“They have already stopped for the night,” he reported. “They do not appear to be in a hurry to follow the mage. I did count forty of them and they ride very cautiously. They keep scouts front and back as well as on their flanks. We may be able to take the scouts easily, but not without alerting the main body of assassins.”
“How far away are they?” StarWind asked.
“Two leagues,” HawkShadow answered. “These men are behaving in a more professional manner than the others we encountered. Hit and run may be our best option.”
“I like the hit part,” interjected StormSong, “but I am not much for running.”
“Hit and run may spook them,” added SkyDancer, “but it may also harden them and make our attack more difficult.”
“Let’s take that chance,” decided StarWind. “How many flankers do they use?”
“One rear and one front,” answered HawkShadow. “They also have two riders on each flank. Six outriders in all.”
“I want them all to disappear at the same time,” ordered StarWind. “Can we do it, HawkShadow?”
“It will require some fancy work,” HawkShadow replied after a moments thought. “I can think of two places between us and them where there is the proper concealment for it.”
“Good,” StarWind declared. “Temiker, you will stay with me. We will take the front rider. HawkShadow will direct everyone else to a rider. As soon as we hit, we leave. HawkShadow will assess the damage while we regroup.”
“If you and the mage can hide the body of the rider and his mount,” added HawkShadow, “it will take them some time to realize that their outriders are gone.”
“I would prefer that they know right away,” insisted StarWind, “as long as our people withdraw properly. Each day they get closer to StarCity, and I am anxious to get back. Let’s finish them as quickly as possible.”
“I could get a head start,” HawkShadow grinned. “They will have sentries on duty at the campsite tonight.”
StarWind thought a moment before replying. “No, it is too risky and that might change their formation tomorrow. I want to see how they react to losing their outriders.”
“I do not think there are magic users among them,” interjected Temiker. “Perhaps we could attack their campsite tonight and finish it.”
“How?” asked StarWind.
“A ring of fire,” offered Temiker. “They would not be able to escape as it closed in on them. Any that try to jump free get cut down.”
“We will not scar the land if we can avoid it,” StarWind shook her head. “I am open to other suggestions if there are any, however.”
Nobody had any further suggestions and the camp turned it for the night. StormSong had the last shift of sentry duty and woke everyone at dawn. After a quick meal, the Sakovan hunting party set out to intercept the assassins. HawkShadow selected the ambush spot and everyone took their positions.
“What spell do you plan to use?” Temiker asked while he waited with StarWind for the lead rider to appear.
StarWind merely smiled and held up a Sakovan Star. “I will not need magic for this assignment,” she smiled. “We may need it if something goes wrong though. Your fog will come in handy to hide us if they charge, and force bolts will take out any that reach us.”
“Very well,” frowned Temiker, “but I feel like extra baggage on this trip.”
“Your skills will be useful,” promised StarWind as the lead rider came into view.
StarWind waited until she was sure of the shot and then sent the star flying through the air to land in the rider’s forehead. She knew that the other five riders would die within seconds and she led Temiker in the retreat. Moments after they left the area of the attack, they heard the shouts of the assassins as they stumbled upon the body of their slain scout.
Temiker hung on tightly and kept his legs back as the choka carried him behind StarWind. They rode for half an hour and dismounted at the meeting site selected by HawkShadow. Within moments the others arrived, except for HawkShadow. There was no talk as the group waited for the Sakovan assassin to return.
HawkShadow rode in and swiftly dismounted. “Strange,” he reported. “They have adopted a formation that I have never seen used before. They ride in the shape of a triangle. There are no flankers now. Anywhere we try to attack them, we will alert their entire force. They can quickly turn to meet an attack from any side.”
“Then we attack from every side at once,” StormSong reasoned.
“Too risky,” StarWind declared. “These are trained men. They might succeed in overrunning one of our groups. It is a loss I would find unacceptable. I would not trade their forty lives for any one of ours.”
“Thirty four,” corrected MistyTrail.
The air sang as Goral whirled a Sakovan Star into a tree. Everyone turned to stare at the giant.
“See how the star twirls as it flies,” Goral said softly. “Attack one side of the triangle and quickly withdraw. Immediately attack an adjacent side and withdraw. Then attack the last side and start over again. Their forces will twirl like the star, except they will be confused and tripping over each other.”
HawkShadow stood with his mouth agape. Like most who knew the quiet giant, HawkShadow never attributed brilliance to him, but the giant’s plan was just that – brilliant.
StarWind smiled and nodded approvingly. Goral often traveled with StarWind when she went to Omungan cities and she had learned to expect the unexpected from him.
“Who told you to say that?” chided MistyTrail. “I seem to remember that your style of attack is to walk in and just hit anything that moved.”
“Well hitting things usually solves the problem,” admitted Goral.
The whole party laughed as HawkShadow gathered them around to discuss the battle plan. The assassin again chose the site of the battle and, half an hour later, the Sakovans waited in hiding for the enemy. Temiker and StarWind again took the point. Theoretically, the assassins should not try to counterattack in that direction and the pair of mages were set to ensure they did not. The Sakovans were set to use bows on the first round of attacks to start the triangle spinning. As they moved in closer, they would switch to Sakovan stars.
