“Tayo,” greeted HawkShadow.
“Tayo, HawkShadow,” StarWind replied. “Glad to see you still alive.”
“It will take more than this bunch to finish me,” he smiled.
“I trust you left some for us?” hoped StormSong.
“Indeed I have,” answered HawkShadow. “There are fifteen left. I took out the guards the first night and they haven’t slept well since. Picked off two more from the end of their caravan, one each day. They are pretty jumpy right now, but mostly I have been trying to slow them down and lead them astray.”
“What of the youngsters and MistyTrail?” StarWind inquired.
“She is keeping an eye on them,” stated HawkShadow.
“Why weren’t they killed?” asked StormSong. “Surely you and MistyTrail could have finished them while you were waiting for us?”
“MistyTrail wanted to find out why they are here,” frowned the Sakovan assassin. “She is quite capable of handling them on her own, StormSong, as you well know.”
“Let’s not start in on this again, please,” StarWind pleaded. “HawkShadow, I plan to take the three youngsters back to the stronghold. I know you well enough to know that you probably agree with StormSong’s feelings on this, but RavenWing wants to see them and I have agreed to deliver them.”
“I should have killed them the first night,” concluded HawkShadow. “You know my feelings well, StarWind. I think it is a mistake, but I will also give RavenWing what he wants. Come sit and let’s plan our attack on the assassins. I have some ideas for their demise.”
Goral took care of the chokas while SkyDancer readied food for the party. HawkShadow already had a fire going and he gathered the rest of the Sakovans around it. While Goral and SkyDancer were occupied with their duties, the assassin spoke loud enough for all to hear.
“They are camped about a league east of here,” HawkShadow declared. “I have made them very nervous and they string out their line too long to finish them all off at once. What we need is a way to bunch them together so they lose their mobility. I have a plan to accomplish that, but seeing as you brought Goral, I will let him be the bait. He will actually be better at it than myself.”
Goral shot a glance at HawkShadow, but said nothing. He finished tending to the chokas and joined the party just as SkyDancer served the food.
“What I want to do is spook them,” HawkShadow continued. “As I said, they are nervous already. Unlike the youngsters, these men know about the Sakova and they do not like being here, but they are committed to their task so they continue onward. They did not like seeing the other group dead and then losing five of their own, so they have developed a rather decent defensive plan. They have multiple rings of protection at night with each outer guard within sight of at least two others at all times. Attacking their campsite again would be costly for us. On the trail, they string out in double file. They are able to watch both flanks at all times and they have taken to keeping an eye on their rear.”
“It sounds like you made them so nervous that we will now have a hard time of getting to them,” concluded StormSong.
“That is true,” admitted HawkShadow, “but it was necessary to buy time for the youngsters to stay ahead of them and for you to arrive. If they caught up with the youngsters, they would immediately leave the Sakova and we do not want that to happen.”
StormSong shot him a grim smile and HawkShadow ignored it. He knew StormSong well and she was an excellent fighter. He welcomed her talents and was willing to put up with her acidic humor, especially since he had agreed with everything she had said so far.
“So the plan is to bunch them up and make them forget their rear guard and leave both flanks open,” smiled HawkShadow.
“Nice plan if you were toying with an untrained group,” commented StarWind, “but you are not. From what you have said, they will not drop their guard easily.”
“True, true,” HawkShadow grinned. “In a sense we are. I have listened to their campfire chats and while they know about some of the dangers within the Sakova, they really know very little about us and that will break their training. What do you think they would do if they thought there were dozens of Sakovans up ahead of them? Or possible behind them? Or surrounding them? And what if they thought that all Sakovans looked like our friend Goral here?”
“I think they would dirty the forest floor,” laughed SkyDancer.
Goral feigned embarrassment and StarWind chuckled.
“They would all bunch up and stop moving,” grinned HawkShadow.
“Okay,” nodded StarWind, “but how are you going to get them to believe that and what do we do when we have them bunched up?”
