The Prophesy: Book 1 - Cave Lupus

 

Harp, the cavalry, and the wolves made it safely back to the column. It was decided to stay put for the day, given the importance and frequency of aftershocks. The next day, as the drums of the Earth seemed to have appeased their fury, the column resumed its progress northward. Wolves and huntsmen teamed together to replenish the short supply of meat; rabbits, partridges, and rodents were killed, the later to feed the wolves, who particularly appreciated the boys' ability at killing the big forest rats with their slingshots.

Hunters on horses, accompanied by wolves and dogs, and guided by Paschal, found a herd of wood bison, and managed to kill five; the wolves were ecstatic at the result, because it would give them a good supply of meat for the numerous pack, which was having problems finding enough food for itself. Not all were killed; the sick and elderly only; the youngsters and parturient mothers were left alone, as well as the fittest bucks.

"We must plan for the future, hunters! If you kill all today, what will you eat tomorrow?" said Paschal. "The old have had time to disseminate their gift of life, or give birth on numerous occasions; it is now time for the young to have their chance. As for the sick, there are no healers amongst the bison herd, and they would die anyway of starvation next winter or of disease before then. We only abbreviate their suffering, while gaining food."

Another herd, of deer this time, was pushed by the wolves towards the hunters from higher up in the valley; again, a number of them got killed, according to the principles imposed by Paschal. No one dared contest Paschal's authority, given he was master of the canines; the respect the wolves and dogs, and occasional coyote showed him was apparent to all.

The scouts sent ahead of the column reported that the bridge had survived the earthquake, but barely. Its footing at one end had been severely fissured, and it would probably not survive another bout of mad earth disease.

"We will move across the bridge right away, then. I would prefer we pass this point as soon as possible. The earth may well decide to shake again any time, and it would be difficult to pass the stream afterwards. Fords are way up the mountains, and are difficult to access, even for wolves." Harold decided. "Enron how is your dad?"

"He still has problems staying on a horse. I have asked Yamato for some ideas; they will put him in a stretcher between two horses, for now. Your sons and I are working on realigning his vital forces lines, but the commotion seems to have done a lot more damage than we initially thought."

"Be patient, Enron. Your dad isn't a spring flower by a long shot; he will take longer to heal than most from that commotion. Just be there for him."

"Thank you, Harold. I plan to make my dad proud of me!"

"You have no reason to fear his disapproval; he is already proud of you."

The first to cross the shaky bridge were the avant-garde, made up of a substantial wolf pack, dogs, Sitar, and a group of horsemen. Next went across the packhorses followed by the elves and the foot soldiers. Samson was taken across immediately after, and the rest of the wolf pack and cavalry crossed, followed by the rear guard.

Since there had not been the usual pause at sext, it was decided to stop for the night in the clearing afforded by the burn. The carcasses of the battle between orcs and the hHunters and priests had either burned or had been picked clean by carrion eaters. The residuals were dumped unceremoniously into the fire pit and covered with dirt to stop the stench.

***

The next morning, the column, refreshed, resumed its walk northward. As the rear guard did a last check from the ever-rising road towards the bridge, another tremor hit and they heard the bridge whine in pain, before collapsing in the river as the footing on the nearest side gave way and split open. A powerful geyser of water accompanied the collapse of the bridge deck into the river.

«We crossed in time, Harold. The bridge just fell in the river due to the last tremor, and it wasn't that particularly strong!» Williams told the Royals, travelling ahead of him in the column.

«Yes, luckily none of the wolves or dogs has left the road. I told them to stay on it for the next few days. I doubt we will face any surprises from orcs or hunters for the next few days.»

Harold and Enron were riding up front with the cavalry, as the wolves kept running ahead and reporting anything abnormal. Paschal was keeping company to King Samson, still a bit groggy and dizzy, as he lay on the stretcher between two horses. Sitar and Harp were helping the train handlers, grooms and squires with the horses. The most difficult to handle was the colt, Silver Moon, which wanted to have fun and run all over the place. Harp had to literally enter his very fickle thought process, and remind him of the dangers of running in a burned out area without proper protection from his family.

It took two hours to get out of the burn; about halfway, a column of skeletons were found on the road by the wolves, which immediately informed the royals of their discovery. Dunbar and Yamato took a group of cavalrymen forward to have a look. A quick analysis revealed what had happened.

«Their own trap caught the few hunters that managed to escape the orcs, it seems! We have about two dozens burned-out skeletons on the road. The dispersion indicates it was a race for the survival of the fittest at its best; however, it appears none were fit enough to survive! Outrunning a forest fire wasn't a requirement to be hired as mercenary in the crocodile army! By the way, the least fit for a foot race was the crocodile, it was the first caught up by the fire!» Dunbar said, ironic. «Yamato has put some legionnaires to removing the bones off the road before you guys get here, by having them thrown in the forest; however the heat must have been intense. Most of the bones disintegrate to dust on touch.»

«Crocodile?» Harp asked.

«The priest, prince.»

«Oh! How fitting!»

As they emerged from the forest burn, everyone felt a revival; the desolation, albeit a lot easier to police, was getting on their nerves. They kept walking until tierce, and then took an hour break to water the horses and refresh themselves. The horses enjoyed the greenery, and the wolves began hunting in earnest for their next meal. Rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, all were good for their ravenous appetite. Men picked berries along the road and in the nearby bushes, along with mushrooms and wild parsley, onions, and other herbs. Paschal even found, using his superior wolf flair, a trove of truffles, which were welcomed addition to the bland diet of an army on the march.

At sext, the army again took a break, and Harold had every member of the royals, except Samson, at his fire, for a discussion of strategy. Also included were Greywolf and Yamato, and the second in command of the elves.

"First, how is your dad?"

"He seems to feel a lot better since we left the burned-out forest. Although he is sleeping now, h was awake for the most past of the morning, since we entered the area. It's like the smell of fresh pine, of the wet earth, and the growing plants is giving him energy."

