Chapter Thirty-Eight
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“Accept our offer, or I’ll turn the ogre archers on ya,” Ike said to Johanson.
“You would be initiating another race war,” the human shouted.
“What are ya doin’, ya mind tellin’ me?”
“Protecting what the Covenant set aside. Keeping a buffer between my people and those savages.”
“The Covenant’s long-faded words, the deer hide it was scribed on nearly dust. It no longer represents our world,” Ike shouted back.
“Ya two are givin’ me a headache,” I interrupted. “Decide what ya’re gonna do, Johanson. The facts are laid out in front of ya. Ya wish the ogres to help ya make peace, or ya want to fight us both? It is rather simple as I see it.”
The human took a deep breath in frustration. The red faded from his face very little. Most of it was from the sun. “I need time to confer with the other militia leaders.”
“Ya’ll be makin’ the decision and don’t pretend otherwise,” Ike said. “Ride until ya find the valley I’ve described, and if ya charge the goblins without first tryin’ to parley with us, ya’ll have three times the arrows in yar face. Accept, and maybe we all can leave in peace. We’ll ensure they settle on the south slopes facin’ the Wildes.”
Better than the South Shore. Accept the compromise, human.
Ike turned his back to Johanson and walked to Taiz’lin, and Maertin who stayed back to keep from makin’ a complicated meetin’ more so.
I almost whispered to Johanson, “Three hundred ogres. A hundred goblin warriors at least. Ya’ve put yarself up against a nontrivial foe.”
I turned and followed Ike. It was a relief to climb leisurely onto the dragon’s back. My stomach tightened in anticipation, without need. Taiz’lin gave me and Maertin ample warnin’ he was launchin’.
We were barely in the air when Maertin asked, “Did he accept it?”
“Ya’re soundin’ like ya’re part of this,” I said.
“Tease all ya want, but it impacts my clan too. And considerin’ I’m held hostage here.”
His words sobered me. Though not truly a hostage, it was important Maertin’s people were able to hunt in our mountains, and a bad outcome tomorrow could impact that. War or peace with one clan would necessarily impact another.
Taiz’lin dropped the three of us off at the chosen meetin’ site and headed west, to pick up neighbors, who would be warriors in the hours to come. For several moments after he left, we just stood listenin’ to the din of the wilderness, jays challengin’ their right to be there, hawks high in the sky claimin’ the territory, an elk bull bellowin’ miles away, and the whisper of the breeze in the pines.
“Four-hour hike that way.” Ike pointed south. “Is the dragons’ favorite huntin’ ground. Fewer trees to get in the way. Easier to swoop down. Over a ridge or two farther, yar friends could be buildin’ permanent homes.”
“Not my friends,” Maertin groused.
“Could be.” Ike winked. “If they accept what’s offered.”
“What’s yar worst-case plan for tomorrow?” I interrupted.
“My plan? I thought ya were doin’ pretty good. Didn’t ya, Maertin?”
I felt my lips tighten over my tusks. “Since ya’re incapable of engagin’ yar brain, someone had to have an idea.”
Ike’s smile broadened. “See. That’s the reason those goblins aren’t yar friend. Ya allow yarself to talk so disrespectfully. I pretty much had ’em in the palm of my hand, until ya arrived.”
“Focus. Both of ya!”
Ike did an irritatin’ job at pretend-soberin’. Maertin crossed his arms.
“Johanson is just as likely to be stupid,” I continued, “as he is to stand with us.”
“I didn’t know ya knew the human so well.”
I glared at Ike. The bull shrugged his shoulder in a lame apology.
Maertin said, “Hope ya just don’t expect to line yar ogres up on each crest of this valley and expect humans and goblins to funnel in as ya’d like ’em to.”
Ike’s expression earnestly sobered. “How ya mean?”
Maertin grinned. “Ya’re a military genius, aren’t ya, ogre.”
“Ya have a plan?” I snapped. “Let’s hear it.”
“Calm yar—” Ike began.
“Stop yar joke makin’ and get serious,” I groused. “Five hundred lives, in a very few hours, depend upon how ya plan for these three forces to meet. Those goblins aren’t gonna stroll as pleasant as ya please down the middle of that dell.” I motioned Bacchus at the narrow, nearly treeless plain, home of countless beavers over the centuries and who knows what else.
“Ya got goblins that can run as fast as a horse, who are expectin’ an onslaught, and been livin’ a wearisome existence for two months in a forest new to them. If it wasn’t for dragons, no one would have ever found ’em.
“Ya got humans, who know exactly where we will be, on horses that can outflank us slow movin’ ogres in minutes. We may have a numerical advantage, but without organization, we could be sendin’ arrows into our own folk, or instigatin’ a battle that needn’t be.”
Ike studied his toes and fingered the ornate etchin’ of his bow.
“Been a long time any of us had to worry about a war plan,” Maertin mumbled.
“Doesn’t mean the goblins or humans will be incompetent,” I countered. “Ya better start thinkin’ about what the two are likely to do.” I jammed Bacchus at them for emphasis. “If there’s blood spilt down there tomorrow, it will be on our hands.”
