-v-
Chapter 38: Bottom's Deep
"Everything was going to plan until we actually made contact with the enemy."
~Beginning of Consortium Report on the Battle of Aldar-5
Questor's pack:
"We have incoming by the river!"
"We need to get the children out of here!"
As the panicked screams erupted around her, Greenshade could only stare at the glimmering river. In the morning light the advancing hidden runners barely registered as bumps in the waves, but they were noticeable nonetheless. As was the panic they were causing.
"Don't let them out of the water," Greenshade ordered. She spun around hurriedly, pointing at two hidden runners. "You and you. Go find Althus and Domis and have them send as many as they can spare." We're going to need all the help we can get.
The hidden runners froze, but then quickly ran off. Greenshade could only assume that they would obey her orders.
"Found the stick wall!" Bluntbeak screamed as he sprinted towards her. It took her a moment for her brain to process that he was carrying countless spears under each arm.
"Great. Now start passing them out," Greenshade said, taking a spear from Bluntbeak. She started moving down the riverbank, directing a few unarmed hidden runners towards Bluntbeak as she went. If we can't stop them here we're going to be in a lot of trouble.
"To the river! Form a line!"
Greenshade barely had time to register the barked order in the background before the splashing in the distance grew loud enough to be heard over the commotion. A horrifying truth began to dawn upon her. The green haze on the surface of the river was not actually water scum.
It was then that several dozen hidden runner heads emerged from the river and hurled their spears into the air.
Greenshade automatically dropped down and luckily found herself behind a fallen log as spears rained around her. After waiting a moment she jumped back up and threw her spear at the mass of enemies and was rewarded with a pained scream. There were so many hidden runners in front of her it was nearly impossible to not hit one of them. Not pausing to celebrate, she bent down to pick up one of the spears that had been thrown at her and tried not to think about how the one she picked up had hit the log right in front of where she'd been a moment before.
"Release now!"
The sickening whoosh of thrown spears again greeted her ears as countless projectiles sailed from behind her towards the advancing hoard of hidden runners. Within a few seconds half of the advancing hidden runners had crumpled in pain, the water now mingling with crimson.
Greenshade threw her second spear a moment later and turned to see who had helped her. Much to her horror she saw only Wrok and a few other hidden runners standing there. Almost twice as many were on the ground, either wounded or dead.
"Urgh…"
"Are you alright?" Greenshade asked as she ran over to Bluntbeak. He had gotten up rather more slowly than she would've liked.
It was then that she noticed the gash on his head at about the same time that he did. He put a hand to his feathered head and looked down upon it, seeing some of his own blood.
"Let me see," Greenshade said, trying to get a better look at Bluntbeak's injury. Is he okay for now, or does he need a healer?
"Release!" Wrok commanded again as the whoosh of a dozen spears sailing in the air again reached her ears. It was then that Bluntbeak shook his head and forced himself to his feet.
"I… I can throw," he said weakly before walking towards one of the discarded spears.
"Incoming!"
Greenshade turned towards the river but didn't even have a chance to actually see the incoming spears before being tackled by Bluntbeak. Not a moment later a spear whistled through where she'd been standing, barely missing Bluntbeak.
The pained screams that then arose around her confirmed that not everyone was as lucky.
"Thanks," Greenshade said, pulling Bluntbeak to his feet as she stood back up. "Are you still good?"
"I am alive," Bluntbeak merely said, for once being at a loss for words. He spoke with all of the conviction of a person who wasn't sure if what they said was true.
"Then let's keep you that way," Greenshade said, "Go find a healer. We'll take care of this."
Bluntbeak hurriedly obeyed, barely avoiding colliding into several hidden runners who ran onto the scene. It looked like the reinforcements were here.
"Greenshade!" Wrok's voice called.
"Sir?" Greenshade rushed over to Wrok, keeping one eye on the advancing enemy as she did so.
Wrok did a quick look around him and nodded approvingly. "I think that we have enough here to hold them off. But I know Questor, and there will be secondary incursions. I need you to lead some people to help scout them out."
"Yes, sir," Greenshade said hesitantly. She wanted to say more, but there wasn't time. Instead she nodded and hurried away.
Are you sure about this, sir? A large force would be spotted by the scouts already in place, and one small enough to get past could only be going after you. We should be at your side, not hunting down something that might not even be there, Greenshade thought. But her leader had made his decision, and she would see it done.
As she left, she gestured at two of the reinforcements she knew to be scouts to follow her.
"Could someone please tell me what's going on?" Penol asked no one and everyone at the same time. She'd heard an alert call, but Wrok had quite deliberately stopped her from following him to investigate. If it weren't for the guards that had joined her a moment later, she was certain she would have been left completely alone.
"Miss Penol, the pack has engaged the enemy," a grim looking hidden runner answered, "You must stay with us."
"So I stay here while the one person we cannot afford to lose rushes headfirst into danger?" Penol asked with a resigned sigh. She didn't mind staying away from the fighting. She would be worse than useless there. But what's the point of keeping me safe if we lose Wrok? I doubt anyone would follow me if we lost him.
The guards tensed up as the nearby foliage rustled. Penol's agitation was quickly resolved, however, when she looked over to see several familiar faces.
Penol immediately noticed Greenshade among the approaching group. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
Greenshade answered with a quick nod. "We are off to check for anyone flanking us, Wrok's orders. Stay with the guards, Penol." And then without another word she and her two comrades darted off deeper into the foliage.
"Okay," Penol said blandly as she watched her friend disappear. Everyone's got something to do except me.
But what am I supposed to do if everything goes wrong? she wondered, If Wrok dies, what am I supposed to do? I don't think anyone is going to listen to me for long. I'm not really sure what I am, but I'm definitely not a leader. I guess I could get some of them to escape with me if we have to, but after that I just don't know. Do I even want to survive this if we lose? I can't go back to Ignis. I don't think I could even go back to my parents.
She clinched her hands. "Guard, please give me your spear."
The guard hesitated briefly before complying with her orders. "We are here to protect you, ma'am."
"If we lose, I'd rather die fighting with everyone else than be hunted down a few days later," Penol said.
The guards stared at her for a long moment. Then, with a grunt from the lead guard, they repositioned themselves slightly so that she was at the rear of their little column. Part of Penol's mind humorously noted that her position was now that of a trainee guard as opposed to an object to be defended.
Penol took a breath to calm herself and shifted her stance to imitate those of the guards. She doubted she'd do all that well, but imitating the ones that actually knew what they were doing seemed like a good place to start.
"Hey, what's that?" Penol asked suddenly, pointing at a flash of color she had seen for only a brief moment.
Within an instant all of the other guards were at the ready, with their spears cocked back ready to let loose on the unseen threat.
"I'm not a threat!" a feminine voice called from the bushes as a pair of scaled hands appeared in a placative gesture. This was followed shortly thereafter by a rather exasperated face with a rainbow-colored beak.
Penol's eyes went wide. There were only two possible reasons why a rainbowface would be in a warzone like this: either this was the stupidest rainbowface alive and was totally lost; or… this was one of the two special rainbowfaces. And the fact that this one spoke in fluent sharptooth all but confirmed which one this was.
"Grab her before she runs," Penol ordered hurriedly.
"Ma'am? Our orders are to protect you. This is just a…"
"This is Logos, the emissary of the Great Valley, and one of the smartest and most dangerous dinosaurs in existence. You will take her into custody or Wrok will skin us all alive," Penol demanded.
