PART IV - HOMECOMING
Xera was feeling fidgety with worry. Reynard had ridden into camp almost three hours previous, riding high on the back of an Ogre-turned-Hellhound, along with one of his recruits. He was also missing half of one of his legs and really not looking the best, flush with sweat and obvious fatigue.
“The nest is destroyed. Everyone is alive. I’m the only serious injury,” Reynard reported tersely, but wearily. “The rest should be here in under two hours.”
Looking at the slightly bloody bandages on Reynard’s severed leg, Xera immediately sent the Hellhound on to Medical, where Tasi would be waiting, ready to receive any injuries. But that had been it, the only information they had about what happened. Xera could have talked to the Ogre or the Gnoll Ranger, but they had needed treatment for the parasites, and then to get cleaned up. And really, it was proper to wait and take the report from the mission Sergeant. Two hours wasn’t too long, right?
But two hours had come and passed with no sign of the team, and Xera was growing impatient and worried.
“They’ll be fine. Knowing Callie, they stopped to pick flowers or something else bright and shiny caught her eye,” Legate Galin said, trying to be light and calming, with mixed success. “I’m sure it will all be quite amusing.” He wasn’t worried, at least not yet. In another half-hour, that might begin to change.
“Did I make a mistake, Galin?” Xera asked, dropping ranks to speak informally.
“I don’t think so. The Major is with them.”
“That’s not what I mean. Did I make a mistake with Callie? Push too much on her?”
The Legate rubbed his hair roughly, and then shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think so. She’s resourceful and bright. That mission planning was very thorough; fast, too. Reynard said they succeeded and that he was the only one injured. I’m sure he was just sent ahead because he was hurt. He’ll need Regrowth, but I assume he’ll be fine, eventually.”
“Tasi suggested that I may have been out of line in choosing Callie.”
“You were absolutely out of line,” Galin chuckled. “I wasn’t going to say anything in front of the others, but you should have at least checked with Reynard first. But that’s how you are, Xera. You don’t follow the rulebook, at least not if you can help it. That’s what is making this place work, your gut instincts. It’s why I stay here, too. It took a little time to convince me of your relaxed way of doing things, but you have. So, if there’s something about Callie you see, I will trust your judgment until I see it, too.”
“You heard about her on the Bunkerball field last week, right? She stepped into the Field Marshal role and everyone followed her.”
“I’d heard about that. She did it again today, right? Rather surprising, for sure.”
“When that Tigerkin was hurt, the one that went back to Imor this past week, she took it as a leadership failure on her part.”
“That was an accident, though,” Galin said, almost scoffing.
“True,” Xera said with a nod, “but it also became her first moment. Reynard pulled her aside and talked her down. Masterfully, I might add.”
“That’s why you picked her to lead this?” Galin asked.
“It is, and all the other things she’s done, but mostly the Marshal thing. You see it, Galin, right?”
The Legate pondered what Xera had said, and then carefully nodded. “I do, but Reynard got hurt badly. If she blames herself, it could break her.”
“True, but if she doesn’t break, it’s a gigantic step forward for her. After the talk he gave her last week, I think she’ll actually be better for it.”
Xera stood and paced to the window, half-snarled through it and then paced back. “This is the part I have always hated; the waiting. It was easier when I was out there.”
“We do our duty, Commandant,” Legate Galin said, adding rank back into the conversation, dropping the informality. “Your duty now is to wait for their return.”
There was a long moment of quiet, and then Xera said, “Reynard suspects. About Callie that is. At least that she doesn’t really have amnesia.”
“He’s no fool. I’m not surprised.”
“I don’t think he would take it well if he was told.”
“Probably not. Maybe, if it came from Thorn. They’ve been friends forever.” Galin said with a shrug. “He won’t say anything until he has irrefutable proof, though. He’s sly like that. Maybe with being laid up for a while, we’ve bought some time before he makes an issue of it, or I suppose it could give him time to work it out, too.” The Legate frowned, adding, “Her secret is going to get out at some point, you know that, right?”
Xera nodded, saying nothing.
“It’s only a matter of time until …” The Legate’s words faded as a horn sounded out a trio of short blasts. “Ah, good. They’re back!”
Quickly, but trying to maintain some semblance of command bearing, the Commandant and Legate left Xera’s office, making all haste towards the partially-opened south gate. As they drew close, they saw a crowd of recruits, trainers and several staff had gathered, about thirty or forty people total, waiting to welcome the team home. The reports about Reynard’s injury spread rapidly, but also the news that everything had otherwise been successful, so there was excitement in the air. That excitement suddenly died as everyone’s heart dropped.
“Oh my stars!” Xera gasped. “Which one?”
Ahead, walking through the gate, was Major Celeste and the black-skinned Salamanderkin Ranger. They were carrying a body bag, and that meant someone had died.
