Chapter Fourteen

Basin Peacekeepers

ELSA

Huge beads of perspiration dribbled down the side of Elsa's face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, squinting up at the bright blue skies, the sun bearing down on the small village outpost at the edge of a rocky cliff.

Another hot day on the outskirts of Agrabah, though to be fair every day since her arrival in the desert kingdom had been equally warm. She'd never fully gotten used to how hot it could get in the afternoons.

Back during the winter campaign when everyone was freezing, she was probably the only one thriving in the cold. But here? Elsa sighed as sweat began to form on her brow again. She was the one suffering from the intense heat.

Lifting a canteen to her lips, she drank heavily from the cold water. Only, it wasn't cold anymore. Another testament to how this warm climate wasn't working in her favour. She was just glad that her skin hadn't been too scorched or burnt by the sun in all the time she'd been in Agrabah.

Setting down the canteen in the sand, she leaned back into her straw chair and pulled the brim of the large sun hat over her eyes. With only half the day gone, she just needed to endure another six hours of watch before sunset, then she could find some respite from the day's heat.

The sounds of soldiers practicing their drills came somewhere to the right of the command post where she was stationed. Out of curiosity - or sheer boredom - Elsa turned to watch the infantrymen of Arendelle's Fifth Battalion. They were practicing forming from column to line, and then from line to square, back to line, and then to column again. Just another textbook manoeuvre from the infantryman's manual, but necessary in the face of war. It'd no doubt come in useful during the winter campaign, and these men were veterans and survivors who knew what it meant to hold the line and defend themselves against the cruel Imperial Horde.

To her left came the voices of the sorcerers talking among themselves, while others practiced under the tutelage of one of the more senior sorcerers. Further, the Agrabanian king's own sorcerers resided within their own shelters made of wood, straw and local fabrics. The Desert Warlocks sat in a circle in a meditative trance, staffs on the ground in front of them as they prayed and sought out their deities that granted them their worthiness to access the powers of the dune.

In spite of their various activities, all of them were on guard here at the Shaer Basin, as they had been over the past two years. Elsa shifted in her chair to get more comfortable, though there was no escape from the sun glaring down at the edge of the village. It was strange to think that this was her life now, a stark contrast to how the Warriors used to hurtle across the Empire's territories, uncovering the mysteries of the Crimson Order and trying to escape the Empire's unmatched wrath.

The past two years had been relatively peaceful, as compared to the winter campaign. Sure, there was the occasional skirmish here and there when the Separatist warlords known as the Iskar tried to attack the villages at the edge of Agrabah in an attempt to undermine King Aladdin's authority and territorial rights. But it was nothing they couldn't handle.

With the League of Sorcerers, Desert Warlocks and various battalions of the Coalition stationed at different outposts along the perimeter of Agrabah's massive territory, they'd held the kingdom against the warlords, militiamen and mercenaries. The threat of the Iskar Separatists were nothing compared to the nightmares they'd faced during the winter campaign. The Shaer Basin was just one of the tougher spots on the map, so she was here as the Pilgrim to lead the sorcerers alongside Captain Gordon, one of the officers of the Arendellian infantry.

"Oh, there you are." A familiar voice came from behind her and a split coconut was thrust inches away from her nose. "Drink?"

Elsa took the coconut without looking up. "Thanks."

"I actually got us both some nuts from the village bazaar, but I got pretty hungry on the way so I ate them all."

"It's fine."

Tracy squatted beside Elsa's chair, a coconut in her own hand. The black, ostentatious wide-brimmed hat she'd taken to wearing in the past year still looked funny to Elsa. But then again, it did fit the whole 'witch' image Tracy liked to project. "Still kind of bummed that they don't have beer or whiskey in this part of the world though. They're missing out."

"It's a cultural thing," Elsa sipped from the coconut and sighed quietly as the refreshing drink restored a little of her energy.

"I know, I know," Tracy slurped and set down her empty coconut in the sand. "It's just that it would be so great if we could crack open a cold one. Sure would make this heat a lot more bearable. I mean don't get me wrong," she tugged at her sleeveless blouse. "I don't mind summer. But this is just too damn hot."

"On that we agree," Elsa said absentmindedly between sips. She too had taken to wearing cotton sleeveless blouses and shorter skirts, much like the natives here dressed. It helped to dissipate some of the heat, but nowhere near enough. But soon it would be the end of the year again, and the climate would get slightly cooler.