It was then that Logos's eyes met Penol's. It took only a few seconds for her gaze to go from surprise to an unreadable gaze. By the time two of the guards went to Logos's side she needed no prompting to follow them. All the while she kept her gaze on Penol.
If the First Assistant is here, then that means one of two things: she is here willingly, or unwillingly. If it is the former then Ignis is probably already dead.
It was at times like this that Logos hated her calculating mind. Neither possibility was predictive of a good outcome. And based upon how she was giving commands to the guards…
Logos's eyes narrowed but she kept her gaze focused at the jungle in front of her, not at the former First Assistant to the Great Leader.
"The last time I met you was at our audience with the Great Leader," Logos said diplomatically.
"Our?" Penol asked.
"My mate and I," Logos clarified. "When we were on our seasonal mission to your people."
"Oh, I remember that. I thought you would have been back in the valley by now," Penol said.
Logos would have rolled her eyes. You are not that dumb, First Assistant, so let's drop the pretense, shall we? "Did our delay complicate your plans or enhance them?"
"Plans?" Penol asked, "I don't make plans. I get dragged into everyone else's plans."
This made Logos pause for several moments as the First Assistant's tone hinted at a mixture of anger and exasperation. "Do you want to know something interesting, First Assistant?"
"What?" Penol asked cautiously.
"I don't have a plan. Not anymore. I just want to get my mate out of this safely and to maintain the valley's interests with your people: your healing plants." Logos turned towards the First Assistant with a piercing gaze. "If you are here, then that means you were either taken or you went here willingly. And since the guards are obeying your orders I can assume where your loyalties lie."
"You might be surprised," Penol replied, "I'd prefer all this to just stop, with no one else dying. That's how I got here, actually."
Logos could only note the horrific sounds of the injured in the distance. Ah, so she thought that Ignis was bound to lose and decided to speed up the war by joining with the probable winner. But why would the guards follow the orders of a traitor unless… oh.
Logos cautiously probed her counterpart. "Does Wrok see things the same way?"
"He thinks I'm naive. If we had some kind of guarantee we'd be safe and things would not go back to the way they were before..." Penol shook her head. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be talking about this. I'm not a Deputy or anything."
Logos hid her shock at this as she examined the mannerisms of the guards, who continued to maintain their protective vigil around the duo. "Some positions entail special rights, I suppose," Logos said diplomatically. "Ancestors know I made allowances for Chronos."
At this two of the guards looked at one another with a knowing look before turning back to their vigilant stances. It was a shift in position that did not go unnoticed by Penol.
"Oh, I'm not..." Penol protested in embarrassment. She then froze, seemingly lost in thought. "Er, not yet, anyway." She did her best to try to disappear into the foliage, though it did nothing to disguise her scent.
"So we want the same thing, eventually. We want those whom we love to be safe. So the question is: how do we do that now?" Logos prompted, pretending to not see Penol's reaction.
"I was hoping you would know. I thought you guys were the smartest people around," Penol said.
Logos took a deep breath. Well, you are here now, Logos. If we are going to get anything out of this situation, then we need to be helpful.
"What is your name, former First Assistant?"
"Penol."
Logos nodded. "Well, Penol, you have a choice. You can either accept the help I am about to give you and allow me to help all of you, or you can keep me completely under guard and wait here while your comrades trade spears with the enemy across the river." She gestured at a pile of vines. "How many of those piles do you have?"
"Not sure. We had some extra ones, and unfortunately I don't think everyone put their own vines on, so..." Penol shrugged. "How many do you need?"
Logos's eyes narrowed. "As many as you have. We are going to set a trap."
"Alright, runners, keep your heads down and your leaves on! We aren't there yet!"
The hissed order from the deputy broke through Fulu's worry like a claw through flesh. It was an affirmation that they had not been spotted yet, but that moment was fast approaching. The moment they rose from their crude coverings of leaves and grass to show their faces to the enemy. The moment their group would see the heat of battle.
How much further? Fulu thought, It's hard enough staying together on land, and we're practically swimming. If anyone slips these leaf covers will be useless. He was half convinced the vine they were using to keep together was as much a hindernance as a help in their effort to be stealthy.
It was then that shouting could be heard in the distance which was followed by screams.
Fulu tensed, knowing that the battle had started and he would soon be in it.
"Distraction successful. Prepare to rise!" the deputy ordered as the line began to advance more quickly.
Let's hope the distraction actually worked.
"Now!"
In that instant his training took over, as it did with the rest of the attack group. The vine was thrown over their heads in one swift movement, which was followed by each of the party using the sides of their spears to knock off their head coverings. Where a mere moment before had been leaves floating upon the river there was now an attacking party of twenty hidden runners. An attack party which now faced an open riverbank.
Fulu did his best to run through the now belly-deep water, but the best he could do was an unnaturally slow waddle. Sooner than he thought, though, he was on dry land again. Get out of the open. Get out of the open, he thought. Though he could hear the sounds of fighting coming from the direction it was going, it couldn't possibly be more dangerous than being out in the open while the enemy was hidden.
"Charge!" he heard the deputy shout as he and his comrades pointed their spears at the jungle.
What happened next defied words and comprehension as Fulu forced himself forward. Where once his feet were restrained by a watery prison, now they were free to propel him towards an unseen enemy. Over the next few moments he was not sure which vibrations he felt in his chest were his heart and which were his forceful footsteps as the intimidating shouts of his comrades drowned out everything else. By the time he regained comprehension he noticed that he had crossed the treeline into the relative darkness of the jungle and that he had fallen slightly behind his comrades, with his position being two spear-lengths behind.
Fulu started to try to catch up but hesitated at the same time the rest of the group seemed to slow. With no visible enemy, no one wanted to venture too far ahead from the group and end up ambushed themselves. The sheer lack of opposition as the group advanced was unnerving. Fulu kept expecting some big ambush to be sprung at any moment. It can't be this easy? Can it?
It was then that something caught his gaze far to his left: a brightly colored beak in the morning light. This was quickly followed by a hand going up from the dinosaur.
That can't be good, Fulu thought.
He only had a split second to see the coming disaster, which was enough for him to stop dead in his tracks. His comrades, however, were not as lucky as their only warning of the vine which had suddenly risen from the ground was when it collided with their chests with enough force to send them hurdling to the ground. It was only then that the clearing in front of the trees was suddenly transformed into a sea of hostile hidden runners.
Fulu froze as that sea seemed to engulf his group's first line, resulting in a cacophony of screams and panicked shouts. By the time he recovered his wits enough to raise his spear, the enemy was already falling back. There was no time for an accurate count, but it seemed only half of the hidden runners that had fallen got back up again.
"Retreat!" he shouted before anyone else could say otherwise. He threw his spear hurriedly and rushed forward to grab another as the others obeyed his order. No countervening order came from the deputy who had commanded them; he now lay prone on the ground.
Backing up slowly, Fulu kept his eye on the enemy until he felt sure he wasn't about to be rushed before turning and hurrying after his comrades. With half their number gone, there was no point in attacking again. Who knows what else they're hiding? he thought. It was only when he hit the water and was wading back out to safety that the fear and regret finally hit him. His comrades had died for nothing.
They surprised us once. Next time, we'll make them pay, Fulu thought.
