Island of Darkness
Page 16
FalconEye woke and moaned softly as LifeTender cast healing spells on him.
“Let me lift him onto my desk,” offered Temiker. “It will be easier for you to minister to him. He had two arrows in his back. We can talk in the dining room.”
LifeTender nodded, but it was StarWind who lifted the wounded Sakovan and placed him on the desk. The Sakovan spymaster followed Lyra and her uncle into the dining room.
“What do you hope to accomplish here?” Temiker asked his niece.
“My original intent was to deliver more food and convince the people that we are friendly,” Lyra replied. “The ambush has changed my plans. It sounds like the people of Alamar are friendly towards us. That pleases me and gives me cause to hope for peace, but the pending arrival of General Romero’s army can crush that hope.”
“General Manitow tried to forestall any harm to our people,” Temiker pointed out, “but do not expect him to switch sides. Like the mayor, he cares for the people under his control, but he is a pragmatist. The Holy Katana still rules Omunga. He will obey his orders.”
“What if General Romero was lured someplace else?” asked StarWind. “Would General Manitow allow the continued delivery of food?”
“If we could stop orders coming in from Okata, he would,” mused Temiker. “He does not want war with the Sakovans, but he will feel duty bound to obey orders. In the absence of orders, we will be welcomed here.”
“How many men is General Romero bringing with him?” asked StarWind.
“We do not know,” answered Temiker. “Captain Gachiral probably knows. He was the leader of the ambush. His real purpose in coming here was to inform General Manitow to close the city to Sakovans. He is part of General Romero’s army.”
“I won’t be able to interrogate him,” frowned StarWind. “There is no plausible reason for a female to talk to him.”
LifeTender and FalconEye walked out of the office and joined the group.
“You are looking much better,” Temiker smiled broadly at FalconEye. “How do you feel?”
“Like a new man,” FalconEye replied to Temiker as he bowed low to Lyra. “I have failed you, Star. I am sorry.”
“You have failed no one,” Lyra said as she gently placed her hand on FalconEye. “It was I who sent you into danger. Your strength allowed our people to return home. You have done well.”
“We are talking about the people of Alamar and their feelings towards Sakovans,” interjected StarWind. “You can tell us much about that.”
“The people of Alamar are a good people,” declared FalconEye. “I was skeptical at first, but they greeted us more warmly each time we came. They practically worshiped SpringThaw. At first I thought it was only because of the food that we were bringing them, but I learned that I was wrong. Citizens hung around when all of the food was gone. They stayed to talk to SpringThaw mostly, but they were friendly towards all of us. Many of them invited us into their homes to share their meager rations.”
“That is not the mindset of a people who only seek what others have to give,” stated Lyra. “It sounds like we have developed a lasting friendship with the people here. We cannot allow that to die.”
“How can you sustain it?” asked Temiker. “If the Katana has declared war on the Sakovans, this friendship that you speak of is over.”
“Is it?” retorted the Star of Sakova. “It will only be over if we walk away from these people. I will not do that.”
“This city is not worth losing the Sakova for,” countered Temiker. “Ukaro and I are close to solving the problem of the disease. If we are successful, the starvation here will pass. Why risk losing StarCity and thousands of Sakovans over it?”
“Omungan armies are already entering the Sakova near Okata,” StarWind informed Temiker. “StarCity is already at risk.”
“And why not make the Omungans concentrate on their own soil, instead of ours?” proposed Lyra. “Are you well enough to travel, FalconEye?”
“He should rest more,” interrupted LifeTender. “He looks better than he really is. Healing takes time. I have just accelerated the process.”
“I am ready to serve my Star,” declared FalconEye. “What would you have me do?”
“Go to the marketplace,” instructed Lyra. “Find a table and stand upon it. Tell the people that the Sakovans have a message for all to hear. Ask them to gather. I will come within the hour.”
“As you command,” grinned FalconEye. “The citizens of Alamar will come to listen.”
“Go with him StarWind,” instructed Lyra. “Remain invisible, but be prepared to intervene if the Imperial Guards try to interfere. I do not want FalconEye harmed.”
StarWind hesitated, and Lyra smiled at her.
“I will travel with my uncle,” declared the Star of Sakova. “I will be safe. Go and take LifeTender with you.”
* * *
Mayor Reaker hurried into General Manitow’s office. The general looked up and waved the mayor to a seat, but Reaker declined.
“We have trouble,” declared the mayor. “The Sakovan is in the marketplace calling for the citizens to assemble to hear from the Sakovans.”
“I heard that there was a commotion there,” shrugged the general. “I have sent troops to quell any disturbances. If the citizens want to talk, I have no qualms against that, as long they remain peaceful. What Sakovan do you speak of?”
“The one who escaped the ambush,” answered the mayor. “I thought he would die.”
“FalconEye?” frowned the general. “Those wizards must have more skill than I imagined. I also thought he would die. He was practically dead when he arrived. Still, he is not much of a speaker. Were it SpringThaw calling upon the people I would be more concerned. She had the gift of arousing the people.”
“That’s it?” scowled the mayor. “You are just going to wave off this arousing of the citizenry?”
