Chapter 72 – Ruse
The Spirit Warden's tower, from the outside, looked dark and silent, especially in the cloudy, moonless night. All day, rain had been battering the sect, and although it had stopped by now, the clouds never really dispersed. But that feeling of emptiness was simply an illusion; behind the darkened windows, dozens of lamps were lit, turning the third floor into a bright chamber, as if it were midday.
“This route is too obvious,” Kae'Lin spoke up, as she was having a meeting with Siu and the core of the Wardens, finally managing to arrive without being spied on by Stone Ward members, shaking them off thanks to the bad weather.
"Hmm..." Neya leaned over the map, courtesy of the Ember Circle, that was now laid out before the group, studying the terrain carefully as they planned not only the hunt for Tian's Ironcrown Stag but also how to use Stone Ward's people to their advantage. “If we push them from here,” she said, tapping a narrow route, leading into a slope, “they’ll panic while sliding downhill.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Tian added while he lounged against the opposite side of the table, arms folded across his chest and a grin spreading slowly across his face. “If they pick up speed, good enough that they can't stop, they will be easy prey.”
“Or grow into a stampede..." Siu warned him, "So their number must be trimmed to a level that we can handle.”
“If Kae'Lin leads the initial herding, starting from here,” Tian pointed at the western ridge after thinking it over, following the route, "They can split the herd, and hopefully have my target go in the right direction." He finished, tapping an entrance to a valley-like crevice.
"That will need a second group, coming in from the other side." The twins said in unison, pointing it out before looking at Siu, who glanced up at everyone, as now all eyes were on him.
"That's where we will use the fact that Stone Ward would want to scatter the prey." He began explaining, "Seeing us herding them from the first direction, they will want to ruin our plans, and most likely move in from here." He pointed at the map, on the opposite side of their starting point, "If the Wardens let them realize that their plan was to use this route, to lead the stags, towards the slope, they will come from this angle to sabotage it," he continued, moving his finger, "and make sure to spook the animals to the opposite direction, away from whatever we may have set up to kill them."
“Right into our actual target...” Kae'Lin grunted, watching the valley-like choke point Tian had marked. It was narrow enough that even a fast-moving animal like a stag would struggle with it, and deeper in, it ended in a dead-end. Unless they became like goats, able to scale the rocky side of the mountains.
With how the last hunt had ended, Siu had enough experience running away from them. With recalling all that happened, he was sure that, if they ambushed it there, they could surround it and subdue it... But it will still be hard, as they would be there to capture the beast rather than kill it.
"How sure are you that this would work?" Rinmei asked, both a bit skeptical, but also... curious. She had planned before, even for longer, hoping to kill the Icecrown, but her hunt had been a complete blunder, so... she wasn't here to argue, she was just... Uneasy. Unsure about how he could predict what the Stone Ward people would do, but, remembering that Siu was doubtful of their hunt since he learned what they wanted to fell, she believed him.
"I know how people like Bren and his gang think," Siu said simply, but actual hatred flashed in his eyes and tone, which, at the level the others were, couldn't miss even if they wanted to. "I can read them well, and I know what they think... This will work, I'm pretty sure of it."
"Fine by me," Kae'Lin had accepted the proposal without hesitation, "At worst, we won't capture anything. So... nothing will be ruined, and we just have a brawl with them stonefuckers. I say, this is something we can't lose with. Let's do it!"
“Senior,” Tian spoke up, rubbing his head, "This is pretty important for me... Please, at least try to make it work."
"Relax!" She chortled, throwing a wink and a grinning look at Tian that made him look away, causing Siu and Neya to exchange a surprised glance, while the twins began giggling, "I won't intentionally ruin your chance, my boy...!"
"Boy, my ass..." He grunted, making Kae'Lin laugh again, enjoying his reaction, but under that laugh, there was actual anger, which Siu could also feel, just as they felt his momentary hatred.
Stone Ward's interference had already disrupted several Ember Circle hunts over the past weeks, and their tactics were subtle enough to avoid open conflict, but effective enough to cost the Circle both money and prestige amongst their members. Failed hunts? That was not what their group was known for. Letting them sabotage another one, while unknowingly serving someone else’s goal, was a satisfying form of revenge, and Cal'Fia immediately agreed to lend a hand to enact the plan, sending Kae'Lin over.
After finalizing everything, they became even more sure that there was nothing to lose in this exercise. Nothing about the hunt itself would be fake, because Kae'Lin’s hunters would track the beasts, and they would pursue the prey as usual. The hunt and the entire operation would look entirely legitimate from every angle, not to mention that most people participating would also know nothing of their actual agenda. And that... as Kae'Lin thought about that, she realized that it was the actual beauty of Siu's plan.
"You are more dangerous than I thought." She said, smiling at Siu, but he just shrugged, shaking his head.
"In my childhood, I could do nothing but use my mind to imagine what I would do to those who stepped on my back." He answered with a soft sigh, "And my Old Man would listen to those ideas and help me refine them. I just hope that if he were to see this," He smiled, waving at the map before them, "He would be proud."
...
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.....
In the second week of spring, in some places, you could still see snow clinging stubbornly to the deeper parts of the forest. Still, the main paths that led through the slopes and into the immediate area had begun to turn into dark patches of damp earth and muck, softening the soil to a disgusting degree. However, it helped the land refresh, and the forest itself was in the middle of waking up, animals emerging and stretching their limbs. Which also meant that everything inside it, dangerous or not, was also coming out from their winter hiding spot... looking for food.