As the hidden runners slowly retreated into the water they could not see the defenders begin to stir between the trees, looking out towards the attackers. Their expressions indicated as much shock as joy at their victory. This was especially the case of the rainbowface who was flanked by three hidden runners.
"Penol, we should reinforce this area. They had us outnumbered two to one… we can't plan on this working twice."
"Steady… How is everyone?"
Wrok's question hung over the line for several moments as they maintained their uneasy vigil over the shore line. Though a dozen of them remained, an equal number lay prone on the blood-consecrated ground. Their sacrifice was only matched by the floating corpses of the enemy, which now stained the river with the slightest tinge of crimson.
"We're good, sir," one hidden runner called out.
"I'll need another sharp stick, but I'm ready," another added.
Wrok gave the line a quick look over. The two who had spoken were obviously ready for additional combat, but several of the others were much worse for wear. This included a hidden runner with a distinct gash on her thigh.
"You are injured, Lazo." Without asking he took her bloody spear and handed it to the one who requested a new one.
"It's not as bad as it looks, sir," Lazo protested.
"You have done enough. Go get healed and help us with the fight another day," he ordered.
Lazo quickly obeyed, leaving a gap in the line. Without a further order being given the gap was filled by the others spreading out. Though it was not lost on Wrok that this line was now very thin. Another assault like the last one will break through. The pack might need to flee. Fate damn it!
"Sir!"
Wrok jolted at the sudden interjection from Bluntbeak. "Messenger?"
"A second line has been prepared, but you all need to be quick!"
Wrok was about to open his beak when the water erupted with movement. It was the sign of a new assault and it looked no smaller than the one before. Despite this, the line did not falter.
"Line, hold on to your spears!" Wrok barked.
"Sir?"
"We are going to make a fake retreat. We throw when the second line throws. Understand?"
"Understood!"
Wrok took a step backwards. "Alright, let's begin to break away like we have lost our resolve… now!"
Wrok did not know whether to be proud or distraught at how readily his line pretended to retreat. He could only hope that he did not order a rout. Then, finally, to keep up the ruse, he was the last to break and run.
"We have them! We have them! Everyone charge!"
Despite the long slog across the river, Questor's legs did not feel the fires of exhaustion. What had taken its place was an odd numbness that drowned out all pain. Victory was finally in his grasp!
And after Wrok only Ignis would remain in his way.
The shore approached, with its verdant cover contrasting with the crimson-tinged water. Though the slog must have taken many seconds it passed as if it were an instant. Soon his feet touched solid ground.
"Advance!"
As soon as he gave the yell Questor noticed two things. One: his packmates were indeed advancing; and two: they had already been advancing before he made it to the shore.
The attacking line had turned into a disorganized sprawl, advancing without order or reason.
He raised his spear and quickened his pace. A disorganized line would matter little against a demoralized, fleeing foe. Yes, this would do nicely.
"Kill them all!"
"Where are they?!"
Wrok's feet pattered against the rapidly thickening foliage as the fake rout quickly turned into a real one. There was no sign of reinforcements. No sign of a defensive line. No sign of hope.
A chill went up his spine. They would have no choice but to flee. He could only hope that the rest of the pack already had the same idea.
"Over here! Over here!"
Wrok whipped his head around to see where the panicked voice had come from. It took him several moments before he finally noticed Bluntbeak gesturing to jump down what looked like a hidden ravine. The dry remnant of one of the numerous riverlettes that formed during floods.
He wasted no time in following his packmates in sliding down the questionable shelter. They would be doomed if they were trapped below with the enemy above, but maybe they could use this path to flee.
It was only once he landed below that he realized the plan was something altogether different.
"Go behind the edge and shut up!"
Wrok felt as if he were struck as he and his defenders were pushed towards the back of the riverlette, being cast in a shadow as the edge of the small ravine hid them from prying eyes above.
It was then that his panic-addled mind recognized the voice that had spoken previously. Penol?
Looking back at the hidden edge of their makeshift sanctuary, he now noticed the rest of his pack. Everyone who was not dead appeared to be holding a spear, with their sharpened ends aimed downwards, as if getting ready to launch a forward assault.
We can't launch a counter-attack here! There is no room to maneuver.
But that was when the logic of the strategy reached his panicking brain. Oh.
Silently, he raised his spear like the others. Just waiting for the advancing idiots to slide down in their forward advance.
"Alright, reform the line!" Questor's voice suddenly erupted from somewhere above.
Wrok smiled as he gripped his spear tighter. Trying to maintain order so you are not caught in a counter-attack. Well, this buys us some time to…
It was then that Penol walked over, her head lowered low so as to avoid detection. Wrok resisted the urge to embrace her only by the slightest of margins. "Play along. This will drive them into the trap."
Wrok blinked before whispering back, "What will?"
It was then that one of the hidden runners ran across the dry river bed while screaming wildly. This apparently was the cue for the rest of the hidden runners under the lip of the ravine to edge back. All apart from one who chased after the first screaming hidden runner and yelled something that made the advancing hidden runners above go silent.
"The rainbowface is getting away! Catch her now!"
Wrok turned to Penol who gave him the slightest of smiles. The moment was only interrupted when Questor's voice spoke from somewhere nearby.
"Get that rainbowface! Kill any of the enemy you see, but she is the priority!"
Another deputy then called out. "Watch for the ravine! We go as a unit on my order!"
Wrok smirked as he got his spear ready. You poor wretches…
"Now!"
Wrok could sense the movement before it even registered in his vision. A coordinated move to lower terrain required a coordinated jump and landing, and the shadows heralded the coming of the enemy as they descended upon the ravine like dislodged boulders. In front of him only two hidden runners fell, with one landing securely in a mid-run and the other losing their footing in the moist soil. He wasted no time in driving his spear into the floundering hidden runner's back at the same time another drove their spear into the hapless fool's neck.
He quickly looked away from his first quarry and attempted to retrieve his spear from the body before the other hidden runner could turn around and launch a counter-strike. He was not successful in doing so, but it hardly mattered as two more spears embedded themselves in the running hidden runner's back.
Wrok turned around to see if any spears lay near the wall of the ravine, but his vision was completely consumed by the sight of hidden runners, stretching in a line as far as he could see, driving spears into other hidden runners. The only thing which prevented the mutual slaughter of his own people by mistake appeared to be that their backs were literally against the wall.
"Hang on to your spears! Don't throw!" Wrok commanded, but against the cacophony of screams and terrified shrieks his words barely registered in even his own ears.
But Penol's order registered just fine.
"Children, stay against the wall! Only use your spears if needed!"
Wrok's blood ran cold. Children… Penol, you gave spears to the children?
The pained screams and angry cries only lasted for a few more moments before another sound greeted the chaos and confusion of the ravine. A panicked, low-toned call. This was followed by another from a short distance away.
"They're retreating!"
"Run, you cowards!"
Wrok let out a call of his own over the victorious yells. "Greenshade, gather some people and join me on top! Everyone else - regroup and go to the top of the ravine. Form a defensive line!"
The deputies quickly repeated the order across the line, as hidden runners began to emerge from the wall of the crevice and into visual range of Wrok's eyes. It was only then, as he prepared to watch the enemy retreat on top, that he saw the full scale of what Penol had unleashed.
