Chapter 10: Taking the Heartlands Part 1: Reconnaissance

Roland groaned. His head throbbed with a dull ache from the drinking he'd done last night. He hadn't drunk so much as to have a raging hangover – something he remembered well from his actual twenties – but it was still an inconvenience he could do without.

"Batu wants to see us," Lofty added.

"Right. Give me… ugh… Give me a minute."

Lofty grinned. "I'll give you five if ya like."

"Thanks."

The little Kingmaker hopped down. "I'll let him know youer awake. Join us when you're ready."

"… Will do." Roland glanced over at the other hammock. Aranella was still present to his mild surprise, but had one arm thrown over her face to shield her eyes. "You awake?" She groaned in reply. "How're you feeling?" Another groan. "Yeah… me too." He swung his legs over the side of the hammock and pulled his boots on. That's when he noticed that a jug of water along with two mugs, another jug of fruit juice, a fried egg on a slice of bread each and a bowl of fruit had been left for them. How thoughtful. "Aranella," he said. "They left us breakfast. You should eat and drink something." Another groan. He sat down on the floor next to the food and poured himself a mug of water which he chugged down before moving onto the fried egg on bread. The egg was stone cold but it was food and he was hungry. He washed it down with a mug of juice as Aranella joined him. She grimaced as she lowered herself onto the floor. "How's your head?"

"Sore," she replied.

"I can tell."

She squinted at him. "You don't appear to be sharing in my misery, Roland."

"Alcohol is dehydrating, so I made sure to drink some water yesterday so I wouldn't suffer so much today."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…" He glanced at the food. "I know you're feeling pretty miserable right now, but you should still eat and drink something. Though you might want to dilute the fruit juice before you have some. It's been freshly squeezed but not watered down." After the application of the egg and bread, and a mug of diluted fruit juice, Aranella reported feeling slightly better already. They tucked into and finished off all the fruit, and Roland let her have the rest of the juice. "It's probably been more than five minutes, but anyway. Lofty said Batu wanted to see us. We should go see what he wants." She pulled a face, so he said. "Or I can go, and you can rest here some more."

"Would you?"

"Sure." As she crawled back into her hammock, he headed off to find Batu.

The Sky Pirates' Base was unusually quiet today. Probably all still recovering from yesterday he assumed. But then, judging from the position of the sun, it appeared to be well into midday, so it was possible that they were out and about, gathering and patrolling. Or whatever else they did during the day. Batu was easily spotted from afar. He was seated in the communal area with Evan, Tani, Lofty and Runcible. "Good morning," they chorused when Roland joined them.

"Is it still morning?"

Batu laughed. "It be the afternoon now. But fer yer sake we bid ye a g'mornin'."

"Thanks. But I suppose I should be saying good afternoon if that's the case."

"Is everything all right, Roland?" Evan asked. "Where's Nella?"

"We're fine. We stayed up later than you did, so we slept in later. Aranella should be joining us eventually, but she's probably gone back to sleep for now."

"So… she's not feeling ill or anything?"

A raised eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
Tani grinned. "Because she drank so much last night she couldn't stop giggling!"

"Just uh… let her sleep, okay?"

"Thought so."

"And what about you?" Lofty asked. "You weren't looking so bright youerself."

"The food and drink helped, so I'm feeling better now. By the way, thanks for that."

Batu nodded. "Yer welcome."

"Runcible?"

"Higgle?"

"Could you keep an eye on Aranella for us? She's sleeping at the moment but if she needs anything, let us know if you can't manage it by yourself."

Runcible saluted. "Higgle!"

"Thanks." The little higgledy headed off to find Aranella and Roland turned back to Batu. "Lofty said you wanted to see us."

"Aye. We should begin plannin' our next move. It won't be done today, mind, what with everyone recoverin' from yesterday. But we should plan it all the same."

"I agree."

"Shouldn't we wait for Nella?" Evan asked.

"I'm sure she won't mind if we start without her."

"Before we do, Evan tells me ye had to leave Ding Dong Dell with naught but the clothes on yer back."

"Yeah…"

"I took the liberty of havin' this made fer ye." Batu produced a toothbrush that had been fastened out of a sturdy looking twig and bristles that were either animal hair or plant fibre. "It not be as fancy as what ye were used back in Dell. But it works just the same. And it were made especially too."

"Oh, thanks!" He exclaimed. After going two days without brushing, his mouth felt disgusting. "Do you-?" Batu wordlessly produced a bowl of some kind of paste and a very finely woven thread of a material he couldn't discern at a glance.

