Chap. 210 Recon

 

Chap. 210 Recon

Lord Dorn was sitting with his back to a tree, whittling a stick with far more force than was needed. He was seething. Two weyrleaders completely carried away with their disagreements and I'm sitting on my arse, waiting, he thought. There are times when dragonriders are a pain in the arse. Only because they offer instant transportation do I even bother with them. Horses are far slower but are far more reliable.

K'ndar looked miserable. D'nis and D'mitran sought to console him.

"I don't know what's gotten into M'rvin of late. If you can, forgive him. You're merely the latest to suffer his ire," D'nis said. "He'll apologize, later."

K'ndar was seething as well. In those few moments he'd lost a lot of respect for M'rvin. Ordinarily he'd have kept his opinions to himself, but now, he didn't care who heard. It was just us, anyway.

"Perhaps, but in the meantime-I didn't have that coming, sir. I obeyed orders. You don't get to slice a man into pieces in front of others and then come back and say sorry softly in private so that no one else hears. That's... that's...I'm sorry, sir, but that's cowardice. And I don't care if he hears me say it or not," he said, "Only Raventh kept me from resigning on the spot."

D'mitran and D'nis both cringed...but they knew he was right.

"I'm glad he did," D'nis said, "the weyr would be much poorer without you."

They could hear M'rvin and Siena still bickering. They'd 'taken it outside', but as everywhere was outside, it had merely been taken a few meters away.

D'mitran put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, K'ndar. I know what it feels like. Trust me, you did nothing wrong. You've not been diminished in my eyes, not a jot."

K'ndar struggled with his words, then looked into D'mitran's eyes. Of all the people in his weyr, he admired the brown rider more than any other.

"Thank you, sir."

"It's D'mitran. Okay? You're not a weyrling anymore." He grinned. K'ndar felt a surge of...what? Brotherhood.

"Yes si...okay," he said.

They could hear M'rvin and Siena arguing behind the hut. Not that it provided the slightest cover for their words.

Lord Dorn had completely destroyed his stick. He got up and and approached K'ndar.

"You were designated Sweep leader, K'ndar...so lead. I want to see that camp, and I want to see it now. What can you do for me?"

D'mitran and D'nis jaws dropped.

K'ndar looked at the Holder for a long moment, the plan opening in his head as he did so.

"Right. Yessir. Okay. Apparently M'rvin and Siena won't be playing, so.... Okay.

The tall man with the fire lizards doubted that his greens saw a gold. He knows dragon operations, he knew that sweeps are always done in pairs. He said he thought his greens had actually seen a bronze on a sweep...so we'll give them a bronze on a sweep, with a brown at his side.

D'nis, would you please take Lord Dorn aboard Corvuth. He's so light in color I can easily see him being mistaken for a gold. D'mitran, you will be his wingman. I want you two to fly close to the camp, so that Lord Dorn can get a good look. But not too close, they have crossbows. What I want you to do is pretend as if it's solely the livestock you're looking at.

Remember, there's a sentry about three dragonlenths from the top of the hill that directly looks over where I think the caves are. He has binoculars. They have system of whistles to pass information.

They WILL be listening, they may even send out the green fire lizards to hear what you say. D'nis and D'mitran, I want you to discuss, loudly, that you're sure the livestock is a wild herd. Lord Dorn, I want YOU to get a really good look at the caves. With this sun, I think it might be hard to actually see inside, but they'll be able to see you."

He was thinking fast, making the plan up as he spoke.

"They have outriders. I think they will hide under some sort of cover. Make some sort of noise to give them a chance to hide themselves before you actually go out to the herd. Pretend you don't see them.

If possible, also make some comment about taking the old couple to see a healer, and that this is the last leg of the sweep, you're anxious to get home," he said.

He stopped to take a breath, but the plan was still unfolding.

"The important thing is to convince this Karloch and his crew that they have not been discovered, so they don't have to move just yet. I don't want to scare them off before we can get a wing of dragons and your men, here, Lord Holder. I'll send Siskin in to see if I can get a count of men. That will give me, us, an idea of how many men you'll need. You have a big Hold, sir, I think it's a day's ride from your Hold to this spot. I think, if we call out the Weyrlings and anyone else who wants in to transport your men, but still...we'll need some way of transporting the raiders back to your cells," he said. "That means wagons, and this is rough terrain. If you don't mind, sir, once we have them, I'll leave how you want to transport up to you. March them back?"

"I'd just as soon behead them all in place and just do without all that nonsense of marching or feeding a bunch of criminals," Dorn said, "but...the Charter says they deserve a trial so....aye. I'll need to get back home and send out the wagons. I'll take you up on the armed men's transport. Can that be done, D'nis, as it seems your weyrleader isn't quite up to leading the Weyr?"

All three dragonriders smarted at the implication. But it was true. M'rvin had allowed his personal matters to take precedent. K'ndar felt so torn, one minute angry at his weyrleader, the next dismayed to hear him being derided. But what could he say? M'rvin and Siena, both, were acting like spoiled brats.

D'nis took the reins. "Yes, my Lord, it can be done. The Weyrlings will jump at the chance. I'll coordinate with B'rant when we get home. Let me know when your men will be ready and I'll have, oh, thirty dragons at your disposal," he said. In his mind, he fretted. Was he jumping the chain of command?

No, Corvuth, his bronze comforted, you're re-assuming command.

K'ndar continued.

"I will go back to the point where I first found the camp. It's, oh a few hundred meters from the sentry, on what will be my left. Give me time to get set up and then I'll have Raventh send that I'm in place. I will send my fire lizard into the cave itself. They think he's a wild one, looking to mate the greens. I want to see how many people are we dealing with, if nothing else."

"Um...." he said, thinking hard and unwilling to have the others interrupt him.

"Um...I don't know if we should all meet here when you finish, or you just head back to the Hold."

"We'll say something to the effect that we're done and heading back. Unless you can think of something else?"

K'ndar font of inspirition was running dry.

"If you don't mind, sweep leader, I'd like to go home. I have arrangements to make," Lord Dorn said.

K'ndar felt a flush of pride. Why is it I still feel like I'm just a kid with these men?

"By all means, my Lord, and thank you for coming out to check this out," he said.

"Thank YOU, K'ndar, for bringing it to my attention. I think your plan is a good one, and I'll contribute all the resources you need," Lord Dorn said.

I'm going to have a chat with you later, K'ndar, he thought. Your talents are being wasted under M'rvin's lead.

The two dragonriders looked at him with what could only be satisfaction.

Lord Dorn turned to D'nis. "Sir? Let's fly," he said.