Many hidden runners lay in pools of their own blood in the center of the ravine, with embedded spears leaving no mystery to the nature of their demise. A few injured hidden runners appeared to be receiving aid from their comrades, while several small bodies could be seen driving what looked like spears into a writhing figure in the distance. All while their mother called them back to the ravine wall. It was a sight that made Wrok shiver.
Before he lifted himself up and put a hand on Penol's shoulder as she examined him carefully, as if she detected his distress. Despite his misgivings, he gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'll be back! Penol has command until I return!"
And with that he hurled himself out of the shallow river bed and sprinted off to make sure the enemy finished their retreat.
He never saw Penol's stunned expression.
Across the river:
Questor collapsed into the mud with an undignified thud as he allowed his exhaustion to finally overtake him. Gone was the thrill of victory and in its place was the growing weight of despair.
Why have you forsaken me, Fate? Is it not you that I serve?
He reluctantly forced himself back to his feet as he stared at his mud-covered hands. He had sacrificed many of his bravest warriors for this land and all that he had to show for it was the detritus that remained stuck to his scaled appendages. He could only frown at that bitter irony. He needed time for his rainbowface, willingly or not, to turn that tide of battle. Right now his time was looking scarce.
Well, if I cannot make my move through battle then I will have to use other means… my non-hidden runner servants are few, but they are unexpected. And I have just the thing for you, Wrok.
Taking a deep breath, Questor let out a high-pitched screech.
One of the deputies rushed up to Questor. "Is everything alright, sir? Do we need to move reinforcements to the other side?"
Questor frowned but gave a respectful bow. "The attack column was overrun; now it is time to ensure they did not fall in vain. Bring me my flyer."
Ignis's Domain, the Leader's cavern chamber:
Sometimes it is best that the right claw does not know what the left claw is doing.
Such was the old saying, passed down from Great Leader to Great Leader. A mixum that by now was a truism that was seldom challenged, as the fate of the leader and her Left Claw were inextricably intertwined. When the Great Leader dies, so does her Left Claw.
But as Ignis looked at her spear and traced her claws around its sharpened tip, the sting of death felt closer than it had been for many Cold Times. A Great Leader going into battle was no small risk. Besides herself and her father, it had been four generations since a leader had risked their hide in battle. It had cost her father his life, and he did not have the complication of rivals nipping at his heels. If she fell now then it would not only put her reign to an end, but most likely doom her heirs as well.
She closed her eyes. Just two more days for our allies to arrive and then Fate will decide my path. Victory or oblivion. Despite her resolution though she couldn't shake the annoying thought in her head. The thought that she might be missing something.
And it all involved her Left Claw somehow…
"I know that look."
Ignis leaned back and gave her mate a weak smile. "I must have let my guard down. Don't let Dravos know."
For his part, Viscond sat down near the scrape and took the opportunity to stroke her shoulder. "Is that what this is about?"
Ignis sighed. "I'm not sure what it is about, and that is what concerns me. Everything that has happened so far, from disaster to disaster, has had a logical explanation. But even though I do believe in Fate, I do not believe in this many coincidences. Especially not when they all have a common factor."
Viscond nodded, as if inviting her to continue.
Ignis sighed deeply. "First, there was what he planned for Penol… I know his reasons, but Fate blast him! She is my cousin, and she has great potential! And he put all of that at risk for what? A distraction at best… or an assassantation at worst? I would have never ordered that! Even if she was willing… she deserves better."
She eyed the spear again for several moments.
"And then there is the latest debacle. Do you not find it odd, mate of mine, that both rainbowfaces just happen to be captured right after leaving my territory? Almost as if the enemy knew exactly where they would be."
"It could have just been a coincidence. Sometimes bad things happen," Viscond said.
"And sometimes they happen for a reason," Ignis retorted with narrowed eyes, "I'm sure you have heard the reports from the guards about what some of our people are saying."
"That Fate is no longer on your side? Yes, I've heard."
Ignis nodded. "Rumors have a way of festering, especially when the only explanation appears to involve Fate. The only thing more dangerous than a paranoid leader is a paranoid pack."
She sighed. "Right now we appear on our way to both of those."
"After all of that, you think you're just being paranoid?" Viscond asked, sounding confused.
"When death can come from any sharpened stick, you begin to watch for the points. And when you do that you find no shortage of candidates," she sighed, "We know of some conspirators in our ranks that we use - give false information - but mainly they are kept to prevent more competent traitors from being recruited. Which… when you think of it… really makes recent events all the more odd, don't you think, Dear?"
"How so?"
"Well, we just so happen to have one of Questor's conspirators as a low-ranked guard. The same guard, so I am told, that the Left Claw used to send Penol on his feather-brained mission. So how is it that, with a conspirator that trusted by his leader, that he was not made aware of the rainbowface capture plot?" Ignis finished.
"That does seem odd. I can understand only telling those that need to know, but why not make use of someone in such a useful position?" Viscond asked, "It doesn't make any sense."
"Mhmmmm…" Ignis hummed. "Though it does make sense from a… certain perspective."
"You think Dravos isn't telling you everything?" Viscond asked, "That there's more going on with that guard than it would seem."
Ignis nodded. "All the more reason to test the loyalties of certain persons. I don't suppose a certain guard and Left Claw would notice two small flyers, now would they?"
"I doubt they would."
"I think that we should have a flyer deliver some… disturbing news to our guard. And then we can see how our friends end up reacting." Ignis gave a smile once more, but no mirth showed through. "If I am wrong, then the false report can be cleared up, but if I am right…."
She clawed the point on her spear once more. "...then that can be cleared up as well."
"Alright, Mabilis, I need you to send a message to Nerris."
Mabilis quietly landed on his chosen perch, a crevice in a tree he could barely see out of but also couldn't be seen in. How did this become my life? Sneaking past other flyers is one thing; spying on hidden runners is something entirely different, he grumbled to himself..
The hidden runner in question was not exactly the hardest fellow to spot. As the main guard of the morning shift he had to be conspicuous in order to keep his underlings in line. As such, all that it took to communicate that the flyer had an important message for him was to land in front of the hidden runner and give a quick bow.
"Ah… a message, then?" the hidden runner asked hesitantly before gesturing for two of the guards to move on ahead. "You take command for now, Bruno, just in case whatever this is takes a while."
"Aye, sir!"
The hidden runner turned back to Mabilis then. The only sign of annoyance at this interruption was the slight upturn of his beak, as if to look down at the flyer.
It only took Mabilis a few moments to turn that smug look into pure, abject terror.
Mabilis all but stopped breathing as he tried to keep Dravos mostly in sight from his hiding spot. What are you up to, Dravos? Still waiting on your friend? he thought, You seem able to spy on everyone, but it seems you've forgotten what flyers can actually do. I'm almost insulted.
"Dravos!"
The hidden runner looked up with surprise, a rare expression on the Left Claw's face. He barely had any time to react before Nerris nearly ran into his counterpart. "Nerris?"
Nerris tried to catch his breath before speaking in a hoarse whisper. "I don't know how… but she got one of the rainbowfaces back."
Dravos's expression was neutral for a few moments. "Well then, this is great news, isn't it, Nerris? We applaud those who pulled this off and report it to the Great Leader immediately." The sarcasm was so thick that Mabilis thought he could cut it with one of his wing claws.
"No… no, you do not understand, Dravos. This is not something that we can play off. The flyer that told me this did not come from her, it came from Questor." Though Mabilis could not see Nerris's face, he could detect the terror in his voice. "The flyer also reported that she is personally interrogating some guards based upon new information that she received."