"I can easily imagine, Enron. I feel the same way. When do you think he will be ready to ride again?"

Enron looked at the three brothers, and then said "Honestly? I do not know. We can see how he feels and what his senses give him as information; he has this vertigo, and feels like throwing up often; he has lost weight, and appetite. He has this ring in the ears that won't stop, and his vision is still troubled."

"Your dad suffers from tinnitus, Enron," explained the master healer. "Your dad has a whiplash injury of the neck, and there is a need to repair this for the tinnitus to disappear. It also fits his eye problems, as the head got banged pretty badly."

"We are working on fixing the issues with his eyes by repairing the neurological damage and rebuilding the pathways, healer. However, it is difficult and slow. We do it mostly at night, when he sleeps, or during his naps, because it induces severe headaches otherwise. As for the tinnitus, we will begin looking at the pathways along the neck."

"Be very careful there, boys. This is where the most basic brain functions are located, and a mishandling would kill him as effectively as a blade slicing his head off."

"We are following a principle of minimal change. Using elves around us to find the most common functional pattern, we are doing the changes very slowly, letting them propagate in the hope they will bring his nervous pathways to conform to what we see in others. Wherever there is a major discrepancy or too much variance, we use my own brain stem to mould his. After all, I am his son, and we probably share a lot of common traits, including deep in our brain."

"Boys, I can only acknowledge your competence, here. Your ability far outstrips mine. And your logic is inescapable. You will do superb healers; no, you already are superb healers."

"Back to what lays ahead, Enron. What do you know of this archduchy?" Harold asked.

"Oh, they are close allies of the throne. In fact the Archduke passed the test with flying colours. I think he should be invited to join us before we continue any further discussion."

"Do we know him?"

"Well, he was the Duke of York; the archduke further up north having been beheaded, he got promoted and given the archduchy. He is now the Archduke of York. You certainly remember the young man that told off Franz of Sophia? That is he."

"Oh yes. His face comes back to me now. Let us hope his promotion won't inflate his head; he has a tendency to solve problems with his sword, if I remember!"

"Do not worry; I think he knows his neck is a lot narrower than it used to be! I have talked to him since, and he seems to be accepting of who I am. I am not saying he will be the typical ass licker found in royal courts, by far; he has his opinions and defends them vigorously, for which I am glad. At least, I know that what he says isn't to please my ears. He exposes his views clearly, defends them with vigour and logic, and knows when he is outwitted. And more important, he knows when to admit defeat in an oral joust! In fact, whatever happens to dad, I plan to invite him to the Royal Elven Counsel."

"I am glad you are readying yourself for governance, Enron. The most difficult task is finding good counsel, and the second task is recognizing when a counsel is good or inappropriate. Remember, the decision is always yours, and ultimately, success or failure falls on your shoulders. You can count on my support."

"As on mine, my liege lord."

***

The now Archduke Volant of York was called to the meeting and joined them around a cup of tea and some pieces of roasted bison.

"My prince requires my presence?" asked the Archduke of York.

"Yes, we need your counsel. You are better informed of your own geography than we are." Enron replied. "Where does this road we are following lead to, and how far is the next notable city or village?"

"We are, like most elves, dispersed and move constantly; much like your own lands, we have only a few notable settlements. We live very long, therefore we reproduce little; our population growth has been minimal, in some case only slightly above attrition rate. Before I received guardianship of the now defunct archduchy of Sophia, our common border with it was delimited by the line of separation of waters between the Erwin, which we just crossed and the Eldred, further north; our main settlement is located on lake Eloise, further west than we are now, and which gives birth to the river of the same name. My first suggestion is to go to my capital city to gather further forces, and then proceed up the short river that feeds lake Eloise, and cross the pass found shortly above its spring, to enter Sophia at its south-western tip, and follow the road there to Sophia itself. It would mean turning west at the opal mines; I will have to ask you to name a new baron of the place; the previous one got a new haircut, which seems quite popular with nobility, but definitive! In fact there are a few others as well, if you do not mind. Too bad we won't have time to do a thorough verification of baron of Firebrand's accounts, as the place is named due to the deep red glow of the opals the mines produce."

"A few? How many?" Harold asked.

"Oh, Three, no, four. There is baron D'Artois, that held in custody the pass east, which should have reported to me your passage; sire. Not only did he fail to do that, but, more serious, he did not pass the Mitsuko Test of Fealty. There is baron Ulster, that held the northern pass as well; not only did he fail the Mitsuko Test, but he reported to Franz rather than me; I heard him do so before the incident, and I had intended to swipe his head off. Your intervention kept my blade clean of the pork's blood. There is Countess Athena, which holds the county on my southeastern edge, between the Royal lands and the Ancient's road, and her sister, which held the county across the road. All indications were that the baron, which held fortifications, and the two Countesses were more interested in sharing their beds than protecting my borders from intrusion, or collecting the passage fees that were my dues."

"As for your audits, Archduke, I would be glad to run them for you if you wish," suggested Paschal.

"Do not dismiss the idea, Archduke, I have seen him run an audit of the caravans' logbooks and he found quite a few irregularities, even in mine! I found out that I had been swindled a couple of times!"

"Is that so, Grand Master? I shall then prevail myself of the accounting capacities of Prince Paschal, if you do not mind, your Majesty?"

"No, by all means, do so, since Paschal offers. However, for his own safety, the other princes will accompany him at all times, fully armed. When you are deep in accounts, you do not keep your attention to potential dangers."

"I understand, King Harold. I would do the same. There is one thing, Prince Paschal, I do not fully understand. Why are we rushing north? I would have suggested we gather as many of my men, still in my capital, and then proceed to deal with Sophia and other rebellious or dissident territories."

