Mont thought on this for a moment before offering some thoughts of his own.
“If we can disguise ourselves as supply carriers for the other strongholds, that might be a way in for us. We can’t put all our eggs in the one basket though, so you Peijins work on the disguise angle and the rest of us’ll get to taking out the other bases. By the way, Aruharu, did any other Meowgens arrive here like you did? If you’re aware of friends being held in any strongholds, we can make them a priority.”
“Hmm...” murmured Aruharu before shaking her head. “I think it was just me, though I suppose it is possible that I just never ran into any of the others. I couldn’t really make much sense of anything at the time. First there was the ship capsizing, then the nearly drowning, then the being arrested. I barely had a moment for anything but my own survival. Still, there weren’t even ten of us on that boat, so there won’t be many left if they’re out there. But please, if you do find them, save them—a lot of the people here are terribly cruel to people like us.”
Aruharu then departed for the courtyard to finally clean herself up. Aymer was worried about the young woman and followed her out of the barracks. Aruharu stopped and placed a hand out, which Aymer used as a springboard to settle on her shoulder. The two went to the well together, chatting casually while Mont and the others discussed the details of their plan to run the stronghold.
Later, when Dias would read Aymer’s report, he would be convinced that any attempt to run the stronghold as usual would end in failure, and in this he would prove sorely mistaken.
Dias believed that all people in military positions were like Juha, who understood the value of supplies and supply routes and managed both with an iron fist. This was simply the way things were as far as Dias was concerned, but the same could not be said for the insurgent forces.
In the end, the stronghold plan didn’t just go swimmingly. Rather, it went so well that Aymer and the expeditionary party found themselves wrapped up in a whole other predicament...
The report detailing that would not arrive for some time.
A few days had passed since the expeditionary party began intercepting and stealing supplies. In the beginning, everyone had been doubtful Aymer’s idea would work, but to their surprise everything went without the slightest hitch. The party’s supply stronghold quickly amassed a huge surplus of goods.
“I never imagined we’d be looking at mountain loads like this...” uttered Aymer from atop Aruharu’s head.
“You’re so smart, Aymer,” said Aruharu, her ears twitching with delight. “I’m telling you, you could make a fortune if you came to the empire.”
The two stood at a corner of the stronghold taking stock of their loot, which was veiled in concealment magic. Much of it was food, and everything that the expeditionary party did not need for themselves would go to the Peijins, who planned to take it to small, starved communities in the area to sell at a discount. The expeditionary party had recommended simply giving the supplies away, but the Peijins said that doing so would only draw suspicion—instead, they planned to set their prices based on the circumstances of the communities they sold to.
Weaponry and equipment were a different matter, however. Because they were difficult to sell, and because they might simply end up back in enemy hands, these were to be taken back to Baarbadal as spoils of war and split with the onikin tribe.
“I’m not particularly interested in the empire,” Aymer replied. “And what I’m interested in right now is the issue of how to get all of this home.”
Aruharu’s ears shifted backwards—a clear sign that she was sulking.
“Hmph. I see,” she said. “So you came here to steal supplies, but you never thought about how you were going to see it safely home?”
“No. We had a trade party enter the nation well before us for just this reason; we just never expected to be dealing with so much. They won’t be able to handle all of this alone.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. And if the stockpile keeps growing, then we’ll want to start thinking about a ship. Seizing a ship is one thing, but capturing a whole dock to work out of is another thing entirely.”
“Mont and his party have been launching surprise attacks disguised as supply parties, and they’re due here with everything they’ve looted,” said Aymer. “I’m still not sure what we’re going to do with it all. We’ve been rather bold in our movements so far, and I fear it’s only a matter of time before the insurgents become aware that something is amiss. Time is very much of the essence.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about it that much, do you? Take home what you can, and ditch the rest in the sea or something. Doesn’t matter how sharp a sword is or how tough a breastplate is when they’re rusting at the bottom of the ocean.”
“Yes, that’s one option, certainly. But it feels like such a tremendous waste, given the amount we’ve acquired. I’m thinking we’ll just have to get ourselves a ship, and as for the dock... Well, I’m certain we can work something out along the way.”