"There also be this." He produced a crudely made hairbrush that was little more than the end of a branch with tiny bits of sanded wood carefully hammered in to form the bristles. "They be yours to keep, so keep'em safe. And that hut over there be the place where ye want te go."

"Great, thanks." He disappeared into the hut and reappeared about five minutes later.

"All better now?" Lofty asked.

"Much."

"Let's get te plannin' then." Batu had pulled over a crate to serve as a makeshift table and laid out a map of the world, one that revealed that Evan's world was made up of two large continents as well as a number of islands of varying sizes. The map looked pretty new, so it must've been acquired recently. Roland had to restrain himself from uttering aloud "What on earth?" in regards to what appeared to be enormous chasms running through the northern and southern oceans. "In terms o'unclaimed territory, there be 'ere, 'ere, 'ere n'ere." Batu pointed to a section of land that was located on the eastern part of the Summerlands – the continent they were currently on, the snowy area in the northern part of the second continent which was called Autumnia, the desert area in the southern part of Autumnia and the large island south of the desert that looked to Roland as if it had the remains of a truly massive caldera. That… that couldn't be what had caused the chasms to appear in the ocean… could it? Or if it was, how had it caused the chasms to appear in the northern ocean as well? But then Roland noticed that there was another caldera-looking formation in the snowy area too. Perhaps that wasn't a coincidence. He almost asked, almost spoke the question aloud, "So where's Broadleaf?" He got as far as "So-?" Before he realised what he was saying. "Uh. So it doesn't look like we'll be getting to Autumnia anytime soon. We'd need a ship for that."

"Aye," Batu agreed.

"I could fly us over, if I were… grander," Lofty piped up.

Batu folded his arms. "And why aren't ye, if I might ask?"

"Cos we don't have a proper kingdom yet now do we?"

"I s'pose not. Which leaves us with the'Eartlands."

"Which you mentioned was crawling with bandits," said Roland.

"That I did. We'll need te fight our way through'em-"

"Do we have to?"

They all turned to Evan. "What's that lad?"

"Do we have to fight? With the bandits? Couldn't we ask them to let us pass? Or, or… or maybe they'd even want to join us?"

Roland and Batu exchanged looks and Roland sighed. "I have a feeling this is going to be like the wyverns all over again."

Evan hung his head as Tani spoke. "But it isn't the same, is it? They're not like the wyverns, they're people like us. People who have lost their homes."

"Or were kicked out o'their homes, fer Gods know what."

"I was kicked out of my home," Evan spoke quietly. "And I… I didn't do anything bad…"

Both Batu and Roland's expressions softened and it was Batu's turn to sigh. "Even so. If they believe they've already found a new place te call home, they may not be willin' te share. They may even see us as a threat."

"So?" Tani replied. "It won't hurt to try will it?"

Roland and Batu exchanged looks once more. "Well… it would be very helpful if we didn't have to fight them."

"Aye…"

"And who knows? Maybe they're in the market for a new king and Kingmaker."

"So what be ye suggestin', Roland? We go n'ave a little talk with their leader?"

"Evan?"

"Yes. I-I want to talk with the bandits' leader."

Batu sighed again. "As ye wish. Yer Majesty. But before we do, we'll be needin' to know where we're headed."

"Right," Roland agreed. "We'll want somewhere close to water, like a river or a lake. But it also needs to be defendable."

"What about'ere?" He pointed. "With the rivers flankin' us on two sides, it makes it'arder to attack us on those sides."

"Oh! And this area to the south," Evan interjected. "It could be used for farmlands, couldn't it?"

"It's a good place to start at least. But it's probably going to depend on where the bandits stronghold is."

"There be some old ruins'ere," Batu pointed. "If I were them, that's where I would've set up camp."

"If they have, that area where you suggested is very close by, probably too close."

"Aye, but that not be matterin' much if we have te fight the bandits anyway."

"That's true. I guess it looks like we're going to have to pay them a visit first, before we can do anything else."

"Don't you worry now," said Lofty confidently. "There's no way they'll say no to a Kingmaker like me."

Roland shook his head as Batu sighed. "Ye've got spirit, there be no denyin' that. But… I don't be thinkin' they'll be much impressed by yer size."

"Oi! There's nothing wrong with my size!"

"Let's just get this over with," said Roland, bringing them back on task. They headed down to the sky skimmers. "All right, listen you two. We just want to talk, so don't do anything that would make them think otherwise. Take us straight there. And stay low."