“I said that I sent troops,” retorted the general. “What do you want me to do? If some people want to gather together and share their woe, there is little I can do to stop it. I can chase them out of the marketplace, and they will just move to an inn.”
“Thousands of people are going to meet in an inn?” snapped Mayor Reaker.
“Thousands?” echoed the general as he looked up with a frown. “What do you mean thousands?”
“You haven’t been listening,” replied the mayor. “They have been gathering for almost an hour. Just about everyone is trying to crowd into the marketplace.”
The general leaped to his feet and stormed out the door of his office. He stood in the corridor and started shouting orders. Soldiers began running, and the general returned to his office.
“I am sending more men to the marketplace,” he declared, “but I must be cautious. This could just be a ruse to lessen the guards here. The people want Captain Gachiral and his soldiers to hang. I will not leave this building unguarded.”
“Perhaps we should go to the marketplace,” suggested Mayor Reaker. “It would be better if we were at hand to give the correct orders. We do not want a repeat of the angry mob that tried to take the prisoners.”
“Right,” agreed the general. “I still think that is their goal. That FalconEye always was a quiet one. I cannot imagine him really addressing thousands of people. He must be a diversion.”
General Manitow strode out of his office and into the large entry foyer. Mayor Reaker followed closely and listened as the general bellowed orders to everyone in hearing range. He ordered sleeping guards to be awakened to bolster the defenses of the headquarters. He commanded that the doors to the headquarters be closed and locked after he left.
The general and the mayor left the building and headed towards the marketplace. The general saw the huge crowd from blocks away. His mood darkened as he ordered some Imperial Guards to create a path for him. The soldiers drove a wedge into the crowd so that the general and the mayor could reach the front row surrounding the table that the Sakovan stood on.
* * *
“There are probably a thousand in this group,” replied HawkShadow. “There will be more later. It is not the number that disturbs me, but rather the speed at which they are traveling. This area of the Sakova has been invaded many times. It is so close to Okata that the armies choose it every time they threaten to invade.”
“So you are not going to issue an alarm?” questioned SkyDancer.
“Not just yet,” answered the Sakovan assassin. “What we need to do now is to slow them down. We must prove to them that they are at great risk. Their caution will slow their progress.”
“How are you going to slow them down?” asked SkyDancer. “Lyra said not to kill them.”
“No, she didn’t,” grinned HawkShadow. “She said that they were not to have any bodies to show the Omungans. I think we can follow those orders and still have some fun.”
“You are going to make their corpses disappear?” SkyDancer asked with skepticism.
“No,” chuckled HawkShadow. “You are going to make the bodies disappear. They appear to have three outriders on each flank. We will attack one flank starting from the rear. I will take out an outrider, and you will dispose of the body. Take the body, the horse, and anything else that will point to that man ever existing. I want you to take it far enough away that if they decide to search, they will find nothing.”
“I can do that,” assured SkyDancer. “Still, only killing the three outriders will not slow them down. You are risking your life for little gain.”
“This is only the first step,” explained HawkShadow. “While it alone will not slow them down, you must trust me that this army will move cautiously in a day or two.”
“I do trust you,” smiled SkyDancer. “I like to think that I am good at what I do, but I know a master when I see one.”
“You are excellent at patrolling the Sakova,” HawkShadow smiled back. “You will have a chance to prove it really soon.”
“I know,” frowned SkyDancer. “They never can manage to leave us in peace for long, can they?”
“They cannot even manage to rule their own country,” replied HawkShadow. “They have chosen yet another Katana that is eager to shed the blood of their young men.”
“I hope that I am called upon to help you with more than just burying bodies,” SkyDancer said.
“You will be,” assured HawkShadow. “There is one part of their bodies that you will not bury though. I want their tails cut off and saved. Preserve the ribbons as well.”
Most Omungan soldiers wore their hair quite long. Some had long braids hanging down their backs, while others merely tied the long hair back with a white ribbon and let it hang behind them.
“What do you want with their hair?” puzzled SkyDancer.
“These men will react to our strikes with bravado,” explained HawkShadow. “While we are killing these three today, we will not in the future. I plan to make it known to the Omungans that we can strike anytime and any place we want.”
“You plan to attack some of them and merely cut off their tails?” questioned SkyDancer.
“Not just me,” grinned HawkShadow. “You will also get in on the fun. It will be hard for a soldier to maintain his bravado when his fellow soldiers see him without his tail. At first, the victims will be ridiculed, but when we have struck enough of them, fear will spread through their camp like a downpour.”
“A brilliant plan,” frowned SkyDancer, “but how are we to get close enough to them to cut their hair?”
“That is the challenge,” smiled HawkShadow. “We will talk about strategies tonight after we do the simple chore scheduled for today.”
“Simple chore?” chided SkyDancer. “Do not get a swelled head out here. That can be fatal. There is nothing easy about picking off outriders from a group of a thousand soldiers. Each kill carries the chance of death along with it.”
“I understand,” HawkShadow nodded solemnly. “My talk is for my own self-confidence, not to impress you. I will be careful.”
“Still, shouldn’t we send for more help?” asked SkyDancer. “Just the two of us against a thousand is long odds.”
