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Al’s wound still pained him as he sat in an ornate chair at a round table with his Grand Council—his chieftains and advisors. Both the Hawk and Eagle clans now owed him allegiance, or so he had been told, since he had rescued them. Still, that didn’t stop them from bickering like fishmongers over the price of herring when he wasn’t issuing edicts. Issuing edicts was just what he was trying to avoid.
Loktor had the floor. “We canna hold Seth if Meglir comes against us. We will be snared rabbits if we stay here.”
Dave cleared his throat and quietly stood up as Loktor continued his lament, arguing that holding Seth was a foolish move.
Finally, Al said, “Thank you Loktor. Our colleague Rokodor has been waiting quietly for some time to speak. Please give him the floor for a few minutes.”
Loktor sat down. Dave looked around. “Esteemed colleagues, our colleague Loktor is right. We are in a dangerous and precarious position. Bigelow has escaped and wants nothing more than to retake Seth and re-establish himself in the good grace of his master, Meglir. Then he will resume his hunt for all of us. Holding Seth is dangerous, but relinquishing Seth is more dangerous still.
“If Bigelow retakes Seth, he will extend the switchback road to the third terrace and harass us at every turn. We cannot go back to how it was before. We have become a force and a great danger to the Bent Ones.”
“What do ye suggest, or are ye simply a crow bearing bad news?” muttered Loktor.
Dave’s acute hearing as an Ancient had no trouble picking up Loktor’s mutters. “No Loktor, I am not simply a crow bearing bad news. We need to strengthen and hold Seth for as long as we can, but we also need to plan for its loss.
“The terraces have always been the route of invasion and trouble for Bigelow and Seth, for us it is the way of escape. We should improve the road to the second terrace and build fortifications protecting the road entrance at the first and second terraces. We should consider whether we should finish and fortify the road to the third terrace as well. Finally, we should extend the north and south walls right to the edge of the escarpment since we must hold that road open to let our people escape. If the predictions of Loktor come true, and Meglir attacks us with overwhelming force, we must hold the way of escape open at all costs. That means holding the rim of the escarpment to keep the enemy from shooting us as we flee.”
Chartrand stood up. Al acknowledged him. “Rokodor’s plan is sound, but we also have reason to hope that the Bent Ones will not bend all of their might to destroy us. Meglir is new here, and he has already suffered a setback with the Dark Council because of his defeat at Halcyon. He cannot afford the loss of further prestige by asking for help in regaining Seth. He will come on his own with a much smaller force. To me that is all the more reason to hold Seth.”
Loktor rose again and Al acknowledged him. Looking at Al he said, “Ye be my liege Lord, by rescuing me and me people, and I will honor the oath, but I still say ...” he stopped, his eyes going wide, looking beyond Al. A murmur went up in the room and everyone looked behind Al.
Al turned around. Standing in the door way was a woman in torn clothes with dirt on her face holding the hand of a boy. Recognition dawned. Al bolted from his chair feeling a stab of pain in his side. Grabbing his side, he lurched forward.
Pam ran to him and embraced him. Al could feel himself breaking into a grin. He had given up in despair, yet here they were, whole. Al picked up Little Thomas who was getting too big to scoop up, and hugged the two of them together.
This display of affection will do nothing to enhance my stature as battle chief, but I don’t really care. Not even a little bit.