sort of plans Shadra was making. She plays a very long game with her enemies. I have a feeling she’s thinking a few steps ahead of us now, and that puts us at a disadvantage.”
“Why can’t someone just go to her main camp and assassinate her?” Mave asked, frustrated. “That would end all of our problems.”
“Good luck,” Bryn mumbled darkly. “I couldn’t do it. She has around the clock guards, a unit of sorcerers, and her own magics. The best way to get at Shadra is through a large-scale assault on the camp and punching a hole through her defenses. Sneakin’ into her bedroom and stabbin’ her while she sleeps is downright impossible.”
“And it wouldn’t solve our problem,” Luykas pointed out. “Nyria wouldn’t have the political support to take the throne, and she’s not in any position to. She needs to be there when Shadra dies to make sure no generals or lords jump in and take charge, especially a general with Shadra right now. It would be easy for him to take command of the troops, defeat us, and ride back to Elliar with an army at his back to take the throne from Nyria. Elvasi politics are just as important as our own in this situation.”
“The enemy we know is better than the enemy we don’t,” Alchan whispered. “We know Shadra. We know she’s trying to outmaneuver us. We know she has gryphon riders, sorcerers, and way more bodies than we do. We need to change our plans and try to hit different targets, things she won’t expect but will still choke her out of the mountains.”
Mave watched the wheels turn as Luykas and Alchan looked at each other.
“We hit smaller camps to divert her attention. We blow passes she’s been using to move her troops. We stop assaults and cause landslides,” Luykas said with strength. “We’ll need the Hornbuckles to create more blasting agent. That will take some time.”
“And who would be running those sorts of missions?” Mave asked.
“You,” Alchan answered. “And whoever you want to take with you, but we need to set up the plans. Plus, we’re still missing most of our last teams, and I’m still not comfortable sending out everyone at once with the potential outcome being no one coming back.”
“I’ll need time to learn how to do some of those ideas. I’ve never used the blasting agent. I don’t know what sort of treatment is needed to keep it from blowing me up.” She knew the Hornbuckle dwarves were cautious. Over the winter, she heard it boom from their mines as they worked to bring out more steel and other precious metals for the Andinna to use. She never knew them giving any to the Andinna.
“I thought we agreed to do less damage to the mountains this time around,” Kian said softly. “Kelsiana blew up several of the passes during the last war, and it was effective, but it also made travel for our own people hard. Some of the earlier sites we hit were prone to landslides and avalanches for years after that. We lost good people to our own mistakes. She got wary of using it only a couple of decades into the War.”
“It can also hurt game populations, but do you know what hurts game populations more than disasters? Elvasi troops who hunt lands to the point of becoming barren.” Luykas shrugged. “We’re going to start blowing passes. If the Elvasi don’t want to die to the sword, we’ll just bury them alive.”
“My mother always did like you,” Seanev said with a chuckle at Luykas. “I’m with you two on this. I won’t be much help, but…”
“You’re still a great general, even if you can’t follow the warriors into battle,” Alchan snapped. “Do you know how to use the sword with your left hand?”
“My parents raised me to do both,” Seanev confirmed with a wry smile. “I’ll make do with a sword if I need to pick one up. I’ll need to start practicing more. Balance is all thrown off.”
“You can join Alchan and me,” Mave said, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “We practice at sunset in front of his home.”
“And we’ll find you a place to live in our village permanently,” Alchan added. “Now, let’s start getting these warriors home. I have a lot of other advisors who need to see this and help us devise our plans for autumn and winter.”
Everyone gave their own affirmative. Mave nodded, Luykas just started walking back toward the secondary camp,