Chapter 37 Declan #3
I chuckled, and everyone turned. “I remember my first time up here. It took me a few minutes to stop staring, too. Now it feels almost like they’re family, those peaks—living, breathing family. I know, I know, they’re just mountains. It’s hard to explain.”
A hint of pride crept into my voice. “But that’s how most of us Rangers feel.”
Ayden nodded with a knowing twist forming at the corner of his lips.
Atikus stopped rubbing warmth into his arms long enough to rest a hand on my shoulder. “Son, I believe you’re growing into that cloak of yours after all.”
As the group snapped out of the peaks’ trance, Sil stepped away and sat cross-legged on the ground.
A short time later, two massive birds landed in front of her and cocked their heads, glancing between Sil and the rest of the group.
She reached out and gently stroked one of the birds.
It cooed and stretched out its neck to help her get a better angle.
After a moment, the birds took flight, and Sil stood and walked back to the group.
“You’re not going to like this,” she said. “All I get when I commune are images. The smarter the animal, the better the image. Blackbirds aren’t on the higher-intelligence end of the scale, so what I saw was quick and fuzzy.”
“Whatever you saw is more than what we have now. Go on,” Ayden encouraged.
“First, they showed me a glimpse of their nest. I think it overlooks the fields to the west of Huntcliff. I could see the town to the northeast and got my bearings from there. The next few flashes were in flight looking down at the ground, probably of those same fields around Huntcliff,
but it’s hard to be sure. There wasn’t any point of reference to help fix a location other than the mountain range to the right, and the view was dizzying.”
She rubbed her temples as she spoke. “Lieutenant, the birds were pretty high up, but there was no mistaking the orderly rows of tents covering the landscape. The image came and went too quickly to count, but I would estimate tens of thousands of soldiers camped there.
The birds grew bored and severed the connection before I could see anything else.”
Everyone gaped in silence, trying to absorb what Sil had seen.
For over a thousand years, the Kingdom and Melucia had lived in peace.
The two nations were never overly friendly thanks to the historical resentment that followed the Kingdom War—a war that no one living had experienced; but they were cordial and generally good neighbors.
I couldn’t fathom what could provoke the Kingdom to invade Melucia and disrupt everything we’d worked so hard to build together, but I knew we needed to find out if there was any hope of avoiding another disastrous war.
“Can we start by getting a little farther down this mountain? We can’t help anybody if we freeze to death,” Atikus grumbled while rubbing his hands together.
I led the group down the northern face of the mountain, the Kingdom side, but under cover of the thick forest that surrounded us.
The descent wasn’t nearly as arduous as the climb, but the threat of Kingdom patrols and the frigid temperatures of the higher elevation slowed our pace.
After an hour of cautious progress, we stopped to rest and refill skins with water from a stream that wound its way down the mountain.
I spoke as we sat on a pair of fallen trees near the water’s edge. “We don’t have time to go back to our side of the border for orders. We need to gather as much information as possible on the Kingdom’s forces and get it back to command. Now’s the time for ideas, no matter how crazy. Talk to me.”
For the next few minutes, the group debated our options.
Sil suggested focusing on using more animals to view things from a distance.
Ridley wanted to take out a scout or two and find a way into Huntcliff wearing their uniforms.
He reasoned that counting troops was helpful, but they wouldn’t be able to learn why the Kingdom was acting without hearing people on the streets and in the pubs, where alcohol would loosen lips.
“We need to get word back to the Captain. If those scouts really are testing our defenses, he needs to raise the alarm and alert Saltstone,” I said.
“You’re not suggesting—?”
“Besides you, I am the only one who knows these woods, the only one who could make it through their lines. I’ll go.”
“No!” I hadn’t meant to snap, but unfamiliar terror spiked into my chest.
The thought of Ayden facing however many enemy scouts, the thought of him getting shot, was too much.
“No, that’s too risky. We’ll find another way to get word back.”
I glanced toward Atikus to find him and Keelan watching our exchange, his eyes narrowed and never settling on either of us nor betraying his thoughts.
I gathered myself, then spoke in favor of finding an alternate route through the mountains a little farther south to avoid conflict as much as possible. I was concerned that any information we gathered would be wasted if we were caught by enemy scouts.
Atikus remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the discussion.
As the conversation slowed and everyone gazed at the ground, struggling to come to consensus on the best path forward, a snapping sound turned all our heads.
