Council of War (56 page)

"Where does this road lead?" General Forshire asked the captain in charge of the column.

"I don't know," replied the junior officer. "It can't go far. Blood Highway hasn't turned away from the Barrier yet. There is nowhere for it to go."

Clint nodded in thought for a moment. Something in the back of his mind kept causing him to turn and stare at the mysterious road. He soon called for a halt. The captain ordered the column to stop and then looked quizzically at the general.

"We have a good two hours yet before it gets dark."

"I weary of this journey," replied General Forshire. "Have the men make camp off in the trees. I don't want to be camped near the road."

The captain shrugged and called out the appropriate orders. While the men set up the camp, Clint roused Peanut and instructed him to examine the mysterious road. The fairy returned less than hour later, and Clint stepped into the woods to get away from his men.

"There is a camp of Federation soldiers there," reported the fairy. "It appears to be a permanent encampment."

"Permanent?" questioned the Ranger.

"They have built cabins and spread gravel over the ground to halt the growth of the forest," explained the fairy. "Even part of the road leaving the camp is graveled."

Clint frowned in concentration as he tried to find a reason for such a hidden garrison. Positioning troops three days away from Ramaldi Pass could be useful to halt an unexpected invasion from west of the Barrier, but the countries west of the Barrier now belonged to the Federation.

"How many soldiers are there?" asked Clint.

"At least a hundred," answered Peanut.

"A hundred?" frowned Clint. "That is not enough men to halt any invasion. I was thinking in terms of thousands."

"There were also two black-cloaks," stated Peanut. "Maybe they don't need so many men with magicians around."

Clint became increasingly curious. While Federation soldiers were sometimes used to escort the clerics of Balmak, the magicians were not usually assigned to an army unit as far as he knew. He instructed Peanut to remain free as he turned and walked back to the camp. He enjoyed a meal with the soldiers and then went to sleep. Several hours later, Clint awoke. He gazed around the camp for several minutes to see if anyone was awake. Other than the sentries, everyone was sleeping. He silently rose and slipped into the trees. The Ranger made his way away from the camp and across Blood Highway. Peanut glided down out of the dark sky and landed on his shoulder.

"Are we on a mission?" chirped the fairy.

"I want to see this camp for myself," replied Clint.

The fairy nodded, and Clint continued through the trees towards the base of the Barrier. Eventually the camp came into a view, and Clint crouched in the dark forest and peered out. The camp was mostly asleep, but two guards stood watch at the end of the mysterious road. Two black-cloaks also stood against the vertical face of the mountain. What struck Clint as odd was the fact that the magicians did not stand next to one another. They stood apart as if guarding a gate or a doorway, but there was nothing between them except a shear wall of rock. Clint's brow furrowed with confusion.

For over an hour, Clint remained hidden in the trees as he watched the encampment. No one moved during that time, but the whole purpose of the camp baffled the Ranger. A hundred soldiers were not enough to deter an army, and the black-cloaks had made no move towards going to sleep. He was just about to turn and leave when two more black-cloaks entered the camp. What almost caused Clint to gasp was the fact that the magicians walked straight out of the mountain. He stared in disbelief while the two pairs of magicians traded places. For a brief moment the rock wall disappeared to reveal a dark tunnel. The two black-cloaks, who were just relieved of duty, turned and walked through the shear wall of rock as if it didn't exist.

"It is an illusion," remarked the fairy. "They are hiding a tunnel."

"But a tunnel to where?" nodded Clint. "A hundred men now makes sense. Such a small force could hold off a much larger force for a long time, probably long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

Clint turned and stole away from the encampment. Peanut took off as the Ranger returned to his own camp. When he arrived back at his camp, everyone was awake. Clint knew that his absence had been discovered, so he decided to make the best of it. He strode angrily into the camp.

"I see that you have discovered the laxity of your security," General Forshire scowled at the caption. "I believe it is time that you and I had a discussion about this squad's performance, Captain Magee. You and I will take the last shift of sentry duty."

"Sir?" frowned the captain. "We feared that harm had come to you. You should not have to take a turn at sentry. I will double the guard."

"No, Captain," stated the general. "You will follow my instructions. See that I am wakened for the final shift."

Captain Magee woke Clint, and General Forshire rose to his feet. Together the officers walked to the perimeter and relieved the sentries. The relieved soldiers were meant to catch some sleep, but the general noticed that they were hanging around, hoping to hear what the general was going to say.

"Your men will need sleep," General Forshire said softly.

Captain Magee turned and saw his men lurking about. He glared at them and waved them away.

"I will take the other side of the camp," the captain volunteered to Clint after the sentries bedded down for the rest of the night.

"That is how it should be," replied the general, "but this night will be an exception. We need to talk. Sit."

The captain nodded and dutifully sat on the log next to General Forshire.

"What are your orders?" asked Clint.

"We have been assigned as your personal guard," answered the captain.

"And after we reach Despair?" asked the general.

"Our assignment is not just for the journey," answered the captain. "While I suppose our orders could be changed in the future, I was given to understand that we are permanently assigned to you. I hope this does not displease you. I now understand that I have been lax with the men, but I thought you approved because you said nothing earlier. I apologize. I will hold them to tighter standards in the future."

"I know that you are from Candanar," Clint commented. "Where do your loyalties lie?"

The captain frowned at the question. For a superior officer to suggest that you were not loyal to the Federation was usually a prelude to a harsh punishment.

"I serve the Federation," the captain answered convincingly.

"So you feel no allegiance to Candanar?" pressed Clint.

"Candanar is the country of my birth," answered the captain. "I am pleased that it is now part of the Federation."