"The Throne of the Wolf, and Nature's Throne discussed this topic intensively, Archduke. We figured the faster we move north, the faster we will face the orcs and what is left of the crocodiles, as so aptly were renamed the Priests. We understand your worries about taking control of Sophia, given you and Franz were, shall we say, trying to gut each other?" Enron took a deep breath. "We will continue with king Samson's plans, Archduke. However, we are still many days away from Sophia's border, and we would appreciate if we could send a message using the wolves and dogs to your capital's Commander of the Guards. By and large, we have not been blind to the activities in the Kingdom, Archduke. We know that you and Franz were going to break the King's peace any time soon. There were too many border 'incidents' for us not to be aware of them."

"I understand. Prince Enron, you are certainly aware that Franz has spies in my settlements. Any sudden troop movement will be reported to Sophia."

"How would the spy proceed?" asked Harp.

"There is a road that goes north, out of my capital, Eloise, that I mentioned earlier. The road there is short to Sophia, and is strongly defended on both sides of the border; there is a very narrow pass which both Franz and I fortified heavily, for obvious reasons."

"Who is in charge of the fortifications on your side? Another baron?" Sitar enquired.

"Yes, Baron Regina, which passed the Mitsuko Test and still has his head on his shoulders. I sent him back to the fortifications before we left Elvin Woods, with your dad's consent, if you remember, Prince Enron."

"Yes, I remember, that was the flaming redhead giant of an elf that was with you. Do you think he has reached your fortifications yet?"

"Let me do some maths. All are on foot, but are elves; they trot non-stop from prime to sext and from an hour after sext to vespers. This means approximately eleven hours of trotting, at about eight miles per hour, for a total of eighty-eight miles a day. Now, the road between Elvin Woods and the border is forty miles, and then from the border to Eloise is divided in two; ninety miles from the border to the junction of the road to Eloise and seventy-eight miles from the junction, and then the road from the capital to his fief is fifty miles, for a total of two hundred and fifty-eight miles; let us give them a day's rest at the border, and another in the capital, they should reach their station in six days. We have been on the road for six days already, and they left the same morning, so that places them at his station by the end of today."

"Dad, I did a similar calculation for our wolves and the dogs. The long-runners, which will be our courier, will run at about twenty-five miles per hour non-stop, for twelve hours. We have a number of wolves that can act as relays for the mail, however they will have to wait for the dogs to rest, because I doubt a wolf would be well received in Eloise, even if he carried a parchment wrapped in leather to town," Paschal said.

"Why worry about that, Paschal? Your idea of relays is perfect!" Sitar objected. "You forget we have the town's dogs that can get in and out of the city, unobstructed. By having them team up to protect the last messenger; we can be assured it will be delivered to the right person, too. We can listen and see! Let's put our capacities to some use, rather than just spy on orcs and crocodile movements. It has proved its effectiveness already, remember?"

"Hey, you are right! I totally forgot that!"

"And you forgot that the wolves do not need to follow the roads either, although it will be easier for them. I just think that it's important that no one see a wolf with a satchel bearing royal colors on it. The fewer people do so, the better!" Harp added.

"I looked at the map, and I estimate the direct line between our position and your capital, Eloise, at one hundred and fifty miles. Let's add another fifty for detours and other issues, and a wolf relay doing an easy twenty miles per hour could cover the distance in eight hours. That means, Archduke, if you write the order now, your commander in Eloise would have it in hand by prime tomorrow morning, if not earlier." Paschal added the distance between them and Baron Regina's fief, and said, "If the other chain works as well, the command to close the border to traffic could reach Baron Regina four hours, maybe five hours after your Commander in Eloise receives his. It gets a lot hillier near the border with Sophia; therefore the wolves will have to take it easy. By sext, tomorrow, the border pass could be closed to all traffic. And forget about trafficker's trails! We will make sure that wolves, foxes, coyotes, and barn dogs keep watch and intercept a messenger. The border will be as closed as a water-tight bottle."

"That is fantastic! How will the relay work?"

"Oh, simple, Archduke. A wolf pack occupies a territory that is about forty miles wide; this means that each wolf pack will pick up the satchel at its border, and carry it across its territory, keeping out of sight of orcs or any other danger. A wolf pack would be responsible for the satchels' transport for two hours, and relay it to the next pack, which would have been warned of the need to transport the package for the King of the Wolves. The total relays to your capital's gates would be about four; the total relays to Baron Regina's gates would be six or seven. The last relay would be ensured by the city dogs pack, at both ends."

"This is incredible, Prince Paschal! Just incredible!"

"The only issue is that our friends are colour-blind. We will need to use a way to differentiate the two satchels so the right orders reach the right destination. I suggest we draw a black arrow, lengthwise on the one destined for your commander, and a black shield on the other. When the time comes for the two messengers to separate, we will look at the satchel and know which one goes where," added Enron.

"You said you would look?"

"Yes, use the wolves' eyes to view what is being done, and tell it what to do."

"That must be a very effective spying network!"

"You have no idea!" exploded Harp, laughing hard. "We know a lot about your level of preparation due to the fact that your troops are exercising, that your unit commanders discuss within earshot of our spies. We also know about Sophia's level of preparedness, and their strategy. They are waiting on a message from Franz to move towards your capital, a message they will never get, as you can guess! The commander Franz left behind is a certified ass licker and will not move a little finger without Franz being there to give him the order."

"I shall write these orders immediately, Prince Enron; however I would appreciate if they were backed by a royal decree."

"That will not be a difficulty. I shall supply you with a decree of the Wolf Throne, and Enron shall add a decree as regent of the Elven Throne." Harold said, firmly. "I recommend you do not inform the mining community of our arrival, so they do not have time to hide the real books and put in place their trumped-up accounting books in place."

"Double accounting?"

"Come on, you do the same towards my dad, Archduke Volant of York! Do you think that our spy network limits itself to the hayloft activities of your son and his friend? You do your accounting in your treasure vault, with your dog to keep your feet warm. A dog, Archduke, a dog! No one likes to pay taxes, be it the commoner or a member of the Peers of the Realm. Do not ask of others what you can not deliver."

