Part 29

    

Greza stumbled into the large, circular tent where men in heavy armor sat around a table.  They seemed to be deep in an argument of some kind.  They were gesturing wildly and pointing at different maps.  The Minotaur stood a good head an shoulders taller than them but he seemed to be the calmest of the ten.  The Raven girl was standing next to him and arguing in a quiet voice that could barely be heard over the others.  But the fiery look in her eyes demanded attention.

Duke Verin though, sat on the opposite side of the table seemingly lost in thought.  His head rested on his hand while the other hand balanced a dagger on the arm of his chair.

No one noticed their entrance. 

Greza looked to Onata to follow her lead, but Onata looked almost dead.  Her mouth hung slightly open and her eyes stared off into nothing as if she didn’t see the room or anything in it. 

Greza hadn’t been taught what to do in a situation like this.  She didn’t know who to address herself to or how to interrupt an argument between captains.  The only one that wasn’t occupied was Duke Verin and she didn’t think it proper to go directly to him. If Richkurk was here she would approach him, but he wasn’t. 

But she had to do something.  The news was too important to wait. 

“Sirs, I bring important news,” she said. 

She had tried to be loud but her voice came out as a dry croak instead.  She cleared her throat and looked around for something to drink.  Her canteens had went empty hours ago. 

There were no basins or pitchers of water.  The only liquid she saw were goblets of wine on the table where the captains were.  No good. 

She steeped closer to them and cleared her throats.

“Sirs, I come with urgent news!” 

This time she got looks from the captains and their conversation drifted into near silence.  Now that she had all of these captains’ attention she had to report.  Her mind tried to focus and bring everything together.

“Sirs, I am scout Greza.  I have the enemy’s location to report.  We saw them…”  She struggled to remember what the name of the place was. So she leaned forward and pointed on the map.  “Here.  They’re heading west and –“

She was about to explain but was interrupted by one of the captains.  

“West?  They were heading east!”

“Perhaps they desire to make a stand or have found a suitable ground to defend themselves.” 

She had to speak out.

“Sirs, they head east with reinforcements from Roshan,” Greza said. 

She was gripping the side of the table for support.  Her eyes kept wandering to the goblets of wine.  She didn’t drink spirits but right now she was so thirsty she feared what she’d drink to quench it.   

When she looked up she noticed that they were all silent and staring at her. 

“She must be mistaken.  The Ork doesn’t know the banners of the kingdoms,” an Elf captain with long hair said. 

“It was Roshan,” Greza said.

“Impossible.  They’re Lerichstag’s ally,” a Human female captain said.  Her hair was down in several long braids that hung down her back like thick ropes.

“She’s just an Ork.”

“But what if her report is true?”

“Look at her!  She doesn’t know the difference between Roshan and Taranka.”

“Excuse me,” Greza said with her throat feeling like a dirt road.  “I do know the difference.  I know that Roshan began as a rebel province of the Second Empire and formed a equalitarian Republic that last nearly five hundred years before civil war tore it apart. The great historian Disamalus lamented the burning of the capital as the Republic fell and the New Kingdom rose in its place.  I know that Taranka fought wars against the Minotaur clans and now have an elite core of Minotaur soldiers that pass the service down from father to son.  I know that the philosopher Serato thought Taranka was a flourishing place for heretical, rebellious and insipid thoughts.”

The captains stared at her.  Some were scowling and could barely hold in their contempt. 

Then they heard laughing.  They turned to the sound and saw that Duke Verin was sitting on this throne, eyes closed and laughing a quiet but deep laugh. 

“It appears that she does know the difference between Roshan and Taranka,” Duke Verin said.  “I’ll take your word.  You saw Roshan marching with Larica and they were heading our way.”

It took her a moment to overcome her surprise.  Her mind was muddled after all. 

“Yes, my Duke.”

“Any estimate as to their numbers?”  The Duke asked.

“Perhaps double of what they were,” Greza said. 

“Double!”  The woman captain said. 

“It’s true,” Onata managed to get out. 

“Double,” Greza said. 

Duke Verin stood up and walked to the table. 

“Show me their last location and direction,” he said.

Greza grabbed one of the red wooden markers on the map that represented army units and demonstrated for the Duke. 

He folded his arms and stared at the map. 

“My Duke,” one of the captains ventured.  “This is dangerous.  We can’t take on two armies.”

“We don’t have a choice.  They made that decision for us.”

“Doesn’t mean we have to attack them,” the elf captain said.

“If we don’t attack them, they’ll attack us,” Verin said.  “What we have to do is find a place where its advantageous to us.”

“Lerichstag.  Let them come there and we’ll have the walls to protect us,” another captain said.

“Then they’ll lay siege and we’ll be out of food before summer is through,” Verin said.

“Attack them at their weakest,” the giant Minotaur said.

They began discussing strategy and tactics and bringing out more detailed maps of smaller areas. 

Greza retreated back to where Onata stood and wrapped her arm around the Satyr’s waist to keep her standing.  She turned them around to go when Duke Verin spoke up again.

“Loyal scouts.  Please hold on.  You’ve done us a great service by bringing this news to us.”  He then turned to the Minotaur.  “Please take them to my tent and have them served a refreshing meal and plenty to drink.”

The Minotaur nodded and strode toward them.

“Follow me,” the giant said. 

The stumbled their way out of the tent and followed the Minotaur to another large tent with guards that let them through without question.  Inside were couches and beds with thick fur rugs, chests and racks of armor and weapons everywhere.     

“Take a seat anywhere.  Wait here and I’ll be back with food.  Help yourself to what you find here,” the giant horned Minotaur said. 

 After he left she looked around and saw a pitcher of water and gave it to Onata to drink first.  She gulped it down in deep swallows and then passed the remainder to Greza who finished it off. 

She could feel the water go down and spread out through her body.  It was a tangible rejuvenation. 

Eventually the Minotaur returned with a platter of cut meat, fruit and cheese.  He placed it down in front of them and sat down on a bed across from them. 

“What’s your names?”  He asked in a voice that sounded more like a low rumble than a voice.  It wasn’t unpleasant and she didn’t sense any hostility in it.

“I’m Greza and this is Onata.”

“I’ll remember those names,” the Minotaur said.

“And yours?”  Greza asked.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had to introduce myself.  My name is Tempest.”

She speared a piece of meat with her knife and bite off a small piece.  She didn’t want to eat too much too quickly. 

“You’re the new scout Richkurk told us about,” Tempest said.  “You trained many of our officers in hand to hand fighting.”

Greza looked up from her meal and nodded.

“He said you were a quiet one.  Yet tonight you spoke out more than others would have.”

“I speak when necessary,” Greza said.

“Which isn’t often, I take it?”

“Not as often as many believe.”

Tempest chuckled and then stood. 

“Stay and enjoy the Duke’s hospitality until you’re refreshed.  You did the Company a great service.”

He bowed his head in a quick show of respect and left the tent. 

Greza looked over and saw that Onata was asleep on her couch.