Abide With Me

Emissaries

Chief War Guna Dena was not a patient man! Yet, here he was, hidden in plain sight on the mountainside of Ratnapura, waiting. Waiting for a concrete plan to materialize, one that would definitely rout the enemy inside the mines. He was under Royal Orders to await reinforcements, all the way from Sina! A military man, from a military family going back four generations, the Chief had reservations about sending for help from half a world away. However, even he could neither gainsay the Peepul Leaf prophecy from the monastery, nor the one brought from the Lady of the Bees. They were battling forces unseen and unknown and if believing in what he privately termed 'religious arcane practices' helped them win the war, who was he to quibble?

For the nth time that day, he ran through a mental checklist. Scouts deployed. Recon and Advance teams moving. Soldiers' formations discussed. Plans B and C in place. Platoon commanders on standby. Additional troops - movement initiated. Counter-intelligence neutralized: he couldn't keep a smile off his face as he mentally saluted the formidable Matron Beaver! Support convoy was being handled by the equally intimidating Madam War, no worries there! Infiltration and extraction was scheduled to commence only when help was near, so that the fallout of being discovered while escaping with prisoners could be contained.

The coracles spun dizzyingly, as batches of young armed Beavers, Otters and Humans sat delicately balanced. Older females from both species, carrying short wooden poles knelt confidently at the centre of these frail-looking vessels and pushed off the narrow jetty of Negombo Monastery. The rushing river paid no heed to the additional weight placed on her and surged swiftly, bearing the silently alert troops into the darkness. Dull splashes accompanying the coracles were the only indication of the DaNi Divisions' formidable presence in these waters.

Nightjars on duty called every 20 Li and the Owls in the driver's seat of each cart listened and paused before each one of them responded with a specific hoot, pitched precisely. Needless to say, Capt. Natasha had developed coded hooting! Location, ETA, arrival sequence, every aspect attuned within each hoot!

By the time that troops arrived in Kalutara, the DaNi division had assembled local DaNi and soon beavers, otters, young men and women, all boarded their assigned DaNi carriers. Holding onto fins, tails, and scales, it was a wet and fast ride to Ratnapura through a mind-boggling network of water bodies.

The Owls, Nightjars, Eagles, Albatrosses, Red Hawks, Ospreys, Vultures, and Cormorants; all flew in tight formations, scudding across the night sky in batches, all headed to Ratnapura. Tonight was an Air Traffic Controller's nightmare! However, the ever-resourceful Capt. Natasha had set up a Control Tower in an ancient Teak tree, that stood an astonishing seven stories tall!

"ATC Ratnapura to Osprey November Zero One Six. You are on a collision course with Nightjar Sierra Zero Niner One. Rise 500 feet and maintain course and heading."

"Red Hawk Whiskey One Seven Six. Heading 16 degrees North East, bank right at the lights, landing approach in 2 minutes."

Night vision, ultrasonic hearing, and enemy sensing capability were both bred and trained into the Avian troops under the Royal Command and these skills were put to good use tonight. Sortee after sortee of incoming fliers landed at runways carefully illuminated by dozens of fireflies, that lit up stretches of forest floor that were safe to land on. After their light levels dropped, these were replaced by fresh fireflies and they flew away to jars of nectar placed strategically, to replenish their energy.

"Princess....Zise, the Ravens are beginning to revive. Should I have them whacked again?" Teresa was matter of fact, though her eyes glinted with mischief. 

Princess Zise laughed outright and said, "Not necessary, I have an idea!"

 
"Another idea?! Oh my poor Ravens!" mourned Teresa, flicking imaginary tears away, while smiling delightedly.