“No lady,” she replied. “They’re heading towards Vidava. If we push further west, we’re sure to bump into more heading the same direction.” She didn’t need to tell Sajani that they were too close to the shoreline to go further east.
“How much time?”
“Ten minutes at least, if they don’t change their movement.”
Sajani’s mouth moved slightly for a few seconds as though she were talking to herself and then her head snapped upright and her eyes went wide. “Squads one and two—right flank, 300 meters. Spread out starting here and dig in. Squads three and four, left flank, 300 meters. Spread out and dig in starting five meters from here. Transport one, 10 meters behind the right line 150 meters out. Transport two, 10 meters behind the left line 150 meters out. Suppressive fire from the transports when I give the signal.” Her orders were immediately being relayed by her four squad leaders and the troops responded efficiently.
Fenther was standing near her looking more useless than usual. He waved to get her attention. “And me, my lady?”
“Where are your weapons?”
“I don’t have any weapons. You haven’t…”
“Get with Doc and Ghenis on transport two and try not to be useless.”
“Which one is…”
Tess came to her rescue and led him quickly away. Sajani watched them just long enough to notice Tess hand the musician a musket she’d taken from a passing soldier. At one point, he’d said he could fight. Now they’d find out if he was lying.
This was their first real altercation. It was her first real battle too, outside of her prior adventures with Simon, Mauro, and Westa—so her first real military engagement. Thankfully, she’d never needed to do this before. Training was one thing, but now the bullets were really going to go down range.
She stood right over the soldier in the central position with hardly any concealment and waited. She felt like she should have been holding a flag with the Copper Wolf logo on it, but knew that would draw more attention than she wanted. Her bow was slung over her shoulder.
She saw the foot soldiers approaching a few moments later. She worried a little that perhaps someone would fire without orders, but with only one lyrical exception, they were all well trained. There weren’t many of them. She counted six. This was just a single squad acting as outlying scouts. She had them outnumbered as much as five to one and she was on the defensive. Sajani crouched down to keep out of view. She had found out what she needed to know. Peering through the underbrush, she waited until the troops were within 50 meters of their position.
“Fire!” she shouted in Vykati, letting out a war howl that was immediately answered with bullets and other howls. She only heard a couple of shots come from the other direction before the enemy transport burst into sight and began opening fire with the heavy gun mounted on it’s top, but it too fell silent very quickly.
“Hold fire!” she shouted, although it was hardly necessary. “Tess!”
Tess was behind her after only a moment.
“Have squad two move forward and check for survivors. Set and move.”
Tess nodded and worked her way down the line, crawling on all fours at a speed that only a vykati could achieve. She assigned each soldier a number—one or two—and when she’d reached the far end she called out. “One set! Two move!” Half of the squad stayed and half moved about ten meters forward, running at a crouch, then lay back down on their stomachs with their weapons pointed forward. “Two set! One move!” The half that had been stationary then rose and charged forward about twenty meters before taking up a defensive position. This continued three more times. On the last time Tess ordered, “One set! Two bring it up!” and the back line moved up to meet the front. There was no exchange of fire during all of it.
Tess crawled back to Sajani and was about to say something when a loud explosion sent shock waves through the foliage. Sajani instinctively ducked for a moment as small bits of metal shot forward from the blast and looked up to see flaming debris raining down on them. The enemy transport was no more.
She had no idea how far out the next enemy unit was, so the firefight was a risk on its own. The enemy could still be very far away and have heard the explosion. It made moving out more imperative. Some of her troops would have been very close to it.
“Secure the area and have Doc check the wounded on both sides. Disarm any survivors and let them go. And be quick. We need to be moving in the next five minutes.”
Tess nodded and began shouting out orders.
Three of her own were badly burned from the explosion and two had taken grazing shots from the firefight. Of the enemy, the only survivor was the driver of the transport, who had taken the time to plant explosives and detonate them once he saw that his gunner and the rest of his squad were down.
While Doc tended to the wounded, she took a moment to try and talk to the prisoner. It was pointless. He didn’t speak any language of Terah that she knew and she didn’t speak his language. She pointed west and handed him a small flag with the Copper Wolf symbol on it. Then she looked him in the eye and said the only word that she knew he’d understand: “Sestus.” He nodded once and took off at a run.
They entered the outskirts of Fort Irwyre a few days later. “Outskirts” was a very loose term. It hadn’t been a fort for centuries—not since the fall of the Zenache Empire, but now, even the ruins outside of the small town built to research its past were in ruin and heavily blackened. She had fanned her troops out as far as she dared and had them look for survivors. It smelled of smoke and blood and decay that made Sajani wish she could turn off her nose.
There was nothing of interest in the ancient ruins and although it looked like there had been heavy artillery fire of some kind throughout the area, there hadn’t been any direct fighting taking place there. Parts were still smoking, even though there couldn’t have been much to burn in that area. The trees had been cleared away decades ago to allow research, and any wood or flammables that had been part of the original fort had rotted away ages ago.
So whatever the elves were using could burn stone.
