193 Sinister Omens (2/2)
”Then what do we do?”
Fadelio had been thinking about alternatives all this time, but so far he had come up empty. There really was no surefire way to deal with these sorts of tactics. Still, they would have to do their best. Laqhis relied on it.
”We don't really have many options,” he said in the end, his stern eyes focused on the dangerous forest. ”We will take a small detour around the woods and as much as possible avoid areas with low visibility on our way south. How much longer would that take us?”
”If Lord Nasica's maps are to be believed, these woods do not seem too extensive, but we would still lose several hours if we turn around this close to it. If we want to circumvent every bit of rough terrain between here and the Narrows, our path would end up at least twice as long. That is several more days until we reach the south.”
Again, Fadelio sighed. He didn't like it, but he couldn't risk complete failure just to speed things up. As far as he knew, they weren't in a hurry anyways. ”Let's just hope master can handle an extra day or two of delays. For now, we will plot out the safest route and go around any potential ambushes. Our goal isn't combat, we're here to escort the commoners. Let's make sure nothing bad happens to them.”
__________________________
Fadelio's plan had been going rather well. For the next few days after they had switched to a safer route, they hadn't been attacked once. Today however, the arrival of a runner brought further complications with him.
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”Corco forced a battle with a third of Pacha's army?” Fadelio asked. ”What was the result?”
To belie Fadelio's dire face, the runner beamed.
”Overwhelming success. The enemy army has been scattered and destroyed. Since the king's troops have proven themselves in combat and the size of the enemy army has been reduced by a third, King Corco has decided to stand and fight. Rather than lead King Pachacutec further west and allow him to destroy more of the Yaku countryside, he will turn east and find a defensible position to hold. He will remain there until young master Fadelio has escorted the craftsmen past the Narrows. King Corco asks Official reach the south as soon as possible, but also asks Official to be wary of his own safety in the process.”
Faced with Corco's endless optimism, Fadelio could feel a headache coming on. No matter how hard he thought, his master's demands seemed impossible. If they wanted to guarantee their safety, they could go around the forests and take the slow route, like they had been doing. This way though, they would have to march at least another two days towards the west and then tail all the way back along the coast, until they reached the Narrows.
If they wanted to be fast, they could go through the forests. However, the craftsmen were uneasy enough already and the bandits had never gone far. He really didn't want to force the commoners through a scary forest filled with ambushes and traps. He would risk a mass panic, exactly what the bandits had been aiming for all this time.
After Fadelio had remained quiet for a while, the runner asked in a careful tone.
”...should I inform the king that Official needs more time?”
”No,” Fadelio shot back, ”we can handle the orders.”
Even though their situation was a bit precarious, he didn't want Corco to risk his life - and the lives of most of their soldiers - just to save a few commoners. Yes, the first batch of craftsmen were important to Saniya, but Fadelio wasn't as attached to them as Corco might have been. Even If they had failed the migration once, they could always try again. There were plenty of these people left in Arguna and all over the Medalan towns and cities, so he would never prioritize their safety over that of Corco's warriors.
”We will change our course and take a more direct route south. Until now, I have been too conservative because I overestimated the amount of time I had. Once you return, tell the king he shouldn't worry, his orders will be executed. Once we have made our way through the Narrows, we will send a flare signal, so he should keep his sights eastwards and prepare his retreat.”
”Understood.”
As soon as the runner had left with his message for Corco, Fadelio's firm appearance wavered. Right away, he began to write a short letter and then called for one of the ghosts in his own team.
”You will bring this message to Commander Dedrick stationed in the Narrows.” He handed over the piece of paper. It contained his precise plans for the next few days, together with the route they were about to take and an urgent demand to meet them halfway. The path through the forest would be harsh, but this way, they wouldn't have to go the entire distance. Once they were united with Dedrick's army, no amount of harassment could shake them anymore.
As soon as his orders had been given, the entire convoy to changed course once again. With trepidation, he looked upon the dark primeval woods they had skirted by only a short distance all this time. With stories of divines, actual bandits and wild beasts abound, Medalan forests always felt like an ancient evil slumbered somewhere within. This time, Fadelio was sure that it was more than mere superstition.