Striking into the enemy

With Sax rushing in we have held Kane along the western border. The Ori Royal Guards have began to make themselves known once more. The ancient fortress had been the perfect northern base. Not only had it stood up to constant attacks but it was sending the army after the Kane in growing numbers.

New roads were moving to several areas of the border. The Stalker companies had pushed the Kane out of the far north and the Royal Guards were moving south. The victory on the southern border had caused a lot of celebrating. The Kane were slow to answer but their military was also growing larger.

I had grown up a fisherman and even owned my own boat. When the war started I pulled my boat out and went to join the army. I also brought over two hundred and fifty men with me and that earned me something I did not expect. I was given a commission and although we did not get a lot of training we did learn how to use rifles and even pistols.

Three weeks and we were being sent north, well north from the coast but only to a new base in the middle of the border. We joined a battalion that was forming with a full regiment already fighting to hold the Kane back from the river. We were not the only new arrivals, a full battalion of Oir Royal Guards arrived at the same time as we did.

They were large warriors that stood over two meters tall. Well the men did, we saw a lot of young women or older teenagers. I was issuing orders to move our position to the south when one of the Royal Guards appeared, "these are our supplies."

I snorted as I looked at the crates we had brought with us, "no. We brought these with us."

He looked like he was in his late twenties and grinned and poked me in the chest, "I say they belong to us."

I looked at his big hand before I looked up into his face, "do not do that."

His grin widened and I saw several of his men laugh. He started to jab into my chest and I dropped the lists in my hand. I slid aside as my left hand caught his right. The thumb pressed as I twisted and turned and he yelled as his arm was locked. I snapped a kick behind his knees and he went down.

I lifted and twisted and swung the arm back and he went back and crashed to the ground. I came down in a strike to his throat and stopped at the last moment. I patted his cheek, "I warned you not to touch me."

I stood and moved back and he lay there a moment before he arched his back and snapped to his feet. He had a large grin, "two out of three?"

The other Royal Guards were not laughing and watched me. I sighed, "I do not have time to teach you how to fight."

He laughed and moved towards me, "try to hit me."

I shook my head, "just remember you asked me."

He gestured and I stepped and started to strike before spinning. I opened up at the last moment but his left hand snapped out and caught my fist. I was already leaping, spinning and rolling as I twisted and kicked. It caught him in the side of the head and he went back and down as I fell.

I rolled to my feet expecting him to attack me. Instead I found him laughing as he came to his feet. He moved towards me and bowed, "you are much more than you seem lad. None have treated us so since we came south. I would very much enjoy a longer bout but we both have people to lead."

I relaxed and bowed, "you do not move to bad."

He snorted and then chuckled, "I hope not."

He looked at the supplies and sighed and I shook my head, "what do your people need?"

He shrugged and told me and I bent to pick up the lists I had dropped. I turned, "sergeant Allen!"

He came towards us warily, "sir?"

I gestured to the Royal Guard, "use the radio to call for emergency replacement supplies. Get with their supply sergeant and make sure they know who to call and how."

He nodded, "yes sir."

I turned back to the warrior, "have someone show him to your supply sergeant or person."

I pointed out crates, "take those for now."

He looked surprised before bowing low, "thank you."

I nodded, "that is what allies are for. Next time just ask."

He grinned once more, "but I got a real chance to know one that leads other warriors."

I watched them take the crates and leave with the sergeant before I headed to the battalion headquarters tent. The major glanced at me when I came in, "we have a mission tomorrow. Now that we have the men the general wants to strike into the Kane army. Give your men a warning and return."

I nodded and spun and he cleared his throat, "wait."

I turned and he gestured to a teenager I had not seen, "this is Toni. She is a minor mage but ... she has one of the Ori diamonds. She is going with you."

I looked at her as she stood and bent to grab a pack. I shrugged, "if she is like the sea witches we can use her."

She followed me out and then south to my company. I gestured to my tent and looked around, "top sergeant Clarence!"

A large thin man stood, "sir?"

I snorted, "let everyone know we have a combat mission."

He grinned, "about time."

I smiled, "make sure the other sergeants check weapons and equipment."

I turned to see the Royal Guard I had fought returning with a young woman. I sighed and waited and he grinned, "my friend I have a warrior for you."

I looked at the young woman as she looked me over and was ready to refuse before I shrugged, "thank you. We have a mission tomorrow and can use any warriors."

He slapped my shoulder, "fight well my friend."

He walked away and I looked at the woman before I gestured to my tent, "you can put your things in the tent with the mage."

She smiled, "mage? I am a shaman."

I blinked, "I thought Ori law prohibited mages from combat?"

She shook her head, "the old law prohibits us from using magic in combat. We can use magic in support but not during and we can fight, just not with magic."

I grinned, "that gives me an idea. Get with the mage and see if you or she can create a spell to make us invisible or our clothes camouflaged like they did to the south. Make sure we can see each other though."

She grinned as she headed for the tent, "that we can do."

I looked at her hips and shook my head before I turned and headed back to the battalion headquarters. The mission was a two pronged attack and the major had the Ori Royal Guard leader there and the other company commaders. Basically they would strike into the Kane army to the north of the main battle area and we would strike into the south.

They would angle southwest and we would move northwest and hopefully the enemy would fall back or be cut off. We had mortars ready to prep the enemy positions before we attacked. I hesitated and then brought up having the mages make our uniforms camouflaged and the Royal Guard leader grinned, "that is a good idea. I will pass the word to our shamans."

When I left and headed back to my company I found several huge tubs. Toni and the Royal Guard shaman were soaking uniforms the men were bringing to them. Once the uniform was soaked and pulled out it shimmered and seemed to blend into whatever was behind it. I grinned and turned, "sergeants!"