“Wait. Isn’t the dock the most important thing?” asked Aruharu. “What good is a ship if you don’t have any way to load it?”
Aruharu still didn’t know about the goblins because Aymer still hadn’t told her. Aymer said nothing however, and instead she dropped into thought.
She knew that the goblins could easily load supplies onto a ship from the beach, then get it all safely to the wasteland. From there, Baarbadal’s newly acquired heshir horses could be put to work lugging it all to Iluk.
This was all well and good, but they still didn’t have a ship to carry all the supplies. Aymer began wondering whether or not they might be able to build one.
Given that it’s just supplies, even a basic raft would do. Or perhaps we could have something built in Iluk? Maybe Peijin & Co. can purchase one for us...
In the end, Aymer decided that buying a ship was the way to go. It was a far better idea than using up Iluk’s construction resources, and much safer than anything they’d be able to build out here on their own. Aymer expected that they might even be able to buy multiple ships with the money they made selling food. If push came to shove they could sell some of the weapons and equipment they had, but Aymer would want onikin approval when it came to what was to be split between them.
Aymer was just about to tell Aruharu to go to the others so she could propose her idea to them, but she noticed that Aruharu’s ears had folded back. Her ears always did this when she got into a mood about something. Aruharu had a good heart, but her experiences had left her traumatized. She pouted and sulked whenever Aymer left her and whenever Aymer wasn’t paying attention to her. These bad moods of Aruharu’s also struck whenever men got too close...and whenever she was hungry.
But no matter the mood Aruharu was in, it always showed first in her ears, then in her tail, and then in the hair on her head. When Aruharu’s mood was especially dire, it was like she turned into a different person entirely. Her tail would puff up and stick out straight, every hair on her head would stand on end, and she would don a harsh expression that made her gaze feel like a dagger to whatever was on the receiving end of it.
The dogkin had similar traits, but they were especially noticeable in Aruharu. According to Mont, that was just the way it was for the Meowgen people. They were light, flexible, and incredibly physically gifted but emotionally fickle and prone to mood swings. Meowgen abilities were prized in the empire, and they were often active in the military, serving as both scouts and cavalry knights.
Aymer saw the Meowgen people as lithe, lightweight, and flexible, and so she’d assumed they would be ill-suited to being cavalry. However, according to Mont, their speed and dexterity actually made them extremely well-suited to the position, particularly because they were very adept at taking down heavily armored opposition. The Meowgen cavalry ran circles around heavier foes and made clever use of parrying when under attack—all in all they were several times more effective than their human counterparts.
“Oh, I just remembered,” said Aymer. “Peijin & Co. were kind enough to provide us with some snacks. I don’t suppose you’d join me for a few? They’re very sweet—covered in sugar from what I hear. The Peijins tell me you can’t get them anywhere else, and the use of seaweed gives them a most unique mouthfeel.”
Aymer felt for Aruharu. She wanted to help the young woman and befriend her. She also hoped that, if such a thing were possible, Aruharu might become an Iluk resident someday. This was not just because Aruharu showed great potential as a soldier but because Iluk was the perfect place for one whose soul had been battered. Aymer was sure that Aruharu could enjoy herself in Baarbadal and live happily, and it was these feelings that had her reach out with this offer of kindness.
“Snacks!” Aruharu cried. “I’ve never had any sugar-covered treats in the empire! Oh, we do have honey there though!”
Aruharu’s eyes grew wide. Her ears splayed out to the sides, and the tension in her tail dissipated into an easy curve—all signs that her mood was swinging back to placid comfort.
“Then let’s head to the break area,” said Aymer. “We also received some local tea, so let’s make sure to brew a cup to go with the snacks.”
Aruharu’s eyes narrowed to slits as a smile spread across her face. Such was her joy that she practically pranced down the wooden corridors to the break area.
But all the while, Aymer thought. She thought of the ship they needed, of Aruharu, and of the many ways the insurgents might take action in the coming days. When she reached the break area, however, she decided to put all of those thoughts aside and simply enjoy her time in Aruharu’s company.