Oh. That's new. Was that part of Ignis's plan, or is that actually true? the flyer asked himself. He'd heard so many contradictory things that he wasn't entirely sure what the real situation actually was anymore.
Dravos did not speak. In fact, he barely moved at all. The only sign that he had heard his counterpart at all was the fact that his beak was frozen partially open, as if his beak refused to work.
"Dravos, we have got-"
"I know! Damn it, I know!" Dravos croaked out as his eyes appeared to stare at nothing in particular, "Alright, we can't do anything about the rainbowface right now… or the guards. Are any of them one of ours?"
"None of the ones dedicated to our plan," Nerris affirmed, "All three are on my morning shift so that they will be in place for guard duty on the appointed day. But she must have gotten word that a plot is afoot… and if she did not tell you…"
"I can make the deductions just fine, Nerris," Dravos growled.
Nerris took a deep breath as he looked around for any sign that they were being watched. Apparently satisfied he leaned in towards Dravos and whispered something in his ear.
Dravos sighed. "We will need to move up the appointed time. She is much more astute than I give her credit for… but a threat is a threat. Better Questor's offer than what she is obviously planning for me."
The Left Claw continued, "Alright, we have our guards stay in their unified shift. Have them get a common story and stick to it. We have to hope that they can get the job done at the appointed time when they are on personal guard duty. If not, then we are as good as fucked in Questor's eyes anyway."
Nerris clicked his beak in frustration. "So our fate is tied to three idiots that we were going to eliminate afterwards anyway?"
Dravos nodded. "So it would seem."
Is there anything they aren't willing to do? Mabilis thought with an involuntary shudder, What have I gotten myself into this time?
Nerris sighed. "Alright. Alright, I will get the three together with a common story. But, Dravos?"
Dravos waited expectantly.
"Your fate is not just tied to those three. If I live through this, then I will expect my promised reward."
The Left Claw merely nodded. "In the end, my friend, you will get your reward."
This seemed to satisfy Nerris as he speeded off once more, presumably to deal with his conspiring guards and to prepare for their murderous plot. This just left Dravos alone next to the massive tree as he appeared to stare off into space.
Mabilis kept his eye on Dravos, almost impatient for the hidden runner to leave. He knew he had to tell Ignis what he overheard. But if I leave too soon it'll all be for nothing. Dravos must never know I was anywhere near here.
The hidden runner sighed. "Ever since the Mender debacle, I knew you were a damned fool, Questor. I should have gone with Wrok's offer." Then, without another word, the Left Claw returned to his outward confidence and walked away from the tree. Finally leaving the flyer in peace.
As soon as he was certain he wouldn't be noticed, Mabilis took off and rushed back towards Ignis, practically skimming the foliage to both reduce the distance he had to fly and to disguise his rush as flying practice. He didn't know how the Great Leader would react to his report, but he definitely didn't want to be around when the resulting storm finally broke.
Near the portable nest (Path):
Orchid sighed from atop his perch on the tyranisaurus's back. "I swear, Mender, everything is fine. The kids are currently sleeping."
"All three of them?" Mender asked.
"Yes, I've checked. All three of them are here, even if Cover looks like part of Mitis," Orchid called out again in a hushed whisper, no doubt to avoid waking the little ones. His purple head then leaned over the edge of their somewhat willing nest-carrier. "And before you ask, yes, we do have some sweet bubbles up here and… I can prepare them if necessary."
"Are you sure you don't want me to..." Mender began.
"You would be too heavy for Path's back, and you know it!" Orchid hissed with some annoyance, "And if we bring the kids down, then, well, it's risky. You can trust me, you know? Besides, Cynnil should be back soon from the rear of the pack."
The massive purple tyrannosaurus let out a humored snort, which came out as a low grumble. "Practicing for your own nest one day, Orchid?"
Orchid snapped his beak before glaring at Mender and whispering. "You told him about Ovie?"
Unbeknownst to Orchid, this made Path's eyes go wide. "Oh. I was joking, but okay… guess you do need the practice."
Mender suppressed a laugh. "Guess I don't need to tell him now, do I?"
Orchid's face fell as he let out another sigh. "Well… I can handle the kids. Just try to focus on staying safe down there." He then went out of view, presumably to continue his silent vigil of the nest and its occupants.
Come on, Mender, the fastbiter told herself, Orchid can watch them for a little while. Nothing can happen, right? Well, they could fall off, or Path could trip, and then they all fall off. Or Orchid might make a mistake, and...
It was at exactly that moment that the relative silence was broken by a pained scream from the front of the long line. At nearly the same time the line halted its advance through the murky waters of the shallow side of the river.
Refocused by the commotion, Mender hopped onto the bank and rushed towards the front of the line. As she did so the banter of the young fastbiters reached her ears.
"Hold sticks! It's Mender!"
"Sounds like we got one!"
As Mender ran, she vaguely noted the fastbiters in the river as she passed them. Much to her surprise there didn't seem to be any adults among them. She wondered where they were. Shouldn't there be someone leading from the front?
It was at that exact moment that she noticed Grimace, and the fact that he was pointing in her direction.
"Go ahead, White Eye!"
"On it!"
The other fastbiter ran onto the bank with a resounding splash.
"I've got you covered!" White Eye affirmed as he quickly advanced to her side, swerving as necessary to avoid the occasional tree. As he did so he kept only a body-length ahead, as if to allow her to set the course.
"You take command for now!" came a familiar voice from the water as another fastbiter landed beside Mender.
"You want me to do what?" Mender asked, as surprised by what Cera said as her arrival.
"Not you!" Cera clarified as she ran on the bank side of Mender with her sharpened stick at the ready, "Rip can manage while I am gone. It sounds like we have something going on up ahead!"
"I heard some yelling, so I started running," Mender said.
"Stop! Please!"
Mender slowed down as she approached. She could see several fastbiters surrounding something, but she couldn't get a good look.
"Break it up! What is going on here?" Cera roared, saving Mender the trouble of making a hole through the mass of young predators.
Several fastbiters practically climbed over one another to get out of the way of the yellow feathered fastbiter and her entourage while a green fastbiter turned to face the deputy with an excited look. "We got one!"
Behind the fastbiter, Mender spotted another green shape, a hidden runner. A scout? Do they already know we're coming this way?
Cera gestured at White Eye with a wide motion of her left arm. In response the fastbiter quickly moved to the front of the hidden runner, as if to protect the quarry from anything that could be advancing from the front.
"I need her checked out, Mender," Cera suddenly ordered as she pushed the overeager green fastbiter to the side.
As Mender slowly approached the hidden runner, she could hear her whimpering before she even got close. Okay... gotta go slow. No sudden movements. Don't get too close. Don't lose control of the situation...
It was at that moment one of the juvenile fastbiters kicked the prone hidden runner, which earned a swift response from White Eye as the offending fastbiter was unceremoniously slammed into the mud.
"Clear out and let the healer and deputy work!" he roared.
Cera looked ready to open her mouth, but the swift backing away of the other fastbiters appeared to stop her in her tracks. Instead she gave White Eye an approving nod. "How does it look, Mender?"
Mender circled the hidden runner a couple of times, checking for injuries as closely as she could while still keeping a bit of distance between herself and the other dinosaur. "Looks like some scratches. Nothing major. I'd need to get closer to know for certain."
