“In short, we’re outnumbered at least two to one, and only a third of our soldiers are professionals,” Khollo observed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Precisely.”
“Hmm.” Khollo muttered. “Not enough to fully man the walls. But more than enough to man the main fortress and that impressive gate to the north . . . who redesigned it, by the way? It’s much more substantial than what I had planned.”
“It was mine,” Sermas said grinning.
“Yours?” Khollo asked, feigning shock.
“Hey!” Sermas protested. “I have good ideas every now and then!”
“And that was one of them,” Khollo conceded. “But now we won’t get anything else from you for a few years.”
The others burst out laughing around him, and even Kanin let out a snort that was the dragon equivalent of laughter. “Ah, it is good to be back,” Khollo said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Now, back to business. Here’s what I propose. Abandon the northern wall. It’s not tall enough to be a real defense and it’s too long for us to defend well.”
Janis opened his mouth to protest but Khollo forged on. “We consolidate our forces at the north gate and the main fortress. Lots of archers, peppering the vertaga all the way up the road. Keep some boulders ready to shove down the causeway to clear it if the vertaga get too close. The north gate has to hold, though. If it falls, the vertaga have pretty much free reign of the West Bank and the battle will be over.”
Janis frowned. “Abandoning the fields wouldn’t hurt since it’s not planting season yet. But we just finished the north wall and I’d hate to see it ripped apart so quickly.”
“I agree with Khollo,” Ondus said. “Consolidating our smaller force is our best option.”
“And there’s nothing to say we can’t rig the outer wall with some nasty traps,” Sermas said with a wicked grin, glancing at Hern. The other cadet’s eyes lit up mischievously at Sermas’ words.
“That was two good ideas in less than two weeks, Sermas,” Janis observed drily. “Better get started on those traps, we won’t have long before the enemy is at our doorstep.”
Sermas and Hern scrambled to their feet and jogged off towards the smithy, heads together, muttering. Khollo distinctly heard the words ‘fire’ and ‘stakes’.
“Where will you and Kanin be during the battle?” Janis asked suddenly.
Khollo smiled grimly. “Oh, wherever we’ll be of the most use. Sometimes on the ground, sometimes in the air. At first, I think we’ll hide though.”
“You mean, you won’t help?” Janis asked curtly, eyebrows drawing together like thunderclouds.
“No,” Khollo countered. “The vertaga don’t know we’re here. We’ll draw them in, and when they are at their most vulnerable, say, packed onto the causeway all close together . . . then we’ll attack.”
Ondus chuckled. “The boy’s a devious one, Janis. Can you imagine the scene if that plan goes off without a hitch?”
“Vividly,” Janis agreed. “Well. I think we may have a chance of doing more than delaying our monstrous guests.” He grinned fiercely at Khollo and clapped him on the shoulder heartily. “We may just defeat them.”
Khollo grinned in reply and stood, stretching. “I certainly hope so. Whatever happens, it’s good to be back in action. Kanin is loving this war every bit as much as I am. Foiling the vertaga is something we’ve become rather good at.
I was always good at it, Kanin interjected smugly. But I cannot fight on an empty stomach.
Khollo nodded and turned back to Janis. “Have there been any herds around recently? Kanin’s pretty hungry from flying for four days straight.”
Janis stood quickly, glancing at Ondus. “There aren’t many herds around here at the moment. But the Reoth hunters said they sighted deer to the west on one of their hunts. Will that work or shall I ask the kitchens to prepare something?”
Khollo shook his head. “We’ll go after those deer. Kanin prefers fresh meat. And some fruits,” he added, grinning.
Not anymore, Kanin countered. Can we go now? I am hungry and a plump deer sounds delicious.
“Fruits?” Janis asked, mystified.
“A story for another time,” Khollo replied, climbing onto Kanin’s back. “I’d better go, Kanin really is hungry.”
“Yes, go, hunt, hurry back,” Janis said, stepping back from the dragon nervously.
Kanin lunged skyward, causing many of the West Bank soldiers to shout in alarm.
Why do they panic? It is not as though I would eat them, Kanin grunted peevishly. Scooping my food out of an armor shell would be tedious and frustrating.
Khollo shook his head. Don’t share that reasoning with them. It won’t comfort them at all.
Why not?
They’d hope for a better reason for you not to eat them than the fact that the process would be annoying, Khollo explained. For example, the fact that we’re on the same side. Or that you don’t eat humans, perhaps.
I see your point, Kanin replied. But it is more fun to keep them on their toes.
Chapter 41
Kanin flew much slower on the hunt than they had on the way to the West Bank. He wouldn’t admit it, but Khollo was sure the dragon was exhausted and needed rest more than anything else. But food first, Kanin had insisted.
The hills west of the fortress were much smoother and lower than the rocky bluffs the West Bank stood on. A few streams ran through this area of the plains but most were frozen. Small oaks grew here and there, their bare branches rattling in the wind, their gnarled roots gripping the cold, hard earth.
The deer were not hard to track down. It was late afternoon by now, a time when many animals sought a water source before bedding down for the night. A substantial herd