“What we do best,” smiled HawkShadow. “Goral will let himself be seen tomorrow, several times. I have already selected the spots where he will be seen from each flank. Goral on a choka will become the talk of their whole group. Soon they will be scanning the flanks looking for him. We will play this routine all day with Goral changing clothes each time. They will believe that they are being watched and warned not to enter further into the Sakova. They will be nervous, but they will not expect an attack from one Sakovan, and that is all they will see at any given time.”
“Suppose they decide to attack me?” asked Goral. “Do I stand and fight or lead them on a chase?”
“You will be far enough away each time and you will be on a hill above them,” answered HawkShadow. “They would take too long to reach you. You will just disappear. I thought of that and if they try, it is okay. It may add to their tensions to be unable to find you.”
Goral nodded and HawkShadow continued. “Around sunset, they will be approaching a place where the trail rises upward slightly. Goral and his choka will be directly on the trail above and in front of them with the setting sun illuminating him. This is the area where the last fargi trees stand. Are you all familiar with it?”
Everyone nodded and HawkShadow went on. “Goral, when they see you, you will move your arms as if directing troops on each side of you. They are to suspect that just over the hill in front of them, the Sakovans has massed to block their way. If they react as I expect them to, they will crowd around the leader at the front of the line. There may be some glances to their flanks to see if there are more Sakovans visible, but the spectacle of Goral in front of them and the inevitable confrontation, will attract their attention. The rest of us will be in the fargi grove unseen by the assassins. This is where you come in, StarWind.”
“What will you need?” StarWind asked.
“Fog,” HawkShadow grinned. “A rolling fog coming down off the hill. They will understand that it is magical, but that is okay. We need to make sure that they are afraid enough not to attack Goral at this point.”
“Won’t they make a break for it?” asked SkyDancer. “Suppose they spread in all directions?”
“That is possible,” admitted HawkShadow, “but it will not matter at this point because we will have them surrounded. That is the purpose of getting them bunched up. If they are all in one clump, we charge into their ranks with Sakovan Stars and cut them down. The outer ring will fall first and those caught inside the ring will not be able to move. It will be over quickly. If they panic and disperse, we will cut them down as they try to leave. The only way out for them is a concerted attack in one direction and I believe they will be spooked enough that they will not be able to pull that off.”
“Do you have a contingency plan in case they do?” asked StarWind.
“Of course,” HawkShadow replied. “If they all go towards one of us, that person fades away and lets them leave. We then charge after them and pick off the rearmost ones. That will be very messy though and riskier for us.”
“How fast are they moving during the day?” StarWind asked.
“They believe the youngsters are on foot now,” HawkShadow elaborated. “I created the impression so that I could leave my trail for them to follow. Consequently, they are moving at a fast walk. Why?”
“I have an addition to your plan,” StarWind smiled. “While Goral is toying with them, SkyDancer, StormSong and I will create some traps in the ambush area. We can rig some slanted spikes that will not be seen until they are erected. If we wait until the fog starts rolling to erect them, they will not be seen at all. This will eliminate the chance that they will go anywhere. They will have to stand and fight and, as your plan is solid, they will die.”
HawkShadow grinned and nodded his head in satisfaction. “I like it,” he stated. “Let’s get some sleep and an early start. I will take first watch and let you travelers get some rest.”
HawkShadow was not one for sentry duty and he spent his watch stealthily moving through the forest in an erratic pattern around the campsite. He saw SkyDancer awaken hours later and look for him. Knowing he was out in the forest somewhere, she chose to stand in the center of the camp and let him come to her. HawkShadow made one last circuit and headed into the camp.
“You ready for sentry duty?” he whispered. “I want to take a run down to the assassins’ camp and have a look.”
SkyDancer nodded silently and HawkShadow returned to the woods. He left the chokas behind and ran the league on foot, slowing to a stealthy walk as he approached their outer perimeter. He smiled when he saw that the assassins had decided on a cold camp again this night. That meant they were still rankled about the loss of their men.
