The Courier’s Collection

Chapter 16

16

KYUK CONTINUED TO PROCLAIM his innocence through an entire night of interrogation. The weary council met the following morning to discuss what they should do next.

“He refused to give us anything.” Gungbe began and held up a hand when Rasha tried to speak. “Before you ask, we implemented a variety of… forceful techniques. We did not go easy on him.”

“We found him with the birdman. It’s the best way to get them information without the signal being traced or their movements tracked. This is how he’s getting it to them.”

“We’ve got guards watching the skies for any more visitors from the north,” Keabasi said.

“Let me question the prisoner.” Rasha banged a fist on the table.

“Not one of your best ideas,” Xeku said. “Be patient, Your Highness. It’s going to take some creative thinking to get the information.”

“I can make him talk,” Rasha said.

“That won’t be necessary,” Keabasi said. “Let us deal with this, Your Highness, while you work with the fighters. They weren’t supportive of your original plan, less so now that the spy has gotten a message out.”

Rasha groaned as she remembered the heated discussion among the captains and leaders. They had to work together, or they’d fail.

“I’ll see to them right away. If there’s nothing else?” She glanced around the table at each councilperson and wondered what they might be hiding. If they had one traitor, then there could be others. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She missed having Jak there to offer an opinion. She shook off her confused feelings.

Prince Bashir might be of some help. The palace had been his playground as a child. Who better to help them navigate its secrets? He’d also grown up with most of the present council, Kyuk excluded. She made a mental note to arrange a meeting with Bashir at his earliest convenience. The council wouldn’t like it, but at the moment she didn’t care.

Rasha made her way to the field. The sky wasn’t holding back; fat flakes of snow were falling and sticking to the ground. Rasha reached the captains and listened as they argued about how best to avoid implementing her plans.

“May I speak?” she said. The idea of listening to them bickering with one another again annoyed her. “My overall plan is sound. We need to figure out a new way to implement it. If you continue to refuse to listen to me you’ll be sending your fighters out there to die. I’ve seen enough to recognize our traditional ways aren’t effective against them.” How many had she helped bury? She’d stopped counting when she’d reached three digits, and that was ages ago.

One of the younger men from Adalu spoke up. “I agree. Many of you are new to your commands. My fighters have been here for months, and our numbers dwindle. We’ve tried it your way. Are we too scared to try it her way because she might be right?”

Rasha was grateful for his opinion and wondered why she hadn’t noticed him before.

“Young man, who are you to speak? You’re no captain. I’ve never seen you before,” a leader from Buku said. His lean face and long nose made him look like a piko.

“I was promoted after my captain died last week.” The young man squared his shoulders, daring anyone to contradict his right to be among them.

Rasha felt it was the perfect time to make her point.

“What is your name?” she asked young captain.

“I’m Hamisu. They call me Ham.”

Then she addressed the older men but kept her eyes on the leader from Buku. “Well, perhaps you are too scared to listen to what I have to say. Never mind. When we collect your bodies from the battle field, I’m sure your replacements will be much more willing to listen, like young Ham here.”

It had taken another hour to convince them that combining their fighters and techniques would benefit them all. The next half hour was spent deciding who would be where and implementing which technique. Rasha was still grumbling about it to Ladi two hours later. They’d forgone training that morning to deal with more pressing matters.

Ladi listened when Rasha mumbled about the royals insisting they hold their annual winter ball, as if they weren’t in the middle of a war. Ladi didn’t understand it either. As if there was nothing to do besides putting on fancy dresses and praying they weren’t eaten in them by some wild beasts. The council gave in for the simple reason that it was easier than having to deal with them.

“I’m sorry the original plan was ruined,” Ladi said. “I understand now it wouldn’t have worked anyway, since they were using the bird-men. I wouldn’t have guessed that in a million rotations.”

Rasha nodded but said nothing. That’s how it was with her these days. Her temper was more volatile and her moods were unpredictable. Ladi was careful not to push, as she wanted Rasha to let her go ahead with her new idea.

“Rasha, there’s been a new development. I think I can help this time.”

“Well?” Rasha asked.

“I reached out to some friends of mine. Friends with connections in some interesting circles. There are rumors that not all the beasts are volunteers.” Ladi smiled.

“So? They fight, so what difference does it make?”

“Don’t you get it? The collars they wear deliver some kind of shock. If they’re not fighting because they want to, then we might be able to get them on our side.”

Ladi was so excited her hands were waving as she described her idea.

“How would you do that?”

“I’d show them that there’s another choice. They might fight for us against the bird-men. Getting to their camp won’t be hard. I already have the coordinates. I’ll figure out a way to deactivate the collars. I just need to get close enough to one that’s still alive to see how they work.”

Rasha didn’t reply. She just stared at Ladi.

“Well?”