Mistake and MistyTrail watched the large chamber for hours. Most of the activity was centered around the large apes rotating the large wheel and people moving from one tunnel to another. Very few people made use of the bucket elevator until late in the day. When people did start to come up in the buckets, it was a steady stream. Over an hour passed before an empty bucket was seen coming up from below. They watched carefully for the man without a hat. As the stream of people riding the buckets turned into a trickle, MistyTrail sighed in frustration.
“Maybe he isn’t coming up,” whispered Mistake.
“He will be coming,” retorted MistyTrail. “We will wait. He may be our brother. We can’t leave him here.”
“Our brother?” asked Mistake. “Do you really think we could just accidentally end up in this cave and stumble upon our long lost brother? I spent years looking for you.”
“How else can you explain his ears?” countered MistyTrail. “It must be a family trait.”
“A family trait?” echoed Mistake. “Don’t be silly. He is probably just descended from the ancient elves like we are.”
“Elves?” questioned MistyTrail. “What are you talking about? There are no elves.”
“Maybe not,” responded Mistake, “but there used to be.”
“You are crazy,” MistyTrail shook her head. “You are beginning to sound like HawkShadow. He always used to tease me about being an elf. There is no such thing.”
“You can’t just wish away history,” retorted Mistake. “The elves may indeed be long gone, but they did exist. I have read ancient scrolls in Fakara that speak of them.”
“They are probably just stories made up for children,” argued MistyTrail.
“Hardly,” countered Mistake. “They are the same scrolls that talk about the Torak, the Astor, and the Star. Do you believe those are just tales for children?”
MistyTrail’s face clouded in confusion. She remember when she first heard the reading of the Scroll of Kaltara and thought it was just a story, but then Lyra came to the Sakova and became the Star. How could she dismiss ancient scrolls after that?
“What did the scrolls say?” asked MistyTrail.
“The elves used to trade with the humans at Angragar,” recalled Mistake. “In fact, it was the elves who created the Qubari Jungle to hide the ancient city. They had been attacking it when they found out who their real enemy was.”
“They created the jungle?” MistyTrail asked skeptically. “That is hard to believe.”
“Perhaps for you,” conceded Mistake, “but I have been there. I entered the ancient city of Angragar. The city was partially destroyed by large siege engines, just like the scrolls reported. The city was guarded by hellsouls, just like the scrolls said. I also met trolls in the jungle who thought I smelled like an elf. They had no reason to lie, MistyTrail.”
“Smelled like an elf?” echoed MistyTrail. “What does an elf smell like? Do you think that you are an elf?”
“I think we are probably descended from the ancient elves,” nodded Mistake. “It would be strange for all of the elves to die at the same time. Some of them must have had families that lingered for years. I guess one of them was an ancestor of ours.”
“That still leads to the man without a hat being a relative,” MistyTrail pointed out.
“No,” countered Mistake. “It only means he might also be descended from some ancient elf. I am sure there must be plenty of people around with pointed ears.”
“How many have you known?” inquired MistyTrail.
“None,” conceded Mistake before she quickly added, “but that does not mean that they don’t exist.”
“We will wait,” MistyTrail said with determination.
Mistake shrugged and watched the scene below in silence. What bothered her most was not the wasted time spent to find the man with the pointy ears. What she was concerned about was the depression MistyTrail would go through when she found out the man was not her brother. Mistake had experienced enough of that to know the feeling.
“There he is,” MistyTrail whispered excitedly.
Mistake saw the man coming up in a bucket. She stared at his pointy ears and felt excitement course through her body even as she tried to tell herself that he was just a man.
“What are you going to do?” asked Mistake. “He will not be in this room for long.”
“You will see,” grinned MistyTrail as she watched the man step out of the bucket onto the walkway. “I have experience in playing with people from guarding the Sakova.
Mistake looked at MistyTrail with concern on her face.
MistyTrail wove an air tunnel and positioned it near the bottom of the stairs from the walkway. She waited anxiously for the man to approach it.