"Candanar is like a weak sister to the four original countries of the Federation," retorted General Forshire. "It is viewed in Despair as little better than the countries to the west of the Barrier. Doesn't that bother you a bit?"

The captain was shocked by the general's words, but he was more nervous about what his response should be. He hesitated.

"Let's get something straight right now, Captain Magee," General Forshire said sternly. "I value two things in the men who serve under me. I value loyalty and honesty. Answer the question."

"I do wish that Candanar was thought more highly of," admitted the captain, "but I do not mean that as a sign of disrespect."

"Don't you?" countered the general. "Do you not think that Candanar has been abused by the Federation?"

Captain Magee started sweating. His eyes glanced around to see if anyone was listening. He remembered making just that comment the day before, but he did not think the general had been in a position to overhear him. He started tapping his foot nervously. The general stared at him waiting for an answer.

"I have said those words," the captain finally admitted, "but I beg you to be lenient with me. I wasn't thinking when I spoke."

"That will change starting right now," the general said sternly. "Let me clarify my earlier statement. When I said that I value honesty, I meant that I want you to be totally honest with me. When I said I value loyalty, I meant loyalty to me, and only me. I do not care about your feelings for Candanar or the Federation, but I will not have men under my command who are not loyal directly to me. I expect every one of my men to watch out for my best interests. In return I will watch out for theirs. Do you understand?"

The captain blinked in confusion. The words that he was hearing were not what he had expected to hear.

"In truth," the captain said hesitantly, "I am not sure that I do understand. You are a general in the Federation army. How can I be loyal to you and not the Federation?"

"You let me worry about our loyalty to the Federation," stated General Forshire. "That is not something you or your men should worry about. As your general, I am your focus, your reason for living, and the object of your loyalty. Were it otherwise, you might question my orders, and I will not stand for that from men in my command. There is a reason that I demand such loyalty. While I should not have to explain it to a mere captain, I will do so. Being a general in the Federation is very challenging. There will be other officers superior in rank to you, and these officers might seek to benefit from my demise. They might even be unscrupulous enough to convince my men to do something foolish in the name of loyalty to the Federation in order to gain advantage over me. Is it starting to become a little bit clearer?"

Captain Magee sighed with relief, and he nodded vigorously. "I understand," he stated. "You will have no fears in that regard. I would never betray my general."

"We shall see," General Forshire replied skeptically. "I will let you in on a little secret, Captain. I was given the honor of becoming a general in the Federation army because of my performance as the Commanding General of Tyronia, but there are some in high places that expect me to merely fade into obscurity when we reach Despair. I have other plans."

"I am sure no one expects you to fade," the captain replied in a show of false confidence.

"Honesty," scowled the general. "Already you are forgetting my two requirements."

"I am sorry," the captain said quickly. "I just meant to show my confidence in you. Surely they did not make you a general just to have you fade away."

"No," asked the general. "Then why did they assign me a group of castoff misfits for my personal guard?"

"Misfits?" balked the captain. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"Everyone in this detail has been passed from one command to another," stated the general, "including you. I have watched each of you closely since leaving Ur, and I understand why these men have been assigned to me. We are meant to be the laughingstock of Despair when we arrive. Is that what you want for your future, Captain?"

"No, sir," replied the captain. "I may have had a few problems with the colonel I served under, but I can assure you that I am no misfit. I will not embarrass you. I promise. Give me a chance, and I will make you proud."

General Forshire did not respond right away. He sat silently for a long time and let the captain dwell on his situation. He knew from the fairy's spying that none of the men in the detail had any love for the Federation. They had all joined the army for the food coupons that were issued to their families. General Marashef had assigned them because they were misfits, but misfits are exactly what Clint required right now. He smiled inwardly as he let the captain sweat. Finally, he turned and stared into the eyes of the captain.

"I can do wonders for your career," the general said softly, "and the careers of each of the men in this detail if I so desire, but I demand honesty and loyalty from each and every one of you. As captain, it will be up to you to see that the men fall into line. Do you think you can handle that task?"

"I certainly will try," vowed the captain.

"Promises are cheap," scoffed the general. "Officers under my command must have the self-confidence to know that they can succeed."

"I will succeed," declared the captain. "By the time we reach Despair, I promise you that you will be proud of each and every one of these men."

"We shall see, Captain Magee. I want to march into Despair with one of the best units in the city. That is not going to be an easy task to accomplish, but I will help you with it. I want nightly training so that all of the men are proficient warriors. I want proper sentries each night, and I demand silence on the trail. In addition, I want complete honesty from each of you. I will test each of the men during the trip, so I suggest you find time tomorrow to speak to each of them privately. If I catch any man lying to me, everyone will pay for it. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, General," the captain replied without hesitation.

"And I demand loyalty from each and every one of them. I can handle unorthodox feelings, and the men must know that I will look out for each of them, but they must be loyal only to me. Anyone who cannot abide by those terms will be allowed to leave the group without repercussions."

"I will whip them into shape," vowed the captain.

"I think you just might, Captain," the general smiled thinly. "As the testing of your men will not begin until morning, I think I will go for a walk now. Perhaps you can use this time to start talking individually to the men."

"And abandon the watch?" frowned the captain.

"Just for this night," nodded the general.

Clint rose and walked into the trees. He did not bother to turn to watch the captain wake the first of the men for his talk. Instead he roused Peanut from his pocket.

"Spy on the camp," he softly instructed the fairy. "I want to know how each man reacts to the captain's talk."

* * *

Shawn Cowen cupped some water from the mountain stream and brought it to his nose. He crinkled his nose and let the water fall from his hands. With a last look at the riverbed, he mounted his unicorn and took to the sky. A few moments later he landed near the peak of one of the mountains of Barrier.