Sheffali's Caravan

"I can do that!" Noola blurted.

Lorrenz leaned out to look up the line of wagons. "Olle! We need one of your spare robes!" He was the only one large enough to have clothing that would fit Zell's wide shoulders.

"Right!" the reply came. Moments later, the Caravan's security chief walked up to them with the black robe in his big fist. His eyes widened as he took in the large burnt section of the robe Zell was taking off. "What?"

"One bandit with an energy weapon." Zell examined the fur on his side and noticed some was a little scorched as well. It hadn't reached his skin, thankfully. "Closer than I thought but still not bad, considering the bandit had the most advanced weapon on Llevven, and all I had were rocks... which he's now crushed under. I couldn't get the weapon as the path he used to get to his perch broke off." Zell looked at the others. "There are no more ambushes on this side of the pass to halfway down the other side. I'll ride with Bonna while Noola fixes my clothes. I'll go back to scouting before we reach the pass."

Lorrenz hugged him and walked back to the first wagon. He felt better knowing Zell was with them and unharmed.

He gave the signal to get them moving again, and the wagons climbed once more.

-=-

Crawling between Bonna and Noola to get into the wagon behind the bench, he felt Bonna's hand ruffle his fur affectionately as he passed. Noola's hand pressed against his body more firmly and squeezed his butt. He saw the sunny smile on Bonna's face and heat in Noola's eyes when he looked back.

Looking away, he first emptied the inner pockets of his robe and handed the garment to Noola. Then he found and gave her the fabric mending kit so she could get started. She quickly undid the stitches that held the wider cowl to his damaged robe and the existing hood from Olle's robe.

He marveled at how nimble her fingers were with the tools, watching in fascination as she stitched the wide hood to Zell's new gown.

"So, are you two a couple?" Bonna asked with a sly smile.

"WHA-?" Noola gasped and poked her thumb with the needle.

Zell looked at Bonna in surprise, then frowned with concern at Noola's thumb, which began to bleed. He reached forward and took her hand in his. Noola watched him with wide eyes as he held her thumb facing him and slipped it into his mouth. His tongue was sterile, and he'd discovered he could heal his wounds faster if he licked them. Maybe it would work for her, too.

Noola trembled, and her eyes closed with the tingling sensations his rough tongue was sending through her hand. The skin on the injured digit went numb, the pain from the prick immediately fading. She forced her eyes open and looked into Zell's for a moment before turning them to her openly grinning sister's face.

"N-no." she forced out.

"Not yet, you mean?" Bonna teased.

"Bonna," Zell scolded gently, and she shrugged as her eyes went back to the beasts, which needed no attention to follow the wagon ahead. Her smile remained.

Zell handed Noola the small first aid kit he pulled from the storage under the bench seat.

Once she bandaged her thumb, she finished sewing the cowl to the robe and handed it to him.

"Perfect," he said with a smile, and she smiled sweetly in return. He returned his items to the inner pockets of his new robe and pulled it on.

Zell saw they were getting close to the pass, so he leaned forward between the two females and kissed Bonna's cheek. "Good to have you with us." He turned his face to Noola and found her lips against his and her hands cradling his face. He kissed her in return and felt her suck in a little gasp.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I-I should go. Thank you for fixing my new robe's cowl."

She nodded to him, her eyes searching his, and he felt a tugging in his chest. He needed to get going to protect the caravan, so he slipped by the two females and leaped off the wagon to spring forward and climbed the remaining distance in a series of bounds that no Borrelian could match. His senses were dialed up to max as he was hunting. The heartbeats of every family member in the caravan and each of the beast of burden filled his ears, and he noted and categorized them as friendlies. This let him filter them out in his mind.

Beyond their group, he picked up only the minimal hum of insect and avian life. The pass was above the tree line, so there was minimal larger life here.

Had any enemy eyes been watching him, it wouldn't take them long to realize by his speed and agility that he wasn't one of them.

But by then, they'd be dead.