"Enron is right. After fighting orcs, the next most popular sport in this kingdom seems to be tax evasion!" Sitar added, smiling.

"I would have thought it was sex, given how much exercise this requires!" Harp commented.

"Nope, Harp, it's considered a game." Paschal countered.

"Oh yes! Now that you remind me about it, Harold promised to show me how to play that game!" Harp said, smiling impudently at Harold, whom blushed furiously.

"Oh no! Not again!" Harold moaned, inducing a good amount of laughter.

"Come on, Harp, stop embarrassing dad!" Sitar replied, sternly. "You can see all bedroom activities from the eyes of the dogs that their masters so obligingly leave in their bedroom during their activities; you can partake in sex when canines do it by merging your mind with theirs; and you even know who to ask in the humans boys or girls your age for some fun because their dogs tell you what they have done, are doing, or plan on doing! And you can even select whom you want amongst the lot based on physical and heath characteristics, using your privileged information afforded to you by the dog status or the enhanced sensibilities of our four-legged brothers. What more do you need?"

"The real thing! That's what!" Harp retorted. "I am too shy to ask, and I'm afraid they would accept not because they are interested, but because I'm a prince in their eyes. I absolutely refuse to bring my title to bear in order to gain that, ever! Doing so would dirty the title, the honour of those who bestowed it on me, and bring me down to Franz's level! That is out of the question!"

The fire in Harp's eyes told everyone he meant every word of what he said. Nobody dared laugh at his stance, nor comment on his views about the proper use of power and titles. Archduke Franz of Sophia was still too fresh in their memory for that lesson to b forgotten.

"Did I hear the word shy while you were referring to yourself, Prince Harp?" the Archduke of York asked. "If your actions in the Circle of Judgement were shy, I dread the day you become brazen!"

"The container does not speak of the potency of its contents, archduke," replied Harp.

"Indeed, Prince, indeed!" Archduke Volant replied, wondering how such a young child could debate so strongly and win points even in the verbal arena; but then, how could a child have been so effective in the Circle of Judgement as well remained a mystery to him.

"How far are we from that mining settlement?" Sitar asked.

"We covered twenty-five miles today; we could reach it by vespers if we continued since we are about twenty miles to the settlement, more like seventeen. Our speed is about four miles per hour, the leisurely speed of a man walking."

"While we were in a caravan with many ox-drawn wagons, we took to this pace; I see no reason to change it. We still are in enemy territory, even if it is your territory, Archduke. There are orcs, there are crocodiles, and it would be unwise to rush into a trap. We may have spies under every tree, and know when an orc pees in a bush, it doesn't justify speeding up in any way. A tired legionnaire fights less effectively than one that is fit and refreshed."

"I understand, Grand Master Dunbar."

"I would add that coming into the mining settlement an hour before sext would be to our advantage. The miners will be deep in the mines, and, if opposition is to be organized, it will be difficult for them to do so in time, especially if the legions and the elves come charging in out of the forest on the road!" Williams completed.

"They should see us coming from two miles or more; there is a buffer zone around the settlement of that size so that no one can get near the palisade without being seen. And each road has a guard tower about half a mile before the palisade which is keeping watch on the road at all times."

"The wolves are now occupying the watch towers, Volant. The baron has more pressing needs than spending resources on guard towers."

"Is that so, Prince Paschal?" Archduke Volant replied, frowning.

"Oh there is more. The forest has grown back and closed around the palisade. In some places, the tree roots have undermined the palisade itself, and the poor state of maintenance has left gaps big enough for our brethren to enter the camp undetected. The settlement is organized so it protects the open pit mining facilities, but the palisade has not been expanded to cover the entire circumference. This is serious neglect. The orcs could easily climb down the cliff face that is the outer edge of the pit. We have seen them on the move, and cockroaches could take lessons from them. Should orcs decide to attack, the miners would stand no chance of mounting a successful defence."

"That is the result of reports from the Wolf Spy Network, Prince Sitar?"

"The data yes, the analysis is ours."

"Who would you suggest to replace the now defunct Baron of Firebrand?" Enron asked.

"I haven't given much thought to the question, to be honest. The previous one was a cousin, and I learned that parentage doesn't guarantee fidelity to an oath of fealty. We will see when we get there."

"Tomorrow, then. And we will also know who dipped into the treasury and helped the baron in his advanced accounting techniques!" Paschal replied.

"You mean you do not know?"

"Oh, we do! But Mitsuko can make the guilty see red!" Harp replied. "You should know that!"

"Yes, indeed."

The meeting disbanded, the orders were written by the scribes, sealed and confided to the first few wolves to be brought to the next relays. By vespers, the messages were already eighty miles off, on their way to their destination.

By vespers the first reports came in from Sitar.

"The wolves crossed the road to Eloise about half an hour ago, Archduke. We are trying to tell them not to run but it's in the King's Service, and nothing seems to slow them down. In three hours, the wolves will have reached the outskirts of Eloise, some ten miles north, and transfer one of the messages to the farm dogs pack to be delivered to those in town. At that moment the wolf pack which is at the edge of farmlands will take over the message destined to baron Regina and deliver it to the dog pack an hour later."

"Isn't this a lot faster than your initial estimates, Prince Paschal?"

"Yes; for one, I did not expect the wolves to go at full run. Second, they crossed the road, way east of where I had expected, following a line of exposed rock that draws an almost straight line due west. Third, the carriers changed every half hour rather than every two hours so the messenger was always refreshed. They set up relays within their own territories rather than have the same individual do the two-hour run."

