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[size=150]Chapter 42: Results[/size]
___With his long legs, going downhill, Seifas easily outran the others as they returned to the Tower. He paused at the door, watching behind them, waiting for them to catch up.
___The door popped opened behind him: “Hi!”
___Seifas twitched in startlement; then he decided that Jian must have seen them approaching from one of the windows—or maybe he’d heard the feet of the others. Othon’s armor was certainly clanking loudly enough at least…!
___“A large brigade is approaching from the west,” Seifas said; Jian had to jump aside as the squad rushed past him into the Tower.
___“Ah!—good! It’s larger than ours, and there are two more marching in from the north and the east!”
___Seifas followed him up three stairs before this thoroughly penetrated.
___“Hold, wait,” muttered the juacuar. “What?!”
___“More brigades?” Dagon’s bushy eyebrows climbed to his hairline.
___“Good?” Othon blurted.
___“Oh, no I don’t mean that it’s good there are more brigades,” clarified Jian, sort of. “I mean that it’s good that we’ve got some verification for Portunista! Wait till she hears!” And he dashed upstairs, like a boy on Stilleve morning.
___A minute later, they reached the uppermost room.
___“Whew!” Pooralay squinted at the ceiling. “So this’s what y’were doin’ in here all mornin’. My ‘pologies; thought y’were messin’ aroun’ with somethin’ else…” he grinned.
___Jian opened his mouth, but Portunista trod on his foot. Just in case.
___“Now I know what I had been sensing beneath the Tower,” she announced, overriding whatever Jian had been going to say instead—an “Ow!” escaped amusedly from his mouth. “That was a web-like feeling, and I didn’t know what it did. But obviously, it detects and positions intruders wherever they are in the valley.”
___Jian furrowed his face in thought as he gingerly rubbed his foot on his calf. “Did you say that the feeling extended out past the dell?”
___Portunista turned to reply…but nothing came out of her mouth.
___“The reason I’m asking,” he mused, “is because I sort of remember you telling us something about it not extending past the dell; which the map’s detection certainly does…”
___The maga sighed.
___“You did discover how to work the map,” Jian hurriedly offered. “That was nifty! Um…Seifas,” he continued, ignoring Portunista’s sullen look, “I’m a little confused about how you could verify the western brigade. It’s just now crossing the ridgeline, and that’s…mmm…about ten klips?”
___The juacuar considered the question irrelevant at first; but, he happened to see Jian’s eyes flick back in Portunista’s direction. Then he understood.
___The fair man had only meant to help their commander, not undermine her; now he was trying to cover her embarrassment.
___Seifas could sympathize. Besides, on further thought, it was a pertinent question. The distance and time didn’t seem to add up; and a prudent commander would want to know why.
___“We found where the sod had been cut, about a thousand paces into the forest: just as our commander had reasoned.” Portunista perked at hearing this; and Jian gave Seifas a tiny grateful nod. “I ordered the squad to wait in ambush, while I ran ahead. I reached the ridge, and saw the leading elements coming uphill through a sizable meadow. Far too many for us to fight directly.”
___“An’ some’v’us ain’t really so good at gettin’ ready to ambush anyway,” muttered Poo. Othon traded shrugs with Dagon.
___Seifas pointed to the northern group: “These are very likely demimen. Only the Middlelands lie in that direction, and there is even less advantage to entering over those mountains than from the west or east.”
___“Unless y’spend so much’f y’r time in marchin’ up an’ down mountains, that one or two more don’t make any diff’rence,” Pooralay agreed.
___“This gets better and better,” Dagon mumbled. “I’d rather fight off those other two brigades than mess with a horde that size.”
___“Allies?” Othon asked.
___Portunista shrugged. “Would demimen make alliance with a human brigade? Besides, the western brigade must know that Qarfax is missing: so why would forces cooperating with them even bother to try sneaking into the area from an unexpected direction?”
___“To secure their perimeter, outside in?” Dagon speculated. “Still’d be faster than marching them all to the southern pass, then back to perimeter camps. Anyway, it’s hardly likely they’re coming to trap and dispose of us,” he wryly added.
___“I guess we’ll see.” Seifas flicked his glance to Jian, who was carefully contemplating the layout. What sort of tone had he heard…?
___“The scouts over there on the eastern rim, bother me most, I guess,” continued Jian. Two orange dots rested in the treeline. “I wonder how long they’ve been there. Still, it might be a reasonable way to initiate contact with the eastern force,” the fair man suggested, as he lay down on the floor, setting a pillow beneath his head. “Send someone out as if he’s going back to camp, like Gaekwar, then loop him around behind those guys, and start a conversation.” He nodded to himself, then noticed the others were staring at him. “Um…well, my neck was starting to get a crick, so I thought that this would help,” he shrugged. At least he hadn’t jumped back on the bed itself, Portunista groused… “Hey, I’ll go if you want!” Jian offered. “I’m not all that sure I can sneak around behind them, though…besides, that hardly would tell them we’re friendly. Would they shoot, do you think, if I walked up to them directly instead? They’ll already know that we know that they know that we’re here, and so that we know that they’re there—right?”
___Portunista decided that sending Jian as an emissary would be the very last thing she’d consider—though Dagon was saying, “Good idea!” with a falsely cheerful demeanor…
___“Let them stay,” she said. “At this point, scouts are hardly worth bothering with.”
___“Unless they interfere with reinforcements,” Dagon retorted. “Commander,” the arrogant man infused the word with sarcasm, “I’m gonna go, to bring back an archery squad, for garrisoning the Tower windows. I’d better be leaving right now, in fact…with your permission,” he added, in a tone that dared her to disagree.
___“Fine,” she tensely replied. “I think that’s a fine idea. Have them bring a cart of supplies, in case we’re holed up here for several days. And bring a reinforced infantry squad as well.” Portunista flicked her hand in his direction, dismissing him.
___After he left there was silence, as they returned to the map.
___Three larger brigades didn’t allow many options to talk about.
___“Well!” Jian hopped up and stood. “Does anyone have any plan of how to survive a fight in here?”
___“Run,” Othon said.
___Jian digested this recommendation, absently nodding; then: “That’s a good plan!” he brightly agreed. “I’d better go make us some lunch, I guess!”
___And, he did.
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