Beware the Margay

"It's going to be a long night," I smiled. "We're going to have to sleep during the day."

"What are you planning?"

"Wait till they stop for the night, sneak into the camp and kill anyone who looks important. Cut throats, stab temples, keep it quiet. Maybe set a few fires of our own. Then we'll get up in the trees and hide while they move on. Then try again."

Inara smiled and nodded. This was exactly what we were built for.

Nineteen - 74342

Calistia nodded in approval as Carl got the final boulder into position. The large, slow clay troll was surprisingly intelligent. She knew he wasn't the slow creature he appeared to be. But seeing him come up with a defensive solution like this was extraordinary. Guided by Carl, there was now a collection of boulders that would cause different effects. The larger, rounder boulders would simply roll down the mountain where they were aimed. But there were smaller ones throughout. If those were disturbed, they were aimed in such a way that they would cause a cascade effect that would form into a landslide. If that on it's own wasn't impressive enough, Carl had assured her that it was repeatable. They could set off a single landslide, at one end of the plains, then another at the opposite end. Then when they were both stable, a third could be set in the middle that due to the unstable land from two prior landslides, would effectively drop the entire side of the mountain in a single, massive plunge.

"And you're sure it won't affect the halls?"

The big man shook his head and smiled. "Dwarves, knows good, rock."

Calistia nodded, before spotting Hannah returning. Unknown to Samuel, she'd sent both the flying women out to keep an eye on them. She knew it was a risk, but even Calistia had to admit to herself, if something happened, she'd never forgive herself. She was here, behind the mountain, hidden by stone, separate from the world, as her husband, with just one other took on an entire army.

"They're okay!" Hannah called, landing beside the chitinous mantid. "They made it through the flames and are watching the army."

Calistia turned and gazed into the distant smoke, desperately trying not to sob in relief. She hadn't really thought the fire would be enough to stop Samuel, but it came on so quickly, she couldn't be entirely sure.

"What of the army, how large? When will they get here?"

"Ten, maybe twelve thousand," Hannah reported. "Stella says they're moving, single file down the main road. So they're probably another day or two before they're in range of striking the first town."

Calistia nodded, "I have something I need to ask. I won't hold it against you, but-"

"If something happens, and we have the opportunity, we'll get them both out," Hannah ruffled her feathers. "Stella and I have already spoken about it."

Calistia smiled and nodded. Looking over the crow woman, she could see the feminine curves despite the thick layer of feathers. "I approve."

The feathers on Hannah's face stood on end, giving her a puffy look as she quickly took to the air. Calistia smiled and watched as she went back to watching Samuel.

"Was that Hannah?" Bella asked, stomping over to her sister-wife.

Calistia turned and in a rare act of public affection, hugged the larger woman. "He and Inara are fine. They got through the fire unharmed."

"Thank the goddess," Bella mooed softly, hugging Calistia back.

Disengaging, Calistia shot Bella a faint smile, before turning and heading back to check the progress of the militia. It had been decided that an effective ground fighting force would be wasted. Those who were already trained in hand to hand combat were ready. On the off chance someone made it into the halls, there were specific choke points, where even a dozen armed men could stall an army for days. And if the worst were to happen, evacuating to the plateau and collapsing the halls was still an option. Food and water was collected up here, the halls were just shelter. And there were enough trees and tents brought to the surface to house most of the population in an emergency.

The bulk of the civilians on the other hand, were being trained as archers. They weren't expected to hit individual targets. But they were being trained to fire in groups to hit areas. With an army on the doorstep, a massive height advantage and due to the dryads, a surplus of wood... Well, anyone who wanted to camp out the front was going to have a hard time doing so while being pelted with thousands of arrows.

As Calistia checked over the preparations, she answered questions, gave assurances and commented on progress. All the while, their enemy got closer. And when the sun finally dropped below the horizon, she collected her sister wives and retired to their room for the evening.

