Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The pungent stench of smoke and ash saturated the air. My ears rang, drowning out the shouts and hurried footsteps of the men around me.

Standing motionless at the village entrance, I gazed at the small shoe that rested in the palm of my hand. It was torn and scorched black. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe. The image of a roaring fire consuming everything in its path blazed through my mind. Clutching the shoe close to my heart, I prayed that its owner had met a different fate.

"Those bastards, they didn't have to do this! The villagers were evacuating, which would have left the village empty. They did this out of spite!" Calim shouted, pacing like a caged animal. His face was flushed, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Trying to regain my composure, I repeated in my head like a mantra, Just take a deep breath, come on. Breathe in, breathe out. When the burning memories of the past were extinguished, I sprung into action. "Tell me exactly what happened," I commanded to a weary-looking man who I recognized as one of the knights in the group sent to protect the village last year.

Patches of black soot stained his face and hands. His glassy eyes never strayed from the burnt remains of the village as he spoke, "We started evacuating early in the morning. We were keeping an eye on the enemy as you ordered, and we noticed some odd behavior last night. So we decided to move the villagers to a safer place. We figured that we had enough time to vacate the area before they seized the village." He took a deep breath, "We were ambushed on the outskirts. Some people were able to run away and hide. Others weren't so lucky. After they attacked us, they went back to set the village on fire." His gaze dropped to the ground, and his shoulders slumped. "It was as if they wanted to make a statement. As if they wanted to show how much contempt they have for us." 

"They knew what we were planning once again.'" I mumbled to myself. Calim—who came over as soon as he saw me walk away—shot me a look. "That is all for now. Go to the medics so they can check if you have any wounds."

He nodded and left for the makeshift medical tent.

"We need to get that rat as soon as possible if we don't want things to get even worse." Calim spat out, squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw.

My face and voice were grave as I surveyed my surroundings. "He or she is very clever. They know how to cover their tracks. Not even the king is sure of the identity of that traitor."

The grand general—who previously was standing some meters away—ran to our side. "Your Grace, the battalion has returned to the camp on the territorial limits. It seems they are waiting for the troops stationed on the border to meet them there so they can crossover to this land."

My jaw clenched. "Are the troops mobilizing already?"

"Yes, they started their journey south about two hours ago." His voice was thick with dread.

"They'll be here by nightfall. We need to do something. We can't let this happen to the neighboring town." Full of determination, I turned to Calim and ordered, "I want all the generals to meet me here in twenty minutes. Send a soldier to escort them here immediately. I don't want them to take any detours or speak to anyone until they are right in front of me."

"Yes, sir."

⚜⚜⚜

Standing on a small hill, about an eighth of a mile away from the crowd of soldiers searching for survivors. The generals and I huddled close to discuss our next course of action.

My gaze swept around our vicinity a few times, making sure no one was trying to listen in on our conversation. "Gentlemen, what happened here was unacceptable. Around thirty people have lost their lives due to this ambush, and the number may keep increasing if we don't put a stop to this. So, Calim and I have devised a plan to prevent this from happening again." For a fraction of a second. I locked eyes with all the men standing around me. "We will leave two battalions here to wait for the incoming enemy troops. The rest of our division will move the campsite to the town some miles away from here. The battalions will attempt to slow down the incoming troops while we evacuate the town. As soon as we send off the last of the townspeople, we will go out to aid them in their return. The town will be our stronghold for the time being. We can't let them go further than that, or else we will lose the seaport."