"Aye, aye," Batu replied as Tani said. "Will do!" They climbed onto the skimmers, Evan and Lofty with Tani and Roland with Batu, then they gunned their engines and were off, with Batu taking the lead.

From what he could see of the bandit camp as they approached, it appeared to consist of one main building constructed mostly out of canvas or hide, with a number of smaller buildings – some of which were using the weathered remains of old ruins as a frame – arranged around it, and sharpened logs hammered into the ground served as rudimentary defences. Their arrival did not go unnoticed. As they touched down a ways from the stronghold they could see a flurry of activity. Then a small group of bandits was approaching. They met them half way and a tense atmosphere fell on both sides. All of them were wearing decorated masks except one. He had carrot red hair and was built like Batu, but lacked the distinctly imposing air. He folded his arms. "G'day, mates. And what brings you lot to Lucky Country?" Roland frowned. Lucky Country?

"I'm King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, and this is my Kingmaker, Lofty."

"Howdy do." The bandit looked down his nose at the tiny Kingmaker.

"We seek to build a new kingdom in the Heartlands and we were wondering… erm… if you'd like to join us. Or if not, we were hoping to be granted safe passage to the south."

The bandits exchanged looks from behind their masks as their leader gave his response. "That so? And if we refuse?"

Evan hesitated to answer, so Tani spoke. She planted her hands on her hips. "If you don't want to join us, that's fine, but if you don't let us pass then we'll fight our way through."

"Then if it's a fight ya gallahs want, it's fight ya'll get."

"Wait, please. It doesn't have to be this way."

"This is my country, and my rules. I ain't bowing my head to no pint-size King and his pint-size Kingmaker-"

"Oi! You're the one who's pint-sized here, pal!"

"-And I ain't letting anyone muscle in on me territory, neither."

"But we're not asking you to leave. We just want the land to the south."

"And I'm telling ya, ya ain't getting it. And if I see any o'you gallahs round these parts again, it's war. Ya hear?"

"Come on, Evan," said Roland. "It looks like they've made their choice."

"But…" He looked up. "Is there… is there really nothing we can do… to change your mind?"

"Not a chance, mate. It's a tough life out here, but it's liberating too. None of them stuffy rules holding ya back."

"Stuffy rules?" Roland repeated with a frown as the bandit leader's men muttered their agreement.

"Right! All them rules telling ya what ya can wear, and what ya can say and the like. I'm making Lucky Country into a place where me and me men can be happy."

"But that's we want," said Evan.

"Well I got here first! And if I see any o'you gallahs round these parts again, it's war. Ya hear?"

"What if we beat you?"

"What?"

"In a fight. What if we beat you? Will you join us then?"

They laughed. "Beat us?" The bandit repeated. "No chance of that mate. Look at yer Kingmaker. He's barely up to yer knee."

"I'll show you "up to your knee"," Lofty muttered darkly.

"But what if we do?"

He folded his arms. "Then I'll have to ask me men. Now if we're done here, I'll ask ya kindly ta get off me land. And don't let me see ya around here again."

"Hold on just a moment," said Batu. "Ye didn't give us yer name."

"Tyran. Tyran the Untamed."

"All right, Tyran the Untamed," Tani repeated sarcastically. "We will be back. And we are going to beat you."

The bandits just laughed again. "You gallahs can try."

"Let's go," said Roland. "We're done here."

"Aye," Batu muttered in agreement. They returned to the sky skimmers.

"Well it looks like we have our answer. Which means we're going to have a fight on our hands after all."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get them to join us or… or let us pass."

"That's all right, Evan. You did your best."

"I thought you handled it really well," said Tani.

"So did I!" Lofty agreed.

"Thank you, Tani, Lofty. But I really hope they change their minds."

"They might," said Batu. "Ye can't be blamin' them fer not bein' that impressed, when they'aven't seen what ye can do. But when they'ave, I'm sure they'll be signin' up in no time."

"It also sounds like their view of civilised society is… slightly dystopian," Roland added. "Once they become agreeable to talking, I think they'll find it isn't as restrictive as they'd expect."

"I don't suppose we could just… fly over them?" Evan asked.

"It would be takin' a very long time if we did," Batu replied. "And I don't be reckonin' on them not takin' any notice of all of the activity."

"Which brings us back to square one," said Roland.

"So what do we do now?" Tani asked.