***

Sneaking into the army was simple. They moved along the road, while a small screening force pushed through the trees ahead. But it was obvious that they were used to tracking over open plains and had little experience with the claustrophobic atmosphere of the dense forest. So it was a simple matter to slip though unnoticed. It was literally as easy as crawling under a bush and waiting for them to pass. From ground level , they snuck up to the lines. In the semi-darkness, not even the horses noticed them dart under a supply wagon. It was the first in a row of three. These wagons were staggered through the army. Stuck on the road, it simply wasn't feasible to feed the whole army from a single position in the rear. Part of the army wasn't even technically in the forest yet. They were stretched thin, which was something they seemed to have no experience with. It was just about perfect.

"Wait here," I said, giving Inara a peck on the lips.

Moving to the front, I silently caught my claws into the coarse wood and lifted myself off the ground. Inara, still under the wagon did the same, hanging onto the undercarriage while the wagon trundled down the road. I crawled up the front, careful to watch where the driver was looking. He turned out to be a she and I wondered if all the support workers were women. It would make sense, as they were apparently nomadic. She on the other hand, was in talks with a nearby rider and had her head turned. Slipping past on her blind side I darted in amongst the contents of the wagon and waited to see if I'd been spotted.

Grinning the lack of change in the situation, I took a look around. There was just about everything in here. Jars of water, dried meats and vegetables. Rope, tools, weapons were also available. Finally, in the rear, with the tent and sleeping mats, I found what I was looking for. A jar of what smelled faintly like pitch, beside some ceramic lanterns, and a flint... And that was bloody perfect. Putting the jar in my small bag, I quickly checked the wagon over one last time. And after stuffing some dried meat into my bag, I made sure it would all fit, I went back for a second jar. This one I opened, by scratching the wax seal around the wooden top. With the jar open, I slowly spread the contents through the wagon. I concentrated it at the rear, not wanting to risk burning a non combatant. I knew this was war, but I wouldn't intentionally harm someone who wasn't going to fight back.

Climbing out of the wagon, the same way I got in, I dropped silently to the ground, before Inara helped hoist me up onto the bracket that held the axle. I showed her the jar and after a sniff she smiled and nodded. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but I was certain it would burn quite nicely. Clawing into the rough wood, I crawled to the back of the wagon and checked around. The wagon behind was nice and close, but I wasn't sure about getting inside it. I shifted to the far side and dropped to the ground. Staying low and still, the following wagon rolled right over me. The moment I was in cover, I caught the wood with my claws and climbed up. Like before, I checked around the sides, looking for the clearest spot. The driver of this wagon again was the weak point. She looked like she'd never seen trees before, the way she glanced around in all directions.

Either way, I timed my chance and slipped into her wagon same as the one in front. After quickly checking everything over, the contents were much the same. I spent a little time emptying the jar, before grabbing a replacement. I was actually impressed the layout was the same. It would mean speedy setups for anyone to show up at any wagon. It was clever, but it would burn all the same. Climbing back down, I got under the wagon and splashed some of the liquid on the underside of the wagon. With my pattern down pat, I quickly repeated my actions with the final wagon, before racing back up to the first to sit with Inara.

"Alright, I'm going to light this, then we need to get out into the trees," I told her softly. We dropped to the ground and walked beneath the wagon, while I wet the underside. Then I simply walked and poured a trail. I wanted a nice long flame to get all three wagons at once, because I doubted we'd have time to go to each one individually. Placing the jar on the axle, I grinned as I got it wedged in place. With both hands free I took out the flint I'd taken and quickly sparked it on the trail. It lit immediately and a pale blue flame raced backward. Turning to the wet patch on the wagon, I struck it again, sending a similar blue flame across the underside. Then, I grabbed Inara's hand and raced for the trees. There were no shouts as we left, which told us we hadn't been spotted. But a cry went out as we started climbing. We didn't wait to get up terribly high before we doubled back to admire our work. The third wagon was pulled up and the woman was off, trying to beat the flames with a sleeping mat. The other two had moved ahead somewhat, but were pulling up. That was when the first wagon burst into flames.

