Free Young Lord of Khadora by Richard S. Tuttle

sheepish, Tagoro entered the field with a picnic basket for the two of them and a message from Lord Marshal Grefon. The message stated that Lord Marshal was amending his orders and Marak should utilize the entire day with his mother. Enclosed in the pouch with the message was a single lituk blossom for Glenda. The day passed quickly for both Marak and Glenda and it was long dark by the time Marak escorted his mother to the slave compound. Marak went immediately to his keepbox and withdrew his father’s necklace and put it on. He remembered his vow to her, which he made the night he sneaked into the slave compound, as he fell asleep.
    * * *
    Marshal Garouk looked out the window at the rising sun as Lord Lashendo paced the floor of his study.
    “I don’t care what they said in Lituk Valley,” the Lord ranted. “They treated us like we did not know how to handle our own affairs. You said your plan was solid. Why should we wait for some young pups from Lord Marshal Grefon to come help us out of our problem?”
    Marshal Garouk shook his head. “The only reason to wait is because they told us to wait,” he stated.
    “That is not entirely correct,” whirled Lord Lashendo. “The Lord Marshal ordered us not to make any further attempts at clearing Sitari Valley. Although I bristle at being given orders by anyone other than Lord Ridak himself, the fact is that nobody told us not to spring our trap. The Lord Marshal said he planned on sending men to reinforce us, but he did not say that we had to sit and wait for them.”
    “What exactly are you proposing?” questioned Marshal Garouk.
    “If Lord Marshal Grefon’s men come in here and your plan works,” explained Lord Lashendo, “they will get all of the credit and we will look like incompetent fools. If, for some reason, it doesn’t work, it will be because our plan was incomplete or foolhardy. It is a situation in which we cannot win. The only way we come out of this looking good is to solve our own problems and you already have the plan in place. I say we institute the plan immediately. Send a squad into the Sitari Valley. No lumbermen, no wagons, just a squad of soldiers.”
    “A lone squad will be wiped out,” protested Marshal Garouk. “If we wait for Grefon’s men, we can send them into Sitari Valley and not worry about the losses. Who cares about the credit for success or failure? The end result is that we have the valley and the cat people are dead.”
    “I care about the credit!” screamed Lord Lashendo. “I can not just apply for another job as Lord of somebody else’s estate. If I look bad here, Lord Ridak will replace me. He will replace you, too, in case that makes a difference to you. The point is that you have presented me with a plan for solving our problem. I am still the Lord of Fardale and I have accepted your plan. I am ordering you to institute your plan without delay. There is no more discussion needed on this matter. When you balance a suggestion from Lord Marshal Grefon against my direct order, you really do not have a choice. Get the defenses set up and choose a squad to go out to Sitari Valley.”
    “As you command, My Lord,” Marshal Garouk recited.
    The Marshal of Fardale walked out of the study trying to choose which squad he would send to their death. Getting the defenses ready would occupy his mind and keep the rest of the men from brooding on what they all knew would happen to the squad sent out. He had actually proposed the reinforcements to Lord Marshal Grefon in the hopes that the Lituk Valley men would not be aware of what waited for them when they left for the Valley of Death, as the Fardale men had been calling it.

Chapter 5
Learning
    The squad of yellow and green clad soldiers rode hesitantly into the Sitari Valley. The Squad Leader discussed the available options with his men and they decided to try to draw the Chula out after them instead of sacrificing their lives for the Situ Clan. Their orders were to arouse the