It was no wonder that many disciples began frequenting the woods again, and Siu was also inside since early morning. He had carefully chosen the meeting place, making sure it was not inside their tower nor anywhere within the Sect; instead, he waited on a muddy, branching path at the eastern edge of the forest, where a set of tall cedars formed a natural wall. He has been sitting there, waiting patiently, counting the massive roots and the harp, grey rocks visible amongst them. He arrived about half an hour earlier than planned, but it was only because Arya and Marly managed to lead him away from those who tried to follow him, sniffing out the spy, trying to trail him, unsuccessfully, of course. It was not the first time, and they were always Stone Ward people, he was sure of it, but their senses were way below his beast's ears and noses, easily shaking them off, keeping vigil as he was waiting.
“Your spy is late,” Arya muttered, flicking one ear, sitting on one of the rocks that was buried between the handful of massive roots, sticking out of the mud, licking her paws, cleaning them of the grossness, while her fur was almost turned back to black by now.
“He’s not my spy,” Siu replied calmly.
“He literally is,” Marly interjected, positioned further out, sitting on a branch, watching the pathway leading to them, ready to guide Varren towards her Master, the moment he arrived.
"Well..." Siu muttered, thinking about it, "Maybe... If we look at it from that angle..."
Luckily, they didn't need to wait for long because Varren arrived a few minutes later, moving cautiously along the path, mostly because his boots were trying their best to get stuck in the wet slop that was the ground.
"Not even the plants can drink in this much water..." He shrugged, doing his best to hurry.
At first, Marly just watched him, making sure nobody followed the man, and after jumping around, flying above him without Varren ever noticing the quick little squirrel gliding from tree to tree, she finally landed on his head.
"Aaaaah?!" He yelled, almost falling over, but he quickly recognized her. "Ah... please don't do that... my heart can't take it!" Varren gasped, holding his chest, pretty sure that Marly was laughing to herself, releasing thin, chirping sounds like a bird, but then, after having her fun, she began leading him.
“Senior.” He bowed quickly when he noticed Siu, cupping his hands.
"Please, I'm younger than you..." Siu said as he waved the title away, "And we’re not in the tower.”
"It is true, but..." Varren straightened his back slightly but remained stiff, nonetheless, “Sorry... It's an old habit.”
"It's okay," he shrugged with a smile, looking at him, and he was glad to see that Varren looked healthier than he had during their first meeting. The permanent tension in his shoulders had loosened somewhat, and his face was not as sunken in, his eyes less tired than before. “I have a message for you to deliver.”
"To whom?" He asked, a bit puzzled, but then suddenly his mind caught up, because there was only one reason to have this meeting out here and being told... privately. "Oh..."
"Yep, it will be your first big report as their spy." Siu smiled and watched as Varren nodded, becoming as serious as one could get. "Here, I have everything written down, worked out. Please read it, memorize it, then we will burn the parchment here."
"Yes, Senior..." Varren nodded immediately, not even realizing he had called him again that way, as he carefully accepted the parchment and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the text quickly... Then he blinked. Reread it again... another blink... another read... then finally he was looking up at Siu, "We’re… actually doing this?”
“Yes.”
He stared at the parchment again, and the details were thorough, alright, not only detailing the dates of the mission, the location, the route the Wardens and the Ember Circle members would take... Ember Circle? Yes... He reread everything again. Two groups for a joint hunt, which would be a juicy target for Stone Ward members to cause some trouble, especially in the forest, where there were fewer rules than inside the Sect. Then, there was the expected response from Stone Ward, as if foreseeing the future, detailing how they would use their eagerness to herd a group of Ironcrown Stags, without the Stone-brains realizing that they are actually helping Siu out.
"Done?"
"Yes, Senior." Varren nodded and, without question, handed back the parchment that Siu quickly lit on fire, watching it turn into ash.
"You will go back, write everything down as your report, and present it to your Stone Ward connection."
“You want me to give them this?”
“Of course, otherwise, it wouldn't be a good trap, would it?” He chuckled.
“They might attack the hunters, I mean... Us.”
“That's a likely scenario,” Siu nodded, crossing his arms, "That's why Kae'Lin will be there, and most of the Ember Circle members are very well equipped to fight not only beasts but humans too. Beside you, Kae'Lin knows about it, but I never told her that you're the double agent... Let's keep it that way; the Circle doesn't need to know everything. While working with the others, you must make your preparations look legit, as if you are readying for an actual hunt. I want you to make sure that Stone Ward's eyes are on you... Understood? Play with the dates and location; force them to stay focused on this opportunity, or they may miss it. Sorry but... You will be bait."
"It's alright." Varren nodded, smiling even, "I'm fine with that. I guess, the rest shouldn't be informed either, yes?"
"No, they have to believe it is a hunt." Siu shrugged, shaking his head, "If anything leaks, and they are in the know... That could give it away... And I trust you to handle this well." He stepped up, patting his shoulder, "Don't worry, Ka'Lin and the rest will make sure that even if it's dangerous, it won't be anything deadly. And if you want to give some Stone Ward bastards a trashing? This is your moment. You can use the excuse to raise your rank within the group, and go knock some teeth out."
"Senior," Varren looked at him, surprised, but a kind of fire had flashed in his eye, one that was lost for years by now, "I admire your... ingenuity."
"Heh, I just know that a righteous revenge feels... very satisfying."