Ranger

by William Stacey

  "What is it?" Leela asked, staggering upright.

  "A basilisk, a giant eight-legged lizard that can turn you to stone with its gaze. As soon as you see it, hit it with everything you have. And don't look into its eyes."

  The basilisk cried out again, and the last of the rats vanished from sight. Smart rats.

  A young boy, only three feet in height, with long bright-red hair, stepped out from behind the trees. Alex stared in confusion. Where was the basilisk? The boy wore little more than a loincloth and carried a small hunting bow with a quiver of arrows on his back. Barefoot and bare-chested, he raised a device to his mouth and blew into it, sending forth the basilisk's echoing cry. The boy lowered the device and waved at them.

  Alex lowered his rifle and keyed his mike. "Sunray, this is Ranger. Weapons hold. I say again, weapons hold."

  The boy stood like a statue, watching and waiting. Now, Alex saw he wasn't a boy but a young man, just very short, shorter even than Kargin and Ylra. He realized what he was a moment later—a redcap, one of the gnomelike red-haired little people he had spied upon during his earlier Task Force Devil recon missions. The dark elves had been hostile but never the redcaps. Although they had had no interaction with the diminutive people.

  "Ranger," said Huck. "Ack on weapons hold. We're coming in now. What's your situation?"

  Alex saw them now, moving through the jungle, the large war rigs coming through first, crashing through the vegetation. Liv was among them.

  He turned and stared at the redcap youth. What is our situation? "We have a friendly," he finally answered, raising his hand and waving back at the redcap.

  28

  When the young redcap saw the war rigs stomping through the swamp, his eyes turned to saucers. Alex thought the youth only a moment from bolting—the last thing he needed right now. He keyed his mike. "All call signs, this is Ranger. Hold in location. Don't come any closer, or you'll frighten away the friendly."

  The soldiers in the war rigs stopped then eased back into the foliage, as did a platoon of infantry supporting them.

  "Ranger, this is Sunray," Huck's voice announced through his radio. "I'm a minute out. Call it."

  "Come forward and bring Ylra—Watchmaker-Niner—with you."

  He watched the other soldiers treat the injured soldier. The sergeant in charge of the covering force applied pressure to the neck injury on the soldier, but there was a lot of blood. One of the rats must have bitten his throat above the collar of his suit. "Bring Dr. Ireland and one of her medics, no others just yet."

  "Roger that."

  "Leela, can you help?" he asked his wife.

  "On it," she said as she knelt beside the wounded soldier, "but even with the Brace, I'm not Cassie."

  "Do your best."

  While his wife channeled her healing magic, Alex smiled at the redcap, removing his helmet to expose his face. Alex did his best to look as nonthreatening as possible and approached the youth, who was a hundred meters away. "Hello," he said in Empire Common, stopping several paces from the frightened youth.

  The redcap repeated the word slowly, awkwardly. "Hell-o."

  "My name is Alex."

  "Name Alex," the boy repeated, smiling.

  Alex sighed. Great. He doesn't speak Empire Common.

  The youth was about three feet tall with a thin, wiry build. His skin was a deep sun-kissed copper, and he wore a fur loincloth, a sleeveless hide vest, and a rope belt from which a small sack and other tools were attached, including a bone knife. The youth's feet were bare, the toes long and dexterous looking. His face was heart shaped and covered in freckles, his large round eyes a bright emerald, giving him a doll-like appearance. Even his lashes were unnatural, several inches long and as red as his long hair, which hung in a single braid down his back. He wore a row of bright-blue feathers, each woven into his hair from ear to ear. This was the closest Alex had ever been to a redcap, and he found the youth familiar and alien at the same time. Kargin and Ylra might be mistaken for humans, but the redcap was clearly a distinct species.

  The youth's posture stiffened when Huck, Ylra, and Dr. Ireland arrived. Dr. Ireland and her medic ran to help Leela and the others with the wounded soldier, and Huck and Ylra approached Alex and the redcap.

  Alex stood still, smiling at the youth. "Be calm," he whispered.

