A Shore Too Far - By Kevin Manus-Pennings Page 0,41

my tent and had worked in silence for an hour or more when a shadow from the setting sun fell across my table. Gonnaban’s face hung at the door and his expression told me to follow.

“I know you’ve thought as I have that we could starve the Kullobrini out. Surround them and just wait for them to surrender,” he said as he led me around the lookout hill.

“Yes, though we’ll still need the East Guard to hope to contain them for that to work,” I answered, trying to read his face. “And we know they came prepared since we now understand why they bought so much food in Kulkerra.”

“Well, not that it should surprise us, but they’re not to be outsmarted,” Gonnaban said as we rounded the hill.

The flat expanse between the two forces stretched to the sea, the scrub and small wood long since flattened by feet or taken for kindling. Beyond, two Kullobrini civilian ships bobbed against the dock while cart after cart of fish were rolled into the tent city. Firewood, too, stood mounded on both the dock and the ships’ decks. Trim Kullobrini horses slid heavy drays loaded with wood into the cloth embrace of thousands of tents. Beyond, heading to dock, two more civilian ships approached, no doubt carrying similarly precious cargo.

“They didn’t push Pulgatt back as some sort of military tactic,” I said. “They just wanted ample fishing.”

Gonnaban laughed in disbelief and ran both hands through his graying hair. “As little as we can do to stop ’em, we might as well offer to help with the cooking.” He kicked the ground. “Pulgatt doesn’t have a prayer of getting around that navy and stopping them. By the Low Cauldron, the fish have a better chance of stopping them than we do.”

“Maybe we should recruit the fish,” I said and looked at Gonnaban.

He studied me incredulously for a long moment. I regarded him steadily, but eventually I could not go on. My composure broke and I laughed.

Gonnaban doubled over and slapped his knee. Still laughing, I reached to straighten him before our lookouts could spread rumor of our drunkenness. We gathered ourselves and wiped our eyes as we turned back toward the encampment.

Before the sun had set completely, we had reports both from Pulgatt and our northernmost scouts. Pulgatt confirmed that a handful of Kullobrini ships near shore were seen fishing and no doubt others beyond the horizon were also doing so. He retracted his insistence to attack.

The scouts to the north had had themselves received reports from northern villages that observed Kullobrini vessels landing timber parties on relatively unoccupied stretches of the coast.

“Raids!” Gonnaban had cried at the news. “Of all the nerve!”

“I’m hardly outraged at the felling of trees, Gonnaban,” I said. “But as sparse as those villages are to the north, the Kullobrini could hit them at will while still holding Pulgatt off. We could be forced to send troops to protect them.”

Gonnaban nodded. “Then let’s evacuate them. Send a hundred of our horsemen to empty the villages and put them in the forts. Half a week’s work at least, but it will give the forts more manpower, ill-trained though it may be, and the Kullobrini can spend their time burning empty buildings.”

“Those empty buildings will be somebody’s homes,” I said, suddenly somber. “A family’s, a married couple’s, who knows?”

Gonnaban stopped short of the lookout hill and I turned to face him.

“I simply mean that we will be taking people from their homes,” I explained.

“I know, ma’am,” Gonnaban said. “I understand full well.”

***** ***** *****

Just after dark, I stood upon the lookout hill and watched the pattern of campfires light the Kullobrini grounds. Understandably, they had been rationing their firewood and with a newfound abundance, Eglanna and Eldrazz must have permitted the people a chance for excess. We could hear music and singing as smoke climbed above the tents and rose to the stars. I thought how much like my joke with Gonnaban such celebrations can be for a people, some way to shake off the dark and breathe against the night. Gwey was kind to give the men ale.

Before I walked back down toward my tent, a change came to the air such that even the sentries atop with me took notice.

Esmir and my infantry commander stood at the bottom of the hill, Esmir’s serenity and presence palpable even in the dark.

“I thought we might dine together, if you haven’t eaten,” she began. “I even have a few glasses of that