Wolf's Pawn (Sajani Tails Book 1)

by Chaaya Chandra

  The next stop for the two was a transport, not a tent. Doc waited patiently as Ghenis hobbled his way over and then the two passed the single guard stationed outside. Inside was their elf captive. From what Doc was able to piece together from ‘fang right after the attack, Sajani had nearly killed the young soldier, but still insisted they spare her life. She was the only one of her group left alive and Doc and Ghenis had some sympathy for her, although not enough to spare spells for healing until all of their own people were properly healed. Since there were no spells to spare, they couldn’t really speak to her, but Ghenis tried a little each time they visited. At first she resisted, but after about a day of patient trying and after learning that they weren’t going to do anything horrible to her, there had been some progress.

  The soldier was called Bean, at least that was as close as they could come to figuring out a name. She was very low ranked—about whatever the elves called the second level of ranks, so a seaman in their current vernacular. She’d eaten most of the food they’d offered her. It was at least familiar to her, since it was elf rations that they’d stolen (commandeered to Sajani). Her plate from lunch was empty and he noticed that she had drunk all of her water. Ghenis waved to her as he entered and smiled at her—gestures that she enthusiastically returned. She was lying in a makeshift bed formed mostly from one of the side benches of the transport. A light cotton blanket, again a “gift” from the enemy, mostly covered her chest where the bandages were. The arrow wound was healing nicely on its own, but still had to be very painful. The fact that the arrow had managed to miss all her vital organs, especially her lungs, was a wonder to Doc.

  The old healer had heard more than once from multiple soldiers that Sajani should not have spared the elf’s life. Doc had often wondered what had possessed his leader to do so. Sometimes, he felt like he could see the same question in the eyes of their prisoner, although that might have been just his imagination. He’d asked the captain once, but she hadn’t been in a very talkative mood (at least to him) at that time either.

  “She didn’t have to die!” Sajani had said with exasperation in her voice, as if that explained everything.

  It didn’t explain anything to him or when he’d mentioned it to the troops. To Doc, no one had to die. The war was pointless—a demonic crusade led by a paranoid general. The more that he watched Ghenis interact with their captive, even though she’d only been conscious for a little more than a day, the more he felt like perhaps, it was all a big misunderstanding. Unfortunately, the elves didn’t give them many options.

  Lieutenant Colonel Rass “Claw” Ghenis was the epitome of Vharkylia Army leadership. The soldiers he led were his family and his enemies were given no quarter. They had met the enemy the day before, just outside of Altaza and had completely neutralized that threat to his homeland. He’d sustained acceptable losses. There would time later to mourn for those who had given all. He was grateful to be wounded but alive. Unknown to him at this moment, it would be the last time he felt that way.

  The smoke was still rising from the chapel complex. They’d been able to see it rising above the jungle canopy for the last two days and now that they could see the area for themselves, they realized the full scope of what they’d just managed to stop. His battalion had engaged just under two brigade’s worth of enemy. They had been outnumbered, but their style of warfare, on home territory, gave them a huge advantage against their neighbors. The fact that their opponents seemed to be surprised to see the triple deuce battalion probably helped as well.

  He’d been outnumbered, yes, but the destruction he saw here was a pelt of a different color. The Rhidayar troops that had engaged him had to be half the size of what they had been before this encounter.

  “Sir,” his adjunct Lieutenant Nalis was asking him. Like him, she’d been wounded the day before. “Should we secure the compound?” Her words had brought him back to the moment. It had been his original orders to secure the place, but from what he was seeing, there was nothing here to secure.

  “No, my friend,” he said calmly. “Have the troops form a line to police the battlefield. I want the ruins thoroughly searched for survivors or any remains we can return to the families of the heroes that fell here.”

  The adjunct saluted and began issuing the necessary orders while he sat there on his horse, his legs still too mangled to allow him to walk, and scanned the horizon for any kind of movement—any sign of life.

  About an hour after that, Nalis brought him the charcoal covered journal. He turned to the last page and read what he’d later learn was the only recording of what Malita Adida had told her troops just five days prior. “…Cross by my sword and add yours to the line only if you are willing to die for your country.” The writer had only a few words to add to that—all she said was, “I will die for Vharkylia. Tell my family, I was willing.”

  Looking out over the charred remains of Altaza that day, Lieutenant Colonel “Claw” could hear a haunting sound coming from all around him. It was as though the cannons of the noble defenders could still be heard. Among the loud percussion of those guns firing, he could hear the orders being barked out and the report of rifle fire. He could hear the voice of Malita Adida, whom he had met fewer times than what he could count on one paw, without using his thumb, saying “This, I will defend.” There was now complete silence on the battlefield, but from that day on, he’d hear those sounds again and again. They’d never go silent.

  The three highpoints to Ghenis’s day, since yesterday anyway, were the three times he had the chance to see Bean. The old ambassador wasn’t sure why, but also didn’t feel any kind of compulsion to explain it either. Doc and just about anyone who had been on duty to guard the prisoner while he’d been there, knew that he was actively trying to understand who she was. If they had a problem with that, it was on them, not him.