"Anyway, before I forget, I have word from Asad Garrison," Tracy said. "Deirdre filled me in on what's going on over there."

"And?"

"She more or less has things handled with her sorcerers there. Well, sort of. She said Eleanor got into an argument with one of the Desert Warlocks after one of the Separatists' ambushes. I mean, this is Eleanor, right?" Tracy chuckled. "Surprised she hasn't destroyed the outpost yet."

Elsa rolled her eyes. All things considered, she was relieved that Deirdre had managed to keep her younger sister in check. The Warriors' former enemy had joined their side after Hans had overpowered them all and revealed his true colours to her.

Betrayed and stripped of her demon and authority, Eleanor had had no choice but to help Melody and Deirdre escape to the mountains where she regained her demon and brought them back to the Coalition. She had then stood with the Warriors and the League to repel the emperor's attack at Fort Steinfall, and escaped with them to Agrabah.

"But Deirdre did say things are getting better with her sister," Tracy went on. "Who would have guessed?"

"I wouldn't," Elsa admitted. "I guess even someone like her can change."

"Yeah. Things are actually looking up." Tracy plopped down onto the sandy ground. "But you don't look too satisfied."

"I don't?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah, you really don't. Look at what we accomplished! Ever since we arrived, we've had the whole outpost thing well in hand. None of the Iskar have broken through our defences. The senior League members have been working hard to train all our raw recruits to perfection and now the League's at a golden standard it's never been at before. All thanks to your leadership as the Pilgrim, we've never been better!"

"Mmmn," Elsa intoned as she looked out into the horizon.

"And if that's not enough for you, the League's actually working well with the Desert Warlocks. I would've thought there would be more friction apart from the occasional Eleanor situation. The Coalition and the Agrabanian Highlanders have integrated nicely, and for the first time, everything's fallen into place like it should." Tracy frowned. "So I don't know if I can call it peace, but things are feeling pretty peaceful and well in hand. It's what we always wanted, isn't it?"

"I guess you could say that."

"So why do you still look so mopey?"

Elsa shook her head. "Forget it."

"Oh, right. I forgot." Tracy slapped her forehead. "Shit, I'm sorry."

Elsa sighed. "Can we just sit and wait out the rest of our watch in peace?"

"I'm sorry I touched a nerve there. I completely forgot about Janus."

Vexed, Elsa rounded on Tracy. "You just had to go there."

"Look, I'm sorry alright." Tracy shrugged. "It's just been a long time since we've seen you…you know, truly happy."

Elsa was about to retort something when she heard commotion at the command post beside her; the sound of scrambling and pounding of booted feet against the edge of the rocky cliff.

Getting to her feet swiftly, she raced towards the tent flap and entered the dimly lit post before the sentries could react, to find Captain Gordon alone at his small writing desk.

"Your Royal Highness!" Captain Gordon, commander of the Fifth Infantry Battalion, stood and saluted in haste. "Is something wrong?"

At that moment, a corporal burst through the tent with the sentries right behind him. "Ma'am! Sir! The Separatist militia are back!" the corporal reported, short of breath from running up the hill to the command post.

"Again?" Captain Gordon sighed and turned to the regimental trumpeter. "Sound the alarm!"

A long note filled the air, the familiar sound that signalled that the opposition's forces were attempting another attack on Shaer Basin. Immediately, the sounds of officers and sergeants shouting filled the air, followed by the thundering of boots as Fifth Battalion stopped their drills and hurried to respond.

Elsa and Captain Gordon emerged from the command post, the air of tension palpable. She watched as the Arendellian soldiers began descending the cliff cautiously as quickly as they could go, bearing their muskets with bayonets attached. The League's sorcerers formed up on the edge of the cliff, spread out across the length of the edge of the village while some hurried towards the village to warn the locals.

Movement came from the shelter built by Agrabah's own sorcerers. Within seconds, the Desert Warlocks broke from their meditative trance, donned ponchos over their sand-brown robes and pulled the hoods over their heads. Picking up their staffs from the ground, they hurried over to the edge of the cliff, where the League's sorcerers had made gaps for them to descend halfway down the cliff.

By now, Elsa could see the Separatist militiamen on their horses and donkeys, wielding spears and muskets as they charged down the basin's opposite cliff, some on foot and some mounted. The Iskar wore dark colours, unlike the Agrabanian Highlanders, to signify their defiance and rejection of Aladdin's rule. As always, they came in the same formation - with the cavalry at their head and the musketeers running behind them. But beyond that, they lacked real discipline and tactics, which made this just another easy day.