  Huck stopped just beside Alex, her helmet under her arm. Ylra, who had slung her Light Fifty anti-material rifle across her back, stepped forward without pause, holding both hands out at waist level, her palms facing up. She spoke a single sentence in a singsong language.

  The redcap smiled, his green eyes flashing, and he placed his hands, with his long, powerful fingers, atop Ylra's and answered her in the same dialect.

  Relief coursed through Alex. Ylra spoke his language. If they had Kargin's crowns, they could learn each other's language in a half hour, but as his mother always said, "If wishes were horses, even beggars would ride." At least now they could communicate, albeit slowly.

  Ylra and the redcap youth conversed for several minutes before Ylra paused and addressed Alex and Huck. "His name is Gevn Ap. He comes from a nearby village along the river and was checking his traps. When he heard the commotion, he came to see what was going on with the skrell."

  "Skrell?" Alex asked.

  "The huge rats whose nests you wandered into. Most creatures that aren't giant rats avoid the swamp. According to Gevn Ap, there are dozens more nests for kilometers around us."

  Alex shrugged. "I'm just lucky the rain stopped before I walked into their nests. Your people know each other," he said, changing the subject.

  "Distant cousins. Gnomes too. We're speaking an old trade dialect common to both races. He doesn't know Empire Common, which was the fae-seelie language—although he says his father and several village elders still speak the language. Nor has he or anyone in his village even seen a dark elf in years, not since the gods destroyed their city. The fae don't travel along the river anymore. Must be too busy killing each other."

  "Ask him if we can get around the rats," Huck said.

  Ylra turned back to Gevn Ap and interpreted Huck's question. The youth spoke at length, using his long fingers to point into the jungle to the west, going on at length animatedly. Ylra frowned, asking a series of short questions to which the redcap gave long, detailed answers.

  Ylra faced Alex and Huck once more, her face grim. "The swamp continues for days," she said. "But that's not the big problem. Several kilometers west, we'd stumble into the terrain of Gesh ants, giant flesh-eating ants the size of your hand that excrete an acidic poison. They'll attack almost anything that comes into their territory, including the skrell."

  "That is a big problem," Alex said.

  Ylra shook her head. "The Gesh ants aren't the big problem. We might burn our way through. The ants avoid fire. The big problem—the real problem—is the water dragon that lairs nearby in an underground river tunnel system. Gevn Ap says the water dragon likes to come inland and eat the Gesh ants. Apparently, Gesh poison is a delicacy for water dragons. The war rigs are great, but I don't like our odds against a dragon."

  "I'm getting really god-damned tired of dragons," Alex said bitterly.

  "Then there are probably better worlds to move to," Ylra said. "If you're going to survive on Faerum, you'll have to work out a compromise with the great dragons. The fae seelie just think they're in charge."

  Gevn Ap spoke again, this time pointing behind him toward the river. Ylra listened, nodding her head as she followed his words.

  "His village is close," she translated. "Less than three hours of walking. We can be there tonight. His father, the village chieftain, will offer us sanctuary for the night, and food and water."

  "That's fine," Huck said, "but we need to reach the bridge."

  "That's just it," Ylra said. "If his father gives his blessing, Gevn Ap can take us along a secret path that avoids the swamp, the skrell, and the Gesh ants. He says he can take us to where the sun can't penetra
te the jungle's roof. It's much more open terrain, easily navigable."

  "He's describing primary jungle," Alex said. "What I had been hoping we'd find. If true, we can cover twice as much ground with half the effort."

  "If his father says it's okay," Ylra continued. "Gevn Ap says he can bring us to the grasslands and the stone bridge within two days."

  Hope surged through Alex. "Way better than I could do guiding us, and we could use a good night's sleep and fresh water."

  "Not that simple," Ylra said. "The redcaps have sworn fealty to Queen Tuatha de Talinor. They've had no choice after my people lost the Secession Wars and were culled."

  "But I thought they hadn't seen a dark elf in a long time." Huck said.

  "They haven't," Ylra answered. "But that doesn't mean they aren't still out there, somewhere. And if they get caught helping us…"

  "Convince him," insisted Huck. "We need to move north and find Deep Terlingas. Both your people and ours depend upon our success."

