The Deepcombers

Chapter Forty One

Everyone could see the lion was right. Most of the metal-coated warriors in the camp seemed to be just temporary visitors. They'd ride-in and attend to some minor repair or resupply and then ride out again toward an unseen front that was some distance away downstream. But the fighting hadn't happened yet. The sound of battle could not be heard.

Melcart tried to interrupt but Jarl raised a finger to quiet him. He'd only just begun to outline his plan.

"The first thing we do is to eliminate that bowfeigor there, and take-out the other two archers, there and there." The old soldier pointed at the enemy in real life and outlined their perches in his dirt diagram. His experience was invaluable now; Lon hadn't even spotted these enemy bow-hunters.

"Then what?"

"Then we set this mess here on fire." Jarl pointed to a canvas covered supply dump beside the last wagon in the line. It looked like someone had needed to get at the bottom of the load and they'd simply ejected the contents of the last cart onto the grass by the side of the brook. The lumpy cargo was covered with oily tarps. "It will smoke more than burn, and that smudge will slow the cows and give us deep cover. It should get real confusing down there."

Melcart tried again to interject, but again Jarl quieted him with his raised right hand. He still wasn't done outlining the plan.

"Once things start burning here, Sergeant Orchee may ken the full length and breadth of the enemy before him..." The lion pointed downriver again.

"What should I do?" Lon asked.

"You and I, we're going to face them, that Northem." Jarl said, "Were going to get those kids out of that box."

"I'm coming with you." Seaya said, "They know my face. They'll follow me."

"Yes Melcart," Jarl finally acknowledged the rogue.

"How do we get away?" the rogue asked. "Where's our escape route?"

"You can run with the cows." Jarl said. "The rest of us will cross upstream. They can't follow our tracks if we run up the creek a bit to hide our footprints"

It was just assumed that Melcart would be the one to liberate the cows. He studied the soil diagram like a topographic map. "I'll do it. I'll stampede em," he said. "And drop that one first... You'll feel it." He looked at Lon, "that will be the signal."

"I'll take out the middle two." Valari said. It was the only role that remained. Saeya smiled nervously at Valari and reached out to hold her hand for solidarity.

And so, it was decided, despite the odds, they would try.

Both females prayed to Kluth together. Saeya asked the divine being to watch over them to protect them as they carried forth a sacred plan to bring justice to a lawless clan.

Lon wondered if he should pray to Amon. He gave some thought to the deity as he inspected the empty darkness above his mantle. His smilkwell was over half full and he felt better after having gotten some sleep under the oak tree. Now he wished he'd eaten Melcart's acorns and wild strawberry breakfast. Those dirty nibbles would have been loaded with smilk.

When everyone was finished their silent prayers and personal thoughts Lon stuck out his hand. He did it without thinking and everyone looked at him strangely, but then they followed suit and soon all the young masters made a big ball-of-hands and a new ritual was born. The company extended their right hands and interlocked palms and fingers and thumbs and they all looked at each other in the eye and it was a solemn moment for they all knew that despite their best intentions they were about to take feigor lives and there was always a price to be paid for killing.

"Give me five minutes," Melcart said. "You'll feel it." The rogue crawled away west through the shrubs at the top of the ridge. Valari followed a few paces behind.

Jarl and Saeya slunk away in the opposite direction, down the ridge toward the shallow creek and Lon followed them.

The lionfeigor found suitable trees to shelter their descent all the way down to the reeds at the edge of the stream. From behind the tall cattails they surveyed the flat-water body that stretched out before them. Most of the brook was only eight inches deep. Not content to simply hide and wait, Jarl crawled ever closer to the sentry.

There were only two lookouts, but both wore thick leather vests and capes made of animal pelts. There were light-infantry, and each carried round shields strapped to their forearms and steel blades hung ready on their waist belts. Yet they were not alarmed and had their eyes down on their own feet and seemed more interested in catching crawfish to eat. One wildkin used his boot to fish and his companion did the same; both soldiers would stomp the crabs and then bend and stuff them in their mouths when they reckoned nobody watched.

Lon and Saeya stretched out flat on the ground behind Jarl who knelt, ready to pounce.

The trio waited at the shoreline and once again the blond huntress put her palms together in prayer and softly petitioned Kulth to protect everyone there and to forgive them for their sins as they did his work to free the innocent.

Swoosh. The wildkin bowfeigor atop the second wagon glowed with a crisp blue fire and he screamed aloud a shrill warning cry with his last breath. Lon felt the smilkripple a moment after seeing the strike.

Two more pulses came, moments apart. The fight was on!