StarWind and Temiker dismounted and secured their chokas. There would be no running from this fight and the chokas would not be engaging in battle. HawkShadow had selected a fairly open area for the attack and StarWind placed herself and Temiker so they would be easily seen. They did not have long to wait. StarWind heard them coming before they were visible and alerted Temiker.
The assassins appeared like a black cloud emerging out of the woods and StarWind held her hand out firmly, clearly an order for the enemy to halt. She had no thought that they would actually stop, but it did cause them to slow as she had hoped. She figured that they would be cautious after the previous attack and she was right. She heard murmurs of conversation as the group of assassins spotted her and the mage. That was precisely the moment HawkShadow opened fire from their rear, unleashing three arrows in swift succession before disappearing. Shouts rose through the assassins and the rear of the group started to turn around when StormSong and SkyDancer attacked from the left.
Those in the rear of the assassins’ ranks could not find the enemy. The cries from the left kept them turning, looking for something to attack. StormSong and SkyDancer withdrew and MistyTrail and Goral immediately hit from the right, arrows flying into the knot of dark-clad assassins. If the assassins had chosen any direction to counterattack, they would easily break free of the trap, but the confusion kept the group turning, bumping into each other and preventing any unified response.
The leader of the assassins realized what was going on and tried to rally his troops, but he could not be heard over the shouts each time a new enemy was spotted. Clearly frustrated, he rallied the three men closest to him and broke out of the trap. The leader charged directly at the two mages, shouting for his men to follow. The bulk of the Sakovans kept the triangle turning as the num
ber of assassins dwindled with each turn.
“Now,” ordered StarWind.
Temiker smiled as he cast his spell. He marshaled the calm winds of the forest and sent them as a torrent towards the leader of the assassins. The wind howled past StarWind and Temiker and hammered into the charging enemy. StarWind sent a force bolt into the chest of the leader as the wind defeated the charge, leaving the four assassins standing still. She chose another target for her force bolt as Temiker joined in with force bolts of his own.
StarWind could no longer hear the sounds of battle as the roar of the wind filled her ears. She also could not see the battle for the wind was blowing dirt and leaves through the air. She could see that the four who had charged were down and she signaled for Temiker to cancel the wind.
The wind died instantly and the cries of the wounded and dying filled the void. StarWind stared towards the triangle and saw only horses bumping into one another. Two of the charging assassins were moving on the ground and StarWind drew her sword and strode forward with Temiker close behind. She glanced again at the triangle and saw her people checking the bodies of the assassin group. The cries ceased and the forest became deathly still.
StarWind approached the four fallen assassins. Two were obviously dead, but the leader and one other were still alive. The two men rose as StarWind approached and she stopped a short ways from them.
“Who are you and why have you violated our laws by entering the Sakova?” she demanded.
Neither man answered and StarWind noticed that while the leader’s hands were visible and empty, the other man’s were not. StarWind started to ask the question again when the assassin with the hidden hands screamed and sank to his knees. He tottered for a second and then fell down face first, crashing to the forest floor. Both of his hands held throwing stars and a large knife was firmly planted in his back.
“I would advise you to answer the lady,” HawkShadow growled from behind the leader. “She doesn’t like to be ignored.”
The leader looked at the fallen body of his man and shook his head. “A group of assassins do not an army make,” he scowled. He raised his head and looked into StarWind’s eyes. “We are hunting for a fugitive. She entered the Sakova so we entered as well.”
“So you entered forbidden land with knowledge of what you were doing and without permission,” StarWind declared. “I am sure you know the penalty for such an offense?”
“I know the penalty plain enough,” the assassin growled. “What I don’t understand is why you are talking to me. Get it over with.”
“You seem eager to die,” StarWind commented. “I would prefer an explanation for your visit.”
“Nobody is eager to die, wench,” the assassin stated, “but I die whether you kill me or not. If I return without the girl I may as well slit my own throat. It matters little to me if you dirty your blade instead of mine.”
“Oh, it won’t be her blade,” grinned HawkShadow as he walked around to face the assassin. “It will be mine and I choose whether it will be swift or slow and agonizing. I am skilled, as you are, in many types of death. I would be merciful if you were to make the lady happy.”
The assassin’s eyes narrowed as he glared as HawkShadow with tightened lips. Slowly, he nodded his head. “Very well,” he agreed. “Ask what you will.”
“I know more about you than you think,” StarWind began, “so please don’t try to lie to me.”
“There is no gain for me in lying,” the assassin declared. “I have been sent on a fool’s errand with a bunch of fools instead of an army. I will tell you anything you want to know. I have nobody to protect.”
“Good,” StarWind said. “Why is the girl so important?”
“She is to be a hostage to get her father to cooperate,” the assassin answered. “We were ordered to capture her and to make sure she remained alive.”
“Who ordered this?” StarWind asked.
“We work for Klaarg,” the assassin leader replied. “I am not sure who he works for, but it is someone high up in the government. I do not know what they planned for the old man to do, but it had something to do with his magic ability. Klaarg did not confide in me.”
