up, kicking up dirt from his horses hooves.
Flare opened his mouth to speak, when Colonel Holt cut him off, “Sergeant, why were your men disregarding orders and hanging back?”
“Sir, we were guarding the rear in case of an ambush. And ..”
“Ambush? These are goblins. They don’t ambush. Their just not sm....”
“Sir! There are several hundred of them surrounding us now. We must retreat.” Flare said. He interrupted the colonel without thinking.
“What? That’s impossible. They don’t work together like that.” The Colonel said, dismissing Flare with a wave of his hand.
“Sir. We must go, right now.”
Flare didn’t wait for an answer, but instead turned and rode back toward the forest. When he got close enough, He shouted, “Heather! Take point. Spearhead us a path through!”
She obeyed instantly, charging through a break in the foliage, with Flare and the other soldiers right behind them.
For several seconds, it was all he could do to avoid the branches and limbs that were flying at him, but fortunately, the company quickly broke through onto the path. Unfortunately, twenty five or so goblins were advancing on the clearing, and they came out right in the middle of them.
The goblins were as surprised as the humans, but both sides quickly recovered. Atock drew one of his swords and cleaved the head of the nearest goblin so quick that Flare couldn’t follow the movement.
A goblin jabbed a spear at Flare, but he clumsily slapped it with his sword. He didn’t have much force behind the swing, but it was just enough to deflect the spear head behind his back. Flare reversing the motion of his swing, caught the goblin in the throat. The blood from the wound sprayed Flare across the face, soaking his shirt.
The events had transpired too quickly, and he hadn’t had time to think, just react. In that instinctive action, he had taken his first life. He had prepared himself for this, ever since he joined the guardians, but he still was not ready for the conflicting emotions that surged through him. The disgust that he had expected was there, but it was not as pronounced as he had thought it would be. He felt relief at having survived his first battle, and joy at his first killing. The joy sickened him.
He didn’t have time to think, as he spotted Enton pinned between two goblins. Spurring his horse, Flare drove at the goblin on Enton’s left. The goblin had his back to Flare, which made it all the easier. He rammed his sword into the goblin's lower right back. It slid between several ribs, and emerged through the other side. Enton made quick work of the remaining goblin.
Twelve to fourteen of the goblins were already dead, when the remaining goblins fled into the woods.
Flare looked down at his hands, and they were covered in blood. His joy and elation were gone, and disgust was all that was left. He dismounted, and spewed up what was left of his breakfast.
“Flare! Get back on that horse. We're leaving now. You can come with us, or stay behind.” Colonel Holt shouted as he spurred his horse along the path toward the fort.
Flare stumbled to his feet, and climbed back on his horse. “You're welcome,” He mumbled in the direction of the Colonel. He was about ten yards behind the rest of the company, but he managed to keep up with them on the way back to the fort. They rode their horses hard all the way, but the goblins did not catch them.
When the company reached the fort, it was mid-afternoon, and Colonel Holt and his officers immediately left for the fort headquarters, leaving Flare and the rest of his squad to return to their rooms.
“The colonel took off in a hurry. What do you think he will do?” Heather asked. Rubbing her left shoulder.
Heather’s question was directed at Flare, but Philip answered. “What will he do?! He will gather his forces, and lead a counterattack.” Philip’s eyes lit up as he spoke. “Did you see how fast he headed back to his office and the look in his eyes? He wants to obliterate the goblins. It will be glorious.”
Atock spat on the ground. “The only thing glorious about war, is surviving it. Killing is necessary, not glorious.”
Flare felt the same as Atock, but he too had become excited by the promise of battle, and that was confusing. He continued to wrestle with the excitement and hatred of battle even after he reached his quarters.
As commanding officer of the reinforcements, he had received his own room. After two years of military training, having a room to himself was magnificent. Even though it was only mid afternoon, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
Later that evening, Flare was woke by a messenger summoning him to appear before Colonel Holt. He quickly dressed, and followed the messenger to Colonel Holt’s office.
Once again, Flare was forced to wait in the ante-room, before being admitted into the Colonel’s office. This time, however, the wait was only about twenty minutes.
Entering the office, it was as he had feared. The Colonel’s office was quickly turning into a war room.
The office had been rearranged since Flare last visit earlier in the morning. A long table had been set up in the middle of the room, and was currently loaded down with a large number of maps. Four officers besides Colonel Holt were present in the room. There was a major, two captains, and a lieutenant. Three of the officers were sitting down in chairs along the wall, with the major apparently speaking to the group. When Flare walked in, the major quit talking, and moved away from the table several feet. Colonel Holt was standing in front of his desk, listening to what the officers were saying.
Flare stood in the middle of the room, assuming a rigid military stance.