  Bean pointed at her food tray and gave a shooing motion with the same hand. At some point, Ginger’s cat had taken a liking to her and was laying comfortably on the bed with a blanket partially over its back. Ghenis picked up the tray and handed it to the guard outside. The guard grabbed a nearby crutch and hobbled off with the remains of her lunch. At first they had been hesitant to leave their posts, but eventually the old vykati had convinced them that they were safe leaving him with the prisoner. She was alert and attentive, but even more wounded than their captain and much less likely to try and move.

  He did the best he could to help Doc change out the bandages on the elf. It was a long process and the wrapping still oozed with a lot of blood. When he was done, Doc stepped back and allowed Ghenis to sit on the bench across from the elf. The healer always stayed with him and watched intently to the interaction the two had—he’d give them a few minutes before he motioned to them that it was time to see the rest of the patients.

  Once Ghenis had himself settled, he looked over at his charge and smiled. She returned the smile and fumbled around the top of her blanket looking for something. Ghenis had been about to try and rise to help her when Doc stood up and tossed her the small piece of cloth she’d been trying to reach. It was one of the miniature Copper Wolf flags that they gave to captives when they were released. Someone had apparently decided to give her one early.

  The elf took the flag and held it out as best she could. She placed it between her hands so that just the image of the Copper Wolf and the cannons showed, then pointed to herself. Her actions upset the cat, who jumped down and walked slowly off the transport.

  Was she, perhaps wanting to talk to Sajani? Ghenis pointed to the Copper Wolf logo and shook his head as he made a ‘talking’ motion with his hand. There was no way she could be moved enough to see Sajani and there was no way he was going to chance moving the captain over here.

  The elf shook her head and made the same ‘talking’ motion with her hand.

  So that wasn’t it.

  She took the flag and hugged it to her chest as best she could through her injuries and then again pointed at it and then at hers
elf.

  Ghenis heard Doc laugh. Apparently, they both had the same idea—she wanted to join the pirates? The ambassador shook his head and that caused the elf to look down sadly. He got her attention then and made a walking motion with his fingers across his knee. He pointed to the flag and said, “Sestus.”

  That was not what she wanted to hear. She shook her head almost violently and then gasped in pain, apparently having moved more than she should have.

  Ghenis decided that perhaps it was best if he left for now. Their sessions were usually short and this one gave him something more to think about. He patted the makeshift bed softly and then leaned his head to the side to rest on his hands which were placed together, palms inward. She seemed to understand him, but didn’t move much.

  Slowly and painfully the older vykati rose from the bench he’d been sitting on and then he and Doc exited the transport. The guard had returned, so it was safe for the two to continue with their rounds.

  Cutter gave out a little laugh, “Do you think Sajani would take her as a recruit?”

  Ghenis had already gone over the whole proposal in his mind. “Perhaps—if we asked her,” he said.

  That seemed to stop the healer up short. “You’re not going to?”

  “No,” Ghenis said firmly. “I’d never ask anyone to make a choice like that elf would have to make. You fight to protect home and family. Ideals by themselves are too flimsy and ephemeral to stand on. Were she to join us, it would be to stand with us against her own home and her own family.”

  Doc gave the ambassador a puzzled look. “I would have thought you were more worried about her loyalty.”

  He had been a little. “That as well, but the larger issue is what is worth fighting for.”

  “I’d have to agree with Doc, actually.” Sajani’s voice came from behind them.

  The two turned to see their leader hunched over a set of crutches. She looked exhausted, but there was a huge smile across her face.

  Ghenis laughed a little and turned to face Doc. The physician’s eyes were very wide and his fists were clenched. The expression made the ambassador laugh even more. He’d wondered how long it would be before she was out and about. The old ambassador had been in the transport right after the battle and heard the exchange as she insisted that she would walk into the super transport rather than be carried.

  He was still there when Tess and ‘fang returned supporting a barely conscious Copper Wolf. Between the loss of blood, walking on a leg that was still broken, and trying to move around an arm that was also broken, she had passed out from pain and exhaustion on the way out.

  The old wolf knew from watching that take place that there was no way they could keep her down long enough to completely heal. She’d have to heal while mobile.

  “My lady!” Doc let out an exasperated sigh. “You shouldn’t be…”

  “Sorry Doc, but I needed to be.”

  “What could possibly be so important that you’d need to risk hurting yourself all over again?”

  “Call it self-image.”

  The healer threw his hands up in the air and stormed off. Ghenis started to follow, but the captain stopped him.

  “I wanted to talk to you, Rass, about Bean,” she said.

  That surprised him a little. Sajani already knew the elf’s name? He supposed that even secluded from the others, she’d have worked out some way of getting news.

  “Ah,” he said, “So Tenner has been telling you about my little friend.”

  “Tess has.”

