Sword of Kings
Chapter 34 – The Dark Lord and His Guardian

by Bill W

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Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. 
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.
Don’t read this story if:
**You’re not 18 or over,    
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don’t want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author’s permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other ‘constructive’ comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

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Madumda's advisor found himself in his master's study again, but this time he had been summoned there. That was not uncommon, since he handled many of the Dark Lord's lesser concerns, but he felt something was not quite right when he entered the chamber. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had a very strange feeling as he walked through the door.

“Yes, my Lord,” he said obediently. “You wanted to see me?” The sorcerer looked up, but the advisor noticed there was no readable expression on his face.

“I thought you told me all of our operatives had been recalled, as I ordered,” Madumda began, but his underling knew from the tone he was using that he was already upset. The necromancer's face also began to show signs of irritation and the advisor knew he had to answer quickly or his master's wrath would grow.

“I reported that all members of your army had been returned to their units, as you requested,” he assured the necromancer. “Is there a problem?” The Dark Lord glared at him.

“If that is true,” Madumda countered, “then why are there patrols still wandering about the Devil's Horseshoe.” The servant blanched at this pronouncement, as the blood completely drained from his face. “Since I thought all groups had been summoned back,” the sorcerer continued, “I decided to do a magical scan of the adjacent areas, to make sure all was well. Imagine my shock and surprise when I discovered multiple groups still wandering about. Do you mind explaining to me how that is possible?”

“Uh…well…um, those are merely mercenary patrols, my Lord,” the underling tried to justify, although he could tell by the necromancer's expression that he wasn't succeeding in his effort. “All of your army has been recalled. I did as you ordered.”

“How dare you tell me what I ordered,” the Dark Lord shouted, as he jumped to his feet and towered above his quaking advisor. “What I told you was to bring ALL my operatives back from the field,” he continued, his outrage growing. The sorcerer's hair and beard were flying wildly from side-to-side now, as his anger grew. “It is apparent to me that you intentionally disobeyed my directive. Obviously, you do not think me capable of making the proper decisions.”

“No, master!” the advisor exclaimed, while cowering in fright. “I thought I was doing as you wished.”

“Balderdash,” the Dark Lord countered. “You were doing what YOU wanted.”

“No, my Lord,” the trembling man protested. “I was just concerned about what happened to your spies at the High Pass...”

“I told you before that was just a fluke,” Madumda shouted, cutting his advisor off, before he had a chance to finish his pitiful excuse. Reluctantly, the mention of the High Pass caused Madumda to think about the circumstances of his only setback thus far, the slaughter of one of his patrols. Even though it was a small unit, one that had been assigned to scout the Citadel Mountains and watch the High Pass for activity, the incident had concerned him greatly at the time. However, since that time he realized it was an isolated occurrence, so it no longer worried him.

“A fluke?” the counselor asked, after he saw the Dark Lord's attention focused back upon him. “Are you sure about that? Doesn't it concern you that the other races are working together?”

“I've always suspected those types of alliances would eventually be formed,” the dark mage answered, “but I'm positive that particular group was merely a rogue band of renegades attempting to hinder my rise to power.”

“That's just my point,” the advisor persisted, in an attempt to get a firm commitment. “You don't know for sure what they were up to and they might not be the only ones.”

“It doesn't matter,” Madumda shouted, his temper beginning to surface again. “They were dealt with and that's the end of it.”

“What about the other things we've discovered since?” the smallish man continued.

“What other things?” Madumda snapped.

“Like the dwarfish mail and short-sword that one of the condors carried back to its nest?” the stubborn servant continued. “Doesn't that prove to you that there are other conspirators still lurking about?”

“No!” the necromancer screamed, his eyes narrowing to slits, as his muscles tensed. “That just shows me that one of my pets went a little farther out of its way to find something to eat.” Even though he was furious with his advisor, he couldn't help but get a bit of enjoyment from that last thought. A little snicker escaped his lips, as he wondered how many of his adversaries might have become a meal for one of his aerial watchdogs.

