The Storyteller

The Storyteller Part 6 chapters 16 - 17

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

FIRST SKIRMISH

Before he lowered his face to kiss Cila, his eyes swept the horizon. He leapt to his feet, temptation forgotten. Yes, the beacon on Fort Two, away to the west, was burning. Seizing the brand dipped in creosote, he lit it in the watch fire and pushed it into the wood of the beacon. The wood smoldered for a moment and burst into flame.

"Ring the bell" he yelled at Cila "Ring it as hard as you can". He saw the girl grab the bell rope and begin to swing it as he started to climb down the ladder. He could hear it peal out its warning as he slid down the ladder. "Saved from seduction" he thought with some humor, as his feet hit the ground.

He was standing in the middle of the parade ground when the soldiers began to pour out of the barracks still adjusting tunics and pants, their boots in their hands. Raif heard the sergeants in the outside camp bellowing orders. He felt both relaxed and energized, this was the life he was used to. After the preparation came the action.

Sola, who had taken the time to get fully dressed, ran up and saluted. They might be friends but rank needed to be recognized.

"Get two patrol groups in the wagons and attach them to the men outside. That should give us a dozen wagons and a hundred and twenty men. Have my horse saddled and brought out to me at the camp. You stay here and put the fort on full alert. We don't know where they've attacked, how many and if they may come here too. I'll take the senior sergeant with me as I have no other officers. Get the women and children into the fort immediately. If there is no immediate danger get the men to move all the material left outside into the fort so there's no unnecessary loss."

Sola saluted again and turned to give orders to the assembled troops. Raif walked rapidly out of the fort. When you're in command you have to show energy but never move in a way that might suggest panic or worry.

The sergeants knew their jobs. The horses were being hitched to the wagons. As soon as a wagon was prepared the section allocated to that wagon was embarked, fully armed and ready for action.

Before the last wagon was loaded, the two patrol wagons from the fort came out accompanied by Raif's horse and the senior sergeant. Raif shared a few directions with him but was confident that, if they needed to be modified or ignored, the sergeant would take the necessary initiative. As Raif gave the order to move out, the men from the fort, and some women, were already dismantling the encampment.

The line of wagons moved off into the darkness heading to the beacon of Fort Two like moths to a lamp. Despite the feeling of urgency that came from not knowing the degree of seriousness of the alarm Raif kept the column at a trot. If the horses went too fast they would be exhausted after a while and the troops would be too shaken up to fight at their best.

If a fort was under attack the troops should be able to hold out for at least a day, against superior numbers. So, under the worst case scenario, even if it was Fort Four being threatened there should be time for the reinforcements to arrive and be in a state to fight immediately.

Raif kept his impatience under control. He would have liked to gallop ahead to assess the situation but it wasn't a good idea. He ordered the men to be on alert and look outwards in case the nomads were nearby. Raif cursed himself for setting out without mounted scouts preceding the wagon train but he hadn't expected this event. He mentioned his concern to Yanik who shrugged and said you couldn't prepare for every possibility. This was earlier than any nomad incursion that they'd heard about from the farmers.

However Raif and Yanik took turns in riding some distance ahead. As the sky was lightening with the approach of dawn they were able to increase the distance but always in sight of the column. There were no dangers observable.