“We will do fine,” replied HawkShadow. “I have sent a message asking Goral to come out, but it will be a while before he gets here.”
“Goral is hardly a stealthy type,” responded SkyDancer. “He is more the hit-them-over-the-head type. Why did you choose him?”
“Goral can be frightening in his own way,” smiled HawkShadow. “Besides, he can carry an awful lot. I plan to collect more than a few tails from these Omungans.”
“Now you have me looking forward to tonight’s strategy session,” chuckled SkyDancer. “I can’t imagine how we could get more than a handful of tails without dying.”
“I bet you can,” countered HawkShadow as he slid back down the slope that was hiding them from the Omungan army. “Let’s get this task out of the way.”
Chapter 13
Offer for Alamar
“Can we get through please?” LifeTender asked sweetly.
Two large women watching FalconEye stand on the table turned to stare at the source of the melodious request. One of the women nodded and moved out of the way, but the other’s eyes narrowed as she stared at LifeTender.
“Who are you?” asked the women. “We have been standing here for an hour waiting to see what is going to happen. You can’t just push your way to the front.”
“We must get up there,” StarWind said over LifeTender’s shoulder, “although I would prefer not to have to push. We are friends of FalconEye.”
The woman’s mouth opened in confusion. Her brow wrinkled as she stared at StarWind.
“We are all friends of the Sakovan here,” she finally said. “You will be able to hear just fine from where you are.”
Lyra squeezed between StarWind and LifeTender. She smiled up at the woman.
“I am sorry to trouble you,” Lyra said, “but we are not here to listen. We are here to talk. We are Sakovans.”
The woman gasped and stared at the three newcomers. Speechlessly, she nodded vigorously. She turned around and tapped the person in front of her.
“Make way,” she said loudly. “Make way for Sakovans.”
“Merge into the crowd,” Lyra said softly to StarWind and LifeTender. “I did not expect to become a spectacle before we reached the table.”
StarWind swiftly stepped backwards, and LifeTender squeezed to the left and hid behind a tall man. The large woman smiled as she turned around.
“Where did the others go?” she asked. “I have a path cleared to the table.”
“Only I need to go there,” Lyra smiled in reply. “Thank you very much for your help.”
Everyone stood on their toes in an attempt to see the Sakovan moving through the crowd. People between Lyra and FalconEye jostled their neighbors to create a corridor for the Sakovan. Lyra scooted through the openings as quickly as she could. No one complained about the temporary discomfort, and FalconEye extended his hand to Lyra to help her onto the table.
“The mayor and the general are here,” FalconEye whispered.
“Don’t point, but tell me where they are,” replied Lyra as she hugged FalconEye.
“Better than that,” FalconEye whispered back as he turned slightly as he hugged Lyra back. “You are looking right at them. They are in the front row.”
“I see them,” Lyra said as she broke the embrace.
Lyra separated herself from FalconEye and gazed out at the huge crowd. She felt tremors of anxiety ripple through her body. She took a deep breath and held one arm high above her head. The crowd fell into silence.
“People of Alamar,” Lyra began. “I want to thank you for saving FalconEye. I heard that he was near death, and that citizens of this great city nursed him back to health. I want to thank you for that.”
“Are you Sakova
n?” shouted a man near the front.
“I am Sakovan,” answered Lyra. “In fact, I am Lyra, the Star of Sakova. I am the leader of my people as the Katana is yours.”
While Lyra spoke she kept an eye on the general and the mayor without appearing to. She saw the general stiffen when she announced who she was. Her nervousness increased.
“I know the people of Alamar have had a rough time recently,” she continued after the murmurs of awe died down. “I am happy that my people have been able to share our food with you. I would like to continue doing so.”
Thousands of people started cheering. The noise was deafening. Lyra smiled broadly and turned slowly to gaze at all of the people. It took several minutes for the noise to die down, even after Lyra raised her hand for silence.
“I do not, however, want to sacrifice my people to deliver it,” she continued. “I know that you all heard of the ambush that killed five of my people. I also know that many hearts in Alamar went out to those victims of senseless slaughter. I heard about the flowers and jewelry that some of you left with their bodies. I am very touched by your generosity and warmth.”
Lyra paused as she noticed tears on some of the faces in the audience. She felt her own eyes moisten as she continued her speech.
“The Sakovans who traveled far to bring the food to Alamar spoke highly of the people of here,” the Star of Sakova continued. “SpringThaw was especially thrilled to meet so many new and loving people.”
Quite a few citizens were openly crying now. Lyra saw the general making gestures to some his men.
“Let me get to the reason for speaking to you today,” Lyra said quickly as she knew that the time before confrontation with the Imperial Guards was running out. “The Sakovan people sincerely want to continue supplying food to Alamar, but as a leader, I cannot consign my people to death by forcing them to deliver it.”
“I will go get it,” shouted a man. Others chimed in and agreed to help.
“I appreciate that offer,” smiled Lyra, “but the Katana has thousands of men in the Sakova at this very moment searching for our homes. I would not be surprised if the Imperial Guards tortured those of you who did travel to the Sakova. They want desperately to find StarCity.”