"Please… I was just trying to get away…" the hidden runner began.
"Just trying to get away while watching us from the bushes!" a fastbiter retorted with an angry snarl.
Cera took a deep breath. "I would recommend not lying, hidden runner. We all have good sniffers here. If you have a lie scent on you, then we can make you tell the truth…"
Maybe try not lying yourself, Stern Claw, Mender thought, I'm still mostly smell-blind, you know.
The hidden runner appeared to grow even smaller as she edged away from Mender.
"Easy, there. We just want answers. No one has to get hurt." Mender gave the other fastbiters a pointed glare.
The green fastbiter and several of his counterparts let out grunts of annoyance but did not contradict her assurances.
The hidden runner looked up fearfully and for a moment Mender wondered if she had been heard. It was then, however, that some kind of flash of recognition registered in the hidden runner's eyes. "Y-you're Mender, yes?"
"Yep, that's me," Mender said. She kept a close eye on the hidden runner. She had no ill will towards her, but she wasn't stupid, either. She'd had to deal with too many unpredictable injured dinosaurs to assume everything was fine now.
The hidden runner swallowed. When she spoke again her voice was more coherent, with a distinct feminine tone. "I remember you from when the Bloody Cough came… you saved a lot of us that season."
"You still remember that? That was a long time ago," Mender said. Well, it feels like a long time ago to me.
The hidden runner smiled sadly. "I was one of the young ones you saved back then. Hard to believe it has been seven Cold Times."
"Get to the point, you spy!" Cera hissed, "Tell us what you know."
The hidden runner sighed. "Alright. Alright. I was told to watch over the river and to report any crossings. Just in case you tried a crossing across the deep part of the river."
"Anything else we should know about?" Mender asked. I'd really like to avoid anyone else dying if I can prevent it.
The hidden runner closed her eyes. "We, um, I mean… Questor did not plan on you guys wading through the shallows for some reason. That is why I kept watching. I had no idea what to report." She opened her eyes again with an exasperated expression. "Why are you guys doing that, anyway? Aren't the black-water blood suckers getting to you?"
This actually earned some knowing sighs from the juveniles as more than a few of them checked their flanks for leeches. For her part, Cera actually removed one from her leg.
"Don't look at me. I just fix people. I can't stop them from having bad ideas," Mender said. And if I had a little bit of support, Stern Claw, maybe we could've avoided that little annoyance.
"And what was supposed to happen when you gave your report?" Cera prompted.
"I don't know," the hidden runner admitted, "I am just a scout, and those of us in the long watch aren't given many details just in case we get captured." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mender almost wanted to laugh when the hidden runner gestured at herself as if to make her point.
White Eye sniffed in the hidden runner's direction and Cera did the same.
Mender resisted the urge to roll her eyes. And I thought I was unsubtle.
Cera looked back at Mender and nodded. She was truthful.
"So, um, I don't believe I got your name," Mender said, doing her best to seem friendly.
The hidden runner's expression slightly brightened at this. "Valens, ma'am."
"Nice to meet you, Valens," Mender said, "Or meet you again, I guess."
The hidden runner looked around at the fastbiters which now surrounded her and audibly gulped. "What happens now?"
Mender turned and glared at Cera.
Cera glared back. When she did speak it was in leaf-eater. "We will tell Seeker and go from there."
Knowing that arguing wouldn't get her anywhere, Mender settled for keeping a less than friendly eye on the younger fastbiters present. She wasn't about to let any of them make impulsive decisions.
"A scout?" Littlefoot's voice broke through the silence a few moments later.
"Yes, sir," Cera replied, gesturing at the cowering hidden runner, "She said that she was to report back when she saw us crossing the river. But since we stayed in the shallows, she decided to investigate further."
"And that got her caught," Littlefoot finished.
"Yes," Cera confirmed.
Mender barely resisted the urge to cut Littlefoot off as he approached. Despite having known him for years, she still could never quite figure what the pack leader was thinking until he actually told her.
Littlefoot nodded in Mender's direction before whispering, "Did you catch her name, Mender?"
"Valens, sir," Mender replied.
Littlefoot took this in. "I take it that they did not tell you what would happen when news of our crossing was made known, Valens?"
The hidden runner nodded fearfully.
"And I take it that if it were known that you were taken captive and somehow you came back… that you do know what would happen to you then?" he continued.
Valens reacted only by closing her eyes and looking down.
Okay, then. That settles that. She is not going back even if I have to personally walk her back to Seeker's territory, Mender thought, I've had enough of people dying.
It was then that Littlefoot gave Cera a look.
The yellow fastbiter groaned. "Not you, too."
"You know me all too well, Stern Claw," Littlefoot replied, before giving Mender a look as if confirming that she was also of his unspoken opinion.
Come on, Seeker. Make the right choice. She's not a threat anymore, Mender thought.
"Valens, I am not like your leader. I have accepted others into my pack who were willing to show loyalty and to bend the knee. But I do ask one thing in return: complete honesty."
Littlefoot stepped forward until he was beak to beak with the hidden runner.
"I want you to tell us absolutely everything about your pack. If you do that, I can offer leniency. Otherwise, well, I gave you a choice."
You could just send her running in the opposite direction as her pack, Mender thought, but even she knew she'd never win that particular argument.
The hidden runner swallowed. "What remains of my family is there, sir. If I talk…"
"Well, it is either that, or…" Cera began, but was cut off by Littlefoot.
"And are they warriors, Valens?" Littlefoot asked.
"N-no, sir. Just my sister. She is too young to even be a scout."
Littlefoot nodded at this. "There are no certainties in battle, Valens. But I can tell you that our interest is limited to those who fight… if we can end this war, then we will be done," he tilted his head, "Perhaps… that would be a good place to start. Where would the non-fighters be, so that we can avoid perhaps launching an attack straight into defenseless ones?"
Valens seemed conflicted, as if considering her limited options.
"Maybe you could just tell me," Mender suggested, "If they're not in our way, I won't say anything. If they are, I'll make sure we go around them." Turning towards Littlefoot, she glared at him, daring him to contradict her.
Littlefoot held up a hand to stop Cera before she interrupted.
"O-okay. Okay, I will do that…" Valens swallowed before edging close to Mender and putting her beak to her ear. Taking the hint, the fastbiters moved out of the way, giving the two their space.
"Okay. We're alone," Mender said once the fastbiters sounded far enough away to her.
"Questor was going to launch an attack on Wrok across the Eastern River. The non-fighters were supposed to stay on this side of the river until the fighters made it across the other side. None of us had any idea that you all would be doing… whatever you are doing. We thought that you would directly cross the river from one side to the other either back here, or past the Eastern River. If it was past the Eastern River, then our pack was going to be ready on the other side."
Mender forced herself to not react despite her shock. Questor is going to attack Wrok? I thought they were allies. But if they're fighting each other, that could mean the war will be over faster. Or it could get a lot worse. For all I know this'll inspire someone among Ignis's followers to revolt, and then we'll never be able to figure out who's on our side anymore. She hoped her scent didn't give her away too much, having had plenty of practice from taking care of younglings without letting either them or their parents know just how close they came to dying.
"Okay. It sounds like your sister should be alright," Mender said, "Do you know where exactly Questor might try to stop us?"