“Stop,” MistyTrail whispered through the air tunnel as the man stepped off the stairs. “Where is your hat?”
Mistake giggled softly as the man turned and looked around. His hand subconsciously went to his head to confirm the absence of his hat. His mouth opened to speak.
“Silence,” ordered MistyTrail. “You will not speak until I direct you to. Walk to your left slowly.”
The man stood and rotated slowly to find the person talking to him. He shook his head in wonder, but he followed the instructions. A few other workers came up on buckets and immediately left through one of the tunnels, but the man without a hat walked slowly to his left.
“Make another left,” ordered MistyTrail.
Again the man searched for the person giving him directions, but he complied. He ended up directly below Misty Trail.
“Stop,” she ordered. “What is your name? Say it softly.”
“Eltor,” the man said softly.
“What are you?” asked MistyTrail.
“I am a miner,” answered the man. “I have lost my hat. Can I go now?”
“No,” frowned MistyTrail. “Why do you have pointy ears?”
The man looked around again, but he did so in frustration. MistyTrail could see his hands clenching in anger.
“Answer the question,” MistyTrail said forcefully.
“All elves have pointy ears,” snapped the man. “Where are you? Who are you?”
“You must release him,” warned Mistake. “The whip man will back soon. The apes are beginning to look around like the work day is done.”
“I am a friend,” MistyTrail whispered into the air tunnel. “Are you free to return here tonight?”
“You don’t sound like a friend to me,” snapped the elf. “If I am found here standing idle I will be whipped.”
MistyTrail bit her lower lip as she contemplated her next move. Mistake nudged her to urge her to finish the conversation. MistyTrail sighed and dropped the hat into the large chamber.
“Do not look up,” she warned. “You will expose us. Come back here tonight when the room is empty.”
Mistake could tell that the elf wanted to look up really badly, but he didn’t. The hat floated down and landed a few paces away. Eltor walked swiftly to it and picked it up. He placed the hat on his head and walked hurriedly into one of the tunnels. MistyTrail collapsed the air tunnel.
“What if he betrays us?” asked Mistake as she heard the bellowing of the whip master approaching.
“He won’t,” MistyTrail said hopefully. “He is an elf.”
“So he says,” frowned Mistake. “I am not sure that I believe him. Even so, he does not know that we are truly friendly to him. We are taking a big chance here, MistyTrail. We don’t even know if he can return here tonight. They may keep the workers in cells for all we know.”
“If he does not come, I will go looking for him,” declared MistyTrail.
“You can’t,” frowned Mistake. “Suppose he is an elf. That means that the elves still exist. It means there is even less of a chance that he is a relative. I think if he doesn’t show we should leave this place.”
“Look,” argued MistyTrail, “our purpose was to find out where we are. Why do we need to risk going into a city when Eltor can tell us?”
“Alright,” conceded Mistake. “We will wait to see if he shows, but you are not going down there again. Promise me that, or I am leaving with the rope.”
The whip man entered the chamber and looked around. He shouted to the apes, and they all moved away from the wheel. They shuffled into the entrance to one of the tunnels, and the whip man stormed into a different one. The chamber was empty.
“I promise that I won’t go down there without asking you first,” declared MistyTrail. “That is the best I can do. Do not abandon your sister.”
Mistake appeared angry at first with MistyTrail’s response, but she soon chuckled.
“That is so much like a ploy that I would try on you,” she grinned. “We are very much alike. We will stay together.”
* * *
LifeTender and StarWind accompanied the Star of Sakova to the schoolhouse in Alamar. They tied their horses to a tree next to the building and walked in the front door. The students turned to see who was entering, but the Sakovans ignored them and walked along the corridor to the dining room. The room was empty, but the door to Temiker’s office stood open. StarWind moved swiftly to it and peered inside. She grinned broadly and waved the others over. Lyra and LifeTender entered the office. Temiker sat behind his desk and FalconEye dosed in a chair before it. Temiker rose to his feet and bowed slightly to his niece.
“You have arrived safely,” the Omungan mage greeted the Sakovans. “Did the Imperial Guards question you at the gates?”
