followed?” Wargner asked.
“Personally, I didn’t see anything, sir, but, I think we should err on the side of caution. We cannot just assume we have entered the Denal province undetected.”
Wargner fell silent, lost in his own personal conflict. He was obviously trying to work something out. Kile felt it had to do with how much he could believe her. By accepting her fears, Wargner would be giving her credibility within the squad. Of course, if it was Tullner, or any of the other soldiers who brought this information to him, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Corporal Duffy. Have a couple of three-man teams fan out east and west of our position, but no more than a hundred yards, I don’t want them getting lost. Have them report anything they see to me directly.”
“Yes, sir,” Duffy said. He turned back down the column and started barking out names.
“Corporal Tullner, hold the rest of the men in ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let me go.” Kile said, walking Grim forward. “I have a better chance of…”
“This is no time for amateurs,” Wargner said, dismounting. “The last thing I need is for you to get yourself into a mess. I can’t spare the manpower to save your tail.”
“Fine, have it your way,” she replied.
- So are we going home now?-
Grim asked when they moved to one side of the clearing.
Kile watched the six men, now on foot, move deeper into the forest. She could only shake her head. They moved with all the grace and stealth of a three-legged bull moose. If anything was following them, there was no way these men would find it.
It didn’t take long before the first team returned. A tall, dark haired, rather posh young man was the first to approach the Sergeant.
“Private Jesot Totely reporting, sir,” he said with an air of importance.
“What do you have private?” Wargner asked.
“We searched the eastern flank and found nothing, sir. No sign or trace of anything following us.”
Wargner simply nodded his head. “Thank you, Private,” he said, dismissing the soldier.
Totely shot Kile a look when he returned to the squad. She had a feeling this guy could have walked into the enemy’s camp and he still wouldn’t have found anything.
A few more minutes passed before the second group returned. This time it was a large, man with a dark complexion who stepped forward to address the Sergeant.
“Private Nirum Renop reporting, sir,” he said in a rather high pitched voice that didn’t match his size.
“What do you have to report, Private?” Wargner asked, although it appeared he already knew what the soldier was going to say before he said it.
“We searched the western flank, but didn’t find anything, sir,” Renop replied.
“I see. Thank you, Private. Corporal Tullner, have the men stand down.”
“Yes, sir,” Tullner replied. He looked at Kile and shrugged. It pretty much said it all.
“Should we set up camp, sir?” Duffy asked.
“Might as well. We burned too much daylight on wild goose chases as it is.”
Kile led Grim away from the campsite, and when she was sure she was out of sight of the men, she lifted her nose in the wind and sniffed. The scent was no longer there. Was she mistaken? She was sure she caught the scent of a valrik, but why wasn’t she able to identify it earlier? There was something definitely different about it, something not quite right.
“I tried to warn you,” Tullner said, coming up behind her.
“If you knew they were out there, would you have remained silent?” she asked him.
“But they’re not out there. Nothing’s out there. Both teams reported no sign of the enemy.”
“Just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not there,” she told him.
“Well… maybe. It doesn’t matter right now, does it? Anyway, there’s going to be another staff meeting, you should be there.”
“Like the last one I was at went so well,” she replied. “Have it without me. Whether I’m there or not I’ll have the same
“Personally, I didn’t see anything, sir, but, I think we should err on the side of caution. We cannot just assume we have entered the Denal province undetected.”
Wargner fell silent, lost in his own personal conflict. He was obviously trying to work something out. Kile felt it had to do with how much he could believe her. By accepting her fears, Wargner would be giving her credibility within the squad. Of course, if it was Tullner, or any of the other soldiers who brought this information to him, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Corporal Duffy. Have a couple of three-man teams fan out east and west of our position, but no more than a hundred yards, I don’t want them getting lost. Have them report anything they see to me directly.”
“Yes, sir,” Duffy said. He turned back down the column and started barking out names.
“Corporal Tullner, hold the rest of the men in ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let me go.” Kile said, walking Grim forward. “I have a better chance of…”
“This is no time for amateurs,” Wargner said, dismounting. “The last thing I need is for you to get yourself into a mess. I can’t spare the manpower to save your tail.”
“Fine, have it your way,” she replied.
- So are we going home now?-
Grim asked when they moved to one side of the clearing.
Kile watched the six men, now on foot, move deeper into the forest. She could only shake her head. They moved with all the grace and stealth of a three-legged bull moose. If anything was following them, there was no way these men would find it.
It didn’t take long before the first team returned. A tall, dark haired, rather posh young man was the first to approach the Sergeant.
“Private Jesot Totely reporting, sir,” he said with an air of importance.
“What do you have private?” Wargner asked.
“We searched the eastern flank and found nothing, sir. No sign or trace of anything following us.”
Wargner simply nodded his head. “Thank you, Private,” he said, dismissing the soldier.
Totely shot Kile a look when he returned to the squad. She had a feeling this guy could have walked into the enemy’s camp and he still wouldn’t have found anything.
A few more minutes passed before the second group returned. This time it was a large, man with a dark complexion who stepped forward to address the Sergeant.
“Private Nirum Renop reporting, sir,” he said in a rather high pitched voice that didn’t match his size.
“What do you have to report, Private?” Wargner asked, although it appeared he already knew what the soldier was going to say before he said it.
“We searched the western flank, but didn’t find anything, sir,” Renop replied.
“I see. Thank you, Private. Corporal Tullner, have the men stand down.”
“Yes, sir,” Tullner replied. He looked at Kile and shrugged. It pretty much said it all.
“Should we set up camp, sir?” Duffy asked.
“Might as well. We burned too much daylight on wild goose chases as it is.”
Kile led Grim away from the campsite, and when she was sure she was out of sight of the men, she lifted her nose in the wind and sniffed. The scent was no longer there. Was she mistaken? She was sure she caught the scent of a valrik, but why wasn’t she able to identify it earlier? There was something definitely different about it, something not quite right.
“I tried to warn you,” Tullner said, coming up behind her.
“If you knew they were out there, would you have remained silent?” she asked him.
“But they’re not out there. Nothing’s out there. Both teams reported no sign of the enemy.”
“Just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not there,” she told him.
“Well… maybe. It doesn’t matter right now, does it? Anyway, there’s going to be another staff meeting, you should be there.”
“Like the last one I was at went so well,” she replied. “Have it without me. Whether I’m there or not I’ll have the same
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