Valens sighed. "I think he was planning on forcing you all to do a river crossing and to face us on the other side of the river, a major disadvantage. But I am not sure. Being on that side of the Eastern River would also put him within reach of Ignis, which could lead us to being attacked on two sides at once."
"Well, that's more than I know about fighting," Mender said, "Would it be alright if I called Seeker back, and we get the rest of this sorted out?" And I can tell Seeker that things have suddenly gotten a lot messier.
Valens nodded and gave a sad smile, as if she had resolved to accept something. "I am in your hands now, and Fate's. Whatever will happen now is simply meant to happen."
"You're going to be fine," Mender said reassuringly. She then gave an 'all clear' call.
The effect was immediate as Cera nodded in Mender's direction and two of the juvenile fastbiters followed her back. Mender guessed those two were part of her pack. Littlefoot, meanwhile, gave a loud chirping sound which seemed alien coming from a fastbiter. Any question about what that signified was quickly answered, however, as Soar's large flyer form appeared as a shadow descending from the trees. It only took her a few moments to land beside Littlefoot as he approached Mender.
Littlefoot nodded approvingly at Mender. "So no immediate danger, then?"
"Nothing immediate, sir," Mender said. If by immediate you mean sometime today.
Littlefoot then turned to Soar. "We have captured a scout. Mender has attended to her interrogation."
Soar nodded before her beak turned in the direction of Mender. "Did the scout have any relevant information? Until she was found we had not detected any scouts along the river's edge."
"We shouldn't have any trouble with running into families if we stick to our path," Mender said, "There's... also something else."
Littlefoot and Soar both stared intently at Mender at the obvious shift in tone.
"White Eye, keep an eye on the scout. Mender, let's take a walk," Littlefoot directed as he and Soar began to slowly walk along the river's edge. They only went into a full walk once Mender joined them in the gradual retreat from the captive and her guard.
"Things have gotten more complicated, sir," Mender said once she was sure they were a reasonable distance away from potential listeners.
Littlefoot groaned. "I was afraid of that. What has happened?"
"Apparently, Questor is attacking Wrok now," Mender said, "I don't know why. I didn't ask."
Littlefoot opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it as a dumbfounded expression fell on his features. Soar, on the other hand, was more animated.
"What?" she replied in a squawk as she put one of her wings to her chest, "Ignis is still in power, and they are breaking their alliance already?"
"Apparently so," Mender said, "You don't think Ignis's loyal packs will fall apart just as easily, do you?"
Littlefoot regained his composure as he shook his head. "No… no, she is the Great Leader of the united packs, a group that goes back generations. And if this is true, then it sounds like she will have a weaker rebellion to crush. It will also make our objective much easier."
"Great. More dying," Mender muttered frustratedly, "What's next? Are we going to keep doing this forever?"
"Not if I can help it. We need to wipe out this menace so that things can go back to normal. Healing plants for the hidden runners, information for the valley, and healers for us all. This news should make that easier to achieve, if we can act upon it," Littlefoot said with a nod.
"We need to know where those two were getting ready to battle. If we can make our move when they are distracted, then that will make our own attack much more effective," Soar added with a cold, predatory glint to her eyes, "It will also help my mate if he knows exactly where to scout."
"Our friend back there doesn't seem to know much. It did sound like Questor was putting himself at risk of fighting in two directions, though. Are there any places close to the river and Ignis's followers?" Mender asked.
"If he is going to cross the river and attempt to attack Ignis's home pack, then he would need to cross the Eastern River at some point." Soar pondered for a few moments."If Wrok was already going that way, then it would make sense for Questor to attempt a secret crossing of the Eastern River to catch him unaware."
"And they would want to knock out their respective rival before making a move on Ignis," Littlefoot deduced, "So neither of them would have attempted a risky crossing of the Southern River. The fact that they have scouts going on this side of the Southern River to check on how close we sharpteeth are is proof of that."
"So the best place to look would be at the easiest place to cross the Eastern River?" Mender guessed. That's where I'd go, anyway.
Soar nodded. "It seems like the first place that we should examine. But we will need to make a choice. If we continue going along the shallow side of the Southern River then it will take us two days to reach that crossing, but if we go to the bank like we are now and simply walk on foot then we can be there later today."
"Sacrifice stealth and a covered scent for the sake of speed… but if Questor's pack is distracted then we might be able to afford that risk."
Wait, we have to go over the land again? Mender thought, That's even more dangerous than what we're already doing. What about my kids? I should have just stayed at the original nest with them. What was I thinking?
"Bellydraggers!" Littlefoot suddenly said as he pointed upward with one of his claws.
Mender immediately started looking around, half-expecting to see one trying to snap at her. Soar did the same, hastily jumping onto the nearest branch that could act as a perch.
Thankfully, he soon clarified himself. "We could tell the bellydraggers where we are going, as they are much faster swimmers. This will give us some confirmation one way or another before we go too far over land. Then if we go as fast as we can over land, then Questor will not get much advance notice of us." He paused for a moment before an embarrassed expression touched his features. "We should probably also clarify that the scout is not food."
"Did you tell them every hidden runner was food?" Mender asked.
"We told them that the ones who stayed with the pack were with us," Littlefoot confirmed.
You do realize how many ways that could go wrong, don't you? Mender thought. "I guess that means she's staying right next to me, then."
"That would be advisable," Littlefoot confirmed, "Especially if we go over land and the outer lines are on watch. If she makes a run for it then whatever will happen will be on her head." He sighed. "Alright, Soar, I will talk this over with the others. Spotter is due to return from his flight soon, so you will need to fill him in. By the time he is back we will have a plan together." He then turned towards Mender. "If we go over land, then you and the healers will be in the center. That would be safer for any injured and, um, the kids. Can you watch the captured scout as well? We can have a few of the young biters act as guards."
"Okay. Then who's going to be watching them?" Mender asked. Let them out of your sight and these kids that think they're adults will get themselves into all kinds of trouble.
Littlefoot sighed. "I might as well assign them to your command for the time being."
"Please tell me you're joking. Please," Mender replied.
"I'm not Taunt," Littlefoot retorted. "You trust White Eye, do you not? If so, then he could be an enforcer for the tail-chasers. But we do need some additional protection for our healers. Without all of you we will be in a dark place."
"And I take it you don't want Path watching us all the time?" Mender asked.
Littlefoot nodded. "Especially as Path is going to be attracting a lot of attention when the battle comes."
"I trust him but not any of the other younger ones," Mender said bluntly, "Do you know how many of my supplies they've ruined?" She shook her head. "Are you really that worried about us getting attacked?"
"It already happened once," was all that Littlefoot said, regret evident in his voice.
"It did, but I'm alright now," Mender said.
"And I want to keep it that way. White Eye can help with security, then. He can also shadow our new hidden runner captive," Littlefoot finally said as he agreed to her terms, "Let me know if you all need anything else, alright?"
"You wouldn't happen to have another 'me', would you?" Mender asked, "I guess there's no time to train anyone else in even the basics of healing." It would be nice if they could take care of the little things themselves.
"We have my mate, Haven, and Breeze, but in a pack this size… it would not be enough," Littlefoot lamented.
I hope that'll prove to be enough, Mender thought, If we lose anyone... I think I'm starting to understand Seeker's concerns.
"So after all of this, we are going on land anyway?!" Chomper groaned to himself as he slowly walked on the shore, resisting the urge to shake the moisture from his massive legs, lest he justle the nest upon his back.
