It has been six years since the last time Hutch had made the long journey to the northern border with the first division of the King's Guard. In that last war, they had claimed victory over the Gaellenok tribe of Jeq, by overwhelming force, and subsequent negotiations.
While things had remained tense along that stretch of the northern tip of the western border between the two countries, it had remained conflict free, until six months ago, when a Gaellenok hunting party was discovered poaching a protected lemur-like creature known as a chorp, in the Euqwenah Tribes region of the Kushbahu forest. Subsequently, the poachers were executed by the Euqwenah tribe, as was dictated by the law. Less than a month later, the Gaellenok retaliated, sending a warband against the Euqwenah, attacking their village directly.
Hearing of the attack against his people, the king had sent the third and fourth divisions of his army to deal with the situation in the northwest, starting with opening negotiations with the Gaellenok, and helping to rebuild the Euqwenah village, providing supplies, and fortifying their position along the border.
However, five months later, in the peak of summer now facing a harsh tactical disadvantage, with no clear path forward, the king has sent the first division to make their way to the front with the expressed orders to bring the conflict to an end.
Consisting of fourteen members; ten warriors, two casters or bannermen, and two wagon drivers with a total of sixteen eranth, the first division, arrived at the front, four days after departing from the capital of Qor'ropi.
When they arrived at the Euqwenah village, the remnants of the first attack were still apparent. The fields, unturned and unsewn, were covered in a layer of ash, charred timbers still sat in piles where homes once stood, and grave mounds had yet to settle. Watch towers, trenches, and barricades had come to mar the landscape, and archers keep vigil both day and night, waiting for any sign of another attack.
Inside the partially burnt longhouse in the center of the village, Cascel was standing next to the table in the center of the large meeting room, staring at a map that had been laid out over it, as he spoke to the general in charge of the third division, named Levim.
Levim was a brute of a man, grizzled, scarred, and built like stone. Despite being both broad and bulky, he wielded a giant double-bladed axe, as if it were no heavier than a dagger. He was a warrior honed in battle, his reputation and position both well-earned and deserved.
"When was the last engagement?" Cascel questioned, as he shifted around the table.
"Three days ago. They came up from the southern edge, here," Levim replied, dropping a metal marker onto the map. "They have a tendency to aim for the villagers and run back into the forest when we go after them. We've lost two of our men, both first year rookies who disobeyed orders to pursue the wretches into the woods. They were fools. The area is riddled with ambush sites and traps. It is obvious that the Gaellenok have been planning this for months, if not years."
Cascel let out a heavy sigh, while rubbing at the back of his neck. "How many villagers have been lost?"
"More than half," Levim replied, lowering his eyes to the table. "But if we don't find a solution to the water problem, the rest will be dead by the end of the week."
"Finally," Cascel remarked, throwing out his hands, "a problem I might actually be able to fix. I want you to assign four men, two from your division and two from the fourth, and have them gather the remaining Euqwenah." Grabbing a sheet of paper and a stick of charcoal, Cascel began writing across the page. "Tonight, after dark, your men will take the majority, along with your best wagon filled with as many empty barrels as can be found, to the Owlehom village. If everything moves smoothly, your men should be back in four days with enough water to last us another week. Give this to whomever you assign, it's a list of instructions on what the people are to gather up and leave behind."
"I know exactly who to send," Levim replied, taking the piece of paper from Cascel.
"Good. But even with a plan for the immediate future, it doesn't address the long-term water issue. Any idea when we should expect the Gaellenok to strike again?"
"Yesterday," Levim huffed. "I suspect this heat wave may be the cause of their sudden break, but I know from experience that it won't last. Since we arrived, their attacks have been little more than taunts and nuisances. I know they are watching, and it's possible that they are using this shift in the weather to organize something larger. I doubt they are unaware of our current situation. If I was them, I would be waiting for signs that we are desperate and attack when we make any attempt to get water from the river."
"Agreed," Cascel concurred as he continued to stare down at the map. "Tactically, that would make the most sense. By the way, where is the chief at? I have some questions for him."
"Dead."
"Oh," Cascel replied, looking up at Levim, "well, that's unfortunate. Anyone else left that actually saw the poachers that seem to have been the start of all this?"
"I'll ask around," Levim said, bowing his head before leaving through the opening in the back of the building.
"Hutch, come join me," Cascel said, waving him over.
Hutch had been listening to their conversation, while keeping his eyes on the movements of the soldiers outside but made his way over to the table at Cascel's beckoning.
"Yeah, I know that look," Hutch commented as Cascel continued to examine the map, hand rubbing at his chin, "what's going through your mind this time?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he remarked, glancing momentarily up at him. "I know you were listening to everything."
"Of course, I was listening, but it doesn't explain what you're thinking."
"I'm thinking that this situation is far more dire than it sounds," Cascel responded, turning the map as he came around to the side of the table, to stand next to Hutch. "According to this map, the main source of water for the Euqwenah is this river that flows south, west of the village. However, it's no longer an option. It's too far beyond the barriers and too deep into the forest to properly guard. It originates from somewhere inside of Jeq, and even if we went to where it first crosses into Qur'loam, the ground is too shallow to trench. We'd hit rock before we could get anywhere useful. With the Gaellenok now controlling this water source, the only other one that is close is this pond, which Levim reported as being contaminated. By what? Who knows. It smells bad and made those who drank it sick. My bet is that it's shallow, stagnant, and the contamination is probably natural, but I won't know for certain until I see it for myself. I need you to prepare our eranth, and get the grappling hooks and rope from the back of our wagon. We're going to take a little venture into the woods."
"You want anyone else to come with us?" Hutch questioned, watching as Cascel began to sketch out a rough map on a sheet of paper.
"No. We need to preserve what we can, no point in wearing out anyone else's eranth. But, if you could tell Barhalis I need to speak with him, I'll let him know of our plans."
"Sure," Hutch said, only for Cascel to abruptly grab his arm when he turned to leave.
"Wait," he said in a hushed voice, quickly sliding his drawing beneath the edge of the larger map, as Levim returned, carrying a young, adolescent girl, whose hands and arms were wrapped up in bandages, and whose hair had been singed down to her scalp, her skin left reddened and blistered.
"This is Kijiah. She's the one that found the poachers in the forest and first reported it," Levim introduced her as he set her down on the floor by the table.
"Thank you for joining us, Kijiah. I'm Cascel, and this is my friend, Hutch. If you wouldn't mind coming a bit closer, I'd really like it if you could look at this map for me," he said, keeping his voice calm and soft, as he held his hand out towards her.
Kijiah was cautious as she stepped towards him, holding her injured hands to her chest, unwilling to reach out.
Lowering his own hand, Cascel knelt before the girl and offered his most comforting smile. "Your injuries must have been painful. Have the bannermen been taking good care of you?"
"Yes," she nodded, her tone weak and timid. "They made the pain fade."
"I'm so sorry that they can't do more for you. I know how traumatic all of this has been and how it seems that it will never come to an end, but I promise, one day it will. You see, that's why I've come all the way here from Qor'ropi. It's why we've all come. But before I can do anything, I need your help. Do you think you can answer some questions for me?"
"I will try," she replied.
"That is all I ask," Cascel remarked as he stood back up. "And don't hesitate for a moment to tell me if you don't know something. It's perfectly fine to have no answers. In fact, it's far better than having false information, okay?"
"Okay," she said, turning to face the map at the wave of his hand.
"Good. Now, do you think you can show me, on this map, roughly where you were when you first saw those nasty poachers?"