"Batu and I are going to scope out the bandits' camp and the Heartlands from the air. You two should head back-"

They reacted immediately. "Awww, but-"

"No buts. There's no need for us all to go. And if something were to go wrong then… well we'll be the only ones in trouble."

"And then we can come rescue you?" Tani asked.

"Aye," Batu answered. "So long as ye bring Khunbish and Chingis with ye."

"And Aranella," Roland added. "Provided she's better by then."

"All right," she sighed. "We'll be your back up then."

"Great. If we're not back in… say an hour, then come look for us."

"Will do." They climbed onto Tani's sky skimmer and took off.

Evan glanced over his shoulder before turning back. "Do you think they'll be all right?" They were returning to Base at a leisurely pace, so Evan didn't have shout so loud to be heard.

"I'm sure they will be, Evan," Lofty assured him.

"Of course they will. There's only a handful of pirates who can fly a skimmer better than Batu. And he's the one who taught me to fly."

"And you fly ever so well, Tani," said Evan.

She grinned. "Thanks!"

Roland turned to Batu, after they'd left. "We should focus on surveying their camp, but I would like to get a look at the Heartlands as well so I at least have an idea of what's it like."

"We won't be wantin' te fly too low mind, or them bandits will be pickin' us out o'the sky."

"Right…" They climbed onto the remaining skimmer and Batu angled them into an upward corkscrew. Once they were over the Heartlands, he eased off the throttle and the skimmer slowed to a cruising speed.

"So this is it, huh? The Heartlands."

"Aye."

"The map doesn't do it justice."

"Aye," he agreed. "But when does it ever?"

The Heartlands were an expansive coastal plain that stretched as far as the eye could see. A river snaked down the west side from the north, and a fork joined it to the ocean, bisecting the Heartlands into two areas; The northern half with green grass and the southern half with grass of gold. The southern half was perfect for expansion and farming but consequently didn't have much by the way of natural defences. At the same time, the unobstructed view in all directions would make the kingdom difficult for an army to approach undetected. To the north, the ruined remains of a nation of old lay in the shadow of Snaketooth Ridge. Most of it had been obscured by the bandits' camp on the way in so he hadn't been able to appreciate how expansive it was. This was no humble village and would've been a great nation in its day.

"Those ruins down there? Is that your ancestral home?" He couldn't see how it was a nation that soared through the air if that was case.

"No, no. If the stories be true, them ruins predate even Ding Dong Dell."

Having no frame of reference for how old that was he replied neutrally. "Ah…" He also couldn't see anything that looked like a King's Cradle nearby, and wondered if perhaps it had been destroyed – if that were possible – or if the King's Cradle was elsewhere. Maybe they'd even been under the protection of the Kingmaker before Lofty. Whatever it used to be, it was home now to Tyran and his bandits and as such was the locus of their simple buildings and fortifications. "I just realised, I didn't think to bring anything with us to note down the layout of the bandits' camp."

"Do ye have a Leafbook with ye?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It be takin' pictures."

"Oh right. Good thinking." He carefully took the Leafbook from the inner pocket of his greatcoat, opened it and snapped some pictures. Once he was satisfied, he put the Leafbook away. "All right, I think we're done here. Let's head back."

"Aye, aye." Batu pointed the skimmer in the direction of home and looked down at the Heartlands below and spoke wistfully. "To think this will all be ours very soon. We won't have to take from others no more. We'll finally be able to make our own way."

"Must be like a dream come true, huh?"

"It sure be, Roland. It sure be. Cloudcoil Canyon didn't always used to be the way it be now. Once upon a time, before I were born, it used to be much greener. And there were a fruit what grew in the Canyon that used to be a favourite of our people. But over time, it all went away."

"What happened?"

"No one be knowin' fer sure. The way it be described though, it's as if the life slowly drained out o'the ground. And it don't rain as much as it once did."

"Do you think it might have something to do with Waryks' powers?"

"How do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I just wondered if there was a connection."

"Well I reckon Waryks were about as old as I am, and the Canyon were already in decline before I were born."

"Ah. Probably not then."

Batu prepared to head back, but something stopped him. He turned his head and grinned over his shoulder. "Say, would ye like te see how fast a skimmer can fly?"

"Uh. Sure."

"Hold on tight then!" Roland held on tight, and Batu opened the throttle.

When they landed, Batu turned back and asked. "Well?"

"That was very fast."

Tani laughed and said. "Nice hair."

"Very stylish," Lofty added.

"Thanks," He replied without missing a beat and took out his new brush to tame his windswept fringe.

"What did you see?" Evan asked.