“But what if it didn't go out of its way?” his worried subordinate persisted. “What if that dwarf was snatched somewhere nearby? I fear those things mean there is more going on than what we have already seen.”

“So you DID disobey me,” the necromancer sneered.

“No! Even though I was still concerned, I did what you told me and recalled your soldiers for the battle. I merely failed to order a few of the mercenaries to return.”

“You admitted it again!” Madumda shot back, smirking that he had tricked his underling into confessing his guilt. “By not calling back ALL my operatives, you intentionally ignored my directive.”

“No! That's not what I meant,” the subordinate whined, his fear very evident.

“I will listen to you no more,” Madumda screamed, as he held up his hand to silence his advisor. “It is time you paid for your audacity and served as an example to others. They shall see what happens to someone who defies my wishes.”

“Please, my Lord,” the advisor pleaded, while prostrating himself on the floor. He knew now his only hope was to beg for his life. “I will never…”

“No, you won't,” the Dark Lord cut him off. The sorcerer's eyes were practically glowing, as he tightened his right hand into a fist and his underling grasped his own chest in agony. “You shall come to regret your defiance,” Madumda hissed, as the advisor's body slowly rose off the floor, until it was floating about two meters above the ground. With his lackey in severe pain and totally terrified, the practitioner of black magic made his way out of the room. As he strode down the corridor, his subordinate's writhing form glided in the air behind him, as if towed by an unseen rope.

The duo traveled along various corridors and descended staircases, as Madumda made his way toward the main entrance of the fortress. Anyone who caught even a slight glimpse of them immediately knew what was happening and jumped out of the Dark Lord's line of vision, in an act of self preservation. The necromancer continued his steady pace, until he eventually exited the structure and stepped out into the courtyard beyond. Two of Madumda's guards spotted him as he exited the building and raced toward their master, to see if he needed their assistance.

“Lord Madumda, do you require our help?” the one soldier inquired.

“Chain this worm up to the punishment post,” Madumda spat out, vehemently, “and I will deal with him from there.”

“Aye, my Lord,” the trooper replied, as he and the other guard grabbed the advisor's body, once the necromancer released it from his control. Within a few minutes, they had the whimpering servant strapped into the irons and dangling from the pole. As they went back to the main gate, Madumda approached the man, flashing an evil grin, as he grew nearer.

“Although it will be too late for you to learn from your mistakes,” the dark mage announced, “this will serve as a lesson to anyone else who dares to defy my wishes.” With that, the sorcerer held up his right hand, index finger extended, and slashed it about in the air. With each pass of his finger, his advisor's clothing was rendered and a gash opened on his flesh. Each time this happened, his former underling would scream out in pain. Before long, the man's flesh was covered in nasty lacerations and his blood was flowing freely, running down his limbs and dripping onto the ground below. Satisfied with his handiwork and ignoring the pleas from the tortured soul before him, Madumda turned around and went back inside the main building.

The air outside was chilly, mostly because it was a dark, over cast day. The clouds were blocking the sunlight from getting through and negating any warming effect the burning orb in the sky might have otherwise had. As a result, the poor devil hanging in the courtyard was shivering from more than just his fear and pain. However, his problems were just beginning. The scent of his blood was beginning to attract fire ants from their nearby colony and they gradually made their way in his direction. The ants had learned from past experience what the scent meant, and without finding anything in their way to hinder their progress, they climbed the pole and began to spread out over the man's limp form. When they reached his body, they immediately started to suck up the oozing blood, before nibbling at the uneven edges of his open wounds. The pain from these multiple attacks caused the man to groan, scream, and twist about, in an effort to shake them free. Even when he was successful and a few fell off, not enough of them were dislodged to give him any recognizable relief.

As he hung from the post, not only was he trying to think of ways to rid himself of this roaming horde of insects, but he was also thinking ahead, about what was yet to come. He had seen enough others punished like this to know the crows would be attracted to him next and then, after dark, the rats would emerge from their hiding places. Those creatures would arrive to claim their fair share of the feast and he shuddered to think about what it was going to be like as they pecked and gnawed at his body. Trembling beyond belief, the advisor tried to force everything out of his mind, so he could make peace with the Gods before the end came. He hoped maybe the deities would take mercy on him and let him die quickly; before he suffered the violations he was certain would follow.

