Deserted Ravine
Night POV
He watched quietly from his hiding place, controlling his anger when he saw the children sitting in a group, left under the glaring sun. Around 20 of them, wearing simple clothing varying in ages, the youngest seemed around 5 while the oldest looked to be in her late teens. Even from this distance, he could tell they were ours, they sat silently watching their captors.
He was headed North as instructed when he saw the sand cloud in the distance through his spy glass, he had seen many before and would have ignored it but something had prickled in the back of his mind.
He watched the large group walking around the ravine, some resting and eating the rest changing. A few tents scattered around, plans and information would be kept in there, should he try his luck and sneak inside one?
This was a secluded area, out of the way but it seemed they knew about this place. He watched as they moved bushes and pulled out packages and large crates and carrying the clothing they were changing into.
The soldiers changed out of their uniforms bearing the northern seal into ones used by travellers and caravan people. The outfits made of soft colours, scarves to cover their faces and the light footwear used to walk easily in the slipping sands.
A loud scream rent the air, he turned to see one of the soldiers still in heavy armour stomp on a child's hand as a girl shouted for the man to let him go.
"He just wanted water." She yelled.
The soldier backhanded her, before he could turn and leave the girl grabbed his hand, sinking her teeth into the flesh and drawing blood. He slapped her a few more times until she fell to the ground, I grabbed the rock when I saw him put his foot on her arm and heard the crack as he broke the bone.
I don't know how she did it, not one sound escaped her lips. She yelled when someone else was hurt but nothing came out when the pain was hers. I readied a dagger when the man moved towards her again.
A command shouted from the opening of a tent nearby made the man stop, the higher-ranking soldier said a few words, making him move away. The other children used that moment to hurry to the two and pull them back to the group, sitting together as they spoke silently. I move back quietly, I need to get a message to Arthit, he would know what to do.
~~~~~~~~~~
Osm POV
"Did you forget how he saved us?"
There is murmuring around the room as the others in the room discuss what I'm asking.
"No father I didn't." I answer. "But that was once several years ago and we have paid him back 10-fold."
I understood my father wanted to repay him; we still give him our best goods at half price but this time he was going against orders from the Clan Head.
"He is an elder. Yacht brought this on himself."
Just because he was an elder didn't make him always right, and just because Yacht is younger does not mean he will always be wrong.
"We will obey Lord Kimli."
"Father, Yacht is the Clan Head." I try to reason again. "Not only that, its orders from the Capital, the King himself. If we don't help in a time of need, its treason."
"Do not use that word lightly, you don't know the dark days we have suffered because of that word."
I look to my older brother but he looks away without meeting my eyes. He has never gone against my father and I don't think he will help me now.
"This talk is over, return to your duties."
I try again but my father refuses to listen, I leave the hall heading for the pier. I had to do something, I couldn't sit back and abandon my Clan Head when he needed. My mother is already waiting for me at the pier when I arrive, she always knew my plans before I did.
"A message for you Osm."
I take the paper she hands me breaking the seal, Yacht wanted to call in his life debt. We were one third of the original number they expected but we knew what to do.
I look up when I feel a warm hand in mine, she smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. If I left without my father's permission, I knew his temper. I would never be welcome home again.
"Mother, I..."
"You will go. I know."
I hold my mother close. I look at her again, taking her hand and kissing it before I head for the ship. This was not the time to stay silent, I would do what we all should have done. Even if I went alone.
~~~~~~~~~
Western Border – Ark POV
"They are only boys."
A silent figure watched as General White inspected the men captured by his soldiers. The rear attack had been well-trained men, every one of them fighting with years of practice but the king's people were not to be taken lightly.
The ones fighting from the side of the border were more in number but they had less training. They expected our people to attack the border side which had a higher number and they could slaughter them from behind but the lieutenant had been smart to split his people.
By the time they began to lose a little ground, General White arrived with reinforcements. The fighting had been fierce, the rear attackers were dealt with swiftly, making the ones coming across the border retreat but our soldiers managed to capture some of them before they could escape.
The captain took the helmet of another and saw the young boy in tears, they really were young. What was their king thinking? Didn't he realise they were sending them to their deaths?
Arthit was right, they needed to go further and see what was happening across the border line. He would send a message to the Consort first, then cross the border quietly, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like what he would find.
~~~~~~~~
Mountain Clan- Meeting Room.
Clan Head Rem
"Clan head...Clan head." A young girl came running. "They found it; they found the opening."
Ram sighed in relief, he had his people looking since the cursed map had arrived with his brother's message and then the news that followed after kept them awake. How was it possible for their clan to have forgotten something so important?