"Well, we got a better view of the bandits' camp. Let's go back to the map and I'll mark it down." They crowded around the map again and Roland went to pull out a pen before realising it was still in one of the pockets of his suit jacket which he'd packed away inside his arms band. "Uh… Do you have anything to write with?"

"Nuthin' so fancy as back in Dell, but aye." Batu disappeared in the direction of one of the huts and reappeared with a pot of ink and a simple quill pen.

"Thanks." Roland took the pen and while consulting his Leafbook, marked on the map where the bandits' stronghold was. "They're mainly concentrated where these old ruins are as we saw. On the plus side, should we win the battle that means we'll have broken the bulk of the bandits' forces and aren't likely to be harassed by them again in the immediate future. On the down side, it means we'll be dealing with the bulk of the bandits forces all at once, and I'm pretty sure they outnumber us, though I couldn't say by how much."

Evan looked dispirited. "So… does that mean we're going to lose?"

"Numbers don't determine everything. But it will mean we'll have to be smart."

"So what should we do?" Tani asked. She looked fascinated without the slightest hint of concern.

"Well we have something they don't. The sky skimmers."

"But Roland," Batu objected. "All it would take were fer one bandit to get a lucky shot, and-"

"That's why they would need to be used in conjunction with a ground attack."

"Oh? It sounds like ye be havin' a plan."

"The start of one at least. I would need to get an idea of what you have for weapons and armour, as well as send someone down to scout out their forces on foot."

"And who would this someone be?"

"You tell me. Who's your best scout?"

"Well, uh… I'm afraid that be young Tani-"

"Oi!" She objected. "What's wrong with that."

"I not be sending ye down into a den o' bandits, that's what."

"Oh…"

"I suppose Khunbish be me second choice. 'E's a small slip of a man, an'a sneaky one too."

"Great. We can send him down after dark."

"If'e agrees."

"If? Exactly how likely is he to refuse?"

"Well'e… 'e not be the bravest among us."

"So? Aren't you the Chief? Can't you order him to."

Batu folded his arms and scowled. "It not be a simple as that, Roland. If there be a chance that I be sendin' someone to their death, they have a right to refuse, and I can't force'em to."

"So flatter him. Tell him he's the only one who can."

"Use weasel words ye mean?"

"If that's what it takes. Look, we need an accurate assessment of their fighting force if we're to have any idea of what we're up against."

"Then why not do it yerself, blast ye?"

"Because I don't have that kind of training, or believe me I would."

"Trainin'?"

"I mean. You guys have grown up fighting the wyverns. Me? I've been living in Broadleaf and then Ding Dong Dell. And neither of those nations have that kind of problem. That means you have skills that I don't."

"I see…"

"Roland?" Evan asked. "Are you saying if Khunbish doesn't want to go, you… you still want to make him?"

"There's cold of you," Lofty remarked.

"I'm saying, if he's the best man for the job, he's the most likely to complete the job safely. So he should be the one to go."

"But-"

"Look. Do you want to win this battle or not? We can't make plans against an army we know nothing of."

"But they be no more than bandits," Batu objected. "How organised do ye think they could be?"

"Well that's exactly what I'd like to find out."

A sixth voice joined the conversation. "Have you been making plans without me?"

They all turned to face the speaker. "Nella!" Evan exclaimed and ran to hug her.

Batu grinned. "Back on yer feet, eh lass?"

She smiled. "Yes, I am. By the way thank you for sending Runcible to look after me, he's been very helpful haven't you Runcible?"

"Higgledy pig!"

"Are you all right now, Aranella?" Tani asked. "You were in a right state yesterday."

"I am thank you, Tani. But I'm afraid I don't really remember yesterday all that well. I hope I didn't do anything… embarrassing."

"You sure seemed like you were enjoying youerself last night," said Lofty.

"Ye were giggling like a small child is what ye were doing," Batu explained.

"I see. Well… if that was all…"

"It was, don't worry," Roland assured her.

"Thank goodness. Then I can still look the Sky Pirates in the eye." Batu laughed as Tani giggled. "So where did you get to?"

"We had a talk with the bandits' leader, which went as well as you've probably guessed." She sighed. "So Batu and I have just returned from surveying the Heartlands and the bandits' stronghold," Roland explained.

"Have we decided on a location for our new kingdom yet?"

Roland looked to Evan who replied. "Not exactly… Batu suggested here," he pointed to the location Batu had picked out earlier. "But it seems that's very close to where most of the bandits are."

