44 Waiting to Exhale (2/2)

Thom looked thoughtful for a second before replying with, ”Perhaps a little... I did notice the wagon wheels tracking heavily on the soft earth.”

”How many enemies are we looking at?” Luca asked.

He and Qwipps had drifted to me when Thom arrived.

Thom's smile turned into a maniacal grin after hearing Luca's question. ”I counted about a hundred heads.”

”Damn...” Luca hissed. ”That's more than our ninety...”

”I told you this was a bad plan...” Qwipps combed long fingers through his black, brushed-back hair. ”Zarz and the supply team should have joined the ambush...”

”Can you two quit panicking,” I hissed. ”This is within our calculations...”

It really was. In fact, Arah and I expected to encounter a unit twice our numbers. So, to me at least, facing off against an equal number of opponents was a stroke of luck. It was down to quality now, as well as the advantageous position of an ambush. These facts I explained to Luca and Qwipps to calm them down.

I nodded to Thom. ”Alright. Send word to your cousin and get to your position on the northside to let Aura know too.”

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Thom nodded back to me before disappearing into the shadows like the ninja stories back on Mudgard.

”Qwipps... wait for the head of the caravan to past us before your squad rains arrows down on them,” I instructed. ”It's important that we pin them to this spot.”

”What if they escape from the rear?” Luca asked as he crouched down beside me.

”Varda's got that covered,” I answered. ”She's been dying to try out her new Earthen Wall spell... That should take care of the back.”

Qwipps shook his head. ”You spoil that dwarf too much, Dean... next thing you know, she'll be asking you to let her practice her spells on us...”

I could always rely on Qwipps' pessimism for some comic relief. It helped lighten the load squeezing my chest.

Yes, my heart still felt heavy with worry. I couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that something would go terribly wrong despite convincing myself earlier that now was no time for panic.

My left arm suddenly felt warm. When I glanced down to look at it, I saw the soft golden glow rising out of Aura's bracelet. And as I gazed at its pulsing light, a sense of calm entered my mind like a soothing balm flowed out of the bracelet and filled me with tranquil thoughts.

”What's with the dopey face, Dean?” Luca asked.

When I turned to look at him, my face continued to exude tranquility. I couldn't help it because I was thinking of Aura. She must've felt my anxiety through the connection we shared and sent me happy thoughts to calm me. I really lucked out with her as a partner.

”Dude... you look like your high... Cut it out...” Luca protested.

”Looks like his regular loopy face to me,” Qwipps added coolly.

Their annoying comments forced my expression back to tense and moody. ”Can you two shut up and get to your positions already. they're almost here.”

I was right.

To the east, the head of the supply caravan had finally come into view. At the very front was an elf who was mounted on a small elken roughly the size of a warhorse.

His long brown hair flowed down to the steel breastplate he wore. He was also decked in a gray cloak similar to the elf commander I'd slain on the hilltop many months ago.

Thankfully, the elf was the only one with a mount. His soldiers, ranging from human viseres to elves and hobgoblins, were all on foot. There were no trolls in sight either. At least not anywhere near the front of their caravan.

I exhaled the long breath I'd been holding in since I noticed the enemy's arrival.

My thoughts turned from worry to anticipation. The battle would soon be joined. The time for action was here, and when it did, we would follow the wise words of Sun Tzu, ”When you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”