Raging Storm {book 2 in SOSfanfic series} [ON HOLD]

May The Cunning Win

Veer stood atop a sand dune as the Sun beat down upon him, a spy glass held to his eye. He could see the camp of the white swine. He and his brothers were less than a day's march away.

His gaze settling on the camp he noticed that there was a hubbub. The fools were celebrating, thinking they were in the clear. He smirked as he shut his spyglass and pocketed it.

Imbeciles. Arrogant bastards thinking they can slaughter my brother in cold blood and live to tell the tale.

His glare zeroed towards the horizon.

The next day as they sleep under the Sun they shall know the power of vengeance. How cold and unforgiving her gaze.
Such justice.
Under the eye of the Gods, that bitch will pay for what she did. And not just to me. To every man of my brotherhood. She will pay again and again in sweat, blood and screams eternal.

May the cunning win.

-*-

Far away, Reyna stood atop a sand dune, staring at the way they came from. Where the thieves were she saw nothing but piercing white light under the noonday Sun.

She smirked. The game was on. May the cunning win.

She walked balk to Mr. Ambrose's tent. Karim and her employer were hunched over a map they spread on the ground, trying to discuss various routes swiftest for safety.

Popping a date in her mouth, she announced,"Alright. Listen up cretins. What we do now is my speciality. So I speak. And you listen. Or so Allah have mercy on my soul, I will tie you up and use you as bait. Are we clear?"

Both the men looked as if they wanted to flay her alive. Reyna mentally shrugged. At least they had shut their mouths, that's what she was going for.

She ripped off a piece of linen from her robe and used it to draw a plan of action.

"We are the white circle. The thieves are the dark one. We all are here, at position number one, right now.

"We send some men, right now, to go here at position 2 and build a false camp. We send the falcon back to the thieves, telling them that we believed their bluff and now we will revert back onto the direction of our 'original course' as we are not pushed by thieves any longer.

"We write the message to our scout to return to this position at dawn, which is when we will have set our camp there. That is what the thieves will do. They will be at their position 2 at dawn, in battle formation, ready to slit our throats. Battle formation is position 3.

"But, we will actually have circled back and arrived at our position 3, which is behind the thieves.

"They will have their back to us. Perfect opportunity for us to attack. We can even take them down as they sleep. The small dark arrows are the directions of attack. It plays right into out hands."

Reyna finished with a small flourish.

Mr. Ambrose frowned as he regarded the map.
"What is that? That dotted line on the corner?"

"That is position 4. Our second option. It is this: we don't make the false camp at 2. We leave, as subtly as we can towards position 4, avoid bloodshed and put two days worth time between us and them."

"Isn't that better?" Karim pondered.

"Of course. But it relies on one big fat if. We can only do this if the enemy scout isn't watching us move. If it is, then we blow the whole plan and also lose the advantage we have of knowing that the thieves think we're still believing them."

"That is too risky. We cannot put it up for chance. The original plan is better, even though more loss will be suffered." Mr. Ambrose decided.

"Not necessarily. I mean, the loss part. We might not lose a single man. All we have to do is bury some dynamite in the centre of our false camp. When the thieves reach there, I just need your rifle and a bullet. Half of them will die right then. The other half will panic and flee. If they don't flee, they will be easy for us to kill." Reyna shrugged as she tapped the pen to her thumbnail.

Mr. Ambrose observed that it was her habit.

"But," she announced again, "if you want my help then you have to agree to one condition."

Reyna stood up, and peered down at the two men. Karim looked angered that she had said such words and there was a hint of impatience and confusion on Mr. Ambrose's face.

"For the sake of humouring you, what is the condition?" Mr. Ambrose snapped, his voice suddenly going very cold as his finger twitched to move to throttle Reyna.

She looked him dead in the eye.

"Throughout our entire escapade, you, sir," she pointed at Mr. Ambrose with a challenge in her eyes, "will remain at position 4, safe and sound, away from all harm."

Mr. Ambrose got up from his crouching stance. He stepped over her map, and walked over to her till there was approximately a difference of six inches between them as he towered over her.

Reyna tried not to gulp.

With a freezing tone and burning eyes he carefully pronounced every letter crystal clear.

"Never."