“Not at all,” answered StarWind as LifeTender moved next to FalconEye. “Should they have?”
“Things are tense in Alamar now,” sighed Temiker. “General Manitow’s men brought the ambushers back to the city. It was an ugly affair. The citizens mobbed the soldiers and tried to snare the men from Okata. The Imperial Guards had to fight them off. There were quite a few wounded.”
“Then the people really are dissatisfied with things in Alamar,” mused the Star of Sakova. “Where does the mayor stand in all of this?”
“Mayor Reaker is a good man,” shrugged Temiker. “He really does care for his people, but he understands that all power stems from the Katana. He will try to talk to the people and calm them. If he cannot, he will utilize General Manitow and his men.”
“How many Imperial Guards report to General Manitow?” asked StarWind.
“Around a thousand,” answered Temiker. “They cover a large area from the Wytung Mountains to the tip of the Great Peninsula. That includes the large cities of Alamar and Breele.”
FalconEye woke and moaned softly as LifeTender cast healing spells on him.
“Let me lift him onto my desk,” offered Temiker. “It will be easier for you to minister to him. He had two arrows in his back. We can talk in the dining room.”
LifeTender nodded, but it was StarWind who lifted the wounded Sakovan and placed him on the desk. The Sakovan spymaster followed Lyra and her uncle into the dining room.
“What do you hope to accomplish here?” Temiker asked his niece.
“My original intent was to deliver more food and convince the people that we are friendly,” Lyra replied. “The ambush has changed my plans. It sounds like the people of Alamar are friendly towards us. That pleases me and gives me cause to hope for peace, but the pending arrival of General Romero’s army can crush that hope.”
“General Manitow tried to forestall any harm to our people,” Temiker pointed out, “but do not expect him to switch sides. Like the mayor, he cares for the people under his control, but he is a pragmatist. The Holy Katana still rules Omunga. He will obey his orders.”
“What if General Romero was lured someplace else?” asked StarWind. “Would General Manitow allow the continued delivery of food?”
“If we could stop orders coming in from Okata, he would,” mused Temiker. “He does not want war with the Sakovans, but he will feel duty bound to obey orders. In the absence of orders, we will be welcomed here.”
“How many men is General Romero bringing with him?” asked StarWind.
“We do not know,” answered Temiker. “Captain Gachiral probably knows. He was the leader of the ambush. His real purpose in coming here was to inform General Manitow to close the city to Sakovans. He is part of General Romero’s army.”
“I won’t be able to interrogate him,” frowned StarWind. “There is no plausible reason for a female to talk to him.”
LifeTender and FalconEye walked out of the office and joined the group.
“You are looking much better,” Temiker smiled broadly at FalconEye. “How do you feel?”
“Like a new man,” FalconEye replied to Temiker as he bowed low to Lyra. “I have failed you, Star. I am sorry.”
“You have failed no one,” Lyra said as she gently placed her hand on FalconEye. “It was I who sent you into danger. Your strength allowed our people to return home. You have done well.”
“We are talking about the people of Alamar and their feelings towards Sakovans,” interjected StarWind. “You can tell us much about that.”
“The people of Alamar are a good people,” declared FalconEye. “I was skeptical at first, but they greeted us more warmly each time we came. They practically worshiped SpringThaw. At first I thought it was only because of the food that we were bringing them, but I learned that I was wrong. Citizens hung around when all of the food was gone. They stayed to talk to SpringThaw mostly, but they were friendly towards all of us. Many of them invited us into their homes to share their meager rations.”
“That is not the mindset of a people who only seek what others have to give,” stated Lyra. “It sounds like we have developed a lasting friendship with the people here. We cannot allow that to die.”
“How can you sustain it?” asked Temiker. “If the Katana has declared war on the Sakovans, this friendship that you speak of is over.”
“Is it?” retorted the Star of Sakova. “It will only be over if we walk away from these people. I will not do that.”
