29. Far South: The Battles to Come

Ten seasons ago

Ferric did not have much sleep that night. Sounds of revelry and screams from the fort that reached his tent, pain in his wounded paw, and uneasy thoughts did not let him rest. Even with only Zayrha, the only creature allowed to see any sort of weakness from him, for company, he had to lie quietly and pretend that he was feeling better than he actually did, lest his mother would also spend the night with hardly any sleep. He tried to think on plans for the future, after all, another battle was coming in just a few days, but his thoughts kept running in circles.

Yet Ferric was always full of uncommon vigor, so even with such scant rest he found himself refreshed enough by the morning. The injured left paw now throbbed less too. By the time he woke up Agutai, and finished eating his simple breakfast of an egg and a loaf of bread, he felt that his head had largely cleared. Now he could confidently go to the agreed meeting with the crow chieftain.

"You didn't sleep well?" Zayrha asked just as Ferric was brushing the crumbs off his chest fur, about to leave the tent.

"I didn't." Whenever Zayrha perceived something he wanted to keep from her, Ferric felt a twinge of fear. Thankfully, fear was the emotion he could hide even from his own mother, now and always.

"You truly should think about finally choosing a Seer for the Juskalin. A beast who is better at healing than me and whom you can trust to watch over yourself."

"Hmph. A common chieftain needs a Seer who can patch his hide and watch his back. But the Taggerung needs a Seer who can See. An advisor and companion without peer, worthy of his destiny!" Ferric shook his head, displeased with harshness of his own words, and added in nearly the softest tone he was capable of. "Don't be impatient, Mom. One day, I'm sure, such a creature will appear. Sometimes I see him in my dreams, but I cannot remember him, when I wake."


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The birds seemed to be in no hurry to appear, and once again Agutai was nervous and concerned.

"Trusting featherbags who flitter through the air, instead of standing firmly on their two paws, hmph," he muttered, just loudly enough for Ferric to hear clearly, as he moved his claw along his bowstring.

Just as Ferric looked at him, probably about to issue a rebuke, they heard the flapping of wings. Agutai looked up – and for a moment breath got caught in his chest. Three birds were approaching, as usual – but the first among them was not Raggkur, no. A huge black bird – a raven, Agutai realized after a moment – was gliding down, flanked by two smaller crows. Reflexively, Agutai reached for an arrow, but Ferric caught his paw just in time, as the raven slowed down and landed on a low tree branch near the pair of stoats. The younger stoat cast a quick glance at his half-brother – and was surprised to see the expression that approached astonishment on Ferric's face, the face that had not betrayed any hint of surprise in seasons. The warlord's eyes widened, and he even quickly licked his lips, before saying:

"Who are you, what are you, and what you're doing here bird?"

The raven ruffled his night-black plumage and spread his great wings wide, before answering: "I am Gale, I am the new chieftain of the Greycloud tribe, and I am here to meet you, as I was destined to, Ferric the Taggerung."

"Destined to?" Ferric was still holding Agutai's wrist, and now he squeezed it so hard, that Agutai hissed from pain. Only then Ferric seemed to notice what he was doing, and let him go, but Ferric's eyes were still drawn to the raven.

"Yes. For a long, long time I was called Seer of the Unseen, and long, long ago I saw that it is our fate to gaze upon each other today. Though even I could not know exactly what is going to happen thereafter – that is, now."

Even to that moment, Ferric hadn't fully regained his composure, and he could not hide excitement in his words: "So, you are a Seer, a true Seer, aren't you, Gale?"

"I am. I am Master of Mysteries, one to whom the secrets of past and future are known."

Ferric laughed out loud: "Ahahaa! Great! And if you are so wise and knowledgeable, can you tell me what is on my mind right now?"

"Not a difficult question. You think about testing me. And you wonder if the Greycloud crows still can help you against the warlords' alliance, which is bearing down on your Juskalin."

The raven had a beautiful voice, smooth and powerful, but Agutai would have preferred listening to familiar harsh crow screeches. Something difficult to put in words about this oily bird stroked his fur the wrong way, even beyond his usual wariness of strangers and distrust of flyers. But Agutai knew that his interruption would be most unwelcome, so all he did was watching and remaining ready for any trick that the birds might try to pull.

"Not a difficult answer, either," Ferric said. "Any smart bird who learned about me and my troubles from the crows could have thought of it. Can you help me, though?"

"Sure, I have advice for you. But my advice would depend on the sort of victory you want."

"I want to see my enemies driven before me, to hear their lamentations, to seize all they have with my paws! By the eternal sky, what other sort of victory could a warlord want?"

