The Foolhardies 127 Be Prepared

It was a minute to sundown when Arah and I finally reconciled. I told her about finding Ty in my vision and how he was being treated. I left nothing out. It was better that she heard the whole truth.

"You've got to save him," she said while looking down at her feet. "You know he has such a low pain threshold…"

"Yeah, I know," I answered in a steady voice. "I'm going to save him. Then you can go back to scolding both of us when we come home."

At last, she looked up to face me, tears pooling underneath her eyes. Arah wiped them down with the back of her hand and then she said, "I'll be waiting… and Dean, tell Aura, thanks for coming to talk me down… I don't think I'm ready for the Fayne… yet."

"No one ever is," I sighed.

My return to Hoodwink Tower later that night was met with the sound of clanking steel and cracking stone.

I gave my greetings to Jensen who'd been waiting for me at the roof and walked over to the edge of the roof's battlements so I could look down below.

Scaffoldings covered a large portion of the tower's surface on the south side while a blue tarp stretched across the western side. Recently hired workers were already hard at work on the defensive walls which I'd designated as a priority. And by the lakesh.o.r.e, the foundations of a new building were slowly coming into being. On the downward slope east of the tower entrance and close to our troop encampments, four temporary stone dwellings had also been raised for the merchants we'd approved to do business here.

I grinned while remembering Aura's words, "It seems you will build a new Shärleden here."

The renovations had well and truly begun thanks to Varda and Zarz's combined efforts. It was something to be thankful for. The fact that at least one thing was going well.

"Gather the officers in the Great Hall, will you, Jensen," I instructed. "It's time to finish preparations…"

It had been two nights since my vision of Ty and we were waiting at the tower for the ride Kallista had promised to send. Other than that, it was all about choosing roles for everyone in the team and giving the rest of the unit its final orders.

My officers gathered around the great wooden table that we'd placed at the top of the dais. It had become our regular spot for most of our planning.

I'd created a system to managing our business, usually starting with reports on different aspects of the unit, from tower renovations, finances, supplies, training, unit-wellbeing, patrols, and Fayne intel. The mission always came last so everyone could focus.

As always, Varda began her report on tower renovations first.

"Most of the reconstruction is focused on the walls for now. Our newly hired chief mason, Musk Brimborn, has whipped his fellow dwarves into shape rather nicely, Commander. He estimates it'll take another month to fix the defensive walls," she reported.

"That's a month less than our original projections," Aura noted.

"Nice," Luca added. "I'm tired of feeling defenseless."

"Or unwanted guests dropping by with their whole units," Qwipps added.

This got him a few table bangs. Not everyone was keen on the recent visits of Al and Verania.

Aura's report on our finances came next. It was depressingly short as there wasn't much to tell. Apparently, the renovations were costing us all the wealth we'd gained from the last war and then some.

"We'll be in the red until the merchants finally move in and we start profiting from them or until another battle breaks out for us to earn some plunder," Aura answered.

"Doesn't Fort Darah send us monthly funds? Is that not enough?" Ashley asked.

It was a rare thing as the s.h.i.+eldmaiden was rarely curious about anything other than battle, spreading her newfound faith, or training her units. But now she was curious about unit funds and I suspected it had something to do with my promise of donations to her Mother Superior.

Aura answered Ashley's question with a shake of the head. "We use that exclusively for unit maintenance. Everything else comes out of our spoils and other earnings."

Aura glanced my way for a second.

"I'm kind of hoping the coming quest will earn us some spoils," Aura shrugged.

"I agree," Qwipps said, turning to look at me as well. "There better be some plunder to share after this mission, Dean."

On that depressing note, we moved on to other business.

We were doing alright on the supply front. Mostly because of the discounts Kallista had previously given us. As for unit training, well, Edo had some concerns over the a.s.similation of the kobolds, who, as former thieves, weren't really fit for formation combat.

"Why not just train them the same way as the drow?" Luca asked.

What Luca meant was how we mostly used Thom's unit as scouts, ambushers, or inserts who could deal damage while moving separately from the rest of the unit.

"Think you can take them under your wing, Thom?" I prompted.

Thom leaned on his chair and waited several seconds before answering, "It's not impossible… but are you sure you want to dye them in my colors?"

"As long as they don't turn out like you too much then I'm fine with it," I said.

I'd gotten used to Thom's insinuations, and despite them, he'd never once shown an inclination to betray us. So I really was beginning to trust him.

Unit-wellbeing was a big deal for me as I'd read a lot of books on management. So it was important for me that everyone was getting along or had their heads screwed right. This was, after all, a very stressful business we were in.

