Dem lay back on his bedroll, bouncing ideas off his only companion — the Tatzelwurm egg. Tucked beneath his blanket, it perched warm on his stomach, purring at the sound of his voice.
"You'd come in handy in a fight like this," he murmured. "Assuming you were full-grown."
The egg purred louder. It had been doing that more with each passing day, making Dem suspect it would hatch sooner rather than later.
With the suggestions from his sub-chiefs circling in his mind, Dem shaped a strategy — one that would needle and harass the invaders until they cursed this continent itself. "I'll scout them personally. Take their measure. The Four Kingdoms isn't a place you can just come and go."
The next four days passed quickly. Each midday stop lasted only an hour — enough time to rest and gather sage branches. Forty-five armfuls a day, multiplied across the march, added up quickly. All of it went neatly into Dem's storage ring.
On the eighth day, within a few hours of Stonefall's winter camp, Dem felt a familiar presence. He signaled Telo to rein in the Sentries and rode on alone.
"Why are you hiding?" Dem asked lightly.
Tori stood from behind a rock outcrop, her mismatched eyes sparkling with humor. "What is the Sentry Force doing here? Is this an invasion?"
"We're after your women, of course," Dem deadpanned. "Send them out and we'll leave peacefully."
Tori barked a laugh. "I wouldn't wish our women on anyone. Between you and me, they're a sorry lot."
Dem returned her smile. "Does that include you?"
"Of course not. I'm a gem." Tori placed a hand on his horse's shoulder. "You getting taller, Swiftwind?"
"Maybe a bit." His expression shifted, serious now. "Any sign of foreigners in the area?"
Her humor faded. "Is there supposed to be?"
"Climb up." Dem waited for her to settle behind him, then turned toward the Sentries. "Our source says a force of six hundred mercenaries is coming. They might already be here. Where's the most likely place for a naval landing?"
Tori held lightly to his shoulders as they rode back. "The Point. Easiest place by far. About an hour south of here."
Dem guided his horse beside Telo. "Deploy the scouts. Focus on the shore an hour south, but don't ignore the rest."
Sark nodded once before disappearing into the rocky terrain with his odun.
"This is serious, Dem." Tori glanced at the Sentry formation. "If that force decides to raid us, there'll be a lot of casualties. I'm not sure what you could accomplish against six hundred mercenaries."
"As much as we can," Dem replied. "I'll need some explosives, the kind used for mining."
Tori grinned. "I suppose blowing up mercs is a good start."
"Right," Dem agreed. "If only they'd let us walk in and set the charges in place."
Tori snorted. "You traveling from the Swiftwind winter camp? How long did that take?"
Dem nodded. "Eight days."
"You were riding hard." Tori whistled softly. "Rein in here, our remuda is hidden in the ravine."
Dem nodded, turning abruptly into a steep-sided canyon, the smell of settlement and livestock hanging in the air. "It's well hidden, even the scents are masked."
Tori squeezed his shoulders. "Chose the location myself. Are the Sentries going to make camp here?"
"No, we'll wait for Sark to report back." Dem waited as she slid from behind him, a smile forming on his face. Her beastkin was what the tribals called a desert hunter, which was really a sand-colored feline, hardy, resilient, and very reclusive. He'd only seen them from a distance.
"Come to the main lodge, we'll get you fed while you wait." Tori broke into a trot, pausing suddenly in a skid of rocks and sand. "It's straight ahead, the only building with a thatched roof."
"Thanks," Dem dismounted and walked his horse to the remuda. "Just tie them here, don't let them mix with the herd. We'll eat and come right back."
Telo nodded and began relaying orders.
Like the Frostridge Clan, Stonefall took their meals as a community in a central lodge. Dem felt there was something to be said for eating together, but preferred the Swiftwind method of eating in small familial groups.
Even though the Sentries arrived before typical meal time, several pots were already being placed on the central cook fire, reheating stew from the midday meal.
"Geordi Stonefall," a tall, thin man with crazy white hair, approached as Dem was eating with his Sub-Chiefs. "Chief of the Stonefall Clan."
Dem stood, clasping forearms. "Dem, Commander of the Sentries. Have a seat and we'll talk."
Geordi sat across from him, helping himself to one of the buns on Telo's plate. "I'm hearing troublesome things."
Dem wasn't surprised. The moment the Sentries appeared, the rumors started. Nothing in the Four Kingdoms was faster than clan gossip. "Prepare for the worst. Defensive positions, increase security, pull back the herds, armed guards for the farmers and shepherds."
Geordi's wrinkled face twisted in a grimace. "How big is the problem?"
"Six hundred mercenaries," Dem reported.
"That's a big problem. Do you think they'll target us?"
"We're here to ensure they don't," Dem answered. "But I still advise caution."
Dem finished his meal just as Tori strode back into the lodge. She carried a massive spool of white cord on one shoulder and led four younger men, each hauling a wooden keg.
Tori dropped the spool onto the table hard enough to rattle every cup. "Fuse line. The slow variety."
Dem picked up the frayed end. "Slow?"
Tori leaned closer, mismatched eyes dancing. "Slow means twenty to thirty counts of burn per foot. Call it twenty-five on average."
Dem grinned, and the entire spool vanished into his storage ring. "And the mining explosives?"
"All we can spare," Tori said. "Or at least all those bastards at the mines would give me."
"In that case, I'm not giving it back if we don't use it." Dem stored the kegs away as well and nodded to Telo. "Let's get back to the horses."
Tori grabbed Dem's elbow before he could leave. "If you need extra hands, you only have to ask."
Dem nodded. "Thanks, Tori."
Her expression slipped from serious to mischievous. "Run them off, and I'll give you a special reward."
Telo, unfortunately, overheard. "I'll take a special reward!"
Tori rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Redfox."
The Sentries returned to their mounts, watering and checking them over. Dem was wiping his mare down with a handful of dried grass when Sark appeared at the edge of camp.
"Sark's back," Dem said to Telo. "Gather the sub-chiefs."
He pulled a folding table from his storage ring as the leadership assembled.
Sark dismounted, face grim. "Four ships offshore. They arrived within the last day. Men and horses already landed, still offloading supplies."
"That's good," Dem exhaled, relieved they'd pushed hard. He opened the atlas on the table. "Show me."
Toman leaned over as Sark pointed. "They landed too far south of the Point. That's good—it limits where they can go, and they'll be without steady water for half a day. My bet is they'll camp here." He tapped a valley with a narrow river running through it.
"Eventually we'll split into oduns," Dem said. "Toman, find half a dozen spots where an odun can hide. Mark them on the map."
"I'm on it," Toman said. "Plenty of places a small group can disappear."
"Telo, have the Sentries rest." Dem put the table away, leaving the atlas with Toman. "Be ready when I get back."
"Understood. Where you going, Commander?"
"Closer look."
Dem saddled his mare, and Telo moved off to relay orders.
He rode at an easy canter for half an hour before tying his horse in a narrow gully. From there, he continued on foot, running smoothly, a silent shadow moving toward the coast.
They weren't hard to find.
Dem studied the mass of activity from a rocky overlook. They'd camped right on the beach—no noise or light discipline, tents lined in easy rows, voices shouting over one another, some already drinking. Small jolly boats rowed endlessly to shore, ferrying supplies from the four ships anchored close by.
"It's like they're here on vacation."
As the sun dipped lower, Dem stripped and stowed his gear. His body shifted in an instant, shrinking into a sleek black rat. Silent and unseen, he crept toward the beach, slipping between rocks and sand like a shadow given form.