* * * * * * * *

Elgin, the dwarf commander, marched his troops to the spur that joined the Amber and Citadel Mountain ranges before they stopped. Once there, he quickly briefed them on the finer points of how they were to carry out disguising their movements. He had not done this at Thorold because he knew Captain Baith would be bringing his own men out to form up in the same expanse just a few minutes later. The confusion that would have generated, with the two groups being there simultaneously, would have been immense. Therefore, he opted to leave and instruct his troops later.

The Commander knew it would be important for every trooper under his command to understand the details about the potential threats they would be facing. He knew the location they were at now was not completely safe, but he couldn't put this matter off any longer. It had been almost foolhardy to allow this much of a delay and chance their first contact with the condor before all the details of the diversion had been explained. Nevertheless, it had been a calculated risk and he was now prepared to give his troops the necessary information, as quickly as possible. He immediately summoned his officers, because they needed to assist him during this process. While they were conferring, the remaining soldiers enjoyed an unneeded break.

“Here's what you are to do,” Elgin began. “The junior officers are to select one trooper from each squad to serve as lookout. If they spot the condor, they are to chirp like a cricket, which will be our signal to carry out the disguise. Only the lookouts will pass on the signal, because too many doing so would sound unnatural and might alert the Dark Lord's pet that something is amiss.” The others nodded their heads in agreement.

“The senior staff will spread evenly around the formation and they will be the only one to give the all-clear signal, which will be the croak of the puff toad. The lookouts may pass that sound along, once a senior officer has given it, but they may not start it themselves. Is that clear?” Everyone nodded in agreement again.

“Test your lookouts, to make sure they can make both signals appropriately and emphasize that mistakes might prove deadly. We shall start out again, once you are positive those under your command understand the situation completely.” The officers left and carried out their orders. About fifteen minutes later, they were ready to continue the march

The dwarfs stayed as close as they could to the mountains, without entering them. That was so, when the condor did appear and they performed their deceptive ploy, they would blend in with the mountainous slope. Their presence in the area would merely make it appear the mountain range was slightly broader than it actually was, without being obviously so.

The sky was very overcast, as a major seasonal storm was making its approach and beginning to break loose upon the upper levels of the mountain range. It was about a half hour later when the foul weather began to encompass the dwarfs too and forced them to endure a chilling drizzle. Steadily, it continued to increase in intensity. The overcast sky also made it more difficult to watch for the feathered guardian's approach, but hopefully, it would also make it more difficult for the condor to make its patrols and see what was happening below. However, it soon became obvious good fortune was not on their side. They had only gone a little over a few hundred meters when the first cricket's chirp was heard and passed along. The dwarfs responded in perfect fashion and pulled the maneuver off with flawless precision, and then they waited for the threat to pass. A little while later they responded to the throaty call of the puff toad, reformed and set off once again.

Those who had been along the edge of the formation still couldn't believe what they had seen. They had been able to steal their first glimpse of the avian spy and were still in awe. Even though they had heard the wizard's description of this unnatural creature earlier, they still didn't imagine it would be as large as it was in reality. They had assumed Beraut had been embellishing his tale and taking liberties with his descriptions when he told them about it, in order to make a greater impact. But now, for the first time, they realized that, if anything, the mage had understated the creature's enormity and threat.

Those who had been in the interior of the formation quizzed those along the perimeter for information about what they had seen. They questioned their peers relentlessly for every detail they could pry out of them. If they did not feel the person they were asking was doing a satisfactory job telling them what they wished to know, they would start grilling someone else or listen in on another group's conversation. Stories were now spreading through the ranks like wildfire, as various troopers began to fill in the missing details with parts of someone else's recounting of what they had seen. Soon, everyone had heard about this magical beast, and although these hearty warriors were not easily impressed or intimidated, the condor had succeeded in doing both during just one pass over their heads.