The raven tilted his head, as if he wanted to take a better look at Ferric. "The victory of dividing his foes and conquering them without use of weapons. But you have thought about it, haven't you, Ferric the Taggerung? If Greycloud crows are your eyes, you also have beasts of the earth serving as your ears, and through them you already know enough to win a victory of this sort."

To Agutai all this sounded like nonsense, so he looked at Ferric questioningly – and was shocked to see the same expression of near-astonishment on the Taggerung's face again: "What he's babbling about, Ferric?"

To his further shock, Ferric dithered briefly, before answering: "Agutai, do you remember what all the exiles and vagabonds we welcomed in our camp told us about Karangul, the one beasts call Karangul the Fighter?"

Agutai had good memory, and answered quickly: "Well, if I remember their words correctly, among the petty warlords who are coming to fight us now at Fort Woodcrown, Karangul does not have the most soldiers, but some say that he has the most wits. I heard, he fought in many battles alongside Baur, when that old bastard was still alive, and fought so well, that Baur rewarded him with a fort and land of his own. If he is the one in command of their host, we're in for a tough fight, but why you're asking, Brother?"

Ferric grinned and answered: "All of that is true, but you forgot that Karangul is a stoat, like me and you, well past his prime and with no surviving children but two young daughters, renowned for their beauty, rather than for any sort of fighting prowess. I wondered if he fears that one day, when he's even greyer and feebler, some young, vigorous leader of beasts would come into his hall to say: "My line starts with me, and yours ends with you". I wondered what he might think about an alliance with someone who is mighty enough to protect him, an alliance which he can secure by marriage."

And before Agutai could think of a response, Ferric looked at the raven again: "So, tell me, Seer of the Unseen, am I right? What do you think of my idea, O wise bird?"

The raven bowed his head, through owing to his position on the branch that did not prevent him from looking down on Ferric. "The Taggerung's mind is as sharp as I foresaw. You need no real advice from me, only assurance. Yes, Karangul can be swayed to your side. And let me tell you one more thing: he and his daughters may be greater boons to you, than his soldiers, or even the victory he can bring you this moon. You will know that I am who I am and that I speak truly upon meeting them."

Ferric stared at the raven intently for some time, before answering: "I think I already know that."


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"If you, Brother, weren't the Taggerung, I'd call madness all of this and every part of this," grumbled Agutai, as the two stoats were walking back to the camp. "Allying with a fort-dwelling lord of dirt-diggers! He's not even a Juska, and you want to marry his daughters. All the proper Juskalin would despise him, and all these hillbeast oafs who flocked to you would want to eat his liver raw. And then, trusting that black-feathered fiend of a bird!"

Agutai half-expected to be cut off sharply, but Ferric remained in good cheer: "Well, Agutai, you would be right – if I wasn't the Taggerung. But I am the Taggerung, and now I met the Seer from my dreams. If you were any other creature, I'd ask you to believe me, but there is no need for that, because I know already, out of all Juskalin you are the one who always believes me."

Agutai felt his nose and ears hot with blush, half because he felt guilty about doubting Ferric after the ill-fated night assault. Before he could think of anything to say, Ferric continued: "Worry not. I already can see us as masters of the east before the winter. One full turn of seasons, at most, and we would be ready to march back into our ancestral forests. At our side would be the strongest warrior of the hill land, above us would be my crow spies, and behind us would be at least half a thousand of fighters, with good weapons and iron mail. We will teach all the wayward Juska who is the true Taggerung, and then we will settle all of our scores with the prey creatures of the southern coast!"


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There was a graveyard at Fort Watcher, of course, located within sight of its protective walls. However the graves most important for the one who ruled here were located far away in the forest. Gillem's parents were buried in a distant, quiet green glade, under the two boulders so massive that no common beast would have been able to even budge them, marked with script that no creature in these parts save Gillem himself could read. The badger Commander did not visit them often, but when he did, he often stayed there for the entire day, and tolerated no company.

Gillem had lived long past grieving for his family, and though badgers were often said to be mysterious beasts, who received guidance from those who came and passed before them, he had mentioned once or twice to Odo he could only wish such legends were true for him personally. The veteran squirrel believed that the Commander used the gravesite as a place of seclusion when he wanted to think on especially important matters. Odo did not like this habit. Fort Watcher was built on the very edge of Juska lands, in fact, this forest would have been Juska lands if not for its existence. So while very few Juska were brave enough to sneak around these woods in search of precious weapons to loot, and, most importantly, glory, Gillem's Vigilants had a rule of not wandering the beyond its walls alone. And while Gillem clearly believed this rule did not apply to him because a big badger had the strength of two common beasts and fought like ten, he still had only one throat to slit and one heart to pierce.

