The_Red_Lands
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Chapter 94 -Mobilization
🕑 Added 2018-07-05 11:00:01 +0000 UTCMobilization
Miki held the small dipper over her head and dumped the warm water.
After a night of keeping watch, she just wanted to take a quick bath and find something to eat. Last night she along with Toll manned the eastern watchtower until midnight. Mr. Thomas and Amanda relieved them and covered the shift until the first light.
Presently, Jim and Clod were on guard duty.
The warm water cascaded down her body but did nothing to hide the dark bags under her eyes. Even though her shift had ended early, she did not get an ounce of sleep. She quickly washed her long black hair before bolting out of the bathroom.
Chu had Clod construct this bathroom attached to the external wall of the kitchen. This allowed the transfer of hot water easily from the oven, through a small window, to the waiting pails.
The enclosed structure was limited exclusively to the women folk of the farm. Outfitted with a smooth, white stone flooring, heated pails of water, and stacks of soft cloths called towels, Chu built it after the peeking incident.
The men had a poorly constructed enclosure near the far end of the stables for bathing.
Miki stepped out of the bath in a hurry nearly bumping into Amanda.
"Did they return?"
The negative shaking of Amanda's head provided her with the answer.
Like Miki, the older teen in front of her lifted a worried face complete with red bloodshot eyes. Amanda's spiked and frazzled hair looked as if she walked through a storm. Miki had never seen the girl in this condition.
"Father is in the workshop eating. Don't ask him anything, he is mad like a raging bull."
"Then I am going to just grab a bread and join Clod. He was waking all night with us in the workshop."
Miki placed her washcloth and towel to dry on the line and headed out.
Ever since the men returned from the Hoyle's farm, Mr Thomas sported a foul mood. He answered every question with a scowl. The other men on the trip also remained tight-lipped.
"I will whip that boy when he returns! Didn't I specifically say not to do more than track the bandits? I am sure those brats are going to ignore my warning!"
Since then everyone including the new older members never slept a wink. Now that a full night passed without any word, even Dareck fidgeted while glancing now and again at the dirt road. If the night was terrible, the current wait became even more unbearable.
It was midday when the ex-military man broke under the stress.
"Get my horse, I am so going to kill those brats!"
He roared.
Clod sped down the Tower and immediately rushed to harness the horse. Sakura swore the boy moved as if he never had a limp in his life. Now, however, was not the time to comment.
"Miki, get the women and girls into Barn. You are in charge. Clod, you and the men will guard and patrol inside the wall. Keep your eye out on the road. Nobody is to get inside the walls."
Mr Thomas was in the middle of barking out his commands when Rugol shouted out from the Tower.
"A wagon is ah commin. Pretty quick too by the look of it."
Mr Thomas grabbed a crossbow and made his way to the gate. The others scattered, armed with either spears, crossbows, or swords. The women barred the door to the workshop and held their weapons ready for any assault.
"State your business man, before you earn a bolt in your head!"
Mr Thomas hollered.
His anger had quelled but he looked as if he only needed some excuse to vent. As a seasoned soldier, he knew exactly how to channel his emotions.
"Don't shoot, don't shoot! Your boy sent a message through my boss, Farmer Cork. Don't shoot!"
Dun shouted and then whimpered from the wagon. He raised his hands while curling up to break the imaginary bolts zooming in towards him. A few breaths later, he breathed a sigh of relief but quickly stiffened up as he glanced at the armed residents near the gate.
Every single one, be it man or child seems to emanate blood-lust.
"Farmer Cork sends a message..."
He reiterated to these rough necks, as humble as he could.
Mr Thomas listened to the man's tale. He grimaced when he heard about the ambush and capture of the bandits on the road. The excuse the boy added also did not fail to pass him.
"Farmer Cork said to deliver the message to you first before going to the garrison. That way you would decide what you want to do."
"Wait, then how come you arrived here so late on the wagon?"
Mr Thomas picked at the flaw in Dun's story. If he left the farm in the early morning he should have arrived long before noon on a speeding wagon.
"So sorry Farmer Thomas, but on my way here I was stopped by a patrol from the garrison. This morning a helper at Farmer Brown's farm saw some men lurking near the edge of the field. On sounding the alarm the men immediately fled into the grasslands.
Farmer Brown sent his son to the garrison and I happened to meet them on my way here. They detained me on the road because I looked suspicious- rushing over to your farm and all. If I did not know the son, I might have also been thrown in jail."
Dun wiped the sweat off his face recalling his narrow escape.