I bolted upright, thrusting a fist into the air.
Ayden shot to his feet and nocked an arrow.
Several snaps followed the first.
Someone was out there, and they weren’t worried about staying quiet.
I motioned for everyone to remain still while I vanished into the trees. Ayden remained and stood guard.
I returned a moment later, my own bow nocked and ready. “There’s a team of four scouts headed this way. I spotted another team about a half mile down the other side, also headed toward us. We have to move. Now.”
We scrambled as quietly as possible, but Ayden and I were the only ones trained to move quietly in the woods. A shout from behind spurred us forward, trading silence for speed.
Sil and I led the way down while Keelan and Ridley helped Atikus. The old Mage’s knees struggled in the cool mountain air and rocky terrain. Ayden took up the rear position, guarding our flank.
“Dec, we’re never going to make it. I can hear their voices now,” Keelan whispered when I raced back to help.
“He’s right, son. I can’t keep up,” Atikus said.
I didn’t hesitate. “Listen to me, both of you. We’re all getting off this mountain. Keelan, Ridley, get Sil and Ayden and meet me down the southern side of this mountain, about a hundred paces. We’ll hide Atikus and deal with the scouts.
Tell Sil to have her bow drawn and ready in case they spot you before we’re back together.”
I tucked my shoulder under Atikus’s arm and practically lifted the Mage off the ground. “This may hurt a little, but we’ll be fine. Just stay quiet, all right?”
Atikus grunted but didn’t protest.
A moment later, I stopped and pointed to a crack in the mountainside. “You’ll have to squat to get in, but it’ll keep you hidden. Don’t come out until you hear my voice.”
As Atikus bent to wedge himself into the crevice, the others trotted up.
I motioned for everyone to gather around me.
“There’s four of them, all armed with bows. We need to lead them west to a clearing where two mountains meet. Ayden, go get in position on the south side. Sil, you and I will set up on opposite sides. That’ll give us the high ground. Keelan, you and Ridley stay here with Atikus, keep him safe.
You’re our last defense if one of them bolts. We can’t let any of them escape, or we might be dealing with the whole Kingdom Army up here.”
The sounds of pursuit grew closer as we sped down the mountainside. One of the Kingdom scouts called out, “I see them. Down here!”
We barely made it to the clearing in time to hide.
All thoughts of finding the Healer had vanished.
Even my concern for Ayden was a distant hum in the back of my head.
The enemy scouts formed a diamond, the first three men looking in different directions while the trailing man scanned behind.
Sil’s arrow struck the lead man through the neck, dropping him before he could cry out.
My bolt hit the center of the chest of another.
The other two men stepped back into the trees, stunned by their fallen comrades.
I could still see their bows, arrows scanning back and forth for a target.
I nocked another arrow and slowed my breathing.
The scouts split up, one circling the clearing toward me, the other toward Sil’s position.
Ayden dropped the man headed toward Sil.
One left.
The final scout heard his fellow cry out and turned to run. It was his last mistake.
I took two paces, aimed, and dropped him with a shot between the shoulder blades.
A few tense moments later, the team stood together in front of Atikus’s cave.
Again, I rattled off orders. “Keelan, Sil, you need to lead the way north, be our forward eyes. I’ll help Atikus. Ridley, you and Ayden, watch our rear. Try not to get more than a couple hundred paces ahead. It’s too easy to lose each other in these woods,
and we obviously can’t go calling out anymore.”
Keelan and Sil nodded and headed north. As I braced Atikus again, the Mage whispered, “Declan, wait.”
The almost desperate tone in Atikus’s voice made me freeze. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”
Atikus’s voice was quiet and carried a strange tremor. “Son, I’m sorry for what I’m about to ask of you. This was supposed to be my mission, but with the scouts in the mountains, I won’t make it—and everything hangs in the balance.”
“Atikus? What are you talking about?”
“You know our border security better than most. It’s thin. The state of Melucia’s army is closely held, but even a slight challenge would pose a grave threat, and our neighbors to the east are so weak and fractured to be worthless in a fight. Without serious help,
Melucia won’t last more than a few months.”
“What are you saying—?”
“War is coming. The guild is preparing, but we’re not enough. We need help.”
I leaned against a tree for support and stared into the forest. Atikus remained silent, allowing his words to sink in. When I finally spoke again, my voice carried the steel of command.