Word spread quickly down the line that something terrible had happened up ahead. Liada listened to the rumors being passed along, trying to filter fact from fancy.
“Someone is killed,” she said to Kawalski.
The column slowly came to a halt, then a foot soldier ran to Liada and held her horse’s reins as he spoke. Liada turned in the saddle, looking for someone. “Sarge,” she said. “Hannibal want you at front.”
“All right.” He flipped on his comm switch. “Autumn, Kawalski, you two come with us. We’re going to the front. The rest of you people stay with the wagon.”
It took twenty minutes for them to work their way up to the lead elephants, and there they saw Hannibal and Rocrainium standing in the snow, looking down at something.
When Hannibal saw Sarge, he motioned for him to come forwar
