StarWind’s green eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. “Here?” She queried in confusion. “You can’t mean to bring them here. That is a terrible breach of security, RavenWing. I don’t need to tell you the problems with bringing out-worlders here.”
“No you don’t,” RavenWing agreed. “I understand the risks involved and our security will not be compromised. I need to find out why someone wants them so badly to send forty professional assassins into the Sakova to get them. I feel as though the answer may mean much to the Sakovan people.”
“I can find out that information for you,” offered StarWind. “I have operatives all over Omunga. I will personally go out and ply my trade to get you the answer.”
“Your skill as a spy is well known, StarWind, but I would trust the information from the youngsters themselves over tales told to you or your operatives by others. Still, I would like your people to inquire about them as well.”
“I agree that first-hand knowledge is better, but in this case it is also riskier,” StarWind argued. “You said you could guarantee that our security is not breached by this effort. How can you promise that?”
“Simply,” RavenWing stated. “The youngsters will never leave here alive.”
“That works,” StarWind agreed unhappily. “I will see to organizing the effort to aid HawkShadow. I expect to be leaving at first light, so if there is any further information, please contact me before then.”
RavenWing nodded as StarWind let herself out. StarWind was bothered by the need to kill the youngsters. While she did not admit it to RavenWing, she had hoped that MistyTrail would be successful in diverting them. She well understood the need for all trespassers found in Sakova to be killed. For centuries the Omungans had searched for the Sakovan stronghold to wipe them out and the Sakovans had only survived by secrecy, secrecy maintained by killing anyone who managed to enter Sakova. That usually meant Omungan spies though, not children. For generations the Sakovans had actively spread horror tales to the Omugan population and the policy had worked so well, that the only people who entered Sakova anymore were spies for Omunga. Normally that amounted to four or five a year.
StarWind headed for the exercise yard where she knew StormSong would be, where she could always be found. StarWind smiled as she thought of asking StormSong if she wanted a cot brought to the exercise yard so she wouldn’t have to leave.
StarWind rounded the corner and saw StormSong battling with SkyDancer in the exercise yard. Good timing, she thought. Now she wouldn’t have to hunt down SkyDancer. StarWind leaned on the fence that surrounded the yard and watched the spar. What a contrast the two women made fighting each other, she thought. StormSong was tall and thin, with a pale white face surrounded by long jet-black hair, while SkyDancer’s tan complexion was encased in a halo of bright blond hair and her build was fuller. Their styles of fighting were as different as the women, StormSong always aggressive trying to overpower her opponent with smashing blows and forcing her adversary to back away, while SkyDancer played a defensive game, luring her opponent into overextending and then taking advantage of it. It was an exciting spar to watch. StormSong using her power and SkyDancer her swiftness.
StarWind climbed onto the fence rail and sat to watch the match, her mind sorting and cataloging the pieces of her conversation with RavenWing. She thought about the area of the Sakova that they would be operating in and mentally retrieved landscape anomalies that might come in handy in dealing with the assassins.
She was deep in thought when she felt a presence behind her and swiveled to see who it was. She smiled when she the massive hulk of Goral standing behind her, and massive was the word that came to her mind whenever she thought of him. Goral stood a full head taller than any man she had ever seen and his body was wide with muscle. His bald head, with only a horseshoe fringe of hair, and thick eyebrows gave him a menacing appearance, but StarWind knew him as someone she could trust her life with. His strength and endurance were legendary in the Sakovan camp, yet he was swift and silent. A paradox of a man, Goral could lift two men at the same time, one in each fist, and yet hold a lamb so gently it would fall asleep while he carried it.
“Tayo Goral,” StarWind smiled. “We have a trip to go on tomorrow. I will brief the three of you as soon as SkyDancer and StormSong finish their spar.”
Goral merely smiled and nodded, turning his attention to the fight within the yard. Goral seldom spoke unless he had something to say. This caused people to think the giant was mentally slow or dim-witted. Fools who thought this and tried to take advantage of Goral always ended up getting hurt. StarWind sometimes took Goral into the Omungan cities with her when she went spying. He served several purposes on these trips. He was such a large man that StarWind became invisible as people’s attention naturally focused on the giant. This allowed her to accomplish tasks without drawing attention to herself. Sometimes people mistook him for dim-witted and mistakenly said things within his earshot that should not have been said. In all cases, StarWind was always glad to have Goral to call on if things got nasty and they had to leave quickly.
Applause rang out and StarWind turned to find the match over. Both Sakovans were still standing which meant the match had lasted a full hour and was therefore a draw. The contestants were panting and sweat soaked, but both of them were grinning widely. StarWind signaled for them to approach and told them to get cleaned up and meet her and Goral in the Garden of Strength.
The Sakova stronghold was a broad valley nestled in the midst of three large mountain peaks with only one entrance, a tunnel through one of the mountains. The majority of the tunnel was natural, believed to have been a vent for the volcano that used to exist here. The stories say that the great volcano, which had been the highest mountain in the world, blew itself apart during an eruption. The three mountain peaks existing today were merely jagged remains of the volcano’s crater. The stronghold had been discovered centuries before the invasion of the Omungans and had become the sanctuary of the Sakovans when their agrarian society had been crushed by the invaders. The Sakovan nation had existed only here since that time. The tunnel was widened to allow the movement of wagons through the mountain, but the exit still appeared as a cave entrance which Sakovan magic has kept hidden.
The Sakovans built a city within the stronghold and called it StarCity after the five-pointed star, symbol of the Sakovans. The layout of the city was star shaped with a garden at each of the star’s points. The gardens were named, Joy, Hope, Peace, Valor, and Strength, the five rallying emotions of the Sakovan People. StarWind had chosen the Garden of Strength for it was that quality which was required by the present crisis.
Goral sat quietly watching ducks in the pond while StarWind completed a list of provisions they would need to requisition. StormSong and SkyDancer appeared looking refreshed and StarWind detailed her conversation with RavenWing for them.
“I do not believe this,” thundered StormSong. “Outlanders are not allowed in the Sakova. The laws are clear on this. And bringing them here to the stronghold is ludicrous. Has RavenWing lost his mind?”
StarWind smiled as she congratulated StormSong’s mentor on the apt naming of her student. StormSong’s conversations were more like outbursts than statements. “I can assure you that RavenWing is sound of mind,” StarWind stated. “He feels that there is knowledge to be gained with this aberration of custom that is worth the risk of bringing the youngsters here. Need I remind you that our security is not threatened if the youngsters never leave the stronghold?”