"Given the road they took, they will end up ten miles north of Eloise, thus shortening the trip to Baron Regina by that much." Harp added. "Since, by compline, it will be dark, we have asked that the two messengers be spaced by ten minutes. The lead one is the one carrying Baron Regina's courier. The wolf will deliver the package to the wolf pack there and return to his den. Ten minutes later, the other wolf will meet with a German Sheppard, which will pick the package for your Commander from the wolf. The next farmstead has a mastiff, which has volunteered to pick the package from his friend the German Sheppard. The next pickup is a red fox, which bring it to a female dog he is courting. The dog will bring it in town through a ditch she can use to get in and out of town. From there, the relays are more frequent, but it will end up in the courtyard with your dog, Jaws, taking it from the city dog to your commander. Your dog seems to roam freely access to any part of the guard barracks and the commander's quarters. When the message reaches the captain of the guard's door, this dog will make sure he opens the door to pick up the message. All in all, from the first dog to the commander, I would say, about an hour will have passed, mainly due to the fact that the dogs will have to be careful and go slow once they enter town."

"If all goes according to plan, the two elves will receive their message within ten minutes of each other." Enron said. "The delivery to baron Regina will be a lot easier, since there will be at most two relays. One from the wolf to the village dog that volunteered to pick it up, and the one from Regina's own dog, that will wait on the drawbridge, refusing to move until the package is delivered. I hope baron Regina understand there is a reason why his dog sits in the middle of the drawbridge after compline, with twenty village dogs at guard, preventing its closure!"

"I hope so too!" Archduke Volant of York replied.

***

The next morning found the group around the fire well before prime, discussing the night's events. First to report was Paschal, who had taken charge of delivering the decree to the Captain of the guards via the Royal Canine Postal Services, as the boys had started calling the task wolves, foxes, coyotes, and dogs had done the previous day.

"The delivery to the Captain of the guard went without a hitch, well, sort of!"

"Sort of?" Archduke Volant wanted to know.

"Oh, we delivered the package all right, but at the most inopportune time it seems. He was furious his dog literally pulled him out of his bed by the feet, while he was having fun with his wife!" Sitar informed the blushing archduke.

"Yes, Yes, I know! You always have the most interesting assignments!" complained Harp.

"How did he react?"

"He wanted to skewer the dog, but the amount of scratching at the door and barking got through to him that something was up, and he opened the door to see our post dog with the satchel in his mouth and the royal seal in plain view. The bad mood dropped instantly, and he took the package from the dog, inviting her inside, to the great pleasure of his very horny dog!"

"And how did he react to the order?"

"Oh that. After taking note of the order and validating their seals with your scribe, he had every single valid man woken up, wherever they were in town. They should be leaving town at prime. He is fast, very fast. He has sent horse riders to deliver the call for general mobilization to all farms within half a day's horse ride distance, full gallop."

"And what about Baron Regina?"

"That one was hilarious," piped up Harp. "I was in charge of keeping the drawbridge down, and I had two teams of dogs to do it; one kept the chain link windlass inaccessible, so the guards couldn't raise the bridge nor lower the barbican. The other band of dogs simply sat on the drawbridge, parading like they were escorting a royal envoy, baron Regina's dog. The baron tried every trick in the book to get the dogs to leave the drawbridge, from food to threats, but they just wouldn't budge. Finally, he figured there must be a reason and told his dog something like this: Is it a message from the Wolf King? I had his dog sit in front of him and offer his right paw, like the baron had seen so many of our wolves do here. It took a few more minutes before he understood he was asked to wait for an incoming messenger."

"And what did he do after that?"

"He sent out a message to the gates to stay open for an incoming messenger. That solved the issue of entry to the village. The wolf delivered to a Doberman, which came into the village from a nearby farm. There was no mistaking the messenger either, the satchel was dripping wet from saliva, but still had the royal seal visible and intact. The elves there aren't dumb, they saw the dog come in, give the message to one that resides in the village, and turn right back out; they offered water, which the dog messenger accepted before leaving, and once he had left, they closed the gates for the night."

"I was in charge of the postal service from their separation ten miles off Eloise, to the farm where the Doberman took over; from there it was Enron that took over, since he knew the disposition of the village," added Sitar.

"I also helped with the work in Eloise; it wasn't easy to keep the satchel out of sight from cutthroats in dark alleys, if you want to know. You have a couple less citizens this morning, archduke. The dogs had to dispose of them when they tried to intercept the courier. I doubt these were the most diligent taxpayers!" Enron said ironically.

"Oh, I see."

"No, you don't! Some probably never took a bath since they were born! They smelled bad, tasted worse, especially their tube steaks! Anyways, the dogs disposed of their family jewels and ham in quick fashion. I doubt anyone will complain about their whereabouts, and when they are found, the rats will have done them in pretty badly, removing any trace of the dogs' dirty work."

Enron took a long swing of water and resumed his exposé. "Anyways, Volant, the border is now closed. The wolves are making sure not even a mouse gets across. They are letting those coming from Sophia pass, but turn back anyone else. There is good reason for this tiny modification to your original order I placed under my seal. If we close the border from their side, it will create a backlog and give the baron on the other side an idea something is up."

"I hadn't thought of that. Good idea, Prince Enron."

"Let's get ready to move, prime is almost upon us."

"Agreed, dad. The wolves have already spread in an arc ahead of us and on our sides. A couple of orcs were disposed of overnight, probably messengers to some nests for additional troops."

"Too bad orcs never write message. Dead messengers can't be interrogated," moaned Yamato.

"We need not ask any questions. The battle of the dam has widened considerably, and now covers the entire collection of dams found up north. The resources invested by both sides in that battle seem considerable. I suspect there is an underlying reason we are unaware of," Sitar mentioned.

"How wide is the battle front?" enquired Yamato.

Enron thought about things and replied, slowly, "There are five major dams creating artificial lakes. The dams are all very ancient, and we do not know why they were built by the people of that time. Some are huge, others smaller, but the entire front probably covers about one hundred and fifty miles wide. Our wolf friends say it extends considerably in depth, covering the entire lakeshores, and about ten miles in elven territory."

"The elven duchies and archduchies in these regions must be hard pressed to survive, then."