“This city is not worth losing the Sakova for,” countered Temiker. “Ukaro and I are close to solving the problem of the disease. If we are successful, the starvation here will pass. Why risk losing StarCity and thousands of Sakovans over it?”
“Omungan armies are already entering the Sakova near Okata,” StarWind informed Temiker. “StarCity is already at risk.”
“And why not make the Omungans concentrate on their own soil, instead of ours?” proposed Lyra. “Are you well enough to travel, FalconEye?”
“He should rest more,” interrupted LifeTender. “He looks better than he really is. Healing takes time. I have just accelerated the process.”
“I am ready to serve my Star,” declared FalconEye. “What would you have me do?”
“Go to the marketplace,” instructed Lyra. “Find a table and stand upon it. Tell the people that the Sakovans have a message for all to hear. Ask them to gather. I will come within the hour.”
“As you command,” grinned FalconEye. “The citizens of Alamar will come to listen.”
“Go with him StarWind,” instructed Lyra. “Remain invisible, but be prepared to intervene if the Imperial Guards try to interfere. I do not want FalconEye harmed.”
StarWind hesitated, and Lyra smiled at her.
“I will travel with my uncle,” declared the Star of Sakova. “I will be safe. Go and take LifeTender with you.”
* * *
Mayor Reaker hurried into General Manitow’s office. The general looked up and waved the mayor to a seat, but Reaker declined.
“We have trouble,” declared the mayor. “The Sakovan is in the marketplace calling for the citizens to assemble to hear from the Sakovans.”
“I heard that there was a commotion there,” shrugged the general. “I have sent troops to quell any disturbances. If the citizens want to talk, I have no qualms against that, as long they remain peaceful. What Sakovan do you speak of?”
“The one who escaped the ambush,” answered the mayor. “I thought he would die.”
“FalconEye?” frowned the general. “Those wizards must have more skill than I imagined. I also thought he would die. He was practically dead when he arrived. Still, he is not much of a speaker. Were it SpringThaw calling upon the people I would be more concerned. She had the gift of arousing the people.”
“That’s it?” scowled the mayor. “You are just going to wave off this arousing of the citizenry?”
“I said that I sent troops,” retorted the general. “What do you want me to do? If some people want to gather together and share their woe, there is little I can do to stop it. I can chase them out of the marketplace, and they will just move to an inn.”
“Thousands of people are going to meet in an inn?” snapped Mayor Reaker.
“Thousands?” echoed the general as he looked up with a frown. “What do you mean thousands?”
“You haven’t been listening,” replied the mayor. “They have been gathering for almost an hour. Just about everyone is trying to crowd into the marketplace.”
The general leaped to his feet and stormed out the door of his office. He stood in the corridor and started shouting orders. Soldiers began running, and the general returned to his office.
“I am sending more men to the marketplace,” he declared, “but I must be cautious. This could just be a ruse to lessen the guards here. The people want Captain Gachiral and his soldiers to hang. I will not leave this building unguarded.”
“Perhaps we should go to the marketplace,” suggested Mayor Reaker. “It would be better if we were at hand to give the correct orders. We do not want a repeat of the angry mob that tried to take the prisoners.”
“Right,” agreed the general. “I still think that is their goal. That FalconEye always was a quiet one. I cannot imagine him really addressing thousands of people. He must be a diversion.”
General Manitow strode out of his office and into the large entry foyer. Mayor Reaker followed closely and listened as the general bellowed orders to everyone in hearing range. He ordered sleeping guards to be awakened to bolster the defenses of the headquarters. He commanded that the doors to the headquarters be closed and locked after he left.
The general and the mayor left the building and headed towards the marketplace. The general saw the huge crowd from blocks away. His mood darkened as he ordered some Imperial Guards to create a path for him. The soldiers drove a wedge into the crowd so that the general and the mayor could reach the front row surrounding the table that the Sakovan stood on.
* * *
“I have never seen so many Omungans in the Sakova,” frowned SkyDancer as she peered out through the bushes. “We must sound the alarm immediately.”