He knew there were no other travelers on this route, so anyone he did encounter was likely to be a bandit, most probably one of the former corrupt City Guard. He wondered if there had been any who hadn't been on the take. It was unfortunate, but considering how deep the corruption went, it made more sense to disband them entirely so the people could see justice being done.

He put the speculation behind him and concentrated on looking for traps and watchers.

He had a family to protect.

Chapter 7

Pinorra arrived at the office before the crack of dawn. He'd learned the Commander often arrived at first light, and he needed a few minutes alone in her office before she got there.

Hresh had really come through for him. He'd picked up the item from the crime boss on his second visit, enduring the rough treatment of the goons for a second time, but it was worth it. The high-density, high-output explosive was small enough to hide in his pocket, and the miniature trigger/detonator was something you could only find on Borrelia. It was cutting-edge tech, so Hresh's friends in high places had to be its source. The Military Senior Command must really hate Gorresh. Maybe more than he did!

It had taken Hresh's expert an hour to train him on how to connect the trigger to his headquarter's antiquated comm system and how to add the explosives to the trigger without setting it off. The trigger had a compact battery that would surge its charge into the explosive when the office line rang. He'd been told not to fuck around with the device as they only had one of them.

The guards at the headquarters' front door checkpoint were tired from working there all night. He'd brought them hot tea and breakfast rolls.

As he walked through the security scanner by the front door, it buzzed angrily. The two men blinked at him with bleary eyes as they stood.

"Dung, sorry, fellas. I forgot to take my gun off my belt to pass around the sensor. Let me dump these extra teas and rolls so I can go back through the gate."

The weary men grinned and waved him forward, hands outstretched to gratefully accept the treats. Pinorra smiled as well and glanced at the clock. "You got fifteen to finish that up before you-know-who arrives." He threw them a wave, and they nodded as they sipped the hot tea carefully. The meat-filled rolls disappeared much quicker.

He hustled up the stairs once he was beyond their view and quick-stepped to the Commander's door. He peeked inside, and the outer office was empty. He went inside and placed his ear to the inner door. Only silence could be heard. He turned the handle and was inside the vacant office.

He rushed over to the desk and followed the bomb expert's instructions. He mounted the device under the Commander's desk, connected to her comm's wires. He retraced his steps, listening before he left the office and her waiting room. He strolled around the atrium walkway to get to his office.

All he had to do now was wait. He had a view of the Commander's outer door from his desk, so he sipped at his tea and enjoyed the fresh breakfast roll while he kept an eye on the hall across the atrium.

There was no sign of his spy on the Sheffali homestead, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had to get out ahead of things. He'd heard they'd pulled off a minor miracle in getting outfitted, and their caravan was heading off first thing this morning. They were likely approaching the western gate by now. Two days ago, when he'd heard they were preparing to go, he'd sent one of his remaining grunts to the western mountains to set up an ambush to pin them down in the pass. Killing the beasts on the first and last wagon would effectively block their passage in the gap, then he could pick them off, one by one. He'd given the ex-City Guard one of the energy rifles and permission to kill anyone who tried to escape. Once he'd settled up here, Pinorra would catch up to the caravan and deal with whoever survived that once and for all.

When the smoke settled this morning after the tragic death of the Commander, he'd be ready with the brilliant cover story he'd prepared. The Sheffali patriarch was the only civilian guest to gain access to her office in weeks. He'd blatantly smuggled weapons into the building. The Lieutenant would tell everyone that the old trader must have planted the bomb while distracting the Commander with the rug and rifles.

He and his sergeant would ride out after the fleeing murderer to arrest him. He'd order a platoon to follow for bringing the family back for the trial.

Motion caught his eye, and he saw Gorresh walking toward her office. She didn't turn her head in his direction as he was never in this early. He began his countdown. He gave her six seconds to get into her office and sit down behind her desk to start her day.

At three seconds, her junior assistant ran down the hall and ducked into the outer office.

It was tragic to lose such a young female, but life is hard on Llevven.

He dialed the Commander's number.

At the last second, he wondered just how powerful the explosives were and leaned away from his doorway to put his wall between them.