When the march resumed, these sturdy troopers covered a considerable distance without seeing the creature again and they were fast approaching Death's Door. This was the path through the mountains that once served as the major thoroughfare to the dwarf's agricultural center, Thorley, but it could now also serve to expose their presence. They approached this change in terrain with a great deal of apprehension, because Commander Elgin had informed his senior staff about the stories the wizard had told him. He explained about the multitude of skeletal remains the mage had passed by when using this route and of Beraut's near encounter with the giant bird in the confines of the pass. They understood this meant the condor visited the area frequently.

They also realized their ruse wouldn't work as well in that opening, because the terrain differed slightly. Therefore, their disguise would make them stand out almost as noticeably as if they had none. Commander Elgin decided to advance only one squad at a time across this open area. He instructed them to move quickly from one side to the other, while the scouts scrutinized the air above them for any sign of the giant bird's return. When at last they had moved the entire army across this treacherous patch of ground, they fell back into formation and were on their way again.

As they continued to march toward Tunstan, the sun temporarily broke free of the cloud covering that had been obscuring it. This gave a slight warming touch and brightened not only the landscape, but also the spirits of the dwarf soldiers. Nearly every eye was on the horizon now, because they knew this also meant their adversary would find the conditions better for flying, and they certainly didn't want to be caught unaware if it returned. They didn't have to wait very long before the chirping began anew, as the airborne scout made its next pass overhead.

This time the soldiers at the center of the formation tried to get their own look at this monstrous creature, which caused some slight undulation and uneven spacing in the middle of the canopy. A sudden wave of panic rose among the officers, when they began to notice patches of sunlight invading the interior of their formation and realized what was happening. Immediately, they started to worry the ruse might disintegrate to a point where the condor would discover their presence and unleash an attack upon them. All they could do was hold their breath and hope the breakdown in discipline wouldn't become apparent from an aerial vantage point. They were also mentally planning the tongue-lashing they would be giving their forces, once the threat had passed. This was not the way these warriors had been trained to perform under pressure and such a breech would definitely not be tolerated, regardless of the reason for their uncharacteristic performance.

Once again the area grew dark and nearly everyone realized it was the giant bird, and not the cloud cover, that was blocking out the sun. Most of them froze in terror, when they thought they had been discovered, and nearly every heart stopped beating momentarily, as they waited to see what was going to happen next. The only recognizable sound that broke the stillness was their raspy breathing, which seemed to echo threateningly under the false roof above them. After a few fearful seconds, which seemed to last an eternity, their hearts started pounding again. After that, all they could hear was the pulsing of their blood, as it pumped through the tiny arteries in their ears.

Everyone was somewhat relieved when the sun began to filter in from the outer edges of the formation again, because they felt this was a sign the condor was leaving the area. That was, until a pitiful wail went up from somewhere at the back of the army. Commander Elgin nearly leapt out of his skin and almost raced from under the canopy when that cry of pain rang out, but he maintained his military composure and fought to control his curiosity. Once he regained his senses, he rationalized that if they had been discovered, he would soon hear the sound of the battle cries, as the warriors jumped into action to defend themselves. If that happened, he would not hesitate to give his remaining soldiers the command to fight. However, for now, they would all sit tight. The greatest temptation was to find out what had happened at the rear of the formation, yet Elgin was relieved and grateful that those under his command had not broken ranks.

When things finally settled down again and the all-clear signal was given, Commander Elgin left his position and sprinted to the rear of the formation. He went directly to the senior officer who was stationed there. “What happened back here?” he asked. “Was it one of our troops who rendered that death groan?”

“No, Sir, it was not one of our troops,” the officer quickly replied, although the commander could tell he was still quite shaken too. “The condor grabbed a stag that was on the slope on the opposite side of the pass. I believe the animal must have been feeding out on the plains and tried to flee up the mountainside when the bird approached. It couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred meters from our outer perimeter when it was nabbed. The beast snatched up its victim and took it over that ridge, probably to dine. I suggest we get out of here as quickly as possible, before it finishes its snack.”

“Precisely,” Elgin responded, rapidly. “Get everyone up and moving again, but I want you and the other scout at the rear to keep your eyes peeled on that ridge. You will have to let us know immediately when that devil takes flight again. If you suspect anything, give the signal.”