"Mad about the blood-suckers using you as food?" Buse questioned.
"Don't you start! I know a hidden runner who could help me replenish some of that blood."
At this, Buse not so stealthily moved over to Orchid's left, using him as a walking shield.
"Gee thanks, Buse," was all that Orchid could say before a familiar purple fastbiter approached. "Ah, there you are! Did you find out what stopped the pack?"
Mender nodded. "She's right behind me."
This made Orchid tilt his head in curiosity for a few moments before White Eye became visible some distance behind Mender. At nearly the same moment he saw the new hidden runner.
"Scout?" Cynnil's voice questioned from up above on Chomper's back.
"More of a lookout," Mender replied.
Orchid considered the newcomer with some measure of unease. So an enemy scout has been found and Seeker didn't kill it on sight? It must have been cooperative. The scout, meanwhile, kept her head down as if to avoid possibly offending her captors.
"Um… what is the plan for…" Orchid gestured at the hidden runner, as he did not know its name or fate.
"She's my responsibility," Mender said simply, though her repeated glancing around, as if trying to keep track of everyone at once, undermined the calmness of her tone.
For his part, Orchid merely looked at White Eye who was now keeping a vigil behind the scout. That might come as news to him.
"Alright then, she can be towards the back. I take it that White Eye is her shadow?" Cynnil's voice inquired from atop the massive tyrannosaurus.
Valens looked in Cynnil's direction, visibly startled, whether at Cynnil or the two-footer she was on being unclear to Orchid.
"I am, ma'am." White Eye said simply before gesturing for the hidden runner to follow. As she did so, Orchid resisted the urge to fixate on the captive as the pack began to awkwardly lurch forward once more. This time at a much faster rate as they were no longer bogged down in the water.
"Hey, guys, I need to tell you guys something," Mender said relatively quietly.
Orchid quickly caught the drift and edged closer to Mender, while Buse did the same. Chomper, meanwhile, walked a bit more slowly as if to follow Mender's movements exactly. I am not sure I like where this is going.
"We're going to be busy again soon," Mender said simply, "Don't tell anyone else until tomorrow, but we're going to be in a fight tonight or tomorrow if I'm not completely off about where we are."
Buse let out a breath. "I suppose it was too much to hope for that Wrok and Questor would both drown."
Orchid, meanwhile, pondered things for a moment. Captured scout, no longer going on the water, rushing for the Eastern River… "We know where they are?"
"We have a good guess," Mender said.
Orchid looked behind him at the new hidden runner and White Eye. The presence of the familiar fastbiter only highlighted the seriousness of the situation. This was not just a captive, it was a useful captive who quite possibly had given them a very important break.
"How long do we have, do you think?" Buse asked.
"You're asking me?" Mender asked, "You remember that time I thought it would take us ten days to get somewhere and it took an entire cycle of the night circle, right?"
Buse groaned at this while Orchid could only give her a concerned expression. That's an exaggeration, right?
"The East River should take us the better part of a day," the mysterious hidden runner suddenly said, before sheepishly retreating back to her spot beside White Eye.
Mender walked over to stand by the hidden runner. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should have introduced you already. Everyone, this is Valens. She'll be staying with us for now."
Orchid tried to not look surprised by Mender's actions and hid his failure to do so by politely nodding at their 'guest' and ignoring the fact that she was actually a captive. "Pleased to meet you… um."
"Valens… now that is a name that seems familiar," Cynnil noted as she peeked over the edge of Path's back, "Were you one of those whom we healed?"
"I was," Valens said after some prompting from Mender.
This caused an awkward silence to fall over everyone present then. For several moments only the plodding sounds of the advancing pack and the thunderous footsteps of the two-footers broke through.
"Um…" Orchid began as he considered the situation, "I guess that was a very different time. A less complicated time."
Mender and Cynnil both started laughing, the former muttering something Orchid couldn't hear as she did so.
Orchid blinked. "What?"
"Oh, Orchid… trust me, the formation of our little healer pack was anything but less complicated." Cynnil said.
"Remember when we nearly started a war by almost killing Viscond?" Chomper muttered.
"What?!" Orchid, Valens, Buse, and White Eye said at one time, each disregarding their respective positions as they did so. As if to punctuate the interest this was generating, several young fastbiter had broken formation and were walking on the other side of the massive tyrannosaurus.
Chomper sighed. "It might be best if I not sing this song… but it might be a good way to pass the time."
"For the last time, I told you that I didn't do anything to him, Path. There is no 'we' here," Mender said.
It was at this point that Orchid shared a long look with Buse. It only took a split second for the two to share a conspiratorial smile.
"You know… I would love to hear the story. Maybe you should tell it to make sure it is sung right, Mender?" Orchid suggested.
"Oh, no you don't. I'm not falling for that," Mender said.
And we bickered and whined and complained… until our dear Mender would agree to sing Buse began in a song that was so out of tune that it was obviously intentional. Though it wasn't until some of the fastbiters joined in the annoying song that Mender relented, but not before giving Orchid a glare that would have murdered a tiny biter.
"One more word, Buse, and you're testing whether the rot root has gone bad," Mender said, "Do you guys really want to hear it? It's kinda embarrassing."
"More awkward than ripping blood suckers off of our legs while we wait to go into battle again?" White Eye inquired.
"And it is not all awkward, Mender. After all, it ends with us all helping to get the alliance together," Cynnil gently chided from her high perch.
"Yeah, ends," Mender muttered. She sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright. I'll do it. Anything to keep Buse from singing again."
For his part, Buse appeared to resist showing an outward sign of his victory besides a slight smile.
"I look forward to it… I never heard the full story before," Orchid admitted before giving Mender a kind nod and moving back into formation. Soon Mender had a half dozen young fastbiters, a captive hidden runner, and her usual pack following her. All while Chomper walked just ahead of her little audience.
"Okay. Here goes nothing," Mender said mostly to herself.
After the small swimmers had been saved,
And I had acquired my pack name,
Came the greatest test of them all,
Which actually started with something small
Thanks, everyone for the reviews! We promise this story is not dead yet despite the... oof, six month delay. The next two chapters will focus on the backstory behind the alliance and the role that Mender had in the process. As these two chapters involve a finished part of the roleplay, we should begin to post those within a month. Then will come the chapters which will bring the war to a close. Thank you all for your support, and we look forward to your thoughts!
~Rhombus and Historian1912
Responses to reviews:
graystripe: Nope, that is actually a different dinosaur named Dodger in that chapter. I suppose Dodger is just a common fastbiter name, as it has come up a few times now in the trilogy. I guess it is kind of like the sharptooth version of naming a kid "John". :p
gordhanx: Thank you for the detailed review, as always. I am glad to hear that you found Questor's characterization to be interesting, but keep in mind that he is a leader that must rely on good public relations in order to maintain control over his people. As such, his response can be construed as less a show of empathy for his follower and more a show for those who might be watching or who might report on the interaction at a later time. I must admit that I find both Questor and Wrok to be fascinating characters in their own ways, especially with Penol changing Wrok in some ways even as he changes her in turn. Only time will tell if it leads to something wholesome, or to a tragic end.
I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!
sol: Thank you for the review! We do not plan on bringing up tickling or tickle torture in this story.
D608: Thank you for the kind words! We appreciate all of you readers!