Aranella hummed and examined the map herself. "Well I can see why you suggested it, Chief Batu-"

"Just Batu is fine, lass."

"Batu, then. But since we'll just be starting out, perhaps it would be best to look for a location that would conceal us in the beginning stages of development?"

"Where do you suggest, Nella?"

She pointed to the map. "There is a small forest here according to the map. It would provide both our short term lumber needs, as well as a screen from the north and east."

"And it's not as close to the bandits' camp either," Tani added.

"It is quite a way from water, though," said Roland.

"We could always bring the water to us."

"You mean like a well?"

"A well isn't a bad idea. But I was thinking more along the lines of digging a new river."

"Why not both?" Lofty piped up.

"Higgle," Runcible agreed.

Batu grinned. "Why not both indeed?"

"Sure," Roland said. "The well would solve the short term water problem at least, while the new river is being dug. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. We haven't even faced off with the bandits yet, and we were in the middle of discussing who to send down as a scout when you showed up, Aranella."

"I see. Who did you have in mind?"

"Khunbish be me second choice after Tani," Batu explained. "But'e's not the bravest o'sorts."

"Then might I suggest sending Runcible?"

Roland went wide-eyed. "That's… that's not a bad idea. But…" He frowned. "He won't be able to do it alone. It would take him far too long."

She sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"So we'd still need to send Khunbish down anyway?" Tani stated more than asked.

"Aye, it would seem so," said Batu.

"Then we shall have to find him and break the news," said Aranella.

"Ye best be off waitin' fer'im to surface. And I don't be reckonin' on'im makin' an appearance till much later."

"I see. Then we'll just have to wait."

"But we can take stock of your weapons and armour before then," said Roland.

"Aye," Batu agreed. "This way."

The armoury was more or less exactly what Roland was expecting. They had a selection of weapons; swords, axes, hammers, spears and bows and arrows. And their armour consisted mostly of hide and leather; Anything metal was few and far between and was either traded for, or payment. But there two things of interest that had Roland intrigued, and maybe a bit hopeful. They had some net guns that he thought could make for an interesting opening play, or could be combined with the sky skimmers to be used as disruption, but more importantly they had explosives in the form of small bombs. And they could make more. Satisfied that he had seen enough, they returned to the communal area to wait for Khunbish. Over the next few hours the Sky Pirates began to emerge from their huts and Batu instructed them that he wished to see Khunbish at his earliest convenience. And eventually he appeared. "Ye sent fer me, Chief Batu?" He seemed none the worse for wear after yesterday's activity.

"Aye…" Batu replied and looked to Roland.

"We need you to do some scouting for us, Khunbish."

"And what do I be scoutin', Master Roland?"

"The bandit camp down in the Heartlands."

"The what?" He squawked.

"We need someone to go down into the bandit camp and scout out their forces. Batu says you're the best man for the job."

Khunbish looked to Batu aghast. "M-me, Chief?" But Batu said nothing.

"Listen, I understand it may be risky, but Runcible will be doing most of the scouting. You'll just be helping him. And you'll be doing it undercover of darkness so you'll be harder to detect. Do you think you could do that much at least?"

Khunbish did not look persuaded, so Lofty spoke up. "Tell you what, sunshine. I'll go with you, as a higgledy translator like."

To their surprise, he brightened at that. "Ye-ye will?"

"Really?" Roland asked.

"Really," Lofty confirmed.

"And you're happy with that?" He asked of Khunbish.

"That I am!" Khunbish replied brightly. "If our Kingmaker is with me, I'll be invincible! R-right?"

"Invincible?" They chorused with identical frowns of concern. "You won't be invincible, mun," Lofty continued.

"Oh…"

"But he will protect you, won't you Lofty?"

"I'll do my best, like!"

"Although hopefully it won't come to that. If it all goes according to plan, you'll be in and out without anyone even realising you were there."

Khunbish folded his arms and frowned intensely at the ground as he thought it over. "All right," he said at length. "I'll do it."

"You will?" Everyone but Roland chorused.

"Aye. It be rackin' me nerves, make no mistake, but if Master Lofty is comin' too, then I feel like I'd be standin' a chance if things went south."

Roland nodded. "Great. There's still some time before nightfall, so we have time to go over the camp layout before you go."

Evan stood and went to him. "Are you really sure about this, Khunbish? Even with Lofty, you might… you might…"

"You might not come back," Tani finished.

"Aye," Batu agreed. "And it not be like yerself to agree to somethin' so… risky."