“There are probably a thousand in this group,” replied HawkShadow. “There will be more later. It is not the number that disturbs me, but rather the speed at which they are traveling. This area of the Sakova has been invaded many times. It is so close to Okata that the armies choose it every time they threaten to invade.”
“So you are not going to issue an alarm?” questioned SkyDancer.
“Not just yet,” answered the Sakovan assassin. “What we need to do now is to slow them down. We must prove to them that they are at great risk. Their caution will slow their progress.”
“How are you going to slow them down?” asked SkyDancer. “Lyra said not to kill them.”
“No, she didn’t,” grinned HawkShadow. “She said that they were not to have any bodies to show the Omungans. I think we can follow those orders and still have some fun.”
“You are going to make their corpses disappear?” SkyDancer asked with skepticism.
“No,” chuckled HawkShadow. “You are going to make the bodies disappear. They appear to have three outriders on each flank. We will attack one flank starting from the rear. I will take out an outrider, and you will dispose of the body. Take the body, the horse, and anything else that will point to that man ever existing. I want you to take it far enough away that if they decide to search, they will find nothing.”
“I can do that,” assured SkyDancer. “Still, only killing the three outriders will not slow them down. You are risking your life for little gain.”
“This is only the first step,” explained HawkShadow. “While it alone will not slow them down, you must trust me that this army will move cautiously in a day or two.”
“I do trust you,” smiled SkyDancer. “I like to think that I am good at what I do, but I know a master when I see one.”
“You are excellent at patrolling the Sakova,” HawkShadow smiled back. “You will have a chance to prove it really soon.”
“I know,” frowned SkyDancer. “They never can manage to leave us in peace for long, can they?”
“They cannot even manage to rule their own country,” replied HawkShadow. “They have chosen yet another Katana that is eager to shed the blood of their young men.”
“I hope that I am called upon to help you with more than just burying bodies,” SkyDancer said.
“You will be,” assured HawkShadow. “There is one part of their bodies that you will not bury though. I want their tails cut off and saved. Preserve the ribbons as well.”
Most Omungan soldiers wore their hair quite long. Some had long braids hanging down their backs, while others merely tied the long hair back with a white ribbon and let it hang behind them.
“What do you want with their hair?” puzzled SkyDancer.
“These men will react to our strikes with bravado,” explained HawkShadow. “While we are killing these three today, we will not in the future. I plan to make it known to the Omungans that we can strike anytime and any place we want.”
“You plan to attack some of them and merely cut off their tails?” questioned SkyDancer.
“Not just me,” grinned HawkShadow. “You will also get in on the fun. It will be hard for a soldier to maintain his bravado when his fellow soldiers see him without his tail. At first, the victims will be ridiculed, but when we have struck enough of them, fear will spread through their camp like a downpour.”
“A brilliant plan,” frowned SkyDancer, “but how are we to get close enough to them to cut their hair?”
“That is the challenge,” smiled HawkShadow. “We will talk about strategies tonight after we do the simple chore scheduled for today.”
“Simple chore?” chided SkyDancer. “Do not get a swelled head out here. That can be fatal. There is nothing easy about picking off outriders from a group of a thousand soldiers. Each kill carries the chance of death along with it.”
“I understand,” HawkShadow nodded solemnly. “My talk is for my own self-confidence, not to impress you. I will be careful.”
“Still, shouldn’t we send for more help?” asked SkyDancer. “Just the two of us against a thousand is long odds.”
“We will do fine,” replied HawkShadow. “I have sent a message asking Goral to come out, but it will be a while before he gets here.”
“Goral is hardly a stealthy type,” responded SkyDancer. “He is more the hit-them-over-the-head type. Why did you choose him?”
“Goral can be frightening in his own way,” smiled HawkShadow. “Besides, he can carry an awful lot. I plan to collect more than a few tails from these Omungans.”
“Now you have me looking forward to tonight’s strategy session,” chuckled SkyDancer. “I can’t imagine how we could get more than a handful of tails without dying.”
“I bet you can,” countered HawkShadow as he slid back down the slope that was hiding them from the Omungan army. “Let’s get this task out of the way.”