The pot underneath must have ignited and a small fireball whooshed out. Then it was pure chaos. The woman leaped to safety as the horse towing the wagon screamed and ran. The horse in control of the wagon behind reared up in fear. The first wagon stampeded through the ranks of men, trampling and crushing them. As the flames engulfed the cart, it got to the unopened jars, causing a second, much larger fireball. Now the screams of dying men filled the evening. Through the terror of the first cart, nobody noticed the second and third going up as well until it was too late. People shouted orders in a language I didn't understand. Others rushed to try and save what they could from the wagons. But just like the first, the jars after being exposed to direct flames exploded, engulfing everything and everyone in the immediate vicinity. Then, being attached to terrified horses, they ploughed through the ranks in random directions, killing and maiming dozens of men.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to watch the chaos. These people were literally marching to war. There was no time for pity. I'd kill quickly and cleanly where I could, but I refused to take pity on invaders if they died horribly.

"Husband?" Inara asked, touching my shoulder.

I shook my head, "We wait for now."

Nodding, she pressed herself to my side as we watched the carnage. The sounds of dead and dying filled the air as the horses quietened down. At least one of the women driving the wagons was dead. Another was being beaten publicly. The man doing so I committed to memory. I'd be keeping an eye on him. He was on my list. Important or not, beating an unarmed woman was unnecessarily cruel. Especially as she begged and pleaded as she did.

As the dusk turned to evening, the army settled themselves in for a long night. I'd burned their tents, food, and other equipment, so most grumpily made themselves comfortable on the ground. The only sounds were the low groaning of the injured as they lay, segregated from the rest.

"Alright, spread out, stay quiet and let's cut some throats," I whispered to Inara.

Slipping down the trunk, I dropped noiselessly to the ground. I waited just long enough for Inara to join me before moving forward. Our original plan was to take out as much of the leadership as we could, but this was too big of an opportunity. The soldiers were spread out. Laying between roots and branches they were well spaced and were spread right back into the forest. There was plenty of room to move. And almost no chance a sudden thrash would hit a neighbour. Stepping up to the first soldier, I took a deep breath. With a silent snarl, I swung my fist into the side of his throat, slicing his jugular. To finish him off, I yanked upwards at the end of the strike. Between the blow, the stab and the opening of the man's windpipe, he barely made a sound louder than the rustling of the leaves in the wind. Then I turned to the next. Only, this time, he had a woman with him. I frowned, unsure of what to do. In the end I decided a message was better, simply dripping fresh blood over their tunics, before moving on.

I spotted Inara watching what I did and she repeated it herself on the couple she stood over. Nodding my assent I moved on to the next. This man was younger, barely a man. But I grit my teeth and slammed my blade into his throat like the last. This time I didn't stay and watch. I moved on to the next, and the next and finally it became a mind numbing process of moving from one person to the next until finally I hit the road. Freezing in place, I darted back into cover. Standing out in the open like that was suicide. If I'd been spotted, it would have been all over.

"Careful Samuel, you're doing well, we'll talk later," Bast said softly.

I nodded, knowing she'd at least read my mind and know I thought of her. With a deep breath, I quickly checked my surroundings and crossed the road. I checked around on the other side and made sure nobody was watching, before continuing my massacre. I continued the same pattern. Punch into the throat, before ripping out the front. Going from asleep to having their throats ripped open didn't leave a lot of time to contemplate their situation. If not for their lungs filling with blood, the sudden loss of blood pressure to the brain took them down even quicker. I moved through the sleeping soldiers like a wraith. I spared the few couples I came across, while occasionally stumbling across already dead men, staring into the night sky. Their throats cut already from Inara who was still with me.

As the soldiers thinned, I found myself staring at the last men before the trees swallowed the darkness. Moving amongst them, I got quickly to work, taking them out until I was staring at the very last one. It was the man who was beating the woman. His knuckles were split from the force of his blows and I grit my teeth. This time, I wanted to feel it. Leaning over him, I pressed my paw to his mouth. His eyes shot open, staring at me in shock. Right before my blade hit his throat. He lurched up as I yanked my arm free and punched again. He flailed beneath me, but nobody around was alive to do anything to help. Snarling softly I stabbed, slashed and hacked at the man's throat as the sounds of him choking filled the air. Something in him must have finally snapped, as he suddenly went on the offensive.