"Hold," Captain Gordon told the regimental drummers. "On my signal."

Elsa nodded to Tracy, who'd joined her side in watching the precipice of battle. "On my signal."

Tracy nodded, all traces of mirth or talkativeness from before gone, now replaced by the serious professionalism of one of the League's most senior sorcerers. The girl eyed the sorcerers positioned all along the edge of the cliff, who all looked back at her, waiting for the green light.

The Iskar flooded down their side of the basin, yelling in their native tongue while jabbing their spears and muskets in the air. By Elsa's estimation, there were only about six hundred of them. Glancing down, Elsa saw the Fifth Battalion had deployed into line, four ranks deep, presenting bayonets to the enemy with their backs to the cliff. The Desert Warlocks - about ten of them - crouched on narrow ledges protruding from the side of the rocky cliff, staffs in hand.

"Steady." Captain Gordon's eyes never left the Iskar. They closed to a hundred and ten yards. "Now!"

"Do it!" Elsa told Tracy, who promptly sent up a purple flare high into the afternoon sky.

The steady regimental drumbeat signalled to the infantry, and the shouts of sergeants filled the air. The soldiers levelled their muskets, and fired in unison. A single, solid crack echoed throughout the basin. At the same time, the League's sorcerers launched their long-range attack, scything down the rear ranks of the Iskar which held eight and ten pounder cannons.

A synchronised thump of the Desert Warlocks' staffs on solid rock, and sand began to rise from the flat ground of the basin in front of the Arendellians. The wind picked up, and the sand gathered into a whirlwind of small fragments, granite and dirt, slowing the militiamen's advance. That hesitation bought Fifth Battalion a few precious seconds to reload as the second rank presented arms, firing off another volley which cut down a good many Separatists.

The Iskar shouted in a panic as the League's sorcerers continued to whittle away at their rear ranks with long-range attacks from atop the cliff, while the infantry down in the basin met them head on in a systematic approach. All the while, the Desert Warlocks raised sand storms in the midst of the militiamen, confusing, disorienting and blinding them.

"Second rank load, first rank level!" The thundering voices of the sergeants below echoed throughout the basin.

A wall of muskets and bayonets swung up again.

"First rank fire!"

A third volley of musketry rocked the basin, stabbing out into the whirlwind of sand and finding their marks on the Iskar Separatists. Another attack from one of the League's sorcerers hit the militia's last field gun, causing a roaring explosion which consumed some of the men in the rear. In that moment, Elsa saw hesitation, doubt and fear in the Iskar's ranks.

"Herald the charge!" Captain Gordon barked.

The regimental drums beat a different tune, one far faster and more aggressive.

"Charge!" The commanders in the basin yelled, and their order was echoed by all the men in the ranks as they broke into a sprint, the front rank's bayonets at the ready as the line folded out into a neat arc, enveloping the enemy and hemming them in with nowhere to turn but back.

The shrieks and howls of the Iskar were drowned out by the war cries of the Arendellians as the infantry collided with the Separatists. Then began the melee of stabbing, shooting and hand to hand combat, of which Elsa was confident the Arendellians would emerge triumphant as they had so many times before.

All the while, the Desert Warlocks and the League's sorcerers continued to bombard the Iskar like artillery, the former sowing confusion in the enemy ranks and changing the climate of the battle completely, the latter hitting them with aerial assaults that shattered the rear ranks.

As predicted, the enemy ranks broke and the Iskar militiamen were routed, all traces of what little discipline they possessed dissipated as they made a mad dash back to the opposite cliff face of the Shaer Basin. The cavalry with them had a hard time wheeling round as they were caught in a mad stampede.

The Arendellians gave chase as the Desert Warlocks ceased the sand storms and the sorcerers stopped their incessant bombardment. As the Iskar militamen reached the base of the cliff, the Desert Warlocks used their magic to dislodge the sand and rocks from the cliff, creating a landslide of mud, rocks and debris which crumbled upon the Iskar and slowed their retreat. The Fifth Battalion set about them, finishing off those who were too slow to get away. Less than a quarter of the militia managed to scramble to the top of the opposite cliff and fled out of range of the League's sorcerers and Desert Warlocks.

A tremendous roar of victory erupted from the Shaer Basin as the Fifth Battalion cheered and celebrated their swift victory. Once again, the defenders had successfully routed the enemy with minimal casualties thanks to cohesion and practice. Even the League sorcerers looked pleased as they gave the Desert Warlocks a hand, pulling them back up to the clifftop.

