Don Bassingthwaite - The Grieving Tree

“Like there’s something watching and waiting for its chance to reach out of the past and grab for you,” Natrac had said. Geth understood exactly what the half-orc meant. He flexed his right arm, listening to the soft creak of his great gauntlet. The armored sleeve was no use against imagined mysteries, but its weight was comforting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ashi twisting around and staring at the road behind them. He leaned over to her. “What is it?”

“We’re being followed.”

Geth raised a shaggy eyebrow. It was tempting to suggest that the feeling was in the hunter’s mind, an effect of the eerie atmosphere, but he’d been around Ashi for weeks now. Her instincts were solid. He glanced over his shoulder as well. The road behind them was empty. “Where?”

Ashi shook her head. “Nowhere in particular. Sometimes in the woods, sometimes right on the edge of the road. A dark figure. Human-shaped, big as a large man. On foot.”

“If they’re on foot, they can’t have been following us very long. Who in their right mind would follow a column of ogres-”

He was turning back to Ashi when the figure appeared for just an instant, darting through the woods from one tree to another on the north side of the road about sixty paces back from the end of the column. Geth got only the most fleeting glimpse of it, but as Ashi had said, it was human in shape and big as a large man. The clothing it wore was dark and close-fitted, probably leather. Its head seemed curiously smooth and rounded. He didn’t get a good look at its face, but there was something vaguely familiar about the figure, though he couldn’t place it.

“Rat!” Geth hissed. He scanned the faces of the few ogres that marched behind them at the very rear of the column, but there was no indication that they had seen anything. Their big ugly faces were slack, eyes glazed with the monotony of a long march. Geth gestured for Singe to join him.

The wizard, as well as Natrac and Orshok, listened to him and Ashi describe what they had seen. His eyes narrowed. “Following the column-or following us?”

“Geth,” asked Orshok, “when you say the figure had a smooth head could it have been shaved bald?”

“I suppose so,” said the shifter. “But I don’t see-”

“It’s Chain,” Orshok said tightly.

Geth-as well as the others-stared at him. “Chain’s in the hold of Lightning on Water on his way to Sharn,” Geth said after a moment.

“What if he’s not?” asked Orshok. The young orc’s face was flushed. “I know I saw something fall off Lightning on Water yesterday. What if Chain escaped? Singe says he swore he’d be coming for us!”

Geth looked at Singe. The wizard shook his head. “It can’t be him. I checked his chains before we left the ship.”

“Chain or not, someone is back there,” said Geth. “I don’t like it.” He pulled his horse around and out of the line of march, trotting up the column toward Chuut. He called the ogre’s name and Chuut swung around. Rage crossed his face.

“The General said hold your position!”

“I know,” Geth said. “But there’s something you should know.”

Chuut pulled a massive mace from his belt and raised it threateningly. “Return to your place.”

Geth paused in the act of pointing to the woods behind the column. His eyes narrowed. “Chuut, we’re being-” he began, but the ogre just stepped forward and bellowed in his face.

“I said you gets back to your spot now!”

His breath stank. Saliva spattered Geth’s face-and anger surged in his belly. The last time anyone had yelled in his face like that, he had been a recruit to the Frostbrand company and a trainer had been drilling orders into him. If that was how Chuut was going to think, he needed a taste of real Blademarks command! Geth’s lips peeled back, baring his teeth. He sat tall in his saddle and roared right back at the ogre. “Master Chuut, stand respect!”

The ogre’s face went from rage to shock in an instant, but his body responded to the command even faster, taking two fast steps back and standing rigid, head up, weapon at his side. The nearest ogres stared in shock, stumbling as they tried to watch the confrontation and keep marching at the same time.

Swept up in his anger, Geth turned on them. “Tzaryan company, about and alert!”

The sudden order was more than the ogre troops could handle. Some stopped and turned out away from the column, hands on their weapons, ready for trouble. More tripped over their own feet. A few kept marching until they ran into-or stepped on-their comrades. In only moments, Tzaryan Rrac’s troops were in complete disarray.

Geth rounded on Chuut once more. “Go to the General and tell him the column is being trailed by one enemy scout on the north side of the road. Bring back his reply.” He leaned close and growled in Chuut’s face. “I’ll be waiting in my position.”

Chuut trembled but didn’t move. “Go!” Geth barked at him.

The ogre’s head snapped down in acknowledgement and he raced off toward the front of the collapsed column. Geth dug his heels into his horse’s side and trotted back to the others. Ashi, Natrac, and Orshok looked at him in amazement, but Singe wore a troubled expression.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Geth said. “I had to make him listen and I didn’t feel like fighting him.”

“It’s not that,” said Singe. His eyebrows drew down into a knot. “Those were Blademarks commands you used.”

“I know.” Geth bared his teeth again, this time in a smile. “Did you see those ogres jump?”

“Geth- Blademarks commands.”

The shifter stared at him for a moment before the words sank in. Tzaryan Rrac’s troops had been trained with Blademarks commands-by the General. “Oh,” he said. “Oh, Boar’s whiskers.”

Ashi looked from him to Singe and back. “I don’t understand.”

“The General is selling House Deneith training to Tzaryan Rrac,” Singe said grimly. “The Blademarks and House Deneith use their own commands in training. The commands aren’t anything special, but if the General is using them, it means he’s also using Deneith techniques to train Tzaryan’s ogres.”

“Maybe Tzaryan hired House Deneith,” Natrac suggested.

Singe shook his head. “Then why is the General concealing his identity? I’m not even talking about the scarves-a member of House Deneith conducting legitimate business would use his name openly.” He frowned. “And I’m reasonably certain the lords of Deneith wouldn’t consent to training ogres. When they took on hobgoblin mercenaries during the Last War, the hobgoblins rebelled and carved Darguun out of Cyre.”

A stirring among the ogres brought Geth’s attention back to them-Tzaryan’s troops were shifting into new positions as their leaders moved among them, quietly issuing new orders. Chuut was heading back along the column as well. Geth slapped Singe’s arm and jerked his head toward the approaching ogre. Singe fell silent and turned to meet him.

Chuut carried a piece of folded paper. He stopped before Geth and Singe as if momentarily uncertain who was supposed to be in charge, then extended the parchment to Singe. “The General has orders,” he said.

Singe took the parchment and unfolded it, quickly scanning the writing on it. His eyes narrowed. Geth stretched his neck and read over his shoulder.

Master Timin, send the shifter and the savage to locate our pursuer. Capture if possible. Tzaryan company will provide a distraction when you’re ready. Move quickly .

“That sounds like a good plan,” said Geth. He could see the General’s intention immediately. If they were going to turn the tables on whoever was following the column, swift and stealthy action was needed. Ogres would crash through the woods like a herd of cattle, but the General had clearly recognized his and Ashi’s wilderness experience. Geth swung a leg over his saddle and jumped down to the ground. “Ashi, we’re going hunting.”