Chapter 11
The Power of Terror
“Tayo,” greeted HawkShadow.
“Tayo, HawkShadow,” StarWind replied. “Glad to see you still alive.”
“It will take more than this bunch to finish me,” he smiled.
“I trust you left some for us?” hoped StormSong.
“Indeed I have,” answered HawkShadow. “There are fifteen left. I took out the guards the first night and they haven’t slept well since. Picked off two more from the end of their caravan, one each day. They are pretty jumpy right now, but mostly I have been trying to slow them down and lead them astray.”
“What of the youngsters and MistyTrail?” StarWind inquired.
“She is keeping an eye on them,” stated HawkShadow.
“Why weren’t they killed?” asked StormSong. “Surely you and MistyTrail could have finished them while you were waiting for us?”
“MistyTrail wanted to find out why they are here,” frowned the Sakovan assassin. “She is quite capable of handling them on her own, StormSong, as you well know.”
“Let’s not start in on this again, please,” StarWind pleaded. “HawkShadow, I plan to take the three youngsters back to the stronghold. I know you well enough to know that you probably agree with StormSong’s feelings on this, but RavenWing wants to see them and I have agreed to deliver them.”
“I should have killed them the first night,” concluded HawkShadow. “You know my feelings well, StarWind. I think it is a mistake, but I will also give RavenWing what he wants. Come sit and let’s plan our attack on the assassins. I have some ideas for their demise.”
Goral took care of the chokas while SkyDancer readied food for the party. HawkShadow already had a fire going and he gathered the rest of the Sakovans around it. While Goral and SkyDancer were occupied with their duties, the assassin spoke loud enough for all to hear.
“They are camped about a league east of here,” HawkShadow declared. “I have made them very nervous and they string out their line too long to finish them all off at once. What we need is a way to bunch them together so they lose their mobility. I have a plan to accomplish that, but seeing as you brought Goral, I will let him be the bait. He will actually be better at it than myself.”
Goral shot a glance at HawkShadow, but said nothing. He finished tending to the chokas and joined the party just as SkyDancer served the food.
“What I want to do is spook them,” HawkShadow continued. “As I said, they are nervous already. Unlike the youngsters, these men know about the Sakova and they do not like being here, but they are committed to their task so they continue onward. They did not like seeing the other group dead and then losing five of their own, so they have developed a rather decent defensive plan. They have multiple rings of protection at night with each outer guard within sight of at least two others at all times. Attacking their campsite again would be costly for us. On the trail, they string out in double file. They are able to watch both flanks at all times and they have taken to keeping an eye on their rear.”
“It sounds like you made them so nervous that we will now have a hard time of getting to them,” concluded StormSong.
“That is true,” admitted HawkShadow, “but it was necessary to buy time for the youngsters to stay ahead of them and for you to arrive. If they caught up with the youngsters, they would immediately leave the Sakova and we do not want that to happen.”
StormSong shot him a grim smile and HawkShadow ignored it. He knew StormSong well and she was an excellent fighter. He welcomed her talents and was willing to put up with her acidic humor, especially since he had agreed with everything she had said so far.
“So the plan is to bunch them up and make them forget their rear guard and leave both flanks open,” smiled HawkShadow.
“Nice plan if you were toying with an untrained group,” commented StarWind, “but you are not. From what you have said, they will not drop their guard easily.”
“True, true,” HawkShadow grinned. “In a sense we are. I have listened to their campfire chats and while they know about some of the dangers within the Sakova, they really know very little about us and that will break their training. What do you think they would do if they thought there were dozens of Sakovans up ahead of them? Or possible behind them? Or surrounding them? And what if they thought that all Sakovans looked like our friend Goral here?”
“I think they would dirty the forest floor,” laughed SkyDancer.
Goral feigned embarrassment and StarWind chuckled.
“They would all bunch up and stop moving,” grinned HawkShadow.
“Okay,” nodded StarWind, “but how are you going to get them to believe that and what do we do when we have them bunched up?”
“What we do best,” smiled HawkShadow. “Goral will let himself be seen tomorrow, several times. I have already selected the spots where he will be seen from each flank. Goral on a choka will become the talk of their whole group. Soon they will be scanning the flanks looking for him. We will play this routine all day with Goral changing clothes each time. They will believe that they are being watched and warned not to enter further into the Sakova. They will be nervous, but they will not expect an attack from one Sakovan, and that is all they will see at any given time.”
“Suppose they decide to attack me?” asked Goral. “Do I stand and fight or lead them on a chase?”
“You will be far enough away each time and you will be on a hill above them,” answered HawkShadow. “They would take too long to reach you. You will just disappear. I thought of that and if they try, it is okay. It may add to their tensions to be unable to find you.”
Goral nodded and HawkShadow continued. “Around sunset, they will be approaching a place where the trail rises upward slightly. Goral and his choka will be directly on the trail above and in front of them with the setting sun illuminating him. This is the area where the last fargi trees stand. Are you all familiar with it?”
Everyone nodded and HawkShadow went on. “Goral, when they see you, you will move your arms as if directing troops on each side of you. They are to suspect that just over the hill in front of them, the Sakovans has massed to block their way. If they react as I expect them to, they will crowd around the leader at the front of the line. There may be some glances to their flanks to see if there are more Sakovans visible, but the spectacle of Goral in front of them and the inevitable confrontation, will attract their attention. The rest of us will be in the fargi grove unseen by the assassins. This is where you come in, StarWind.”
“What will you need?” StarWind asked.
“Fog,” HawkShadow grinned. “A rolling fog coming down off the hill. They will understand that it is magical, but that is okay. We need to make sure that they are afraid enough not to attack Goral at this point.”
“Won’t they make a break for it?” asked SkyDancer. “Suppose they spread in all directions?”
“That is possible,” admitted HawkShadow, “but it will not matter at this point because we will have them surrounded. That is the purpose of getting them bunched up. If they are all in one clump, we charge into their ranks with Sakovan Stars and cut them down. The outer ring will fall first and those caught inside the ring will not be able to move. It will be over quickly. If they panic and disperse, we will cut them down as they try to leave. The only way out for them is a concerted attack in one direction and I believe they will be spooked enough that they will not be able to pull that off.”
“Do you have a contingency plan in case they do?” asked StarWind.
“Of course,” HawkShadow replied. “If they all go towards one of us, that person fades away and lets them leave. We then charge after them and pick off the rearmost ones. That will be very messy though and riskier for us.”