The blast vaporized the Commander's corner office, her assistant's office, and everything and everyone inside them. It also destroyed the interrogation rooms on the floor below and the roof above.

Debris exploded outward in all directions. The trees planted in the atrium were completely shredded.

Pinorra was savagely knocked to the floor by the shock wave and pelted with debris. The wall between him and the devastation was badly damaged, but the atrium trees absorbed enough of the explosion to keep it from failing completely. The trees had saved his life.

As he lay on his back on the floor, he saw the broken tile on his little hideaway was shattered. He reached with a trembling hand to pull the Gate Pass from its hiding place and struggled to put it into the secret inner pocket of his jacket. He sagged to the floor the moment he had it tucked away.

His head was spinning and ringing as the smoke made him cough. He heard that, so his hearing was returning, and the next sound he recognized was the crackle of a fire. He needed to get out of the building.

Two faces appeared above him, shock in their expressions. They reached down and grabbed his arms to haul him to his feet. They helped him out of his crumbling office to the remains of the staircase leading down to the ground floor.

Pinorra looked back and froze when all he could see was smoke, fire, and open sky. "Beetle dung!" he gasped. The explosives were far more potent than Hresh had led him to believe. He stopped their progress and looked into their faces. "The Commander?"

"She... was in her office," one finally admitted. They got moving again and headed down the stairs.

That's it? Was he actually free of her? Such a quick end for a female who made his life a living hell since she arrived.

The two officers helped him out the front doors and across the street. A medic arrived and stitched closed the ragged gash on his forehead, and bandaged the smaller cuts on his face and arms.

It was time for him to take control of the situation. They needed a leader, and he was stepping up. He'd control the narrative, get people he trusted in place, and plant a seed to direct their attention to a suspect.

He had the perfect one to frame.

-=-

Lorrenz brought the caravan through the pass, down the mountain's western slope, through the forest, and out into the grasslands. Occasionally, he heard Zell's birdcall letting them know he was around, but there was no visible sign of him even from atop the wagon. Lorrenz grinned in wonder at his son's ability to move through multiple environments without leaving a trace.

They let the Druug pick up their pace to run once more and enjoyed the breezes as they crossed the vast expanse of gently swaying grasses. It would take another day to reach the desert on the far side of the prairies with an overnight on the field next to the road. Zell would likely find a suitable spot for them and mark it before they arrived. He knew how fast they were going, how far ahead of them he was and would find a place for them to settle far enough along that when they stopped, they'd have enough light to set up their camp. He'd tie a ribbon to a tall stalk of grass next to the road.

As he wasn't driving, Lorrenz confirmed the readiness of his weapons. While they'd maintained them back at the homestead, each member of the caravan ensured their primary and secondary weapons were ready for use while they traveled with sufficient ammo and safeties on, of course.

Lorrenz preferred his long-barreled hand cannon for his primary as it not only had excellent range but the shock value of its deafening boom could not be denied. The shells had excellent penetration and knockback characteristics, too. Lissan used one as her primary weapon as well.

His secondary was a rapid-fire rifle with an extra-large clip.

He confirmed the spare clips for both of his weapons were within reach under the bench. He looked over at Freem driving the team of Druug and got a smile from him.

"My pistols are ready and loaded. I confirmed the spare clips were under the bench before we left," the first son assured him. At his father's nod, he glanced at the surrounding grassland. "I understand we don't expect there to be any survivors, but will the bandits really be waiting for the ransom money?"

"They'll be waiting in the desert and probably not very far from the leading edge. The Krattos caravan hired mercenaries for its security, but none returned to the capitol to report the attack. The best-case scenario for us would be, the mercenaries were killed," Lorrenz said grimly.

Freem glanced at his father in surprise. "That's our best scenario?"

Lorrenz nodded. "The alternative scenario has a mercenary group large enough to guard a five-wagon caravan betraying their employers and joining the bandits. If that's what happened, we'll be facing a significant force. Zell will assess the enemy's strength and will let us know."

That worrying thought stayed with them as they rushed through the gently rolling prairies for the rest of the afternoon.