“How many men does Klaarg have and where are the rest?” the Sakovan spymaster asked.
“I only know about our group,” the assassin answered. “We are a hundred strong, or were,” he corrected. “There is another forty at the west end of the Sakova. The remaining twenty are trying to capture the brother in Alamar.”
“There are other groups besides your hundred?” quizzed StarWind.
“I am not sure,” answered the assassin. “Klaarg always has something going and he never lets any information out that he doesn’t have to.”
“How do you get in touch with him?” HawkShadow asked.
“We don’t,” the assassin replied. “We are to meet him in Gatong when we have the girl. If we don’t get the girl, we don’t return. It’s that simple.”
“What does this Klaarg look like?” queried StarWind.
“Big man,” smiled the assassin, obviously hoping that Klaarg would meet an end similar to his own. “Tall and heavy, but not fat. Bushy black hair with a weird scar in the middle of his left eyebrow. It is not easy to see though. It is shaped like a corner. You would have to get pretty close to see it and getting that close will be dangerous. He knows most of the barkeeps, so if you ask about him, he will know about it before you ever see him. I wish you luck with that one.”
“Just so you know,” StarWind stated, “you have betrayed nobody but Klaarg. The other forty men are already as dead as your own.”
“Thanks,” the assassin said. “The men were just doing their job and I am glad that I am not responsible for their deaths. As for Klaarg, he deserves whatever you give him.”
StarWind nodded as she turned and headed for her choka with Temiker close behind. The rest of the Sakovans were waiting for her.
“Another forty horses,” chuckled MistyTrail. “The horse gatherers are being kept busy this week. A few more parties of assassins and we can open up a horse market.”
“Careful, MistyTrail,” laughed SkyDancer, “if RavenWing hears of your good idea, you may be promoted to a horse gatherer.”
“Mount up,” ordered StarWind, cutting off the light banter. “I have a trip to make to Gatong. I want to get back to StarCity as soon as possible.”
***
Far to the west on the outskirts of Campanil, Harac lowered his torch to the watula field. The dry watula burned brightly as the flames raced through the field. Harac scanned the horizon and saw other fields lighting up in response to his fiery signal. Nodding in satisfaction, Harac tossed a star with his good hand into the back of one of his men. He mounted his horse and rode along the edge of the field. He killed four more of his men as he rode, each with a star in the back. He galloped to the next closest field and repeated the attack. He smiled as he remembered how he had ordered the men spread out so that they would not witness his killing of the others.
He stopped when he had killed fifteen men, half of those he had brought with him. There would not be time for him to kill anymore though. Lighting all the fields at the same time required that the men be too spread out for him to get them all. He would have to find some other way to eliminate his other partners. Not a problem, Harac snickered to himself. Harac was good at getting rid of people.
Harac turned at the trail leading into the city and pushed his horse hard. He could hear shouts coming from the direction of the city and grinned. Soon the city gates were visible and there was an obvious commotion around them. Harac whipped his horse faster as he sped down the trail.
As he neared the city gates, Harac started shouting. “Sakovan attack! The Sakovans are coming! Lock the gates! The savages are coming!”
Panic spread through the populace in the area of the gates. The Imperial Guards on duty at the gate tried to stop Harac, but he continued galloping into the city screaming about the Sakovan attack. Harac raced th
e length of the city shouting his dire warnings until he reached the waterfront area where he quietly cut down an alley and tied his horse. He walked down the alley to the rear entrance of the Hog’s Tail and pushed his way through the door. He casually made his way through the crowd to the stairs and climbed to the second floor where a series of tables had been arranged for his party. He sat at one of the empty tables and waited for the rest of his men to join him.
He waited a full hour, but only ten of the fifteen men who should have been left had arrived. The ten men had remained quiet during the wait, nobody wanting to ask where the rest of the men were.
“I guess this is it,” he remarked casually. “Lost more than I thought we would. Guess they couldn’t outrun the savages. Darn bad luck. Imagine doing a job and having those Sakovans attack at the same time. Guess we should be thankful we were so lucky.”
“What savages?” one of the men asked. “I didn’t see anyone out there.”
“You didn’t?” Harac retorted with amazement. “You sure weren’t at one of the fields directly east of the city then. Hundreds of them screaming out of the forest. I galloped so hard I thought I would lame my horse.”
“Oh,” the man cowered, “I was south of the city. I heard townspeople yelling about the attack, but I thought they were crazy. You think we will be able to get out of the city? I don’t want to be here if they are attacking.”
“Not to worry,” Harac smiled. “Harac always takes care of his men. I’ll get you home safely. You can count on that.”
Chapter 20
Tolling of the Bell
Lyra caught the shadow of MoonFlow arriving at the mage practice yard from the corner of her eye and slowly adjusted her spell allowing the clova to float downward, back to the ground.
“Well done,” congratulated LifeTender. “You are learning very quickly.”
MoonFlow nodded as she stopped, her long golden hair still swaying from her run. “Sorry I missed you at the midday meal,” she apologized. “I had to sift through some information arriving from our contacts in Omunga. I don’t know how StarWind keeps up with it and still have time for other things. You said you had something important to tell me?”
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