Chapter 6

Anelie sat impatiently at the head of the column, Fort Buffalo's parade ground still shrouded in the pre-morning twilight.

She had, she knew, no reason to be impatient. The goodbyes between young James, Zuza, and their Grandpa, could very well be their last. Who was she to try to rush them? Certainly she had been raised better than that. Adanya, too, was hugging her Father as if this really were goodbye. In spite of herself, Anelie felt tears in her eyes. It was all on her. Whether those two kids came back, whether ANY of them came back to family and friends, was on her.

The sooner they moved out, the sooner her mind could push those thoughts aside. Focus on what she was good at.

Anelie gave her arrangement of the column another appraisal. The two wagons were simple affairs, low sided rectangular boxes with thin wooden rods arching over the cargo area which could support a canvas roof. She had placed both in the middle of their group, the better to protect them. The Kikker teen Issa drove the first, Ruta with him. Anelie would have preferred to have the girl on horseback beside her, constantly checking to keep on course, but Shanna's advice to keep the magical necklace close to the kids was a good one. They, and their mother Adanya, were in the second wagon, along with Lewy's wife Jaromira. The stocky woman drove, Anelie pitying anything that got in her team's way. Issa had better not dawdle.

Around the wagons, her four recruits formed the inner screen. She had put Bogdi in charge of them, much to his amusement. Hers, too. Her brother had never been under her command. He probably wasn't now, if they were honest about it. He knew more, was more experienced. Bogdi should, in fact, be their leader. It might even come to that. If he yelled a command, Anelie for sure would be the first to obey it.

She glanced beside her. Felek sat on a grey stallion, silver armor polished and new. Whether she took an order from him or not when given remained to be seen. He did have the King's trust, though, and Shanna's. As much as Anelie still thought of him as the small serving boy, he did match her in size.

He noticed her attention on him.

"Don't worry," he smiled, "I plan on being quiet and letting you do your thing."

"Good." She said it with humor. At least, she hoped so. Felek glanced back behind them.

"Besides, if I'm up here Ruta won't have evil jealous thoughts regarding those girls."

Anelie glanced back as well, past the six Hussars she had picked to lead the column (the other four pulling rearguard). Her eyes found themselves, almost against her will, on the blonde Klocia. What had Shanna said? That this one was attracted to her? As she watched, Klocia straightened in the saddle, form almost perfect.

Whatever.

"Goodbye, Grandpa!"

The kids were now in the wagon, waving. Adanya climbed up as well, taking her place next to Jaromira. She caught Anelie's eye.

"I think we're ready, Lady Anelie!"

"Good!" Anelie looked to Shanna, standing beside the Kikker Chief. She saluted. "Lady Shanna! Permission to depart!"

"Do it," Shanna replied, her own salute crisp, sharp.

Movement caught Anelie's eye. Her mother, goodbyes given the night before, stood back from the others.

"She sees what I am", Anelie thought. "She sees the soldier that I truly am." Did she finally understand, now? Accept? Well, that was a question for the future. Anelie looked towards the open gate, arm raised.

"Move out!"

The road was well traveled, the dirt well packed and relatively rut-free. It cut a wide path through the forest, trees and brush cut back a few yards on either side. This, Felek felt, created an illusion of safety if not the reality. Ambush would still certainly be possible, but you'd see them a half second earlier.

Not that there would be thieves here, and certainly not this early in the morning. Felek had always paid close attention to the reports from Shanna's outpost, fascinated by what she was doing. Expanding on an emergency fort put up during the Refugee Crisis, she had created a protected safe zone, patrolling in an ever widening arc. Kikker settlers had slowly moved into this land, as had a few of the furry Watu. King James had not laid claim to the land, nor had he made himself ruler of these people. It was all very strange. The town of Puln DID send a delegate to the Council, though. Whether they represented all those living in this area, or just the Kikker residing beside Fort Buffalo, was an open question. Most likely, the majority of residents didn't even know about the Council.

To be fair, most on the Council probably didn't know about them.

They passed a trail, heading off north into the trees. Felek nodded his head towards it.

"What's down there?"

"Couple Watu huts," Anelie said, eyes staying on the road ahead. "It was a robbers den, but we cleared them out as soon as the Fort walls were up."

Felek nodded.

"I assume we'll be relatively safe for at least a couple days."

"Longer, if we stay on well traveled roads. We're too well armed to be bothered by the smarter breed of bandit, and we've killed the stupid ones."

"Should have gotten the smart ones first."

Anelie shot him a glance. She shrugged as her attention went back to the road.

"A thief who doesn't bother anyone is not a thief I'm worried about."

He nodded again. Felek could hear Shanna in her voice. Ewa had told him once that he was becoming more and more like King James. The same seemed to have happened to Anelie. You became your idols.

He glanced behind him. Luckily, Ruta did not seem to idolize his sister in the slightest. She waved to him from her seat next to Issa, cheerful and bubbly. They'd see how long that mood lasted, wagon springs being what they were.

Anelie's voice brought his attention back to her.

"Has Ruta traveled before?"

Felek shook his head.

"Not much. My sister stays around the Palace, so Ruta does the same. This may be her first time in a wagon since the Exodus."

"Great." She let out a long sigh. Part of Felek wanted to defend his wife to be. The other wanted to be honest. Honesty won out.

"We just have to ease her, and Issa, into things. And me," he admitted. Anelie looked at him, eyebrow raised. "I may have trained, but it's not like I've slept on the ground since then either. Palace beds are very soft and comfy."

Anelie let out a snort. Felek grinned.

"I promise no bitching. From me, at least. Feel free to smack down Issa when he complains."

The village was small, a half-dozen homes scattered randomly on the left side of the road. They were not on the road itself, but rather set a dozen or two yards away. Almost, Felek thought, as if the forest was trusted more than travelers. A trading post did sit beside the roadway, its wood frame long and squat. Anelie raised her arm.

"We'll stop here. Lewy, put some pickets out. Klocia!" The girl almost jumped in her saddle.

"Lady!"

"See that all the horses are watered."

"Yes, Lady!"

Felek chuckled. It was like deja vu. All he could see as he looked at those two was Shanna with young Anelie. It was too bad he did not have a young boy to serve him, to mirror his first months with His Grace. Ah, well. Maybe Ruta would serve him. That's what a good wife did, after all, wasn't it?

He chuckled again. Probably best not to mention that to her.

Felek dismounted, eyes staying on the buildings. He did not see anyone. They could be off working, doing whatever the residents did to survive. The silence itself was not suspicious. Handing his reins to one of the soldiers, he walked back to the first wagon.

"Ow." Ruta let out a groan as she stood up from her seat, hands going to her bottom. Felek put his arms out to her. Bending down, she let him help her onto the ground. She took the opportunity to give him a quick kiss.

"Thank you, Sir," she said, grinning.

"Thank YOU, Lady. Should I kiss your bum to make it better?"

"Can I watch?" Issa said, jumping down beside them. Ruta wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ew, no."

Felek saw Anelie waiting, amusement warring with annoyance. Figuring, if she was like Shanna, annoyed amusement was the likely outcome, he took Ruta's arm.