"Yes, archduke Volant, they are; the wolves there are doing their best to help out but the terrain favours the orcs. We do not climb stiff cliffs like lizards on a house wall. We have instructed our clan members to obstruct the orcs as much as feasible, without undue risks. The elves have figured out that the wolves are helping them and voluntarily follow them in passes only known by the wolves themselves. This has helped in maintaining the orcs away from our settlements, but this will last only a time. Eventually, the balance of battle will lean towards the orcs and they will push back their archenemy, the crocodile Priests."

"Do we plan to assist the priests?"

"Definitely not, Dunbar. These monstrosities will have to hold their own; if, by killing orcs, we let them survive a tiny bit longer, I won't mind, but there is a huge difference in collateral help and direct help," Harold replied.

***

An hour before sext, Greywolf reported that they should be in sight of the palisade doors of camp Firebrand in less then ten minutes, just at the exit of the next curve. The news produced relief in the column.

"Ready the charge!" ordered Harold to Yamato.

"Pilum horizontal!" replied Yamato.

"Wolves, out of the way!" ordered Paschal.

"Elves, swords out! Arrow formation! Shields up!" fused from Enron.

"Canines report no activity from inside the camp. The guards at the door are unaware of any unusual activity. The alarm has not been rung. Three dogs are keeping watch on the tocsin rope, to prevent its being rung for alarm. Three more are up in the bell tower, guarding the steps." Sitar reported.

"Legionnaires in arrow formation! Pilum horizontal. Shields up!" Dunbar ordered.

As the first line of cavalry came down into the valley and turned to face the door less than five hundred yards away, the dogs in camp went silent.

"Stealth approach mode! No guard is out!" reported Paschal.

Rather than come thundering down the road, the horses walked in slowly, making as little noise as possible. The group passed the guard tower without being detected, than the two hundred and fifty yard mark. At one hundred yards, nature itself grew silent. Even the horses in the barns within the camp grew quiet.

At fifty yards, a guard got out but was heading for the latrines and never looked back to see the colossal column walk in on him. He entered the outhouse, did his business, and came out to find himself framed by a couple of big destrier.

"One tiny squeak out of you, and you are getting a very popular haircut in the highest spheres of elven society known as a head shave. It is definitive and you never have to visit a barber again!" Yamato said.

By then the column had passed the gate and were taking control of its closure mechanism. The elven army followed and spread around taking quick control of strategic points, including the three other doors. Everything was done very quietly, so as not to give the alarm. Next came the legionnaires and the horse train with their supplies. By sext, the camp was more secure than a lead coffin.

Harold, Enron, and the three other princes quietly moved to the baron's castle and took over before anyone could even figure out what was happening. Legionnaires and elves of the house of York took control of the treasury, and the defences of the castle. Also included in the priorities were the library, the armoury, and the family quarters of the defunct baron of Firebrand.

As sext rang at the castle tower, the miners returned home for their meal. All seemed in perfect order, as the colours of the baron were still flying, as per the order of Harold.

"Why not bring the colours down and replace them by mine?"

"Do you want to give the crocks advance notice of the impending termination of their self-employment? All those that are outside of the walls for a reason or another would turn and run if they even smelled what is cooking."

"Not really!"

By vespers the miners that had gone out for the day had returned, and Enron ordered the closure of the gates for the night.

"The rat trap is sprung, Volant. Let's smoke out the nest!"

"How long will it take Prince Paschal to figure out what happened in the accounts, do you think, Prince Enron?"

"He has been working on them since sext, non-stop. Dunbar and the others have been feeding him, both in books and in food. The recovery of the double accounts already shows you have been swindled of a vast amount of income. If you have been swindled, so has the treasury of the King. But there is a good thing to this."

"There is?"

"Oh, you do not know, do you? It appears that everyone in that place practices double accounting, from the miners themselves to the accountants at the mines, who pay the guards kickbacks to look the other way around."

"How far does it go?"

"The bigger the shark the bigger the appetite. The miners steal two opals per shift; the shift foremen take one from each miner so they have the right to work in the mine, which, given the number of miners involved, makes for a hefty package after each shift, something like a thousand opals per day, per shift for a foreman. I admit that the foremen, being directly in the pit with the miners, are more at risk to mining accidents and therefore are getting the big piece of the cheesecake. Each shift, and there are three, you lose two thousand opals to the skimmers in the mines. The foremen pay one hundred opals per shift to the shift manager, and there are twenty foremen per shift. Do the maths! It already amounts to two thousand opals that fall in the hands of the shift manager, daily, and the workers are something like two thousand down on the floor per shift, that means four thousand opals get taken out that never get counted, each day. The shift manager takes about five hundred out of this to pay for the privilege of being shift master to the mine manager that works for the baron. Now the baron himself stole from the production, a good two thousand opals were skimmed off the accounts daily before ever being entered on the baron's books, per day. Corruption did not stop there. Caravans leaving with the opals had to pay an exit fee to the guards, and an export tax to the baron. They were booked as losses. The exit fee was minimal, about ten opals per horse; and the tax was double that amount, so caravans knew from the start they needed to carry thirty opals per horse-drawn carriage, a minor inconvenience, considering a horse-drawn cart can carry in the order of a thousand opals in coffers. Three hundred and sixty-five horses left with opals last year, which means the baron collected seven thousand three hundred opals as tax money for his services; and the guards collected three thousand six hundred and fifty opals for their own exit fee. These were reported as losses and therefore must be deduced from the book reports baron Firebrand sent to your treasurer."

"But this is staggering! All these numbers are giving me a headache!"

"Yes staggering, since, daily, you lose four thousand opals to greedy hands, plus an untold amount for each caravan that leaves the place. A clean one million four hundred and forty-six thousand opals minimum vanish from the mines on a yearly basis. Compare this to the production books that are sent to you, and you will notice that only one out of five opals produced here ever gets reported! Last year, the baron reported some three hundred and sixty-five thousand opals extracted!"

"I wonder where this production goes?"