  Ylra spoke to the young redcap at length. After several exchanges, he nodded, bobbing his head and grinning. He held out his hands to her, palms up, and she placed hers atop his then leaned in and touched her forehead to his.

  She met Huck's eyes. "He'll bring us to his father. But he can't promise help."

  "It'll do," Huck said.

  Leela joined them, her helmet removed. She smiled warmly at Gevn Ap. "Your soldier will live," she said to Huck. "Dr. Ireland and I stopped the bleeding, but he needs rest."

  "Lucky for us, that's what we're all after," Huck said.

  Leela turned to Alex. "You were limping earlier. You hurt?"

  Alex grunted, feeling a stitch in his back. "Think so." He removed his load-bearing vest and weapons and exposed his back to his wife. She ran her fingers down his MR suit, and he winced when she touched his lower back.

  "The material is intact," she said. "Strip down to your waist."

  He did as she ordered and stood bare chested.

  She trailed her fingertips over his skin. "Just bruising."

  He felt momentary heat as she healed him.

  "The liquid body armor works wonders," Ylra said. "Even Kargin was impressed by it. Not as sturdy as good old dwarven plate mail, but it'll get the job done."

  Healed now, Alex dressed again. Within twenty minutes, Gevn Ap was leading the Strike Force east toward the river and his home.

  Terlissandia watched from behind trees as the redcap youth led the manlings away. She was invisible, cloaked in a Shadow-Soul spell, but she still feared to approach the manlings. They had mages, at least three, and while she doubted a manling mage could detect her, only a fool took chances—and she hadn't earned her nickname by being a fool.

  One of the manling mages, the one with the long dark hair, had been using a talisman, a glove that vastly increased her magic. Even from this far away, Terlissandia had felt it and gasped in wonder at the magic the manling mage had cast when fighting the skrell. She did not understand what kind of talisman it was, but she knew she must have it. If that damned redcap hadn't interfered, she'd have it now… well, after she had peeled it away from the manling's corpse.

  The foolish redcap annoyed her and not just because he had deprived her of the glove by tricking the skrell into running away. Redcaps were supposed to know their place, not help the queen's enemies. They must have forgotten us, Terlissandia mused. For six cycles now, we've been too busy fighting among ourselves to remind the lesser races who they serve. They'll need a harsh reminder.

  When the last of the manling warriors disappeared, she removed a small white pearl from a pouch, one of a handful that the queen's spymaster had entrusted to her. It was a Telling Pearl, a minor gnomish talisman but useful now that the Seeing Stones were gone. She held the pearl in her fist and cast a trace of magic into it, activating the pearl's power and telepathically recording her message to the spymaster, reporting most of what had occurred here. She made no mention of the glove. With such a talisman in her possession, anything became possible, and only a fool shared power.

  When she finished, the pearl throbbed with heat. From her cloak, she removed the sleep-enchanted brood bat. With its wings wrapped around its body, the bat was the size of a clenched fist. She fitted the pearl within a pouch sewn into the flesh of the bat's torso so it wouldn't come loose in flight. Then she placed a single fingertip against the bat's head, between its long, furry ears, and cast a mind link, negating the sleep-enchantment. The bat came awake in a moment, its fangs exposed in anger. She wasn't concerned. Even if it hadn't been ensorcelled, brood bats were only dangerous in a swarm.

  She threw the bat into the air, telepathically instructing it to bring her message to the spymaster. The bat vanished through the trees in a flurry of beating wings.

  Terlissandia moved forward to inspect the hundreds of skrell carcasses lying submerged in the swamp waters. She examined their wounds, using her fingers to prod the flesh apart. The damage was impressive. Manling fire-weapons ripped and tore with thunder and flames. Such marvelous weapons. Of course, the dwarves had also created wonderful weapons, and they were extinct. The same fate awaited the manlings.

  29

  Alex walked just behind Gevn Ap as the redcap led the Strike Force to his village. He took them along trails that Alex never would have found on his own. Now, the soldiers marched in a long single file. It was quicker and easier but hardly tactical. Huck considered it a chance worth taking to find real shelter for the night and rest for the injured soldier carried by the stretcher.