HawkShadow was silent in the dark forest as he circled around at a distance, noting the position of each of the outer guards and the inner watchers. He wanted to do something to shake up the camp a little. It would help the plan if they started the day freshly nervous.
Just short of a complete circuit, HawkShadow stopped and grinned. Two of the inner watchers were talking to each other. Fools. That meant that no one was watching one of the guards and they wouldn’t hear anything either. The Sakovan assassin backtracked to a small gully and dropped into it. Slowly he slithered forward until he knew that if he went any farther he would be exposed to the guard. He listened intently for sounds from the campsite and could hear none. Frowning, he rose to the lip of the gully and peered out. The guard was still in place and the two watchers were still talking, but so quietly that HawkShadow could not hear them.
With practiced ease, HawkShadow snared a throwing knife from his belt and balanced it in his hand. He needed the guard facing him for this to work quietly and he reached for a small twig with his other hand. The twig was dry and large enough to make noise, but also small so the sound would be faint. His arm poised to throw, HawkShadow snapped the twig between his fingers and threw the knife a split second later. As he had expected, the guard turned towards the sound, and received the knife in the center of his throat. HawkShadow watched as the man opened his mouth and reached for his throat with both hands. The guard’s knees buckled slowly and the man sank gently to the ground, still trying to sound an alert that would never come out of his mouth.
HawkShadow glanced into the camp and saw the two watchers still talking. He dropped back into the gully and reversed course. Once he was outside the extent of the other guards’ vision, HawkShadow rose and ran back to his own campsite. He smiled at SkyDancer and mouthed the number fourteen as he slid onto his blanket and fell asleep.
StormSong woke everyone up just before dawn and the Sakovans had a small meal before cleaning up the campsite. There was no banter or small talk as one might expect. The Sakovans prepared quietly for the tasks they had been assigned. Goral was the first to leave the camp with HawkShadow catching up to him quickly. StarWind, StormSong and SkyDancer would take a circuitous route to avoid any possibility of running into the assassins while HawkShadow and Goral would be riding parallel to the enemy, but always out of sight until it was time for Goral to show himself.
HawkShadow left Goral briefly to spy on the assassin camp and see how nervous they were. HawkShadow knew the wilderness of the Sakova better than anyone did because he was always patrolling it between assignments. He rarely spent time in the stronghold, feeling the confinement of the enclosed valley too stifling. It was not difficult for him to spy on the enemy without being seen and HawkShadow was pleased that he had made the detour this morning. The campsite was in chaos with the leader yelling and threatening the men responsible for keeping watch on the guard who had died. The other assassins appeared to be breaking camp calmly, but HawkShadow saw many of them casting glances into the surrounding trees. They were concerned for their lives and that is what he wanted. Swiftly, he left his concealed spot and caught up to Goral.
“I heard you stirred up the nest last night,” Goral said when HawkShadow had caught up to him. “Are they buzzing around angrily?”
“Well,” HawkShadow chuckled, “they do seem to be looking outward for any sign of a bear in search of honey.”
“A job well done then,” Goral commented mirthlessly as they approached a small ridge. “This is the first spot I believe. Where will you be?”
“I will be across their track on the other side,” HawkShadow stated. “If they do decide to test you, I want a chance to reduce their numbers from the rear. I also want to observe their reaction and not from the same place you are. I will rejoin you after they pass.”
Goral did not answer and HawkShadow rode over the ridge and down the other side. He carefully led his choka over the tracks he had made yesterday, making certain not to disturb them. One nice thing about using the choka, he thought, was that the tracks were unfamiliar to the Omungans and they would not realize what they were. He found the spot he planned to hide in and waited for the enemy to approach.
Although the assassins were very quiet, especially for Omungans, HawkShadow heard them before he saw them. It is hard to keep so many men and horses absolutely quiet. HawkShadow watched them appear through the trees, still riding in the same formation as the day before. He glanced across their path and saw Goral appear, sitting proudly on his choka. The first few sets of men did not see Goral, their focus on the forest ahead of them, but soon HawkShadow heard a shout of alarm and the column faltered.