"Some of it is hoarded, but most is sold to traffickers that meet the miners or the other officials at pre-arranged spots in the forest around the village. No wonder the baron let the forest invade the clearing. It was profitable to him since he could have his exchange unseen behind the barricades. Everyone benefited from the apparent neglect of security, from the miners to the baron, and, naturally the illicit traders in precious stones."

"You say some of it is hoarded?"

"Not all, or else we would be swimming in opals. The mine is huge, and produces opals by the tons, with little effort, but some serious security risks. There is another consequence to this. By overproducing, the mine has brought down the value of the opals on the market, because it is easier to get it off the black market than off the shelves of the jewellers or open market traders. Not only are you robbed blind at the mine, but also the illicit traffic prevents collecting taxes on added value, on trade, or on customs. It's like a snowball, the more it rolls the bigger it gets. As usual, too, the further an opal travels, the higher the price it can fetch. And since most of the trade is illicit, the price grows exponentially with distance, as each border represents an increased risk."

"I feel sick to my stomach!"

"A few minutes ago, it was your head, now it's your stomach? Did you eat opals for breakfast? I heard they could be heavy on the digestive system! As for me, I am not sick; I am enraged!"

"What will you do about this issue?"

"I just exchanged with King Samson, my dad, and King Harold. Their reaction is simple. First, seize all assets. Second, we order every miner, guard and what not to leave with us for the Sophia border. This mine is closed until further notice. Those that refuse will find their heads on a spike the next minute, whatever their sex. Third, the current caravan that is planning to leave for Eloise will do so, with every horse found in the camp loaded with the opals recovered from the hoarders' cache. Fourth, a wolf courier will bring an account of the caravan's contents to your treasurer and to the royal treasurer, with an explanatory letter. The scribes are writing the letters now. The caravan master will be warned, there better not be any missing opal if he wants to keep his head tied where it belongs!"

"How do you plan to recover the hoarded opals? No, no do not answer! The canine spy network! I should have known!"

"Finally! You seem a lot more intelligent than that mage, Marlin. He still is all mixed up in his head! I must admit that the poor man has been fighting a losing war with Harp, who keeps teasing him by inserting all sorts of ideas in his mind!"

"How many opals do you think will be recovered?"

"The exact number will be known tomorrow morning at prime, when the team of assistants Paschal and the other princes have mobilized has finished counting every opal found in coffers, bags, cookie jar, and mattresses that have been collected, including those buried in the forest, hidden in caves, or in wells. Some must have had problems sleeping, because raw opals can have sharp edges! Their count is already equal to five year of production, and is still climbing, albeit at a much slower rate. It's the tiny hoarders that are now disgorging their opals. My brothers won't be easy companions tomorrow morning, Archduke. If I were you I would stay quiet and not raise any raucous. Get to bed and rest, I have a long night ahead of me, helping them count opals and fallen heads."

"Will the caravan have enough horses?"

"Not using their usual means of transport. Bye-bye saddle bags. They will have to use carts. We estimate that a fully loaded horse-drawn cart can carry over fifty thousand opals, this represents one hundred and forty-six wagons. Do not worry about the caravan getting robbed. For each cart ten wolves will be accompanying them in the forest, following the caravan on each side. I pity the idiots that try to intercept it."

Looking in the vague, Enron returned his attention back to the Archduke. "I hope you did not attach much emotional value to the baron's eldest son? He just got shortened."

"Eric? No, he was a first class jerk, much like his dad."

"By the way, they had been using animals to draw the extraction carts out of the mine. Donkeys mostly, but it also included some Shetland ponies. They were severely mistreated. Harold is healing them as of now; they will join the other members of the horse family to pull the carts recovered from the mines themselves. Harp was so pissed at the mine manager he gutted him with a buttering knife. I don't think Harp won a popularity contest with the mine managers after doing this to the varmint right in front of them!"

"Given how Prince Harp is respected by the horses, especially that strange one that keeps tagging him all the time, I am not in the least surprised by his reaction. I wonder why he choose that method?"

"So it took longer to kill the bastard, that's why. Sometimes, Harp sends shivers down my spine. But given he saw his own mother getting eaten by orcs, I don't think I shall ever call him to task on his way of thinking!"

"Oh! The poor lad! Neither shall I, Prince Enron. I have seen the colour of his eyes when he is getting ready to kill, and this kind of look spells death more effectively than a flying arrow."

"Do not ever show that you pity Harp! He wouldn't put up with it, and you never, ever, want to cross the boy. Ever, have I made myself clear? I saw him dispose of Albert the snake, the so-called court musician, within the Circle of Judgement, and Albert was renowned for his viciousness. Anyways, the need for a baron here is delayed sine die. You need not worry about the mine. The legionnaires are closing the tunnels opened in the side of the cliffs with big quarry-stones, cut to fit so tight and like a three-dimensional jigsaw it will take considerable work to be able to move them. Quite a few have worked on cobblestone roads and know how to join big slabs of rocks so they are watertight. Those involved will need some rest, but will ride rather than walk, tomorrow."

***

The next morning saw the caravan carrying the opals left at prime, escorted by wolves. The Royal Canine Postal Service was again used to deliver a message, this time to the chancellor of exchequer of the king and of the archduke.

"How many carts are leaving?" asked the archduke.

"One hundred and fifty-five. I just hope your vaults can hold that much, archduke?"

"My vaults, certainly not. But we do have a vast network of catacombs under the castle. I doubt the dead will raise any objection to receiving visitors carrying the state treasury! Frederick the Great will probably breath easier once his catafalque is buried in firestones! He was known for his greed, even more than for his blood lust. It's when you study the history of crowned heads that you discover how many built their status on the guts of others. Frederick was a ruffian, a murderer, and a cutthroat, which had the sense of politics and allied himself with the winning side. He knew how to change side just in time, so as to find himself in the winners' camp."