“Easy, Commandant,” Galin said in a sub-vocal whisper. “You need to be absolutely steady right now. You cannot let the recruits see you falter.” He knew it had been years since Xera had anyone under their command fall.
“I know,” Xera said, nodding minutely and straightening their posture. “Thank you, though.”
Celeste and Shul’an stepped to the side, setting the body bag on the ground. The Major walked towards the center of the crowd, while Shul’an ran off at high speed, pushing their way through it.
“Listen up, everyone,” the Major called out to the crowd, briefly acknowledging Xera and Galin with a nod. “Something is going to happen. Nobody is going to make a single sound! Not a gasp, whisper, or even the sound of you breaking wind. Do you hear me? Absolute silence.” She gestured towards one side of the crowd, where Shul’an had broken through. “I want an opening, right there, at least fifteen meters wide.”
Nobody moved, still confused about the body bag.
“Now! Make a hole, right there, so something can get through.”
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The way slowly and haphazardly parted, people re-distributing themselves around the now-broken circle of the crowd.
“Okay, once again. Nobody makes a sound, and nobody moves.” Celeste spun once more in a circle, seeming satisfied, and then blew sharply through a whistle she wore around her neck, directed towards the gate. “Not a sound!” she warned one last time.
Despite that warning, gasps erupted for a moment, before everyone remembered the Major’s demand for silence. Through the gate walked Callie, leading the rest of the team. They were covered in muck and blood and grime and all looked exhausted. But, almost nobody noticed any of them. The only thing everyone saw was a mud-covered Cheetahkin loosely holding the end of a rope. On the other end of the rope, looped lazily around its neck, was a vision of pure perfection.
The unicorn only came up to the chest of the Catkin, obviously young, at best only a couple months old. It was nervous seeing all the people, and pushed itself closer for protection. Jesca struggled to ignore the stares, simply looking straight ahead and willing the unicorn to stay calm. She concentrated on following the plan the Major had laid out to get it as quickly as possible to the stables, with Shul’an running ahead to warn someone and get a space cleared.
No one in the crowd had ever seen a unicorn, only heard the stories, and to take in the sight, this closely, was unimaginable. There was no sense to be made about what they were seeing. How had a combat mission somehow returned with this wonder? Why did it follow willingly? And why was it being led by the Beastkin girl?
Celeste walked towards the hole in the crowd she had ordered, silently pushing people back a little farther on either side, as Jesca quietly led the unicorn through. The silence was only broken by the soft hoofbeats of the magical creature in the sand and grass. The crowd watched, entranced, having forgotten completely the body sitting on the ground. The slow walk took only a minute, and then the unicorn was gone, led quietly around a building and out of sight.
It had actually taken several seconds for Xera to realize there was a unicorn being walked into their camp. As Callie and the others came through the gate, they focused on the faces, ultimately seeing all five of the remaining recruits not yet accounted for, and almost sagging in a profound sense of relief. They had no idea who was in the body bag, but it thankfully wasn’t one of the ten that had left hours earlier. Only then did they really comprehend what was walking with this final group, and their heart was filled with wonder and awe like all the others, as silently a creature from dreams was guided through the courtyard.
Callie led Lhawni, Ambria and Pixyl towards Xera and Galin, slinking quietly through the crowd while it was focused on Jesca and what she was leading.
“Commandant,” Callie said quietly, the four of them coming to attention and actually saluting.
Xera’s vision was yanked away from the amazing sight, refocusing on the filthy, blood-covered pink-haired Gnome, and then on the other three. Reflexively, they returned the salutes. “Sergeant, who is that?” Xera demanded, gesturing with their head towards the body bag.
“It’s complicated, but the Major gave me directives to pass along,” Callie said.
“Who is it, Recruit,” Galin demanded, a slight growl in his tone.
Callie lowered her voice, leaning close. “It’s the body of a dead unicorn, Sir. The Major said to get it to the Tannery as quickly as possible, and to send Fizzlebek and Trainer Cheena there immediately.”
“And Quartermaster Fullo,” Pixyl added, “If she’s not already there. She’s p-p-probably not, since it’s Homeday.”
“Right, her, too.”
It took a couple heartbeats for Xera to register what Callie had said. “Legate, take charge of the body and see to it. Send Sprites to summon who is needed.”
“Absolutely,” Galin replied with a nod. “Everyone knows a body was brought in, though. Word is going to get out about what it is.”
“We’ll deal with it somehow. Go quickly.”
Nodding once, the Legate walked stiffly through the crowd, tapping the shoulder of two junior soldiers, who then walked with him.
The crowd that had been awaiting the returning team had completely forgotten about them, and largely forgotten about the body as well, still in wonder about the unicorn. Conversations were rising, everyone sharing their own thoughts and feelings from the brief, almost-magical encounter, some even with tears in their eyes.