Luckily, Azuma and Edo had nothing to report on this apart from a few drunken brawls which were an almost daily occurrence in this kind of environment.

Xanthor had nothing new to report on patrols either. It was another stroke of luck that we weren't getting any new visitors other than new merchants wis.h.i.+ng to get set up shop here, at least not in this crucial stage of our preparations to head out.

The last thing we had to discuss before we could get down to strategy was Fayne news which Aura had compiled from a few nights worth of scrying orbs. There were really only two things of note that were worth mentioning.

"Since our unit has focused on rescuing the Chosen One, we're being outshone in the Westmarch by both the Millenium Hawks and the Moonlight Marauders. They've won several small skirmishes against the Dominion," Aura reported.

"Should we care?" Ashley asked.

"The more achievements a unit racks up the more prestige they earn, translating into favor, spoils, and promotions," Aura answered.

"Hopefully, this mission gets us enough credit to jump past them," I said. "Anything else, Aura?"

"Actually, there's one interesting intel I got from Darah you might find interesting," she said, pausing for effect before her big reveal. "Reports have indicated that the Lord of Stars has arrived in the central region…"

My eyebrows were suddenly in danger of vanis.h.i.+ng above my hairline.

"The Lord of Stars…" I repeated. "He's one of this generation's Sense Knights, right?"

Aura nodded. "He's also the only human who wields absolute power in a fairy clan."

There was a whistle from Qwipps.

"So… avoid at all costs," Luca commented.

"Definitely," Ashley added.

"Unless we're all suicidal… or you know, foolhardy," Varda finished, prompting everyone to look right at me.

And although most of them seemed to agree that there was no way in h.e.l.l they were going to let me meet the Lord of Stars, both Edo and Azuma seemed to have a twinkle in their eyes.

Finally, with all business settled, it was time to talk about more important things. Namely, how we were going to rescue Ty from a place we cannot go to.

"Kallista's smuggler's should be getting here tonight," Aura reported. "The soldiers who are coming along are ready too."

"You guys really want to go to enemy territory with just a hundred soldiers?" Qwipps asked. "Muddamit… sounds like suicide."

"You realize that you're going too, right?" Ashley reminded him.

"Muddamit, Ash… I was trying not to think about that…" Qwipps replied, shaking his head.

"Without Garm's consent, the unit can't go past the blockade. We'll have to make do with smaller numbers, which is why we're bringing the best," I explained, b.u.t.tering up my people as I did.

I looked over to the map on our table and pointed a finger at the mark I'd placed on it right after I'd had my vision.

"The Undercroft, the oasis city beneath the sands," Luca read from the map's elvish script. "Great… another ominous-sounding deathtrap."

"Come on, little brother," I said, glancing toward him. "It's an adventure."

Luca smirked. "I knew you'd say that… geek."

"Before these two can get into another round of brotherly brother banter," Azuma cut in before we could escalate. "Are we all in agreement with the plan?"

"I don't like it," Edo growled.

"We need you here leading the men, Edo," Aura insisted. "Dean and I believe this is a role only you can fulfill."

"My first role is to protect you, Aura," he countered.

Aura wrapped an arm on me and Luca sitting on opposite sides of her. "These boys will protect me. They always have."

"More like you'll protect them," Edo grumbled, but relented anyway.

"So it'll be me, Edo, and Xanthor holding down the fort," Azuma repeated. "While Dean, Luca, Aura, Ashley, Varda, Qwipps, and Thom will be heading out along with nineteen members from Hazy Moon, eight from Mage Hand, nineteen Talons, nineteen from s.h.i.+eld, nineteen from Ravagers, and ten kobolds."

"A hundred-and-one members in all," I agreed. "All specialists who excel in close quarters combat, agile maneuvers, and explosive escapes."

"Ah… so that's why we're bringing Donar along," Varda noted. Then she turned to me and asked, "Sure you want me with you? I'm worried about renovations, Commander."

"Zarz can handle that for now, Varda. I need you on this one," I said.

Varda saluted me like usual. But afterward, she said something that a superst.i.tious mind would have found creepy. "Still, an operation on the week of Samhain feels rather ominous… don't you think?"

The fairies around the table nodded in agreement, but I wasn't sure why the Night of Samhain, which to Mudgardians was Halloween, was such a big deal. Sadly, I wasn't able to ask as, at that moment, the doors to the great hall opened with Zarz appearing on the other side of it, jumping up and down like he'd heard some good news at last.

"Your ride's here, Dean!" he yelled.

And you know what? That was good news.