Sure enough, as the afternoon light dimmed, they spotted a red ribbon tied between some grasses to the left side of the roadway. Freem whistled loudly, and the sound was repeated by his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and an off-tune note from Bonna. They slowed the Druug from their run until they reached the brightly colored ribbon. Lorrenz climbed down to collect it before returning to Freem's side on the bench.

A short distance south was a small knoll that was very suitable for them to circle the caravan upon to give them better visibility of the surrounding area. Freem snorted in amusement as he spotted a wide path carved through the grasses from the roadway to the hill. The entire dome had been sheared of its tall grass too.

"How does he do that?" the driver asked with a chuckle.

Lorrenz grinned as he shook his head. "Something about a spike and a wire? He hasn't told me what that means, but I'm grateful."

They pulled into the gap and moved to the small rise. Even with five wagons, there would be room to circle them, with all the Druug protected in the middle. Freem made his way around the knoll, with the others automatically following until their formation was in place.

He set the brake and smiled at his father. It was time to unhitch the Druug and get them fed as the others set up the camp. With all the freshly cut grass, the large beasts had their meal at their feet. Lorrenz and Freem could hear the beasts munch with delight.

Lorrenz climbed up to the roof of the wagon and looked in all directions. Nothing but grasses for as far as the eye could see. Certainly no sign of Zell, but he'd told them they wouldn't until they reached the desert. Considering he was expecting to run into the enemy just inside the sandy environs, he wished he'd instructed Zell to join them tonight. He climbed down and met Lissan, whose worried expression told him she was thinking the same thing.

-=-

Zell was rapidly loping down the side of the roadway on all fours. He was almost flying right next to the grasses as he raced towards the desert. He listened to the sounds surrounding him, and aside from the small creatures who made the plains their home, he was alone. Judging by the remaining light and distance, he'd arrive just as the true darkness settled over the dunes. That suited him perfectly.

He had concerns his family would be entering a trap of bandits and mercenaries, so he needed to see what they'd be facing. The more time they had to prepare, the safer they'd be.

Slipping into the grasses, he moved away from the road. He'd be entering the desert a distance south of the roadway to avoid any eyes keeping watch on the route. Not that he expected them to be so vigilant. Even the mercenaries were likely to be unconcerned about an approaching caravan. The military was currently undergoing a major restructuring and wasn't supporting the merchants. These bandits and mercenaries had never encountered the Sheffali family before. Zell suspected they were likely expecting to face a small group of mercenaries hired to protect some frightened caravanners.

He was proud of how seriously his family took their security training. Everyone in the family, even those who remained in the homestead, were experts with the weapons they collected from the bandits and purchased from weapon smiths in Mnemmesh. His parent's handguns were custom imported pieces they'd bought from one of the more reputable gun shops in the city. They were both expert shots with the weapons, and that made Zell feel more secure.

Zell paused when he arrived at the edge of the grasslands where the fingers of the desert reached into tall grasses, stunting their growth. He rested there for a moment, senses on high alert, but the last rays of daylight extinguished with no one but him nearby to notice. He slipped from his hiding place and smiled as the pads of his hands and feet felt the comforting shift of sand below them. This was home.

Navigating through the increasingly steep dunes, he worked his way closer to the road but moved deep into the desert until he picked up the first hint of Borrelian presence. Unfortunately, it was the stench of death. He noted that the carrion beetles were also drawn to this in numbers, so the number of dead must be significant.

Following the trail of beetles, he looked over a rise and spotted a large stack of bodies in the small valley between two dunes. The corpses of the Krattos and Sprell families lay before him. The indignity of their... disposal sent a surge of shuddering rage through him. His fur stood on end, and shivers raced over his limbs as the need to attack almost overwhelmed him.

He struggled to keep a lid on his emotions as he still had no idea how many he'd be facing. He cast his eyes over the grim collection of bodies tossed onto the pile like they were garbage. These could have been his parents, his brothers and sisters, lives cut short by nothing more than greed. Again, he stifled his outraged screams and choked back the anger. He didn't know these people before him, but they didn't deserve... this.