"Just another regular day in Agrabah, eh?" Tracy said lightheartedly.

Captain Gordon relaxed considerably, his shoulders growing less tense. "If only every battle was as easy as this one. Excuse me, Your Highness." He saluted Elsa and headed off to meet the lieutenants to receive battle reports.

"He's right, you know," Tracy said to Elsa after the captain was gone. "We're outliving our usefulness here."

"King Aladdin wants us out here to safeguard Agrabah's borders from the Separatists. We hold up our end of the bargain, he'll help us in our war against Exon," Elsa replied.

"You really think the Empire's still going to sail across the ocean to conquer a land far beyond their shores? What for?" Tracy scoffed and shook her head. "No, we'll be safe here."

"Yes," Elsa gazed at the horizon, where the Iskar Separatists were still fleeing. "We'll be safe here while our real homes burn."

As the sun set, Elsa watched the villagers as they bustled about the village square in celebration. Not just to celebrate the victory over the Iskar militia, but to commemorate the birthday of one of their esteemed ancestors. There was even a bonfire built in the centre of the road, where piles of wood had been stacked high. The place was decorated simply with whatever the villagers had on hand. They weren't exactly rich like the main city of Agrabah where most of the locals lived, but what they had sufficed.

The villagers had even invited the Arendellian soldiers and sorcerers to join in the festivities, and they had accepted without much hesitance. Being stuck out here at the Shaer Basin was a rather mundane affair, and the defenders of Agrabah's territory were happy to indulge in whatever little pleasures they were offered.

The Desert Warlocks, on the other hand, had opted to stay behind in their shelters to continue meditating. Apart from them, the only ones left behind were the soldiers on guard duty. Those, unlike the Desert Warlocks, were not there by choice but by necessity.

Elsa watched as the villagers danced around the unlit bonfire, accompanied by the tune of flutes and other pipes indigenous to this part of the world. People clapped and sung, while the soldiers and League sorcerers stood by enjoying and soaking in the cheerful atmosphere after the battle they'd worn earlier today.

Seeing all this reminded Elsa of a different time when she and Anna would celebrate the Autumn Festival in Arendelle with their people. All the joyful laughter, enthusiastic clapping and spirited dancing…that all seemed like such a long time ago now.

Tracy - still wearing her hat despite it already being dark - squeezed through the crowd holding up two skewers of meat and sliced potatoes. "Managed to save you one this time."

"Thanks." Elsa took one of the proferred skewers and bit into the meat. It was tender and juicy, charred to perfection with local herbs that made her mouth water for more. "This is good."

""Gotta admit, their food here is so good it makes up for the lack of whiskey." Tracy gobbled her share of the food down and made to leave for more.

"Wait." Elsa caught her arm before she could disappear back into the throng of the crowd. "Has the messenger reported back yet?"

"Nope, not since he left to deliver news of the failed attack this afternoon." Tracy looked over her shoulder at Elsa with what looked like sympathy. "Bloody hell, lighten up a bit. Stop being so uptight and just enjoy the evening while it lasts. The guy will report when he gets back."

Elsa let Tracy disappear back into the crowd in search of more local food. The truth was, after reminiscing her time in Arendelle celebrating autumn with her people, a pang of melancholy had stuck with her. Would she ever be able to celebrate with them again? Would she ever be able to return home to peace? Frankly, she didn't know.

Head filled with depressive thoughts, Elsa walked away from all the festivities and left the crowd behind to take a long, slow stroll back to the outpost where she could mope by herself. Even though she was constantly surrounded every day by Arendellian soldiers, sorcerers, and even her close friend Tracy, she'd never felt more alone. And she knew why. She blinked away the unformed tears before they could sting her eyes. Because he had left her.

"Your Royal Highness!" The loud call was accompanied by horse hooves cantering towards her. She turned to see the messenger she and Captain Gordon had sent earlier this afternoon dismounting from his charger.

"Have you informed King Aladdin about what happened here?" Elsa asked as the man came to a stop before her and saluted.

"Yes, Ma'am," the messenger said. "And there's something else." He handed her a letter.

Curious, Elsa tore the wax seal bearing the royal mark of the Arendellian queen and unfolded the letter to read its contents.

First thing tomorrow morning, come back to the villa in the capital and bring Tracy with you. Important matters to discuss.

Love,

Anna