Chapter 15

We woke early and decided against having a morning meal, instead hoping to get on our way sooner. I collected my goods and made my way out of the inn with the others. I took Janet’s equipment as she was going to head to the carrier bird aviary to send out a message to her contacts. She would meet us at the stablemaster’s when she was done. Lillian padded alongside me and we were warmly greeted as we approached.

“Hello, my friends,” he said warmly. “You are ahead of schedule, but I was able to get everything you requested. The wagon is being loaded as we speak, and I will have my men start preparing your horses.”

I thanked him and had Faye join me as we headed to the historical records office. Lillian stayed with the others, so as not to agitate anyone as we made our way through the city, but she sent us her love and worry through the link. We had no problems getting through the checkpoint, for which I was thankful for and I was happy to see Elinia was waiting for us in the records office. She seemed to be going through various books and records when we entered.

“Hello, Davik, Faye,” she said as she got up to greet us. “I have been collecting and reviewing the data that we talked about yesterday, so what can I do for you two?”

“I hope you do not mind, but I have a few more things to look for in these books, so I will be taking them with me,” I replied. “We will be leaving today to head to the northern areas to a village where an old friend grew up,” I told her, giving her the name. “We wish to pay respects to the village and any family she has living there.”

She smiled and said, “Thank you for telling me. I will be sure to send any information I find there for you to read when you arrive. Have a safe trip and I hope to see you all again when you return.”

We thanked her for all of her help and left to return to the stablemaster, so we could continue on our journey. Janet should have been done with her tasks and would probably meet us there or would arrive soon after. I could tell through the link she had felt happy with what she had gotten done while we were separated and was making her way back. We arrived about ten minutes before she did, and we were greeted by her smiling face as we finished preparing the wagon for our departure.

Janet gave me a hug and turned to the group, “I have sent out missives with the information to the various battalions and platoons that have pledged to help us. I have suggested that the ones stationed here should remain in case the enemy retaliates. We have a large number that will be able to help us without causing a lapse in protection to their assigned towns, villages or cities.”

I nodded, “Good idea. That would ensure that we do not lose anyone of Vishant to attacks due to lack of soldiers. Did you give them an exact idea of where we were going to be looking for them?”

“No, I did not,” she replied. “We still have no idea if there are agents of the enemy mixed in with our people. If the information comes out before we are ready to attack, they could move, allowing them to hide for a century or two. We cannot afford for that to happen again, so for now I just said that they should meet in Kart’laga, a town south of the region we believe their hideout to be. They are to play it off as a training exercise to limit suspicion. Given that larger groups than the one we are gathering have shown up there for training in the past, it is the perfect cover. There is a fort there that us has been used for various training regiments and has at times had groupings of soldiers as large as our force training there.”

I nodded, “Good. You are right. The last thing we need is them going into hiding because they found out our plans. For now we need to get on the road, the sooner we arrive at Kart’laga, the better. I want to deal with this menace before we head to at Celka’s home village, especially due to our unique timetable.”

Everyone nodded and we climbed aboard the wagon. We thanked the stablemaster for his work and began taking the road towards what they called the northern stretch. It was the only way to reach the northern villages and cities. I did find it odd that they never made other roads and paths, but Janet explained that it was mostly due to the attacks by the Voguel. They could monitor and protect caravans better if there was only one route for them. Normally, there would be various patrols moving up and down the route, ensuring the safety of travelers, but due to the increased attacks of the voguel forces, there was a lack of presence.

While that did make sense, it also made the caravans more vulnerable to attack, as there is only one route for them to take. The enemy would know that and could plan an attack accordingly. It was a double edge sword, but we had no choice in the matter. We maintained our travel routine, with Lillian and one other in the woods to the right and two more in the woods to the left. Janet was confident we would reach the end of the northern stretch within two months and then it would be another month to head east to the village. She hoped that the weather would hold out, as the weather patterns in the northern areas of the province tended to be temperamental.