HawkShadow smiled as the second half of the column bunched together as men in the middle stopped and those behind them get riding while looking off to their right at Goral. Eventually the front of the column stopped, alerted by the shouts from the rear. Goral looked imposing upon the ridge, the combined height of the giant and the choka looking monstrously huge. Goral had even improvised and was holding the wicked looking maul that he favored in his right hand, a maul which most men would have trouble lifting with two hands. As arranged, Goral gave the assassins a moment to gape at him and then he disappeared over the ridgeline confidently, without looking back.
HawkShadow watched the enemy column as conversations broke out among the men. Nobody was inclined to ride up the ridge after Goral and the leader ended up shouting to get the men back into a column. These men, while well-trained assassins, were not used to working with others and it showed. Many resented the leader’s attempts at order and HawkShadow detected more than one of them snarling in the leader’s direction, when the leader wasn’t looking of course.
The column was soon moving again and HawkShadow waited until the last men were well out of sight before riding on to join Goral. HawkShadow watched with amusement as Goral threw on a black robe and donned a black knit cap. HawkShadow thought he looked like a giant version of Death ready to harvest someone.
“Tell me why you have a black robe with you, Goral,” HawkShadow chuckled.
“StarWind often requires me to disguise myself when I accompany her into Omunga,” Goral explained. “I brought my disguises in case our chase ended up in the enemy’s territory. It does not take up much room.”
HawkShadow shook his head and smiled, trying to imagine disguising Goral as anybody but the giant himself. HawkShadow was sure that Goral was the largest human to ever walk the surface of the world.
An hour later, they arrived at the second spot and HawkShadow left Goral to take up position across the track. Goral improvised again and was holding a large two-handed sword in his left hand. Even the front of the column saw Goral and the leader tried to maintain calm this time, but the assassins were clearly unnerved. Arguments ensued at the back of the column after Goral left and HawkShadow feared that some of the enemy might desert. That was something he had not planned for and he started thinking about it as the column finally moved off again.
HawkShadow wondered what the leader of the assassins was thinking while he rode back to join Goral. Would the leader anticipate defections? How would he handle them? Would HawkShadow have to track the individual deserters? Would he have time to?
HawkShadow got some of the answers to his questions after Goral’s third showing. One of the assassins at the rear spoke too loudly about leaving the group. The leader rode to the rear and swiftly decapitated the man, leaving his body where it fell. HawkShadow noticed that the other assassins cowered upon eye contact with the leader, and he guessed that he had just seen the last of the desertions.
Goral made six appearances in all and the enemy was clearly frazzled. The column was tighter than before and nobody watched the left flank at all. With any sound from the forest, all of them glanced right, looking for one of the Gorals. HawkShadow was pleased. The three Sakovan women greeted HawkShadow and Goral as they arrived at the ambush area.
“They are down to thirteen,” HawkShadow announced as StarWind led them on a tour of the trap areas. “They are as spooked as they are going to get. Expect them to flee rather than fight except for the leader and maybe the three close to him. Those four may go for Goral. The other will try to scatter.”
“They won’t get far,” StarWind assured him. “Six Sakovan Stars each, ready for rapid delivery should handle it.”
“Well we should get ready then,” HawkShadow stated. “Goral are you comfortable with this plan?”
Goral merely nodded and headed for his position and the rest of the Sakovans disappeared into the forest in every direction. Within an hour the assassins appeared through the trees. HawkShadow noticed that the majority of them still glanced to their right frequently as they rode. As soon as the end of the column was visible, Goral appeared on the hill in front of them. Goral looked to the left and signaled some unseen forces and the looked right and signaled. The leader came to an abrupt halt, but those behind him were still glancing right and had not seen the new Goral in front of them. As HawkShadow had predicted, the column proceeded to look like a drip of milk ending in a puddle as the rear end continued moving forward until they could move no farther.
