Part 27

She waited behind the fallen tree in silence.  Onata was a part of the landscape next to her.  She gripped her giant crossbow but the only movement she made was the blinking of her eyes.  Greza had her flintlock ready.  Hers was loaded with shot.  The enemy troops would be close together as they marched and she wanted to injure as many as she could.  Killing was nice, but an injured soldier used up resources and manpower.  An injured man was far more damaging to the enemy than a dead one.

Two loud clicks sounded: the signal that the enemy was in sight.  The enemy, upon finding the main bridge of the highway destroyed, had split their army into three columns that would take smaller bridges and reform further down the road. 

This column had the majority of siege engines. 

The Kingdom of Larica had used a dispute over the rightful heir to claim the new king was an usurper and invaded under the pretense of establishing the rightful heir on the throne.

It was a shallow excuse and everyone knew it.  Few cared.

After a few minutes she could hear the approaching soldiers of Larica’s third column. 

Onata and she were a part of the distraction.  They would launch a text book ambush on the front and a secondary force armed with grenades and small cannons took out the siege engines being transported in carts. 

Onata silently mouthed the words, “you ready?”

Greza nodded. 

Twigs and branches were tied to Onata’s horns and Greza had branches tied like a wreath over her head. Onata had an endless supply of small tricks and techniques about scouting.  She was fortunate to have Onata as a teacher.

All they had to do now was wait for the signal that Richkurk would give.  He had insisted on leading this attack himself.  If they destroyed the engines then their siege of the city would falter and leave them trapped like birds in a cage.  

Assuming they were foolish enough to go through with the siege. 

The sound of marching feet came up to their position and moved past. Then the first gunshots fired.  That was their rather unsubtle signal.

Greza stood up and fired off a blast of shot at the thickest concentration of enemy soldiers.  They wore breastplates and helmets but arm, leg and neck wounds were all she needed.

The blast of smoke kept her from seeing how effective her shot had been and she ducked back down to reload. 

Onata fired off a bolt and ducked town as well. 

Gunshots sounded and a bullet ‘thunked’ into the tree they were hiding behind. 

“They know where we are now,” Onata said. 

“That was the purpose of this, right?”

Onata smiled and pulled out two pistols.  She jumped back up and fired while Greza hurried to reload. 

Once the ball was pounded into place she pulled the hammer back and popped back up.  The enemy were getting into formation and aiming their guns at her direction.

She quickly fired and ducked back down just as they returned fire.  Thunderous reports sounded and bullets tore through the air above her.  As soon as they were passed she jumped back up and fired into the mass of enemy infantry.

“Time to retreat,” Onata said.

Greza fully agreed.  

They picked up their things and ran further into the woods to the fall back position to continue firing.  The secondary position was behind a fallen tree where they had dug a shallow trench.  Onata and Greza grabbed the loaded long guns and they both took aim

Then she heard the sound of several explosions followed by a great deal of shouting from the enemy.  She didn’t understand their language but she guessed they weren’t happy words. 

The explosions were the grenades going off on the siege engines.  What wasn’t blown up would hopefully catch on fire. 

But their job wasn’t finished.  They had to hold their positions until the horn sounded.  That would tell them that the siege engines were in fact destroyed. 

Suddenly Greza’s head was knocked back and she fell backwards. 

“Grez!”  Onata shouted.

“I alright.”

At least she thought so.

She sat up and looked around.  Her helmet lay beside her.  There was a deep gash on the side. 

“One inch closer,” Greza muttered and put it back on. 

“Be careful,” Onata said.

“I don’t control where enemy bullets go.”

There were more explosions followed by the blast of several horns. 

“Signal!” Onata shouted.

They grabbed their guns and equipment and ran.  Bullets zipped past them, hitting trees and leaves to their sides. 

She ran too fast to think.  She just ran. 

They reached the rally point where the others were.  They did a quick headcount and ran again. 

Once back at camp they started a fire, began roasting a pig and sang.  The scouts celebrated their victory. Instruments were brought out and jokes began to be told; usually filthy ones.

Greza didn’t join them.  She sat off to the side and cleaned her guns and armor.  She cleaned the gash in her helmet and thought how pointless it all would have been if she had died then.  Why bother escaping?  Why receive a mission from the Light? 

Onata came up with a plate full of steaming meat. 

“Don’t you ever smile?”  Onata asked.

“Sometimes,” Greza said.

“I’ve never seen you.”

Onata sat down next to her and Greza picked up a piece of pork between her middle finger and thumb. 

“What food are you going to have once we get back into town?”  Onata asked.

Greza shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“I haven’t had a lot of good food.”

She’d never had good food except the few scrapes she had stolen from the kitchen.  She ate either slave food or Company food.  She hadn’t had a lot of variety in her diet. 

“One of these days you’re going to have to relax and celebrate.  We’re alive,” Onata said.

“We are alive.”

But alive for what purpose?  To find the Lost Victor?  She had to start with Duke Verin, but she didn’t even know where to start.