So Odo and Amais took upon themselves to trail their Commander and friend whenever he sought solitude, keeping enough distance to be well out of sight, but able to hear any serious commotion. Gillem, of course, knew about that, yet never told them to stop. Today their self-imposed duty was far from unpleasant. A flagon of wine and some choice pastries from the kitchen certainly helped to brighten the sunny spring midday even further.

"Aaaaahhh," Amais stretched luxuriously, a movement for which her otter body was eminently suitable. "The spring is the best season of all. Enjoying this season without bending my back over the dirt as a farmer, ain't the warrior's life great? I still wonder where our dear Commander would lead us this spring, though."

Odo rolled his sole remaining eye. "How many times had we chewed this over? Gillem told us, that we must crush one of the vermin who titles himself the Taggerung, but which of the three? Khaishan, Ferric, Moghu? Not even Gillem's own pillow knows what's inside his head, else he would have burned it. No use guessing. By fur and fang, maybe he's making his decision right now."

Despite his injury, Odo was the more perceptive of the pair. And now too he perked up his ears and turned towards a suspicious sound before Amais noticed anything. But his paw stopped moving towards his spear as soon as he saw who was approaching them.

All Vigilants but a few of the latest newcomers could instantly recognize Sylva. Of course, Sylva was not an easy bird to forget. Even among goshawks she was exceptionally large, with plumage of rich white-and-black streaks on her front and glossy grey on her back. Her fierce orange eyes struck as much fearful respect into those who met their gaze, as her lethally hooked beak and talons that outsized any dagger. The tree branch big enough for Odo to walk on it as if it was solid ground shook slightly, as she landed.

By that moment, Odo stood up and bowed his head: "An honor to meet you, Silva. Are you here to meet the Commander."

"An honor to speak with you too, Odo-Oneeye. But yes, I'm not here for pleasanttalks. I heard Gillem is alone, not to be disturbed now, yet I have important news that he must hear as soon as possible."

Odo and Amais looked at each other, and the otter sighed: "I guess I should go and tell the Commander. Hope he's gonna be his chivalrous self and let the lady that I am off the hook."


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Surprise stopped Amais in her tracks, when she walked into the sunlit glade. Certainly, this was the place, the great stone grave markers could not be mistaken for anything else, but Gillem was nowhere in sight. Then instincts honed in so many expeditions and fights made her turn sharply, and her heart skipped a couple of beats, when she found herself staring right at Gillem's broad chest. She was used to their Commander being great at anything he tried, but even she did not expect a beast so big managing to sneak up on her, and moreover, to get within paw's reach!

"I do believe you have a reason for being here," said Gillem in a flat tone.

Amais decided it wasn't a good time to talk with Gillem as with her friend, rather than her Commander, so she reported quickly: "Silva had returned. She says that she has urgent news for you."

Gillem let out a slight sigh, and looked wistfully past Amais, towards the gravestones, but only for a moment. "Let's go, then".


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"It was as you said, Commander-Gillem, as if you saw everything with your own eyes. Crowscum were spying for Ferric. But I, with my two brave sons, slew the wingedrat chieftain who struck the deal with earthcrawling villains, when we saw a chance!"

If Gillem was surprised, he did not show it. "Tell me everything from the beginning, Sylva."

By the time the goshawk finished the detailed version of her tale, Gillem, who listened leaning on the tree trunk, was deep in thought. "Yes indeed, as I thought, Ferric did use crows to spy on his enemies, but I wonder if slaying one crow chieftain would be enough to break their alliance."

"You don't know crowscum, Commander-Gillem. I, Silva the skyruler, do. Few tribes outlast an old chieftain. Few chieftains are clever enough for such alliances. Skyvermin don't trust landvermin, never did, never will. Ferric is going to lose his eyes above."

Gillem looked up, at Sylva who perched above him: "This is not a sure bet. Nonetheless, this is a bet I'm going to make."

He turned his gaze to Odo and Amais, who were listening to the conversation: "Perhaps you, of all my beasts, should know that for some time I believed Ferric to be the most dangerous of Juska, the one we need to slay the most, before he forms the tribes into a true horde. But so far in the northeast, he's difficult to reach, he's not going to threaten any goodbeasts for a few more seasons, and we can hope that he now lost his chief advantage. Out of all those "Taggerungs", Khaishan who lurks in the west has the largest following, so it is his head that we have to part from his shoulders before autumn."

Gillem waved his huge paw imperiously: "Tell this to everybeast – the Vigilants should ready their weapons and say their farewells! We march out towards the northwest in three days!"