“Come get something to eat and drink, and you can tell us about it.” He put his arm around her and walked her to his tent. She stood, looking a little lost, and he drew her over to the table, sat her down and went back outside to fetch her some hot tea.
He could see the dark bruises beneath her eyes.
“Avasu.” The general peered into the tent, and Luc gestured her in.
Ava looked up at them both over the rim of her cup. “The Kassian have bought thirty flares. They’re planning to launch them from these hilltops at the Rising Wave.”
“Evil.” The general’s hiss was full of fury and disgust. “That is pure evil. It is good we are going to break their power, Commander, because this is proof they do not deserve to have any.”
“I’ve never heard of flares.” Luc tried to think of any reference to them in his time in the camps and later in the Kassian forces, but he couldn’t.
“They make them in Zilvana. No one knows who supplies the magic but they are rare and difficult to obtain. Some countries, like Grimwalt, Venyatu, and Jatan have signed laws to ban them from ever being used.” General Ru was almost panting with rage. “This will damage the Kassian reputation more than they realize.”
“How do they work?”
“They’ll shoot the flares, and when they hit the ground, I’m told the contents spread like water, as far as they can go, and they burn everything in their path. It takes a long time for the fire to burn itself out, and nothing is left behind.”
“Then we stop them from firing them at all.” Luc would not see the land he was reclaiming burned to nothing. That was not going to happen. “This explains why I couldn’t find any sign of the Kassian in the hills last night.”
The General nodded. “It didn’t make sense that we were that far ahead of them. But if they’re setting up flare cannons, they hardly need many people. You said thirty flares?”
Ava nodded. “I was told ten cannons, three flares each.”
“Ten will cover a large area. That’s what they were doing here with their mapping. They were working out which hills would give them the best coverage.” General Ru had started to pace.
“At least we’re not where they expect us.” Luc was sure of that.
“That’s true. You’re sure of your information, Avasu?”
“Completely sure. The flare cannons left nearly four days ago from Bartolo, so they’re most likely already here. The Kassian troops have split up, a few with the flare cannons, some to line the Bartolo River to make sure the Rising Wave can’t easily cross, and the main force hiding under Bartolo, in the cisterns.”
“Hiding under the city?” The general stopped pacing and turned to Ava.
“They’ve left a small force above ground, as a decoy, to pretend that’s the only protection Bartolo has. They’re hoping the Rising Wave soldiers who survive the flares will make a dash for Bartolo to cross at the bridge, and when they enter the city, the troops below will spill out and end things.”
“We need to tell Raun-Tu—”
“I already did.” Ava drained the last of her tea from her cup. “I went out the east gate to warn Massi and Raun-Tu. They’re going into the city to deal with the Kassian troops. Oscar and Deni left through the west gate.” She set her cup down and entwined her fingers. “I hope they were able to avoid the troops setting up guard along the river.”
“That might be why they’ve been delayed. They’re avoiding the Kassian. But what do you mean, Massi and Raun-Tu are going to deal with the Kassian troops in Bartolo?” Luc crouched down beside her.
“There are only two ways in and out of those underground cisterns. I told Massi and Raun-Tu where to find them, and they’re going to block them off and trap the Kassian under the city.” She made a pillow with her hands and lay her head down on them.
Luc looked over at General Ru, and saw the same astonishment on her face that must be on his.
“You learned all this in just a few days?” General Ru asked.
Ava said nothing, and Luc bent closer. She was asleep.
He lifted her up from the chair, and she forced her eyes open, looked at him blankly and then went back to sleep.
He set her in their bed and returned. The general had a look on her face . . . covetous, Luc thought.
She wanted Ava for her own.
And who could blame her?
“Would we have won this without her?” General Ru asked softly.
“We haven’t won yet,” Luc warned.
“I’m aware, Commander.” General Ru put her hands on her hips. “But we have a lot better chance now.”
Chapter 35
“Bait.”
“What’s that?” Dak looked up from the table they were all leaning over at Heival’s words.
“We offer them bait.”
“And if they decide to burn the bait with magical fire?” The general shook her head. “No one should die like that.”
“Agreed.” Luc was not seeing anyone burned. Or anything.
But it did give him an idea.
“This needs to be a stealth operation, not open battle.” He looked over at the general and she nodded in agreement.
“Take each cannon unit out with a small group of well-trained warriors. Preferably at the same time.”
“Do you want to form five teams, and so will I?” Luc didn’t think the Venyatux would sit this one out. Not with the incandescent rage still burning in General Ru’s eyes at the thought of the flares.
“Yes. Tell me what you’ve got in mind.” General Ru glanced across at the curtain shielding a sleeping Ava from the lieutenants and officers in his tent, but Luc had no intention of involving Ava in this.
She had done enough.
“I would like to be in one of those teams.” Kikir, the Skäddar warrior, had said nothing about the flares, but now Luc saw something in his eyes that told him the man simply hid his rage well.
The sound of shouting filtered through from outside, and everyone turned as Rafe stuck his head in.
“Oscar and Deni are back. And they have some news.”
Luc gestured for them to come with his hand, and the two men walked in, a little wide-eyed.
“Encountered some trouble?” Luc asked.
Dak handed them each a cup of water, and neither answered until they had swallowed it down.
“We came over the river, but there were patrols all along the banks, and someone saw us and gave chase.” Deni looked around for a seat, found a box and sank down on it.
“We didn’t want to lead them back to where we knew you were headed, so we swung wide, toward the north east, in what we thought was a big loop that would put us out of their way.” Oscar rubbed his face with a filthy hand.
“But?” General Ru asked.
“But instead we found a whole new army coming from the north west. Not fresh, like the ones we saw in Bartolo. Hardened, tired. Like they’d just been fighting. They’ll probably reach what’s left of our wagon train by midday tomorrow.”
“The whole of the Kassian army was fighting the Jatan, but my latest information is they pulled more than half their force away a few months ago. Probably to rest and reequip to fight us. But they had to have left some forces to hold the border with Jatan. You think they’ve pulled those units?” Luc leaned over the map again.