"I know the history of all the blue blood in the kingdom, archduke. I am not prince for nothing, you know. I also know Frederick the Great did not hesitate to dip his blade in suddenly useless allies so he could be seen under a better light by the victor. Fortunately, he met his match with the ancestor of Franz, if memory serves me right. The young man was faster than the aging Frederick. It prolonged the war ten years, and started the feud between your two families that has lasted until Franz met King Harold. The princes of the Wolf Throne said it all when they told me that blue blood indicated lack of oxygen to the brain; however they do not even fathom how high the pyramid of bones on which we stand is, glorifying ourselves about victories others usually won for us with their blood and bowels. The awareness of this past keeps me on my toes, Volant, because I am finely attuned to the intrinsic instability of the base on which a throne sits. Let someone kick the wrong bone, and the throne will come crashing down."

"You do have an acute sense of politics, Prince Enron. This is remarkable for someone as young as you."

"You think so? Let me tell you a secret! I learned politics not from my dad, but from the Wolf princes. These boys have taught me in the short time I have known them, more than all the years spent at my dad's court. Even dad recognizes their astuteness and listens to them. Not to mention they are the true sons of the Wolf King, if not by blood, by kindred spirit. Every day, I learn new things, and our sharing of thoughts has created a bond that has made us one, not only between our two families, but also with the canines and the horses. It goes much, much further than you can even imagine."

"This is a fascinating story. I wish to hear more?"

"Not now, archduke. We have a strategy session meeting due to start at prime, and we are going to be late. Let's move."

The archduke followed Enron in the dining hall, were all those involved in the meeting were grouped. On a table was a map of the Elven kingdom, to be used as reference, should distances be needed.

For the first time since their escape from the fire inferno, King Samson joined them.

"Dad! I am so glad you are up today!"

"Me too, Enron. I have been updated on your decisions, and I hereby confirm all of them. I will sit as counsellor here to Prince Enron, which retains his title as Prince regent until such time as the conditions change. Please be seated to the right of King Harold, as befits the holder of my crown, son."

"Thank you dad, for your vote of confidence. Let's start, if you are ready?"

"Yes, Enron. First, Paschal, what is the report on the troop movements from Eloise towards the border with Sophia?"

"It is now completed, dad. The York army is at the door of the pass; however the wolves have invited the foot soldiers to follow them along hidden trails, so as to take the fortifications on Sophia's side from the rear. The dogs in the fortification have found an escape tunnel and will guide them inside the castle from that entrance. Meanwhile, we plan to distract them with a smoke screen, attracting their defences to the front walls. The horses will move out in plain daylight, raising havoc with trumpets and the like, to cover any noise our rear attack might produce."

"How is the tunnel?"

"Narrow, and fragile, but it leads to a cistern. The dogs say there is a staircase, cut in raw rock, which climbs along the side of the cistern, and leads to an abandoned room, just outside the main courtyard. A rotten door closes the room and separates it from the castle arms depot. That depot will be opened but empty of staff when the alarm rings. By blocking the door, the defenders will be almost without weapons to defend the castle."

"An important thing that Paschal did not mention is that there is no caravan moving across the pass from Sophia for the next few days. It would have been catastrophic to meet a caravan in the narrow passages." Sitar completed. "The horses will leave tonight, and cross the pass in darkness. The foot soldiers have already been on the road for let me see, ten minutes. They should reach the other side at dusk, and be at the tunnel entrance at compline. The tunnel entrance is located in a narrow gorge, a mile off the back wall. The wolves will guide them so there is no need for light, which could give off the movement of the elven column."

"Thank you boys. This gives us an additional day to reach Sophia. We may need it. Archduke, what is the distance to the border?"

"Let me look at the map, sire."

"Fifty miles, two days at your usual speed. The baron will have to travel one hundred and twenty-five miles by road from our border to Sophia. Once we reach Sophia's border, we will have to take their fortifications, which would delay us by an unknown amount of time. Furthermore, we have to travel to Sophia once this is taken, and that isn't a piece of cake. Once the border is crossed, we have one hundred and thirty miles to cross to Sophia. At your current speed, five additional days."

"First, I think that baron Regina will need to hide his movements, and use the forest to travel the distance, so do not count he will be doing a much bigger speed than we will. Second, we will run around the fortified place on Sophia's side. There are many smugglers trails and wolf trails around the area. I do not plan to battle uselessly a secondary fort. Third, once we have gone around the settlement, we will return to the road. We can, and this time, shall travel fifty miles a day." Harold decided. This means we reach the border today, gentlemen! Get moving, we have eight hours of walking to do! Tomorrow, we cross the border and regroup on the other side, in the forest bordering the road. That will put us at two days. By then Baron Regina will be beginning his move towards Sophia. We have two and a half day to reach it, again, on open road, since we will carry the colours of the King. No one in his right mind would refuse us right of way! Let's do some maths, a day to take that fort, and two and a half day to reach Sophia for baron Regina; for us, one day to get to the border; a day to get across it using smugglers trails; and two and a half day to reach Sophia, for a total of four days and a half on our part. I am sending a wolf post message to the baron to wait for our signal to exit the forests near Sophia. It should reach him before he leaves the fortifications on Sophia's border, more likely before sundown today. The dogs say he plans to lead the cavalry to give it more credibility, so he will be in his home until sunset. Any objections, gentlemen?"

"No, King Harold. You have our entire trust. Proceed as you see fit!" Enron replied.

"So be it, gentlemen. For the first time, the Throne of the Wolf goes on the offensive. Get moving! We depart in ten minutes!"

The group dispersed and recovered their bedrolls, collected themselves in the barony's courtyard and left by the north gate. The legionnaires knew they would have a harrowing day, so they sang their walking songs at the beat of their drums to find the courage to face the long march ahead of them.

A wolf picked up Harold's message at the gate and took off for the Regina Barony at full run. As expected, the mail got delivered to baron Regina well before he was ready to leave with his cavalry to cross the pass leading to Sophia's border post.