Moving through the remains of the town was similar, although most of the buildings had been left standing. Some of the public buildings once had soldiers stationed outside of them. The hastily built fortifications were still intact. The elves had just left the bodies where they lay. After moving a few blocks through this, Tess approached Sajani.
“We don’t have the people to search the buildings for survivors…” the younger vykati began.
“If there are any,” Sajani said softly.
“But maybe we can let them know that there are friendly people here somehow.”
Sajani stared down at the ground for a moment, apparently speechless.
“Are you okay, Lady?”
The Copper Wolf seemed to shrug some weight off her shoulders. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, that musician we have with us wasn’t too useful in the firefight, but he does do pretty good at entertaining the soldiers during breaks and meals.”
Sajani nodded briskly. “Have him start singing. Maybe he’ll attract some survivors.”
Tess went off to find Fenther and Sajani wandered over to the transport that was carrying Ghenis. She waved it down and had them open the rear hatch. “I need to talk to you, Ghenis.”
It took a few minutes for the older wolf to get up and wander out of the vehicle. All were silent while it happened. Then the line of soldiers kept moving forward.
“It’s hard, isn’t it my Lady General?” Ghenis said sadly.
“How…” she started, but he silenced with a shush.
“It burns in your mind whether you want it to or not. I still see Altaza clearly, awake or asleep. But death is not new to you—I must admit, I’m a little surprised to see your lips so paled and your eyes so wide. I’ve seen that look before. I’ve had that look.”
“This is not battle. Battle requires two sides that can fight.”
Ghenis tapped his cane on the blackened cobblestone beneath their feet and said nothing. His gaze stayed straight to the tip of his support.
“Was this what Altaza was like?”
The greying wolf continued to keep his gaze down. “Yes,” he said quickly and continued tapping with his cane. The next words were spoken slowly and drawn out as if behind each were scores more. “One hundred against five thousand.”
“My mother had better odds.”
That statement caused Ghenis to slam his cane into the ground. “No!” he barked.
Sajani started from the sudden shout.
“Never!” Ghenis continued. There was a smolder to his voice, but she could tell it wasn’t directed at her. “Your mother succeeded. She held that compound and stopped something like this from happening to your own people. Possibly to you yourself.”
“She died…”
“For you! And for every vykati living at that time. I still hear the cannons. Their percussion will continue to echo in my mind until the day I die! No, I didn’t want to hear them. Yes. At times I wish I could forget what I saw that day.”
The words spoken, he calmed noticeably and looked down again at the ground.
“Tell me that it goes away, Ghenis!” Sajani pleaded. She placed an arm across his hunched shoulders and leaned down to look him in the eye.
The old wolf straightened and placed his arm across her shoulders so that the two were now supporting each other. “My lady, I wish I could say that. But it is a molten metal, poured into your soul. It burns and the burning never stops.” He then matched her gaze and said with a slight smile. “But the molten metal does harden. And when it does, you’ll find yourself stronger for it. Besides,” he chided her, “The Zenachen army might not have taken out any of the enemy, but you have!”
“Luck,” she answered.
“Bet your mother would have said the same thing.”
“When you see her, you can ask her. I don’t plan on visiting any time soon.”
They embraced for a moment and at some point, though neither would admit it to the other, some liquid might have escaped from their eyes. They needed, at that moment, something to lighten the mood, and unwittingly, Fenther, a good distance from them, but still clearly heard, broke into a song in his native tongue.
Sajani’s Zenachen wasn’t too good, but she could tell it was about a woman who was well endowed… It made Sajani wonder, what if there were child survivors? She laughed a little, wanting to help lighten the mood, then helped Ghenis move along behind their line. For some reason, even though he wasn’t a child, Sajani found herself hoping that Ghenis didn’t speak Zenachen either.
She got Ghenis back on a transport. As he hobbled back in, he said in almost a whisper to her, “And watch your troops. Most will be affected at least a little bit.” She nodded.
After that she’d tried to hint to Fenther that perhaps he should be using a slightly more appropriate set of songs. They seemed to all have a common and somewhat disturbing thread, but he just shrugged it off and kept going, His voice never failed, even after a few hours. She made sure that most of the town was covered, even though after the first pass, it was obvious that if there had been any survivors, they’d left a while ago.
They were moving out of the edge of the town when they found the little girl. It was providence that she was even seen, since no one was bothering to look anymore. There was a bright yellow flash of color out of the corner of ‘fang’s eye. The young cannoneer walked cautiously over to investigate. The color came from the dress of a little girl, two maybe three years old. A slight breeze was moving the very light material or ‘fang would not have noticed it at all.
The child was lying nearly motionless near the body of a female soldier—one of many defenders in the trench on the outskirts of the town proper. Her hand touched the collar of the woman, but the small grasp of the hand latched onto nothing. ‘fang was about to turn and go back to her duties when the child let out a very weak cough.
