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Authors: Richard S. Tuttle
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and ran along the path towards the palace to put some distance between himself and the old barracks. He halted when the first group of guards encountered him.
“Was that your whistle?” asked the sergeant in charge of the group.
“It was,” replied Colonel Taerin. “There are three assassins on the grounds. They are black-clad and masked. They were last seen entering the old forest section of the grounds. Have one of your men spread the description to the other units. I want them captured alive, but be cautious. I believe them to be Badgers.”
One of the soldiers was dispatched to spread the description and the others hurried towards the last reported location of the intruders. Colonel Taerin turned around and walked back to the old barracks. He opened the door and stepped into Donil’s quarters.
“Make a light, Donil. We have some talking to do.”
Colonel Donil lit a torch and placed it in a wall sconce. Colonel Taerin could see that Donil’s face was bruised, but he appeared otherwise unharmed.
“What is this all about, Colonel Taerin? If this is some kind of joke, I am not taking kindly to it.”
“Badgers do not joke,” Colonel Taerin replied as he sat on one of the bunks facing Donil.
“Badgers are a myth,” Colonel Donil replied, his tone revealing the uncertainty of his words.
“They are no myth. You are lucky to be alive. They usually do not leave witnesses behind, but I suspect that they want word of this visit to reach the ears of General Forshire. It would appear that they suspect the general of interfering in their plans.”
“You heard what they said?”
“I was outside the window.” Colonel Taerin nodded, wondering how Donil would take the news that he was being spied on. “Why did Forshire leave you here?”
“If you were listening,” frowned Colonel Donil, “then you heard my answers to the Badgers. Why ask the same questions when you know the answers?”
“Because I doubt that you told them the truth. The loyalty the A Corps shows to General Forshire is remarkable. There is no way that you would tell the Badgers where the general could be found. That would endanger his life.”
“General Forshire will not be harmed by the Badgers,” retorted Colonel Donil. “Let the Badgers send their best to Olansk. They will be met with the steel of A Corps. They will have to cut through two-thousand men to get close to the general.”
“I could easily believe that if I thought that the A Corps would even know that the Badgers were coming, but they won’t know. They will be caught as unawares as the defenders of the Imperial Palace appeared to be this night.”
“They’ll know,” swore Colonel Donil. “The A Corps will be waiting for the Badgers to appear.”
Colonel Taerin smiled at his small victory. He suspected that Donil had some way of communication with General Forshire, and Donil’s words confirmed it.
“Then the A Corps will be doing the Federation a great service. The Badgers deserve to die, but General Forshire will not be there to witness it.”
“What do you mean?” Colonel Donil asked suspiciously.
“You are going to send a message to the general that he is to report to the Imperial Palace immediately. I want to speak to him personally.”
“You are but a colonel,” balked Colonel Donil. “You do not order a general around. Besides, how can I send a message to the general any quicker than you can? Send your own message.”
“Do not try me.” Colonel Taerin snapped in a most uncharacteristic manner. “I wish to speak to General Forshire alone, and I wish to do so immediately. Do not force me to involve Grand General Kyrga in this because he will have many questions that might prove to be very embarrassing to your general.”
“Even Kyrga cannot order General Forshire to return to Despair,” countered Colonel Donil. “Why is speaking to General Forshire so important to you?”
“Grand General Kyrga can order
“Was that your whistle?” asked the sergeant in charge of the group.
“It was,” replied Colonel Taerin. “There are three assassins on the grounds. They are black-clad and masked. They were last seen entering the old forest section of the grounds. Have one of your men spread the description to the other units. I want them captured alive, but be cautious. I believe them to be Badgers.”
One of the soldiers was dispatched to spread the description and the others hurried towards the last reported location of the intruders. Colonel Taerin turned around and walked back to the old barracks. He opened the door and stepped into Donil’s quarters.
“Make a light, Donil. We have some talking to do.”
Colonel Donil lit a torch and placed it in a wall sconce. Colonel Taerin could see that Donil’s face was bruised, but he appeared otherwise unharmed.
“What is this all about, Colonel Taerin? If this is some kind of joke, I am not taking kindly to it.”
“Badgers do not joke,” Colonel Taerin replied as he sat on one of the bunks facing Donil.
“Badgers are a myth,” Colonel Donil replied, his tone revealing the uncertainty of his words.
“They are no myth. You are lucky to be alive. They usually do not leave witnesses behind, but I suspect that they want word of this visit to reach the ears of General Forshire. It would appear that they suspect the general of interfering in their plans.”
“You heard what they said?”
“I was outside the window.” Colonel Taerin nodded, wondering how Donil would take the news that he was being spied on. “Why did Forshire leave you here?”
“If you were listening,” frowned Colonel Donil, “then you heard my answers to the Badgers. Why ask the same questions when you know the answers?”
“Because I doubt that you told them the truth. The loyalty the A Corps shows to General Forshire is remarkable. There is no way that you would tell the Badgers where the general could be found. That would endanger his life.”
“General Forshire will not be harmed by the Badgers,” retorted Colonel Donil. “Let the Badgers send their best to Olansk. They will be met with the steel of A Corps. They will have to cut through two-thousand men to get close to the general.”
“I could easily believe that if I thought that the A Corps would even know that the Badgers were coming, but they won’t know. They will be caught as unawares as the defenders of the Imperial Palace appeared to be this night.”
“They’ll know,” swore Colonel Donil. “The A Corps will be waiting for the Badgers to appear.”
Colonel Taerin smiled at his small victory. He suspected that Donil had some way of communication with General Forshire, and Donil’s words confirmed it.
“Then the A Corps will be doing the Federation a great service. The Badgers deserve to die, but General Forshire will not be there to witness it.”
“What do you mean?” Colonel Donil asked suspiciously.
“You are going to send a message to the general that he is to report to the Imperial Palace immediately. I want to speak to him personally.”
“You are but a colonel,” balked Colonel Donil. “You do not order a general around. Besides, how can I send a message to the general any quicker than you can? Send your own message.”
“Do not try me.” Colonel Taerin snapped in a most uncharacteristic manner. “I wish to speak to General Forshire alone, and I wish to do so immediately. Do not force me to involve Grand General Kyrga in this because he will have many questions that might prove to be very embarrassing to your general.”
“Even Kyrga cannot order General Forshire to return to Despair,” countered Colonel Donil. “Why is speaking to General Forshire so important to you?”
“Grand General Kyrga can order
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