Xera considered the rising volume of voices, realizing that they’d soon turn towards Callie and the others for more information, and looked for somewhere to move that would be quieter. “With me,” they ordered flatly before walking briskly away from the crowd, ducking into one of the large tents that encircled the courtyard, the recruits following. “Report, Sergeant.”
“Did Reynard get back? Is he okay?” Callie asked, ignoring the order.
“Uh, yes,” Xera momentarily stammered when a report wasn’t immediately forthcoming. “Over three hours ago. All three went straight to medical. He only told us that you succeeded in destroying the nest and he was the only one seriously injured. What happened? And why do you have a dead unicorn? And for that matter, why is there a live unicorn here?”
Callie looked back at the other three. “I can fill you in, but can they go? We’re all going to need to be cleaned of parasites and desperately need showers.”
“Yes,” Xera said, looking at the three. “Dismissed.”
“Go,” Callie said. “We’ll find each other later.”
Lhawni and Ambria began to walk out, but Pixyl was reluctant to go. “Go, Pixyl,” Callie said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Slightly scowling, Pixyl turned and joined the others, the three of them disappearing from view.
“Report,” Xera ordered again.
“Super short version,” Callie replied, holding up her hand to tick off the high points as she went. “The nest is destroyed. Reynard was the only one seriously injured when he was snatched by some huge, eel-monster thing; Tazrok and Pixyl rescued him. A bunch of us were injured throughout the fight and all got healed, although I might have some scars where some kind of a beaver-thing spiked me. We were attacked by a Basilisk, but I blew that up, and then Lhawni had to thaw Tazrok and the Major. We lost the Dragonfire oil, but Shul’an breathes fire, so we got the nest that way. As we were leaving, an infected unicorn attacked us, and I had to kill it. Lhawni said the body was really valuable, so that’s why we went back to get it. Its horn heals instantly, so I can see why we did. Then, the unicorn’s baby started following us. I didn’t want to leave it in the woods to die, and it seemed comfortable with Jesca, so we brought it back here to take care of it.”
Callie took a long breath after spouting out the random stream of babble that sure didn’t seem like the ‘super short version’, and would have given Jesca a challenge for rambling on. Xera carefully worked to sort through it all in their head. It seemed some things were out of chronological order, but Callie’s rambling report did appear to contain the highlights.
“I’m sorry we didn’t complete the mission,” Callie said.
“What? You said you destroyed the nest?”
“Yeah, we did, but I didn’t get everyone back in one piece. Sorry.”
It took a moment for Xera to remember the second mission they had given the team. It was supposed to simply be a reminder to the recruits to exercise caution, rather than be taken literally.
“Although,” Callie said slowly, a pondering look on her face. “Technically, the other piece of Reynard got eaten, so there aren’t really two pieces of him left. Thus, you could say he is still in his only piece.” Then she brightened, looking up at the Commandant. “Does that count?”
Xera wasn’t sure what to make of Callie’s twisted wordsmithing, and really didn’t have a good answer. Finally, they laughed. “I suppose that would be up to Reynard in that case,” was the best response they had. “Somehow, I don’t think he’ll agree with your thinking, though.”
“Darn,” Callie grumbled. “It was worth a shot.”
Xera took a deep breath, running a hand along their neck. “Recruit, what are we supposed to do with a youngling unicorn?” Xera asked, changing the topic slightly.
“I don’t know. Take care of her until she’s big enough to survive on her own?”
“This isn’t a place for pets.”
Callie sighed. “Commandant, I had to kill her mother. Do you have any idea how hard that was? My dad used to tell me stories about them when I was a little girl! I know that the mother was infected and was attacking us, and it had to be done, but I need to make up for what I did, somehow. I wasn’t going to just let her baby wander in the woods to die.” Callie gestured vaguely in the direction of the stables. “I couldn’t see leaving it as an option, if we want to call ourselves good people, at least.”
Xera looked deep into Callie’s purple, almost pleading eyes, feeling conflicted. Morally, Callie was right, in a way. You don’t leave things to suffer if you are able to help. To do so is … simply reprehensible. But at the same time, this was a military training camp. What were they supposed to do with a baby unicorn? And what might happen if, or more likely when, word got out that they were holding one? A unicorn’s horn by itself was worth at least as much as a dozen of the rarest Symbiotes, let alone the rest of the animal. People would want it!
The little Gnome’s huge, pleading eyes hadn’t changed at all, and finally Xera’s heart relented, at least a little. “Fine. She can stay for now, until we take stock and determine what to do long term. I don’t even have an inkling of what that might be, though.”
Callie almost instantly relaxed, pent up worry evaporating. “Thank you!” she gushed. “We’ll make it work, somehow. I’m sure she won’t be any trouble at all.”
Upon hearing that assurance, Xera instantly knew that was very unlikely to be the case.