Shoving me off, I tumbled to the ground as the man staggered upright. Staggered being the word as he drew a flint knife from his belt. He waved it at me as he leaned heavily to one side. Racing in, I darted between his legs. It wasn't fair, standing was just about the limit of his abilities and as I swiped my claws between his legs, he went down in a heap. Rolling on the ground, he managed to get to one of his friends, but as he saw the blood pooled around the warm body, the man collapsed on the ground, shaking his head. I turned, seeing Inara watching me and I moved to join her, slipping into the night and climbing into a distant tree where we could sleep. Only as we climbed and found a comfortable spot, it was already occupied. Bast sat, on a bed of leaves, and opened her arms to us. Without thinking, Inara and I both accepted her embrace. The moment we touched, the thick, wet feeling from the blood in our fur vanished, quickly followed by our consciousness as Bast lulled us to sleep.

Chapter Nineteen - 77225

It was a series of horrified screams that woke us. The first one rang out and I snapped awake. Inara was staring into my eyes as Bast stoked our ears in tandem. As more screams rang out I shuddered, remembering all the death. The sounds of the army coming awake came very quickly. Orders were yelled, horses were hitched all the while terrified men and women tried to explain to themselves the horror we had wrought.

"Samuel," Bast said, catching my attention. "I'm sorry."

I sighed and rubbed my face into her fur. She'd stayed with us as we rested.

Inara took my hand and squeezed gently. "This was necessary," she said softly.

I nodded. I knew the army would trample through the valley and destroy it all. I knew we had to take every opportunity, and I knew my strengths and weaknesses. But that didn't make outright slaughter easy. After a few moments to enjoy Bast's affection, I felt it was time and sat up. As Inara followed, Bast smiled sadly at me, and vanished.

"Come on, we need to see the damage."

Inara nodded in silence and followed me out onto the branches of the tree. Moving quickly, but quietly, we made our way back to the army. Most of the bodies were left on the ground as the army moved through. The people we could see, stared wide eyed and worried at the corpses. In the light of the morning sun, they were far more numerous than I thought. We'd cut the throats of hundreds of men, spread out over an area the size of a football field. We must have been out there for hours without even realising it. And tonight, we'd probably do it again.

Moving with the army, we found the head of it. If they kept this pace, they'd reach that first town, where I'd rescued Maria by evening. I just hoped those guards kept my words in mind. I can't see the plainsmen taking prisoners, especially if they planned on burning everything. Inara and I kept a watchful eye on the army as they beelined to their first target. And we kept a watchful eye.

Many hours later, the sound of bells ringing had us move ahead. The town must have sent out scouts, who spotted the army. It wouldn't have been difficult. Even a basic knowledge of this land would trump the ability of this army. Well out of their depth, I got the feeling they relied on their size to intimidate their foes. This had the side effect of making them vulnerable, as they took no steps to protect themselves. Bogged down in a forest, that was sheer idiocy... And maybe I had a way to capitalize on it.

As the evening turned to night, the army stayed awake longer. They'd obviously pushed through to get here and set up their tents before true darkness.. It also made it obvious what the fluid in the jars was used for, as they lit their lanterns and hung them from flexible poles on their horses. It made sense really, they'd be able to ride and still have light with a lower risk of it spilling or breaking. It was rather clever. It also meant that there were jars of the flammable substance set out... pretty much everywhere.

"Change of plans," I said, pressing up against my furry little wife. "Keep an eye out for where they're storing those jars." Inara nodded and shot me a vicious smile. The morning after would be for regrets. But now, it was time for business.

As night truly fell, we could see torches on the wooden palisade of the town. It also gave me an idea. It seemed the town was just outside of bow range, but that would only make things more interesting. What was also interesting, was that there were guards up tonight. Men walked here and there with their lanterns. But it was obvious that they weren't experienced with keeping watch. They seemed to congregate every few minutes in twos and threes just to chat. Out on the plains must have been rather safe to have no worries about being attacked. Slipping into the camp was, for lack of a better term, easy. The guards were several tents behind the line, chatting away.