  As they traveled, Gevn Ap happily pointed out animal signs and spoors, and Ylra translated—the familiar deer, hare, swine, and monkeys, and the distinctly alien Faerum wildlife such as sher-cats, blink-jaguars, and wilt-harpies. Alex asked Ylra to question the youth about the device Gevn Ap used to mimic the basilisk's cries, fearing they might stumble into one of the eight-legged monsters, but Gevn Ap told him there were no more basilisks to fear—the water dragon had killed the last one a year earlier.

  They knew they were near the village when they smelled wood smoke and fish. They saw the river first, the Serpent-Tongue, sparkling through the trees. On the other side of the wide green waters, rising to form a yellow stone wall, was the canyon-like gorge called the Spine of the Serpent. The spine formed a river wall separating the jungle from the desert. Beyond the hundred-foot-high smooth rock canyon, they'd find the Char Desert and the mesa inside which Deep Terlingas was hidden. A destination that Huck and the others had almost reached—before they turned around and came back for Alex and the prisoners.

  Doubt ate at Alex. Should he have let the mission come first, even if it meant torture and death for Lee and the others? It was a hard call to make, and Huck was probably right to make it. There was more at stake than a handful of soldiers. As a captain in Task Force Devil, he had only ever led small teams, only platoon strength. Dallas had been right: his ranger rank was a courtesy. The more he dwelled on it, the more certain he became that he had put the entire human race at risk.

  No more, he promised himself. He'd focus on his job, on being the best scout he could be. He'd make it right and back up Huck. Then once they reached Ylra's people and his job was done, he'd head out on his own and save Kargin or, more likely, die in the attempt.

  They saw the huts of the redcap village through the trees. Nestled along the bank of the river, the village was a collection of dozens of circular huts built atop tall stalks with rope bridges connecting them. The roofs were built from woven leaves and bamboo, helping them blend in with the terrain. You'd need to be right on top of the village to see it, even if traveling along the river.

  Cleared plots of land, like rice paddies containing vegetable and fruit gardens, surrounded the terrain leading up to the village. Racks of fish were smoking over small fires, the wind blowing the scent at them. After two days of cold MREs, the aroma was delicious. Dozens of small boats, most little more than dugout canoes, were tied alongside a sturdy little jetty or pulled up onto th
e grassy riverbank. Then he saw the first redcap villagers staring at them, and their already large eyes grew wider with fear.

  The redcaps climbed from hut to hut, pointing and yelling to one another. Most of the villagers darted away, but others appeared with hunting bows, spears, and clubs. Women ran with babies, pushing the excited children ahead of them.

  Gevn Ap stopped, motioning Alex and the others to stay in place.

  "Maybe we should have waited farther back," Leela whispered. "Sent Ylra in first."

  "Too late now," said Huck.

  Gevn Ap called out to the gathering redcaps. Then he motioned to Ylra and the others, making introductions, perhaps. One redcap, a male warrior holding a spear more appropriate for hunting fish than fighting, asked the youth a series of questions, which Gevn Ap answered, his tone pleading. This went on for several exchanges while more redcap hunters appeared.

  "Any idea what they're saying?" Alex asked Ylra.

  "I don't speak this village's dialect, but I'd guess he's telling them we're friends, but it's a hard argument to make with people that have been mistreated by the fae seelie for so many years."

  "We're not fae seelie."

  "I imagine that's what he's saying. But from their point of view, you're big, scary, and new—and there's lots of you. Plus, distant relatives or no, redcaps are a simple people. They don't share our dwarven love of machines. They're gonna foul themselves when they see the war rigs."

  "Should we… sit or something, act less threatening?" Leela asked.

  "Maybe," said Ylra. "Wait. I think the village chieftain is here."

  An older redcap, one with streaks of gray in his long red hair and so many colored feathers woven into his hair it looked like he was wearing a crown, stepped out from the gathering hunters. He looked, Alex thought, like a much older version of Gevn Ap. This, then, was Gevn Ap's father.