Maertin’s face twisted in argument, but I jerked a stare at him. Wasn’t gonna let him claim it wasn’t his battle. It’s maybe more important to him than me and anyone from the Hamlet. Ike turned and walked away, for the shade of the trees. I picked up a fallen limb and snapped off the ends. Knelt down and used the three-foot stick to level an area clear of pine needles, and drew an outline of the valley, studied the nearby ridges, and included them on my rough map.
Maertin and Ike joined me, and we were quickly into scenarios, good and bad. I couldn’t help but think how odd it was Lucas wasn’t at Ike’s side, that a goblin who should have had nothin’ to do with the nasty business at hand, was. That a hermit-warlock, who had maybe two conversations a year with any soul before three weeks ago, helped create a war strategy. Yes, we tried to head off a war, but if brighter minds didn’t prevail, we would experience the first bloodshed between the races since the Covenant.
Within twenty minutes, Lucas was at his friend’s side—had to ask about my new white hair—along with another dozen advisors from the ogre clan. A dragon landed every few minutes and ogres wearin’ sober expressions gathered along the tree line waitin’ for instructions.
Maertin and I stepped back from Ike’s tight circle of counsel. I took in those around us, the dogged determination set on the bulls’ faces. Ogre kind are a tough lot. Surprisin’ly patient for a folk relatively easily prompted to anger.
Elves were respected for bringin’ the race wars to an end with extracted negotiation. It’s fittin’ ogres worked together to keep another war from formin’, through brute force and coercion—not negotiation. With time on my hands, that twist swirled in my thoughts for a good thirty minutes.
Tir landed with a load of ogres, arms laden with axes, which were quickly dispersed, and ogres bent to the effort of fellin’ the trees required to build the dozens of six-ogre fortresses set forth in their plan. I shivered in discomfort at their force bein’ divided into dozens of contingents across the two ridges, down the far sides of each.
Maertin chuckled, and I looked at him, unbelievin’ anythin’ about the situation could be amusin’.
“It’s rather ingenious,” he said. “They protect themselves behind an elevated blind, yet still have the option to move, to reinforce where needed. The position of the staggered fortifications allows a deadly cross-barrage in three directions—if it comes to that. The important thin’, the fortifications will be an intimidatin’ thin’ to look upon, by either force.”
Lucas walked up to us and extended his hand to Maertin.
“Ya might need this,” the human said to me after they greeted, pullin’ a bow and full quiver off one shoulder and holdin’ them out to me. The bow was a massive thin’, similar to the one Ike carried, seven feet tall, with the same intricate etchin’. Much beefier than a similarly artistic bow Lucas carried.
“I’ve been askin’ Ike for one of these for two years,” Maertin said. He reached out and took the bow before I could. The goblin’s eyes looked dreamy. A hand caressed the ash as one might a lover. He jerked his eyes toward me. “How does a stinkin’ warlock rate such a gift?”
“Will look more imposin’ than a staff durin’ our parley, doncha think?” Lucas asked.
“I believe I’d look better with it,” Maertin said.
I was amused by the expressions of both bulls—man and bull. I actually didn’t particularly care for such an exquisite huntin’ tool. The bow was overly much for the occasional deer I bring down. It was a symbol more than anythin’ else, an extension of one’s ego. But I knew I couldn’t turn it down. I fantasized an excuse to bestow it upon the goblin, for he obviously coveted it.
The sun set, the moon risin’ above the tree-pitched horizon. Three dragons landed in the middle of the valley and ogres dispersed quickly, and the dragons launched again. I sensed unease. It was from Tir, for havin’ to land in the dark, not in the open expanse below, but north, where stakes sat snuggled between the trees.
“Take care my friend,” I called to him.
The dragon bellowed without slowin’ down.
“Come,” Lucas said. “Ike wants the four of us to chat.”
We followed the human. Maertin strapped the bow over his shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t ask for its return. Within steps, silver-edged dark embraced us. Fires were bein’ lit, far apart across the valley, to help the dragons land. The attack of axes continued despite the dark.
Six ogres clustered around Ike, waitin’ to ask questions. The ogre clan leader and human Hamlet mayor leaned over the original diagram, now dotted with dozens of polished river stones. A smokin’ torch was held high over the battle plan.
Two humans approached. Lucas introduced his brother, Roger, and Dr. Adam. I eagerly asked him about the plague. The man’s face turned to a different shade of worry, clear despite the gatherin’ dark.
“One in five of the children are ill,” he said. “But Delia can help them more than I can. I felt I could serve better here, if you aren’t successful staving off a battle. I can mend physical wounds better than I can ward off what you call ghouls.”
“Is she angry with me?”
Dr. Adam looked at me oddly for a moment, before his face shifted into a pale smile. “That woman remains angry at the world, I think. She’d make an excellent warrior, if she chose to put aside healing and witchery and take up the bow.”
We chatted, as ogres replaced those Ike finished plannin’ with. Our “chat” wasn’t likely to commence soon, clearly. Roger reported to the contingent he was assigned, and Adam, me, Lucas, and Maertin eventually collected wood for a fire and settled near Ike.
I leaned back against the pine needles, tryin’ to keep my mind from what kept invadin’ it. Looked across at Ike from time to time. The poor ogre hadn’t slowed down in six hours. His voice rasped. He stood often to stretch his back.
I closed my eyes. The first image that formed was Faeylin, liftin’ his bow, and the blood that exploded from his head the next moment.
~
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