"Aye. But if Kingmakers are as powerful as the stories say, then surely even a Kingmaker at a fraction of their power would still be strong enough to repel a handful of bandits?"

Batu rubbed his chin in thought. "I suppose it might."

"So if Master Lofty is willing to face such odds, then… then so be I."

"That's the spirit, mun!"

"All right," said Roland. "Let's go over the camp layout." He showed Khunbish the map as well as the pictures he had taken on his Leafbook. "The bandits are mostly concentrated here where the old ruins are. You and Runcible are going to need to scout the whole encampment in order for us to have an idea of what we're dealing with. But if you do get spotted at any point, you bail, understand?"

"Aye."

"Any questions?"

"What if the bandits capture me?"

"Well… I guess that will depend. If Lofty isn't captured as well, then he should be able to team up with Runcible to help you escape. Since he's invisible he'll be able to provide a distraction, and Lofty can break you out of your imprisonment."

"Will do!" Said Lofty.

"Higgle!" Runcible added.

"If not?" Khunbish asked.

"That's a good question. We spoke with the bandits' leader, Tyran. He didn't strike me as the ruthless, blood thirsty type, but that's not to say he wouldn't kill you if he thought it necessary. Though if you can convince them that you're important however, then I think he'll let you stick around. So I'll try and think of something. But he'll certainly want to get some information out of you, which could provide an opportunity to feed them misinformation to our advantage. But as to what that misinformation will be, you'll have to let me think."

"I can help you with that, Roland," said Aranella.

"Great, thanks."

"So I'm more or less on me own then?"

"We'll rescue you if we're able to do so… Otherwise I guess the answer is, don't get captured."

"I'll be in n'out like a shadow."

"Great. Meet us back here after nightfall. Hopefully we'll have been able to think of what you'll tell them should you need to."

Khunbish saluted. "Aye, aye!"

Nightfall came and Khunbish reappeared as instructed. Roland eyed the bomb pouch strapped across his chest. "Uh, I did say this was a stealth mission didn't I?"

"I be bringin' these along just in case."

"Fair enough."

"Let's hope you don't have to use them," Aranella added.

"Aye."

"Why not store them away in youer armsband, mun?" Lofty asked.

"The armsband don't see them as ammunition see, so they don't be gettin' restocked after use. This way helps me be keepin' track of how many I've got left."

"I'm guessing that was something you found out the hard way," Roland stated.

"Aye, it was. And I nearly ran afoul of a blasted wyvern as a result."

"But you lived to throw more bombs another day," said Lofty.

"That I did."

"Right, well. If you do get captured, here's what you're going to tell them," said Roland. "Aranella?"

"First, you're going to convince them you're Batu's brother," she explained. "Adopted if necessary."

Khunbish grinned at the very idea. "His brother eh?"

"If they believe you're of importance to your leader and if they're smart enough, they'll think you'll be more useful to them alive and will therefore be more likely to keep you that way. You're far too old to be his son, and I don't need to tell you how Batu would react to brother-in-law." Khunbish cringed at the very idea. "Hence. Brother."

"Understood. Second?"

"Second, you're to tell them that Batu will be gathering his forces and launching an attack from the south," said Roland. "But don't tell them all at once. Let them think they coaxed it out of you."

"Will do. But where are we attackin' from if not the south?"

"The north."

"Ah, so we'll be attackin'em from behind."

"Well we won't be, if you don't get yourself captured. But that's fine. I'd much rather have the intel anyway, and I'm sure I can think of something else to distract them instead."

"Aye. Be there anythin' else?"

Roland pulled out the Leafbook. "Here, take this. You can use it to take pictures. Just be careful not to get yourself caught doing so." When Khunbish looked at it confused, he demonstrated how to work it.

"And while I'm sure you wouldn't want to fly it at this time," said Aranella. "Regardless, it wouldn't be a good idea to take your sky skimmer, which means you'll be leaving and returning to the Base on foot."

"I'll be as fast as I can."

"And you'll probably be needing a torch to traverse the Canyon," said Roland. "But I wouldn't go taking it out onto the plains while it's still alight if I were you."

"Oh… aye… That be a good point. I think I be havin' some flint to relight it fer the journey back." He checked his armsband. "Aye. I do."

"You ready then?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. Lofty? Runcible? Are you ready?"

"Ready to depart we are."

"Higgle!"

"But youe'll have to carry us on youer shoulders, like."