Carefully the soldier lifted the frail thing into her arms and shouted out, “Doc! Doc!” A few other soldiers looked over, but kept walking their assigned line. ‘fang rushed her to Doc Cutter, who was sitting just inside the open rear hatch of one of the transports. At first he just looked away. ‘fang hopped up on the still moving transport.
“No Doc!” ‘fang insisted. “She’s breathing! She is alive!”
Cutter gently took the child into his arms and placed the back of his hand just below her nose and watched as his fur moved slightly.
“See Doc?” ‘fang said excitedly.
“Get me some water,” the old wolf said plainly. He didn’t seem to share ‘fang’s excitement. The young vykati grabbed a cup and dipped it in the nearby water barrel. She handed it to Cutter who placed it under the child’s lips and tried to drip some in. The little girl coughed a little, but with effort some managed to go down. Doc poured the rest over the nearly still body and handed the cup back to ‘fang to refill. Once it was full again he went back to trying to drip the water in. When the cup was empty, with very little of it making it down the child’s throat, he handed the child back to ‘fang and said, “Keep trying to give her water. She’ll need at least two cups full that actually goes in.” His voice was monotone. Aside from Doc, the transport was empty, the rest out patrolling the town, so she made herself comfortable on one of the two benches that ran the length of the vehicle and kept at it for about fifteen more minutes. Doc sat opposite her, but said nothing.
It was about the third or fourth cup of sloshed water when the child opened her eyes. The pupils however never seemed to come into focus and her mouth barely formed the syllables that were almost universal in Terahn languages. “Ma ma,” she said and then the eyes closed and her head turned away. ‘fang tried to give water a couple more times before she realized that the breathing had stopped. Then she lifted the child to her chest and wept.
Doc came over and placed his arm over her shoulders, but said nothing.
As they were stopping for the night, Tess directed Sajani to the transport that Doc was on. She didn’t tell her leader why and Sajani didn’t ask. Doc and ‘fang were there and ‘fang was sobbing.
Chapter Six:
Chances
Some light would have been comforting to Private Dorsla on a night like tonight. They’d set up lights—they always set up lights, but then seldom used them. Sergeant Frinz and the rest of the squad were asleep and their transports were mostly shut down. A double full moon was behind him, but the light of the two moons of Terah shed a bluish glow that he found disquieting. He missed home and the yellow glow of the other world’s single moon.
We shouldn’t even need a guard, Dorsla thought to himself. They weren’t important really. They were moving food and not even good food. This was just military rations, not like the Terahn food he was able to get just before they left. While it had been slightly foreign to his taste, it was a good distance better than rations. Can’t make rations without rat. He thought to himself.
Hearing a shuffle nearby, he sat up slightly and readied his rifle. Even if it was just a restless crew member with a full bladder, he didn’t want to seem complacent. He was just beginning to make out a shape before him, when a light shone brightly on his face, blinding him. He answered by throwing on the flood lights.
Standing in front of him was a female vykati dressed in black armor. She had a rifle in her hand. Right behind her were other vykati in single file. He couldn’t tell how many, but the second one in line was huge.
“Halt,” he shouted, raising his rifle. The other crew members behind him were moving, obviously torn from their sleep and trying to figure out what was going on. He could hear their muffled inquiries clearly, but didn’t answer.
The wolf before him didn’t raise her rifle. She only smiled. “Put down your weapon,” she said firmly in elvish. Private Dorsla could speak a little of the common Terahn language, but he felt it best to not mention that at the moment.
He stood frozen, unable to decide what to do. He wanted to put down his rifle, but he wasn’t sure he should without Sergeant Frinz saying something first. “I..I,” he stammered.
Another vykati, the really large one he’d seen earlier, stepped from behind the first. He peered through his glasses at Dorsla and his lips turned down in a frown. “Poor little guy,” he said. There were still more behind those two.
The first gave the second a look of chagrin and said, again in elvish. “You wanted a pet elf, Chass?”
The one named Chass laughed. “No thanks, my lady. I just meant maybe we should let him wake up his friends, so he doesn’t feel so alone.”
The lady vykati thought a moment and then turned back to face Dorsla and ordered him. “Wake them up.”
The command was unnecessary. He didn’t dare turn away from the enemy, but he could hear them shuffling to the tent’s exit. Sergeant Frinz was the first to emerge. He hadn’t taken the time to get his shirt on. His pants were hanging from a single suspender. Private Dorsla turned towards him slightly and could see that the sergeant was squinting in the light, still trying to see what was going on.
“She wants us to surrender, sergeant.”
“How many are there?”
The vykati woman answered for him. “We have you surrounded. Lay down your weapons and you will not be harmed.” She let out a howl that echoed all around them.
“I’m not inclined to refuse,” the sergeant said under his breath.
“You won’t hear anything from me against it.” Private Dorsla answered candidly. He slowly put his weapon down.
“Now the ones in the tent. Exit one at a time with your hands where we can see them.”
The other seven members of the crew exited one at a time and were directed to lay down on the ground with their hands behind them. Dorsla was still facing the two vykati and whoever else was with them.
Wolf's Pawn (Sajani Tails Book 1) Page 11