In the Military, a late message delivery meant the difference between life and death. This guy might have been executed on the spot, however the circumstances showed it beyond his control. Mr Thomas grunted as he processed the information.
First of all, he had to sort out the problem with the captured bandits. Then he needed to find and track the trail of the kids. Worse yet, his intuition screamed that the scouting bandits discovered near the Brown farm belonged to the same group.
He had a feeling that the raid that happened on the Hoyle farm would not be the last in the area. Moreover, it might even occur near them.
Finding the kids and getting them home became the top priority. He wanted to make sure the barn possessed all their aces in the event of an attack. The possibility of the scouting team being caught in a pincer attack also crossed his mind.
His window of opportunity was closing fast. At the moment, the bandits might be cautious with the patrol on heightened alert. They would have no problem striking during the night on a farm.
Their being noticed at the Brown farm may have even been a decoy, set to lure the patrol while they attacked someplace else.
"Clod saddle the horse, I am heading out. I'll go to the Cork farm and then track the kids."
Dun turned the wagon and headed back, even with a little head start he knew the ex-mercenary would still overtake him on the way. He never had the time to notice the pairs of yellow eyes looking intently at him through the fence.
***
"Where the heck do you think you're going?"
Mr Thomas asked as he donned his weapon equipment. He had been wearing his armor since last night on watch duty.
"With you. I'm going to track the bandits across the grassland. That way I will certainly meet up with Chu."
"And who will secure the farm? You thought about that?"
"Miki and Rose are here. Besides Sakura and the others can make pin cushions out of anyone crazy to scale the walls."
"Fine, but no fighting! Just find Chu and tell them to meet me at Farmer Cork. I have a bad feeling about this."
Dyna nodded as she sheathed her dagger on her belt. It did not take her long to arm herself, she after all usually dressed lightly.
Toll and Rugol opened the gate as Mr Thomas rode out. He had Dyna in the saddle with him as they trotted out. In quick time he had the horse galloping onwards. By the time he arrived near Farmer Brown's farm, the garrison had long gone.
Obviously, they would have to still investigate the disaster at the Hoyle farm. The only change would be that the scouting and tracking team now had to move to the Brown farm to begin.
"Is there close enough?"
The man asked as the little girl jumped sprightly off the horse.
"Close enough. We can work from here."
Dyna replied as she casually stretched.
"No fighting! Get the brat and meet me at the Cork farm."
The Elder spoke before he urged his horse into a gallop. Soon he disappeared from sight, cloaked by the dust trail generated by the speeding horse. Dyna sighed before her next act.
"Fenrir!"
The young girl called out in a casual manner. It was neither too soft nor loud, like gently calling a pet.
The response to that call would be classified as frightening on any of the two planets Chu lived.
A large shadow materialized behind Dyna, its yellow eyes scanning the landscape at the front. The large head slipped past her left cheek while a neck that required both her hands to circumvent rested gently on her shoulder.
The girl patted the snout before extending her hand pointing towards the grassland. She seemed oblivious to the fact that her head could comfortably fit into the mouth of the creature standing beside her.
"Somewhere there! Sniff out the trail and we will follow it towards Chu and Lykos. Stay clear of the farm, we don't want trouble."
The wolf nudged the girl on her cheek, before bounding off in the direction she pointed.
"Amarok, let's go."
Another large wolf slowly walked to her side. It dropped on all fours to a casual sitting position. Among the wolves, Lykos was the smallest.
Of course according to Chu, when you compare animals akin to the size of a tiger in his old world saying one is smaller by a foot does not really make much sense.
Without any hesitation, Dyna grasped the shackles of hair on its back and vaulted up. With two gentle pats, the wolf raised itself and chased after its companion. If Chu saw this sight he would use one abbreviated word.
'OMFG!'
Not only was it something he actually thought of performing, but it also explained how this little girl was able to cover such large distances during the day. No wonder romping around and exploring the grasslands became her specialty.
When they left the barn, Dyna had her wolves circle around sniffing for any strange smells. The results ended up as a disappointment since the Brown farm discovered the bandits.
It was only a matter of time before the girl and her beasts discovered and chased after the bandit trail. The small group then disappeared across the grasslands in a rush.
By the time Chu decided to launch his attack on the sentry sitting on the tree, the others found themselves engaged in different matters.
'Farmer Thomas' was busy in a heated conversation with the excited Farmer Cork and his family. Dyna was shadowing five bandit scouts out in the grasslands, while the rest of the family anxiously waited on high alert at the barn.
For the trio in the woods.
They were all alone...