  “That’s surprising. I thought she would have been too busy to notice.” Of the usual suspects, Tenner had been much more likely in his mind to have had the time to notice and the social awareness to report it.

  “You thought that or you hoped that?”

  He couldn’t tell if there was accusation or amusement in her voice. “I suppose a little hope, but not for the reason you might think.” The only reason he had worried about Sajani finding out about him talking to the prisoner was because he was afraid that his leader would think less of him for wanting to spend time there.

  “I trust you, Ghenis.” She obviously meant it.

  “It’s only been a day or so.”

  “I know you haven’t told her anything important about us. You learned her name and her rank. She knows your name, Doc’s name and Tess’s name. She doesn’t know anyone here by rank, other than me.”

  “She knows Tess’s name?” He didn’t know that.

  “Turns out Tess has been trying to talk to her as well, but not for the same reason you are.”

  That made sense. He’d just wanted to make sure that their group wasn’t villainized. Tess was probably trying to get critical information. “I suppose not, but why are you even bringing this up, if you’re not at all worried about it?”

  “I wanted you to know that she will be with us for about a month.”

  “You got up out of your bed and upset Doc that badly, so you could tell me that?”

  “No I got up out of bed to upset Doc that badly.”

  “I’m not sure I want to know what you mean by that.” Ghenis was pretty sure he did know, but was more curious about what she had to say about Bean.

  “I wanted you to know that we can’t let her go until we can find another secure location and I don’t plan on even looking until I have at least 28 of my 35 people able to walk without a crutch. I thought you might appreciate the information.”

  He did. “Thank you my lady,” he said. “Now, can I help you get back to your tent so that you can get some rest?”

  Sajani laughed. “Ever the gentleman, but no thank you. You have enough trouble keeping yourself standing. I was heading over to see the spark.”

  That made more sense than her getting up just to tell him something that, if he’d pondered on it, he would have figured out on his own. Once Bean left the area, she’d be able to report back on where they were, and though Ghenis was pretty sure, after her request today, that she would not, there was no reason to risk it. Besides, it kept her here longer and being around someone that young who wasn’t a vykati, for some reason, made him feel young again.

  Sajani didn’t trust the elf. Her request to join had come too soon after her capture and considering the amount of trust her command had placed in her by putting her with that convoy, it seemed very unlikely that she was telling the truth. There was a slight tinge of guilt for how her leaving would make Ghenis feel, but the safety of the crew was much more important than an old man’s feelings.

  It was difficult moving and it hurt a lot. She thought that she did a very good job of hiding it, but to keep the pain down to a level where she could fake being well, she had to move very slowly. Ever since the battle high had left her, it had been nearly constant pain. It even made it hard to sleep.

  There was no way she could have come soon enough to Ginger’s tent. Tenner saw her first and she forced a smile at him. The young vykati shouted out to her, “Doc was by a while ago. He said that we’re supposed to take you back to your tent when we see you.”

  Sajani would have laughed, but her chest hurt with the effort of moving. “I’ll countermand that order,” she said mostly under her breath. It was loud enough for Tenner to hear though.

  “He said you’d say that.”

  “He’s a smart wolf, but I’m the alpha,” she nearly growled back. The pain was affecting her mood—she could tell that, but didn’t have the mental strength at the moment to keep up on the things necessary to her command and fake her normal disposition.

  Ginger approached the topic, well, more gingerly. “Let me at least help you over here, my lady.” He pushed his cat off his lap, jumped off his desk chair, and walked up to her. Tenner followed suit. The two walked behind her. They arranged their hands and wrists to form a makeshift seat which they then brought up behind her quickly, forcing her off her feet and onto their hands.

  That hurt. A lot.

  But Sajani still managed a small laugh. With her splinted arm re
sting on Ginger’s shoulder and her injured leg sticking out before her, she pointed forward with her good hand. “Onward, my gallant steed!”

  They brought her, rather quickly, to the tent and helped her get settled on Ginger’s chair.

  “What’s happening today?” she asked.

  “A lot, captain.”

  The Copper Wolf cringed a little at the title. She was still getting used to this whole navy setup. Vharkylia had a large and powerful navy, but all of her prior military experience was with the wolf pack.

  Ginger pointed at a part of the communications screen, where a long line of very small icons could be seen moving slowly upward. “They’re pulling back a lot of their behemoths and even more of their artillery.”

  For a very brief moment, she thought that perhaps her latest raid had worked some sort of magic and the elves were finally pulling back. But reality caught up with her very fast. The spark had clearly said a lot, not all. “What about the rest of the behemoths?”

  “They’re still holding the front line just inside of Rhidayar. So are all of their infantry.”

  She experienced a moment of panic. Did the enemy know where she was? Were they sending a major force to take out the small thorn in their side? “Is there a point where they are converging?”

  “Yes, there is.” Ginger replied. He ran his finger from the top of the screen to the bottom a few times and then from left to right. The images moved with him. “Here.”

  And how was she supposed to know where that was? “And that is where?” she said rather more testily than she had meant.