"Have the scouts gone in?"
"Yes, Clan Head." She answers. "They are searching as you asked."
"The extra watches for the other openings?"
"Done, but we have nothing to report on them so far."
"Tell them to stay vigilant." I tell her. "We can't have any more of them on our sands."
"How could we not have this map?" An elder asks looking at it again.
"It is more likely the maps were destroyed." Grandfather told him. "They didn't want the knowledge to be passed on."
"The Maker remembered."
"They are keepers of an old secret; they tend to remember more than normal."
"It was the defectors then?"
"I checked the old records in the archives." Grandfather shows me. "Gode was one of the families that left after the rebellion failed."
"We have to find a way to control this..." One of my captains turns to me.
"The King wants it collapsed." Captain Zee interrupts walking into the room.
She was in command of the soldiers the King sent with aid and to help train the Clans people.
"It could be used by us." The Captain adds quickly.
"The King wants no opening they used so readily to be available to them." She hands me the message. "He wants their secret holes blocked and he wants them to know they are."
"We might have a small problem." My rock expert is looking at different maps and making calculations. "According to the location, the rock formation here is not easy to move."
"There has to be a way."
"Only one way. We have to use blast powder."
"Get it ready." That sounded easy enough.
"Closing the opening won't work, they can reopen it." He points to the map. "We need to close it in at least 5 locations to make sure they can't use it again. Especially this one."
"Why?"
"This area is below the water pathway that heads south. If we blow the rock here, the water will flood the caverns. They can't move rock underwater or move people through a length this long. It will make the whole place obsolete."
"Get a group ready to go down." I tell him. "We need to do it as quickly as possible."
~~~~~~~~~
Hidden Valley - Master River.
A cold wind slowly moves the figure lying in the hammock, swaying in the breeze, one hand leisurely stroking the sands while the other held a book. His eyes move away from the pages when he hears someone coming towards him, calling his name.
His shoulder-length hair, the shade of the sands falls across half of his face as he sits up to see the reason for the commotion on the quite afternoon.
"My lord...sir..." The young lad stops to catch a breath. "This...for you..."
His hand stops in mid-air when his eyes land on the seal. He takes the scroll after a moment, breaking the wax and reads, his brows knitting as he finishes.
"Sound the bell." He instructs. "Call the senior guards to me."
"My lord...that seal...why..."
"The King has sent for us."
The boy inhales sharply. He would be reaching 14 summers soon, in all that time he never saw any outsider come into the valley, the others said they were forgotten and they were happy to stay that way. The boy watched the man who had found and raised him stand, a strange look in his eye as he headed for the halls.
Lord River walked barefoot through the sand, remembering the last time he had seen him. You are still full of surprises Lieutenant Suthiluck. We had passed into legend and almost forgotten but it seemed our King was determined to bring legends to life. You want the sands to move. So be it, my King, the sand will obey your wish.
~~~~~~~~
Capital – Map Room
Arthit POV
"Casualties?"
Em doesn't look happy as he hands Kong papers, even though General White made it in time they had lost lives. He could see the anger rising in his eyes as he sees the numbers. Reinforcements had been sent to the north and even now scouts were searching for the people who managed to get inside. The regular paths were not used; they seemed to have gone into hiding.
"They found it." Tum looks relived. "Unfortunately, it can't be closed as easily as the others."
I listen as Tum explains to Kong what they plan to do, I look up when the door opens and Bright hurries inside. He hands me two sealed messages and a paper. The paper has Lock's symbol, it contains a list of names and locations. I hurry to Kong when I see the message from Night. He leans over the large map, placing a small pin in the location Night sent.
"They are keeping the children alive." Tew asks. "Using them to bargain?"
"Shields." Kong's voice is distant. "They will use them as shields."
I move closer, I don't like the look in his eyes.
"Should we attack?"
"No, the ravine will give them a good cover."
"They will kill the children before we could get to them."
"If they know about the ravine, they are using the mining routes." Pridi looks at the map. "They will pass three more villages."
"We should move the people."
"No, place extra regiments." Kong points to three locations. "Here, here and here."
"You're going to herd them?" I ask.
"It's the safest way." Kong turns to me. "Tell your friend to stay close and watch for now, the children's safety is the priority."
Someone rushes inside, they bow before handing Kong a small coin. I knew that seal.
"It seems my...grandfather wants to see me." He holds out his hand. "Come with me."
I take it. Last time I was dizzy, only managing to scratch his hand. Grandfather or not, if he tried to do anything to my King, I would not miss this time.