The assassin leader started shouting orders and the Sakovans charged inward on their chokas, Sakovan Stars in hand. The first Stars were already in the air when one of the assassins shouted an alarm. The leader quickly understood what was happening and, calling for his men to follow, charged towards Goral, the only Sakovan who had not moved towards the assassins. Only two men followed their leader, the rest were trying to control their now frenzied horses. The leader's eyes burned with hatred as he charged Goral, but the giant sat calmly on his choka. When the leader got close enough, Goral tossed a Sakovan Star, which implanted itself in the man’s forehead. Goral swiftly tossed Stars at the other two riders and three empty frightened horses ran past him.
In a matter of seconds, it was all over. The traps had not been used and the assassins had never been able to respond to the threat before they died. The Sakovans dismounted and checked the bodies for anything useful.
“I have a note here,” called SkyDancer, “and it doesn’t look good. There are more of these guys. It appears that there are five groups looking for the youngsters, but the note doesn’t give any numbers as to how large the groups are. Two of them were assigned to follow the youngsters whichever way they went, including the Sakova. Two more are assigned to start in Alamar and work inland from that end. It does not say what the fifth group is supposed to do. I assume that the fifth group is probably under the leadership of the writer, a man who signs his name as Klaarg.”
“If it was two groups who came into the Sakova from the west, then I would estimate about twenty men per group,” stated HawkShadow. “That means that there will be another forty assassins infiltrating from Alamar and twenty that we don’t know the mission for. Who are these youngsters and why are they so important? I am beginning to get a little curious myself.”
“Somebody wants them an awful lot to send a hundred professional assassins after them,” mused StarWind. “I should have had some inkling of something this big from one of my sources. The Omungans have not sent a hundred men into the Sakova at one time in centuries. I think it is very important that we find these youngsters and get them to tell us what is going on.”
“We will have to ride on then,” HawkShadow declared. “MistyTrail should be several hours ahead of us. We should send that note back to the stronghold as well.”
The group mounted and headed east. HawkShadow looked for the signs left by MistyTrail and collected them as he went. The signs were small and unrecognizable by anyone but a Sakovan, but they were personalized and HawkShadow could not only tell whose marker it was, but when it was left. A scout could even leave a message on one if necessary. To the casual observer, the marker looked like moss, but Sakovans knew their forest mosses well and the markers stuck out easily.
“This marker is fresh,” HawkShadow announced. “We should meet up with her soon.”
“Fresh?” asked StarWind. “Why would the youngsters be moving at night?”
“I don’t know,” admitted HawkShadow. “I was wondering the same thing. They should be bedded down long ago.”
Further questions on the matter were unnecessary as the group found MistyTrail moments later.
“Why are you tracking at night?” HawkShadow asked immediately.
“Tayo to you too,” sighed MistyTrail. “I fear that I spooked them. They took off at a gallop yesterday afternoon. I was not able to keep up on foot. I figured that they would slow down eventually, but it appears that they are determined to run their horses into the grave. I am sorry, HawkShadow. I know that I have failed you.”
HawkShadow looked at MistyTrail and shook his head. He knew her well enough to know that she had not slept since the youngsters took off. She must have tracked right through last night and into this one. “We make camp here for the night,” he announced. “Let’s get some food in you MistyTrail and you can tell us what happened.”
MistyTrail told the entire story to the other Sakovans over dinner. She was miserable with herself. She had delayed killing the youngsters with assurances to HawkShadow that she would not let them escape and he had trusted her. She not only failed to keep them in the Sakova, she spooked them into running.
“You intuition may have saved me from making a terrible mistake,” soothed HawkShadow. “RavenWing wants them alive. He wants us to bring them back to the stronghold. Were it not for you, I would have already killed them. Get some sleep now. I did promise you until the fourth morning and that has not come yet,” he smiled.
MistyTrail hugged him and fell asleep in his arms. HawkShadow carried her to a blanket, wondering whether there was time enough to catch them tomorrow before the youngsters left the Sakova.