Chapter 1 – Part 9

Carl withdrew a small stone carved with glyphs from a tunic pocket. He rubbed it with his thumb, and it emitted a soft, green light as he walked. It wasn’t much stronger than a candle, but it let him see the ground before his feet.

“Cover that piece of Mockery’s snot before you give away our position,” came a harsh whisper from Carl’s left.

The human grabbed his sword hilt and hesitated. “Who goes there?” he asked.

“Flower call-sign two, five, blue,” said a goblin in leather armor, walking forward and staring angrily.

“Countersign eleven, green, one,” Carl said, letting his sword go and deactivating the stone. Only the stars and half of two moons gave light now, but of course the goblin could see him clearly. “Are you the one called Brezzy?”

“Corporal, did you get your rank by being the least stupid?” came the exasperated answer.

Don’t screw with a Dark Lantern on a mission, someone had told Carl once. They’ll gut you like a fish if they think you’re blowing their operation. “Sorry, sir,” Carl said reflexively. He fished the long, thin package wrapped tightly in parchment out of his boot. From its shape and weight he knew it to be an arrow, and from the secrecy involved it was obviously enchanted. He’d found it in Fromlay’s pack. “This is what we were supposed to deliver,” he said, leaving it on the ground.

“Sit rep, now,” he heard the goblin demand from his left. It was obviously pacing around him, but he hadn’t heard it move at all.

“We came across enemy advance units yesterday morning,” Carl began. “After initial –”

“I was at the battle,” the goblin said, exasperated. “I know what happened. Give me the political situation.”

“Jegala has been given command, it will be announced in the morning,” Carl said. “She’s made it clear we’re to break camp away from them. They’re heading to Riverweep.”

“Then so are you,” the goblin told him.

“Sir, she will order an attack on us.”

“If she told you Riverweep it means she’d headed to Varna,” the goblin said. “Keep your men together, the Aundairians will be making another attack soon. Nothing major, but expect a series of sorties.”

“They’ve lost big,” Carl said. “Their strategy is always based on their magicians, aren’t they likely to regroup?”

“They’re likely to try and show that they aren’t gone from the game,” the goblin said. “And no one saw that they would throw so much magical strength at this juncture.”

“Why did they?” Carl asked, not really thinking when he made the request.

“If I knew you think I’d tell you?” the goblin snorted. “Keep your men together and keep them alive, Corporal Carl. Most Reachers don’t agree with Jegala, their enemy is across the river in Aundair. You’ll get to Riverweep and find the highest-ranking Brelish officer that you can. Should you find anyone over the rank of major, tell them that you started to bake bread after Chubat died, but the bread did not have time to rise.”

Carl waited for a minute. “Is that all, sir?”

Except for the soft night noises of crickets and gnats, there was silence.

“Sir?”

Nothing.

Carl activated the stone again. The packaged arrow was gone, and he was quite alone.