Suulain�s voice took on an air of slight arrogance, coupled with deep guilt and regret, �There is no way that the Protectorate was prepared, not in this decadent age, we are too weak, not even the Aer-Tial is properly trained anymore, there hasn�t been a war on the Plain for well over 400 years.�
Darcane, despite trying to uphold his gruff appearance as a former Captain of the Aer-Tial, looked at the record keeper, an expression of sadness, mourning, sorrow, and a number of negative emotions Kitt had not words to describe were embedded on his face, �How many other villages were destroyed in this way?�
�Four more,� was the cold reply Darcane received, it was apparent he had been through this conversation before. Then, a hesitant air took him; he withdrew a small scroll from his sash, this one newer, not old or used looking as the other one. �There is one more however, the one we received yesterday,� he said.
��June the 2nd, year 503 of the Fourth Cycle: We have tracked the Howler army to Kiriol, and the great island.�
Darcane�s face grew pale. Shest, Dalf, Kitt, and Jublis had never heard of these villages and places, only the most impressive of geography reached them, Emho, Caerton, Bright Ridge, the Great Divide. They had a general sense of the Plain, but not the details. Darcane did, inaudible murmurs escaped his throat, and he whispered, �No�it�no�� The four draftees looked curiously at him, unsure, but the record keeper continued.
�Kiriol Harbor has been destroyed. Once again, there were no survivors. The bridge however remains intact. One set of tracks leads to the island; we assume the Howlers have moved on.�
Darcane kept shaking his head, repeating �No, no, impossible,� over and over. Shest spoke for the rest of the group.
�Sir, Lieutenant, we haven�t much contact with the outside world. Can you tell us exactly what this means?�
�Of course,� answered Suulain, he stood as tall as he could, trying to sound confident, though he didn�t act very well, �Kiriol is on a large island in the middle of the Great Divide, as you must know, the Great Divide is a river that is normally only passable via a ship, but Kiriol is a town placed on a large island in the middle of the river. On either side of the island is a bridge, combined, they make the only land route over the Great Divide. Because of that inaccessibility, mostly small villages are on the eastern side. But on the western side of the river��
Kitt�s eyes shone with realization, ��Then the entire Plain could be attacked.�
Suulain nodded, �You see the problem.�
Darcane finally came to grips with the information, at least able to speak again, �What is the attack pattern of these Howlers?� he asked, his voice still shaky, but competent again.
Suulain shrugged, �Unknown, all we know is they raze villages to the ground, leave no survivors, and haven�t yet taken casualties. Not one body has been found.�
The record keeper jumped in, �Which is very disheartening, while the smaller villages had no trained men, Kiriol had a standard garrison, 100 men. The fact the Howlers could be bottlenecked on the bridge would cancel out their numbers, to an extent, at least one should have been killed, but there was no such casualty�on their side.�
Suulain continued his comrade�s statement, �The majority of the soldiers bodies were found at the end of the bridge, so we know they had warning and tried to do just that. Fortunately they have taken on more of a pattern of wandering, they are without direction and strategy, if we are fortunate, they will head to Matros-Em before coming here.�
Kitt looked at Suulain disbelievingly, �Fortunate? To place this burden on another?�
Suulain looked at him, �For the time being, the Protectorate isn�t ready, at least not yet. I do not hope that Matros-Em is destroyed but I do hope the Howlers are diverted there first. But I do hope that we will have the final say.�
The record keeper, who seemed to be more personable than his superior, stepped in on the conversation, �It won�t come to that, more�n likely. The Howlers wander aimlessly; their only purpose seems to be to destroy. We will be fine. When all the draftees come in, our numbers will be so great we will have to destroy them, there can be no other outcome. This threat will soon pass. We are fighting mindless beasts, not a true army.�
The men then emerged from the home of Darcane. The two soldiers took their horses from Eyron, who had been waiting patiently, brushing away any children who wandered too close to the hut. He would get the details from Jublis later that night. Suulain bowed his head slightly in thanks, and turned to the draftees, �Because so many are coming, try and bring as many supplies as you can, especially weapons and provisions. We will see you at noon, and we will leave then.�
Kitt stepped forward, �Sir, I would like to join you, but I cannot. Believe me I would like to take on these Howlers along with all of you, but I am apprentice to sorceress Vekia, my first loyalty is to her, my duties as her attach� do not permit me to leave.�
Shest spoke up on Kitt�s behalf, �The boy speaks the truth, he is apprentice to Vekia. All here can attest to that.�
Suulain nodded, �Very well, but the Common Law for the mages and the Aer-Tial has always been that the master must grant immunity, otherwise, we must take you. Where does the sorceress live?�
Kitt pointed to a path between his home and Jublis�, �Beyond the Rock path, it is the only structure on the road, a stone house; it will be obvious, maybe half a league in that direction.�
Suulain looked to the path, then back to Kitt, �Very well. If that is the distance then, you all have until morning to prepare. Enjoy the day my friends, just in case.� He motioned to the record keeper, who nodded and got on his horse. Suulain mounted his own steed, �We will return before evening hopefully. The three of you be prepared to move out at dawn, and remember your weapons and supplies. Yah!� and he and the record keeper traveled down the path.
Darcane looked at Jublis, �Well my lad,� he began, and Jublis turned around, curious, but realized Darcane was addressing him, �I think it�s safe to assume that you have no such objects as that eh?�
Jublis nodded, �No, no sir, no such objects.� Darcane led him into his home once again, Kitt followed out of curiousity. Darcane passed the dining table on which the map still rested, and stopped in front of his bed. The tap of his cane still sounded eerie, this room would be forever tainted with the first knowledge Shimmer Peak had of the Howlers.