The officer did as he was commanded, and once everyone was back on their feet, Elgin turned and gave a hand-signal to get his command moving again. They quickly began to march forward, with a definite purpose behind every powerful stride. Before long, they had placed a great deal of distance between themselves and the dreaded place where the Dark Lord's pet had disappeared. The commander had resisted the urge to give the command to double-time; because he knew the clattering of the metallic pieces of armor might be heard by their nemesis. Instead, they just walked briskly to increase the distance between them and the creature they feared, until the sound of chirping sent them into another camouflaging maneuver.

They reacted immediately, and this time flawlessly, holding their positions until the condor had once again left the area. This happened to be the final time they saw the condor that day. As nightfall began to overtake them, they concluded it would be best to make camp for the evening.

It was a bleak camp, as no fires could be built, but that wasn't all that affected their mood. The senior officers gave those under their command an extremely stern tongue-lashing for their shoddy performance earlier. After those officers had their say, it was Commander Elgin's turn. He not only chided them for their break in discipline, but he also gave them some fatherly advice about how they should perform in the future.

“Although you have already been duly chastised for your poor performance,” Elgin told them, “I feel I must add a little more. You are dwarf warriors charged with saving your homeland and the kingdom, not mere sightseers. Not only am I sorely disappointed in the way you carried out your duties earlier today, I am also offended that soldiers of your caliber would allow personal curiosity to overcome your obligation to carry out orders. In the future, I expect you to remember what you stand for and perform to the levels you are capable of. I hope you shall not fail me again.”

The troops felt the sting of his words, yet they also sensed his confidence in their ability. One by one, they separately concluded they didn't wish to disappoint him again, so they would do their best from here on out. Although no further action was going to be taken against them, the reprimand did cast a heavy pall over the entire army. That only lasted for about an hour, though, and ended when they began recounting the tales of the day's events. While they ate a hasty, cold meal, the troopers who had actually seen the condor spent most of their evening telling stories about what they had observed.

“You should have seen it,” one trooper told his friends. “Each wing had to be twenty meters across.”

“No way!” another interrupted, animatedly waving his arms. “The wings were at least forty meters in length.”

“And its head was as big as the cathedral at Leander,” someone else offered, causing many of the listeners to roll their eyes and shake their heads in disbelief.

“What did it grab?” another warrior asked, trying to put an end to the embellishments. “What made that awful scream?

“It grabbed a pair of stags,” a different voice told them. “It had one in each claw.”

“I heard it was a whole group of snow apes,” someone else chimed in. “I was told it had two or three in each set of talons.”

Even though some of the more reliable dwarfs tried to correct these rumors and false reports, they weren't having much luck in succeeding. It seemed as if their comrades received more satisfaction from the exaggerated tales, so those were the ones that persisted. As the evening passed, the stories seemed to grow larger and larger with each retelling, until the officers started breaking up the various groups by ordering them to get some sleep. Eventually, things began to quiet down, as everyone turned in for the evening.

Guards were posted around the perimeter of the camp and strict orders were given that the final posting of sentries were to arouse the entire camp approximately an hour before daybreak. Elgin wanted everyone up and ready to move before the first light of dawn split the darkness. He didn't want to give the condor a chance to slip up on them before they were ready. After the guards were stationed at their posts, an unsettling silence overtook the campsite.

The dwarfs tried hard to get a good night's rest, but the excitement of the day and tales about the condor just proved too much for them. Their hyperactive minds never slowed down enough to let them fall into the deep restful level of sleep, so most awoke groggy and far from refreshed. Due to their lack of satisfactory slumber, the following morning they went about their business at a less than harried pace, which only compounded their next problem.

A steady drizzle had begun during the night and by early morning it had worked its way into a torrential downpour. This not only made things much more difficult, but it also dampened their spirits. Due to the weather, the dwarfs and their bedding had become totally saturated, which only added to their current woes and made for a very unpleasant start to the new day. They had to wring the water from their gear before they could put it away, in an effort to eliminate as much of the excess weight that the dampness had added.