"Well, that be why I'm'ere." With Lofty and Runcible secured – and Khunbish had shuddered because to him it felt as if some ghostly force had stepped onto his hand and was now clinging to his left shoulder – he prepared to depart. Batu, Chingis, Evan and Tani were all waiting to see him off.

"Good luck!" Said Evan.

"Don't make us come rescue you," said Tani.

"Aye. Come back safely now, ye hear?" Batu added, gruffly.

Khunbish saluted. "Aye, aye, Chief."

Chingis looked like he wanted to say something, went speechless and just nodded.

"There's a fine send off for you," Lofty remarked sarcastically.

"Don't be teasin'im, Master Lofty. Sometimes'e don't be needin' words." He nodded back, picked a torch off a nearby torch rack and then he was off.

Most of the monsters were asleep at this hour affording him an almost clear and unobstructed path down to the Heartlands but he had to sneak by some that weren't, and also some that were. "We're'ere," he said at last.

"Remember what Roland said, mun. You should put that torch away before we head out."

"I remember." The torch was extinguished and put away inside his arms band. Khunbish stole towards the bandits camp in a half jog while crouched low to avoid detection. When he was close enough, he slowed to a crawl. He was surprised by the lack of men patrolling the perimeter and the camp itself and spoke his surprise aloud. "Where be all the guards?"
"Maybe this is all they usually have?"
"But that can't be right. If this were the Base, the wyverns'd be all over us."
"No doubt there, mun, but you're forgetting something. This isn't your Base and the wyverns aren't here. And if they're the only major force in the area, they can probably afford to be lax on security."
"Ah... that be true. But the bandits know we be comin', don't they?"
"They didn't seem that convinced. Lucky for us though, it'll make this a cinch." There was a lot of activity coming from the centre building. The front had even been opened up and a large of group of bandits was gathered around a campfire. "Why don't we start with the smaller buildings first, mun? Save that one till last?"
"Aye. Good idea," he agreed but paused first to take some pictures of the bandits. The smaller buildings were mostly empty. Runcible reported an armoury in one of them. It was guarded but Runcible was able to distract the guards, allowing Khunbish to slip inside and take some pictures. As they were skirting the perimeter on their way to the next building, Lofty noticed something. It looked like some kind of pen for holding animals.
"What's that over there, mun?"
Khunbish crept towards it for a better look but stopped when he was close enough to identify what was inside. "Hedgehounds," he stated simply.
"Well that's not good."
"No," he agreed.
"Should we let them out?"
"That probably not be such a good idea. The bandits likely have'em trained. So they'd just be attackin' us if we did, not te mention lettin' the bandits know we're'ere."
"Right. Good point."

They moved on, investigating the rest of the camp while easily dodging the few patrols the bandits had until the only place left to scout was the central building. There was enough activity going on – some kind of nightly get together? - to cover Khunbish's approach, and he got close enough to be able to overhear a loud conversation on the other side of the hide wall as Runcible slipped inside. "What do you make of them galahs that appeared this morning? Do you really think they're going to attack us?"

"Tyran's right, they're bluffing, mates. You saw their King, he was a child. And their Kingmaker was barely up to his knee. And you know what they say about Kingmakers; The more people believe in their King, the bigger and more powerful the Kingmaker. So there's no way they'll have anywhere near as many us. We outnumber 'em. Even if they tried, we'd smash 'em! They'd be fools to attack us. So I don't think we have to worry about seeing any of them ever again."

Lofty humphed. "Shows what they know."

Khunbish grinned. "Boy do they be in fer a surprise."

"Don't get too cocky, mun," he warned. "By the looks of it they outnumber us, like. And we'll be fighting on the flat. Roland's right; We will have to play it smart."

"Aye," Khunbish agreed sombrely. When Runcible returned, he prepared to depart but Lofty stopped him.

"You know, since we're here and everything, it would be a shame to simply leave without… doing something."

"Aye," he agreed. He pulled out a bomb from his bomb pouch, hefting it in his hand. "Be ye thinkin' what I be thinkin' Master Lofty?"

A wicked grin took hold of Lofty's features. "Indeed I do."

Khunbish mirrored the grin and they both started chuckling. "Them bandits won't know what hit'em."

A/N: I swear canon has them all rolling out of bed after a celebration that ran into the small hours of the night and straight into a skirmish. Not this time!

Also once again, Evan, a character who wants to make a world without war or fighting now acts like a character who wants to make a word without war or fighting and tries to negotiate with the bandits instead of just steam rolling over them. Unfortunately they don't yet trust him and so refuse to join him or let him pass.