Report - W.Caravan - ... WIC edition

Chapter 7 - One More Line of Trees

"Sir?" It's rare to be given a personal tutor for a first-time caravaneer even less so from a man of my stature, but there are no good lessons for CL today.
"Do you know why I called you in here?" He has the face of disappointment and fear and yet he still fakes confusion.
"Was it because of my incompetence?"
"Incompetence would be forgetting your shoe, that was borderline treason!"
"But si-"
"A caravan leader must have the authority and the will to dictate and to protect. Then they must have the speech and morality to keep spirits high in a land which once already tried to swallow us whole"
"But I didn't know what to do!"
"Fight, you were supposed to fight. You were supposed to be the binding element in a time where all is crawlers in front, scared men to the sides and an empty exposed back behind."
"But, I did go and I stood with the scouts behind the shields!"
"And where's your trophy? Where's the scar, where's the sweat, where's the blade soaked in blood, where's the arrows reclaimed from a crawlers heart!?"
"But I couldn't have stopped that, could I?"
"Without trying? Absolutely"
"But I was there!"
"And 41 men lie damaged, bruised and bleeding. We're lucky to be getting back at least half of them by tomorrow. If they were scouts or rangers then most would be dead by now. That blood is still on your hands CL! Situations are situations, but a first encounter ending with an almost 12% injury rate is terrible, be thankful we'll have proof it was a gorger otherwise your career could end right there"
"Sir I... but that's how we took them on wasn't it," And the face that is to motivate and terrify the rest begins to weep as soon as his voice starts to crack.
"Taking them on means dick if they come all at once and from the sides and that's not why we won. We didn't win because of a superiority of arms or something. We we're seconds from breaking and running. If I hadn't stood up then no one would have brought that gorger down. Lord knows how many ran away before ever engaging us. You haven't even realized that no one here is an experienced doctor. Even the trained ones would have gone for the basic bandages and basic application methods, I say at least 5 would have died from that and that still counts as your fault because you are expected to know your men better than anyone else"
"Sir, but I didn't know, I've never seen most of these people before... well... before I met you" He's not lowering his voice to pull sympathy from me he's about as ready to cry and run as one can get.
"I know... that's why you get a warning," He stops sniffling for a second to look up with a confused face.
"The papers I asked you for when we first meet, they had some additional information that was meant only for me. You can thank those warning signs for without them you wouldn't be standing here. Now leave,"
"Warn-"
"Leave!" As I strike the table and stand up to face him.
He runs. Hopefully not away from the only beacon of safety, but that's why I have the authority to choose a replacement. Back to pondering our next move. At least till the voices outside grow louder and louder. 
"What is it?" I head to check out the commotion.
"Sir, why are we encamping here? There are miniature ponds everywhere and the earth is wet. We can barely walk around let alone fight"
"Because of exhaustion and the injured. Also we're not camping down here. These trees here grow with some space in-between. They end up shaping a noticeable 'palm' at the top of the log before splitting apart into the many pieces from which the twigs will grow out of. That little encased cup is where we are going to be sleeping tonight while the watchers sit on the lower branches and watch the wagons. If you have complaints then the earth is right there"
Either this or we dig, but no ones an experienced miner and we only have one pickaxe with two shovels. We could spend half a night before we have a solid enough hole for the injured alone. That's why I'll give an extra shot ration for tonight's dinner, because that's the only warmth they're getting. I desperately need sleep tonight the last few days have had me paranoid, watching over most discussions for any signs of creeping disobedience, but I don't have that luxury. We're still in danger, but we're so close to being in clearer ground so I will have to see how safe the road is and attempt to clear out some remnants. Tomorrow I will ride off ahead and I will find the best path.
[day 8]
A second path does exist, sadly the rain kept pouring throughout the night and some tributary river up north flooded. The main roads trashed and I spotted at least 2 separate crawler queens with their cohorts. So this morning we went fast and took the southern seasonal path. It's got way more clay and runoff from the trees so the ground is some of the most stable we've seen yet. I hope to find a way to blame it on them because I don't want to break it to them, assuming they care at this point because the last time the reception was very unresponsive.
"Turn here we'll take a calmer path"
"More woods?"
"Prefer the mud?"
"Isn't there some?"
"Less"
"Woods it is," and CL isn't even a pusher or in heavy armor.
The day, as short as it turned out to be, was uneventful. Some of the slightly scarred did rejoin as scouts, but their equipment and the others got handed to the rest. I won't deny to having pushed them hard, it's a necessity to outpace the others up north. These pines here offer little vegetation thus no critters and thus no 4 eyes. The pines are always safer, but it's harder to navigate. For now this is the second fastest path we have available.
[noon halt]
No nests have been found around us and movements have been low.
"Fine, I'll go with the scouts to search the perimeter," one of the first universally liked moves by CL (yes most are hoping he dies and I kind of agree).
The tents are set up and I enter mine to write. When they think I can't hear them they start to grumble. Despite the victory and the amenities given their impatience is running low already and my orders to reach the safe zone quickly is not a boost to morale.
"It's been nearly a week, I never thought I'd miss the back-breaking harvest"
"There has to be a catch someone must've fucked something. This can't be right, this crew can't be right. We've all heard stories from the experienced and olders"
"What is it that B2 wants us to see so badly? It's just a river whoop-de-doo as if water ain't something we got a plenty"
"He's just pulling the same shit they did in school. The childrens books about the old world"
"So we get saddled with an incompetent leader, he keeps him and even appears to support him and now he's telling us bedtime stories so that we keep going through the rain and the 4 eyes. Anyone else remember when we talked about what was in the boxes and how he said that it wasn't letters for some dork?"
"Can't tell what's gonna happen first. A mutiny to leave, crack open the boxes or to raid the provisions wagon"
"Well there are worse ways to die"
"Look he may be a hero and we see why, but... how does he see? He has sight like a bird or a... fucking... something crawler. He knows so much and he sees so much and yet we're looking, we're searching and we got nothing"
"No one here is a caller and even we call that giant shit. Now I'm starting to get why seemingly everyone unimportant likes him except for the GC," Now that definitely peaks my interest.
"Wait what's this bout the Grand Council and him?"
"Well, we all know that people call him a hero and that he is some sort... mystical... unique...I don't know just, he's something sick"
"Duh, so what?"
"Well I had a guy who worked in a prison before and he got real friendly with some thieves and they told of some of the darnedest stuff."
"Like?"
"Oh dear, he stopped listening after a while, but there was like some hidden government places, secret guards and companies by the GC, and cultists that worshipped the 4 eyes, and a... what was it? Something about a completely different land somewhere beyond the darkness. You know the usual crazy, drunk talk mixed in with some paranormal anti-government stuff"
"Insane asylum?"
"Well it was a prison and they had like a... sort of... insane plus maximum security place so who knows. But even after he realized he was being used and stuff, there was one story he never forgot. He forgot the details, but it had something to do with the GC and getting rid of the WBTS"
"But, that's like... how much time and effort does Security put into these people that we never see?"
"Ye! I also called it bullshit, but none of us ever forgot it. Even more so, he contacted someone who still worked there and asked about him so he could retell the story, [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted][redacted] [redacted]"
"Man, crazy people am I right? I thought it was bad enough when discussions deviate to rumors of Securitys and Productions true reach and power" 
The following conversations repeat the former questions about purpose and most forget the recent discovery. We will keep moving and make as much ground as we can. So far this is one of the most pessimistic discussions they've had about me and about the mission.