Once they finished stowing their gear, they sat down to eat. The rain also made the morning meal more disheartening, as everything they tried to prepare or consume soon became a waterlogged pile of mush. No matter how bad it got, though, these were veteran dwarf troops, who handled the unpleasantness in typical stoic fashion. It wasn't long before they finished this disappointing meal and resumed their march.

As they expected, the damp ground made the footing slippery and treacherous. This certainly slowed them down considerably, as they had to move much more cautiously than they normally would have. Even though they thought they had allowed sufficient time to reach Tunstan and provided for such unforeseen delays, they still worried about keeping to their schedule. They felt they should still be able to get to their staging area and unite with the Tunstanese forces in time for battle, as long as they didn't encounter too many more holdups.

As fate would have it, however, good fortune was not on their side. The combination of the weather and the condor slowed them down enough that they fell even further behind as the day progressed. Even though dwarf troops can perform well under any conditions, there is a limit to how much even they can do. As the army continued to march along, the mud sucked unmercifully at the soles of their boots, making it difficult for them to continue at their desired pace. The warriors continued to steadfastly battle the elements and they refused to let the rain dampen their spirits further. The commander was more than pleased with their effort, if not with the end-results.

It was nearing dusk when Commander Elgin ordered scouts dispatched to search for a suitable area for a campsite. He was not expecting to find an ideal site, completely dry and affording them additional shelter, but he was hoping for one that would at least allow them to free themselves from some of the discomforts they had been forced to endure throughout the day. Before long the first of the scouts returned with his report.

“Sir, I journeyed into the lower reaches of the mountains and found a small, uninhabited cave there,” the soldier announced. “It's not large enough to house the entire army, but it is sufficient to set up a command post and house the senior staff.”

“It does sound intriguing,” Commander Elgin replied, “and I like the potential it affords. It would allow us a chance to consult the maps, discuss our progress and make plans for the next leg of this journey. I'll keep that in mind, while I wait to see what the others have discovered.

During the next few minutes, the remaining advanced parties returned, but only one of them was able to locate another spot that might be adequate. However, it was only a large, flat area, which the scout claimed was riddled with puddles. Seeing the first site sounded far superior to the second, the commander decided to have it investigated further. Elgin sent his second in command to accompany the first scout, to appraise his find. He asked him to determine what sort of possibilities there were for the rest of the troops too, seeing the scout hadn't mentioned anything about accommodations for the non-commissioned soldiers. The pair wasn't gone very long, before his subordinate returned to give his report.

“The cave will make an ideal headquarters,” he announced, “but that's not all. There is also a section on the lower slopes that is covered with a vast collection of spongy plants, which is adequate for the troops to bed down upon. The plants will not only give them a soft cushion on which to sleep, but it will also keep them supported above the damp ground. That should help to make their slumber more bearable, as well.”

“Do there appear to be any drawbacks to this location?” the commander wanted to know.

“None that I have discovered,” the officer replied, “except that the slope is a little slick and tricky to navigate. The rain has made the rocky parts of the mountainside slippery and turned the dirt into mud, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem for our officers. It would seem to be the best site we could hope for, especially considering the time limitations and weather.”

“Very well,” Commander Elgin agreed. “We shall set up camp there. Please inform the other officers of our intentions and then you may lead the way.”

After word was spread, they followed the scout to this new location. As soon as they arrived, the commander was led to the cave to inspect it. He found the climb more difficult than he anticipated, as the footing was very uncertain. However, he labored on and made his way to the site. When they finally reached the cave, Elgin inspected it thoroughly and decided it would serve them well. It was dry, well concealed and would allow them an opportunity to relax, unwind and discuss things in private.

While the senior officers were making their way to their accommodations, the common soldiers were looking about their temporary quarters and preparing camp for the night. They were also quite satisfied with the location, even though their expectations hadn't been very high. They would have made the best of whatever hardships they would have had to endure, but it is always better when such unpleasant conditions can be avoided all together. This was one of those rare exceptions when they were better off than they had anticipated.