“Sergeant, we will be attacking the goblins tomorrow at first light, and I will need you to help coordinate with Captain Hawk. You will be responsible for integrating your reinforcements with the regular soldiers under his command.” Colonel Holt said, holding Flare’s gaze. “Do you understand?”
'If you participate in the battle, you will die'. A voice rang through the room.
“Sir?! What did you say?” Flare asked, confused.
The colonel bolted forward into the middle of the room. “Are you deaf? Your orders are to follow captain Hawk’s orders! You will assist him in the management of the new soldiers. Is that clear?”
Colonel Holt had misunderstood Flare’s question. He had not been questioning the colonel’s orders, but instead had been questioning the other voice he had heard. The colonel and the other officers had apparently not heard it.
'You will die, if you follow your orders, and the fort will fall.'
This time, Flare was sure that none of the officers had spoken, but the voice had sounded as if it was right beside him. The words had a chilling affect on him. They seemed to seep into his very soul, and without even knowing where the voice came from, Flare believed completely that it was the truth.
Not sure of what the voice meant, he addressed the colonel. “Sir, am I to understand that you intend to attack the goblins without knowing how many there are? Shouldn’t you hold off until you have determined how many we face? And how many soldiers will be left to guard the fort?”
The colonel’s face went from white to red. He sputtered a moment before he managed to get intelligible words out, “How dare you question my orders? I’m in charge, and I will give the orders.”
“I’m sorry sir, I just thought ....” Flare started.
“I didn’t ask you to think, just to follow your orders!” Colonel Holt shouted at him.
A thought occurred to Flare, and he acted on it without even considering the consequences. “Sir, my orders, from General Vergillion are to turn control of my troops over to you, the day after tomorrow. Until then, they are under my control, and if you wish to use them, then you will have to convince me of the value of this battle.” The last words came out slowly, as if what he was saying was starting to occur to him.
Colonel Holt was speechless. He stood there moving his lips, with no sound coming out.
Flare was feeling sick to his stomach. He had used a technicality to get around having to follow Colonel Holt’s orders. But he doubted that a military tribunal would uphold his decision. If he was wrong, then his military career was over.
When Colonel Holt regained his voice, several seconds later, he spoke with a cold quiet authority, “Lieutenant, place sergeant Flare under arrest and take him to the stockade.”
The lieutenant stood up, and took several steps toward him.
Flare’s heart skipped a beat, but he was committed now, and he couldn’t change his course. He dropped his right hand to his sword, and withdrew it several inches from the sheath.
“Colonel Holt. Are you going to defy the orders of General Vergillion? That would not be an advantageous career move.”
Colonel Holt moved back behind his desk, and sat down. “Flare, we both know that you are twisting the wording of your orders. It will not stand up in front of a military council. You'll be found guilty of disobeying a direct order from a commanding officer. You’re finished.”
Flare smiled, masking his nervousness. “Perhaps, but if you arrest me, and commandeer my soldiers, then you too will face a tribunal. The last time I checked, a colonel could not override a general’s orders.”
“Flare if I went in front of a tribunal over this, I would be cleared.”
“Perhaps, but I have never heard of a general who faced a tribunal when he was a colonel.” At these words the smile faded from the colonel’s face. “It doesn’t take mu
ch to prevent a colonel from getting promoted. Any scandal or hint of a scandal is all it takes. Isn’t that right?”
The smile returned to the Colonel’s face. “All right Flare. Here’s what I am going to do. Tomorrow, I will lead my troops to a glorious victory, while you and YOUR troops will remain here and guard the fort. The day after tomorrow, you will surrender the troops to me and then I will have you arrested in front of all MY soldiers.”
The major spoke from the couch where he was sitting, “Sir, shouldn’t we leave a couple of soldiers here, just to make sure that the gate is opened when we return?”
'Stupid man,’ Flare thought. 'If I intended to keep the gates closed and I had the full support of my troops, what good would a couple of soldiers be?'
Colonel Holt leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. “I do not think that will be necessary. Even if several of the soldiers don't want to follow orders, I’m sure the rest of them understand what will happen if they are found guilty of disobeying a direct order.”
Colonel Holt stood up, and came around the desk to stand in front of Flare. In a quiet and cold voice, the colonel said, “You are dismissed for now, but we will finish this the day after tomorrow.”
Flare slunk out of the headquarters building, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. If things went as he expected, then the soldiers who left tomorrow would not be returning. And if they did return, then he was through as a member of the guardians. And where had that voice come from, that bothered him more than anything.
The next morning was cool and brisk. Flare and the other members of the guardians stood atop the western wall, watching the soldiers leave. They stood there in silence watching rank after rank of soldiers march or ride past.
“Flare, I can not believe that you refused a direct order from Colonel Holt,” Heather said to break the silence. “I sure hope you know what you're doing.”
The Guardians: Book One of the Restoration Series Page 18