We made decent time each day, making sure that the horses were not pushed too hard. My main worry was that the next blood moon was only a few weeks away and we would not even be at the halfway point of our trip. With the looming threat, we made sure to hone our skills and there were nightly sparring matches. What was once one on one battles against me soon became two or even three to one. With my newfound well of strength, I moved faster than I had thought possible and even with the training difference between us, I came out the victor.

I pushed them to come up with new tactics and was proud of their improvements. As the weeks passed, they started to keep me on my toes, and I was finding it more difficult to ward them off. I was immensely proud of their progress, which I made sure to show them when I had the chance. The threat of the enemy, as well as the possible war we would have to fight, affected their libidos. They were almost hungry for the sex and intimacy we shared at night. I felt it was the fear of death that made them desperate to enjoy what fleeting moments there could be.

When I asked Janet about it, she explained they had always been like that. Due to the lack of males in their platoon they would seek comfort and intimacy with one another. If it were not for the sleep, we needed to ensure that we were aware and ready for anything, they would be making sure I had a turn with each one every night. As it happened, I would be with two of them, the group deciding the pairs that would share my bed. I never minded their decision, save for regretting that six others were excluded each night.

The day of the blood moon we were on high alert, listening for movement of any kind, in the surrounding forest. This particular area had very dense woods and would make it easy for our enemy to sneak up on regular travelers. I made sure to stretch my awareness to its limits, despite the others patrolling in the forest. My range had grown enough that I could give them a warning within the link should I sense a threat. As the day continued, the tension of the coming evening grew. Unease filled the bond and I tried to radiate calming emotions to help them from being too on edge.

As the sun began to set, we set camp for the night. We would work in shifts of two, with Lillian staying with each group to support them as the other rested. She had stayed in the wagon after midday meal, resting, and Janet had taken her place with the others in the forest. This would help ensure that she would be awake and aware throughout the blood moon.

Janet and I had the first watch with Lillian. I knew the others were too keyed up to sleep, but they would need their rest. We watched as the sun set and, in a few moments, the night sky changed as the red moon began its trek across the sky.

I stretched out my awareness, listening for movement and signs of danger. I half expected to hear the sounds of wolves howling, signaling the Voguel’s change and call of battle. No sound pierced the night air, but instead of calming me, it filled me with dread. Something was tugging at me, some gnawing thought that was telling me there was something bad about to happen. Janet glanced at me and I could feel through the bond that she had the same feeling.

We waited for three hours, but there was no threat or pending attack. Janet went into one of the tents to wake Ingrid and Faye for their shift and, when they came out, I went into sleep alongside Janet. She curled into my left side and pulled me close, but something was missing. Lillian would normally be on the other side, doing the same as Janet. She sent reassuring feelings through the bond and it helped us to relax enough to fall asleep. I could only hope that things would be alright when we woke up.

Golden eyes peered through the brush at the unsuspecting victims. The crimson light of the moon illuminating everything as if it were bathed in blood. The urge to kill them was strong, but she had to bide her time. As much as she wanted to rid herself of the threat, they posed to her and the rest of the Voguel, she needed to keep on the task at hand. She was alone and there were more enemies than she could handle even if they had been normal humans. The boy was the worst problem, due to his abnormal strength, speed, and other attributes she could only guess at. If the rumors that she had been hearing were true, he seemed to be stronger than he had been when he faced off against Brenson. The others were well known as a formidable force that had been rather successful at thinning their numbers. If she could just get one of them alone, perhaps during a shift change, she would be able to strike before they knew what hit them.

It had taken her nearly two hours to follow their scent and find them. Then it took her another two to slowly approach their campsite without causing sounds that would alert them and make them suspicious. That Davik’s abilities made her wary of attacking, as he seemed to have a keen awareness of what was around him. She still felt the blow of Brenson’s death, as the loss of him and his minions had weakened her. That had been an issue that the Torgal had caused a lot lately, but her master’s plan would ensure that they would end up on tome. She had hoped Brenson would have been more successful in his task and thus giving her the power to defeat her master as well as an army to use against the people and armies of Vishant. But his inexperience and his arrogance had cost her that plan and him his pitiful life.