Once the troops were settled, the remaining officers made their way to the cave. They also found the climb difficult, but once they made it to their temporary headquarters, they followed Elgin's orders on how to transform the cave into a conference room. First, he had them cover the opening to the chamber with blankets, to keep the torchlight from showing outside of the cavern. Once the torches were lit and propped up around the interior, they began to look at their maps, in an effort to determine how far they had come and how much farther they still had to go. Next, they tried to determine how far behind schedule they were, so they could calculate their chances of making up for lost time. After due consideration, Commander Elgin spoke to the others.

“Our mission has started off poorly, with that pest constantly circling overhead and this dreadful, unexpected change in the weather. We are already behind schedule and considerably short of where we had anticipated camping tonight. We must try to make up for this by increasing our pace when we start out again in the morning. I understand our chances of doing so will be slim, especially if the weather remains this inclement and Madumda's scout continues its rounds, but we must make the attempt. We have to do the best we can or we shall place the outcome of the battle in jeopardy.”

“What if we head south and ford the River Sterling?” one of the other officers suggested. “Do you think there's a chance the plains on the other side have been less affected by the rain and we could make up time that way?”

“No, we can't do that either. The deception against the condor would be useless in other terrain and make us vulnerable to attack from that beast,” the commander explained. “That would present an even greater risk of our not reaching the battlefield on time, if at all. If that isn't enough, the rain has made the river currents very swift too, so I'm afraid we would be unable to cross it as it is now.”

“We're accustomed to the mountains,” another officer offered, “so what if we used a mountainous route instead?”

“Have you forgotten how slippery the slope was just climbing here?” Elgin asked him. “Those conditions would slow us down more than the mud on the plains, but worse than that, our ruse would prove to be equally ineffective at the higher altitudes.”

The commander paused, still searching for other options and hoping to discover an idea that would make a difference. Had they overlooked something so obvious and clear-cut that none of them had given it a second thought? Maybe the solution was as apparent as the nose on his face; yet so simple that no one had considered it. He was pursuing this line of thought when one of the other officers began to address him, bringing him back to the present.

“Sir, are you alright?” the soldier asked.

“Yes,” the commander responded, as he returned his focus back to what was happening around him. “I'm fine.” The junior officer nodded his understanding.

“Unless someone comes up with an idea I haven't yet heard,” Elgin continued, looking at the rest of his staff, “I conclude it would be best if we stayed our course. It is imperative we make every effort to get to our rendezvous point on time, but I hope that effort proves to be good enough. I think it's best if we sleep on this tonight and discuss it again briefly in the morning. Maybe the clouds will be removed from our eyes while we sleep or we will experience a vision that will guide our way. You are all welcome to bed down in here, with me. In fact, I strongly suggest you take advantage of the opportunities your rank presents you.” He snickered after making that comment and the others quickly joined in, as well. A short time later, everyone was locating a spot to call his own.

As they began to settle in, each of them was thankful for this temporary billet and the protection it provided them from the elements. Most of the officers soon fell into the blissful oblivion of sleep. That was apparent, because an unsettling hush filled the cave. The only sounds that could be heard was the soft rustling noise they would make, as they shifted positions in their sleep.

Commander Elgin was not as fortunate as the others and awoke several times during the evening. He was troubled about many things, including the condor and how their slow progress might affect the tide of battle. The commander would throw back his covers, get up and pass thru the temporary covering over the mouth of the cave, in an effort to put his mind at ease. He would then either chat with the guard who was on duty outside or just stand and listen to the sounds of the storm, hoping to purge those less desirable thoughts from his mind.

The commander would stay awake for a short time, before making his way back to his bedroll, in an attempt to catch of few more precious minutes of rest. He would manage to be successful for a brief period time, before he would snap awake yet again. The evening was nearly over and the very early signs of dawn were trying to overtake the darkness, when the guard entered the chamber to rouse the commander. Unfortunately, he was disturbing Elgin during one of the few moments of restful slumber he had enjoyed throughout the entire night.

“Sir, I hate to bother you,” the guard advised the commander, as he stirred to life, “but I'm afraid something is terribly wrong.”