The lookout seat in the cupola was more comfortable than I had expected. The seating position, tiled back with my feet quite high, took a bit of getting used to though. The enchanted glass dome of the cupola acted like a giant lens bringing the landscape outside closer but distorting it a little.
“I can see the line of the road ahead. You might want to steer away from the woods a bit to give us an easier curve to join the road.”
“Right you are,” said Albrecht, and the train began to pull away from the woods. “How’s that?”
“Excellent,” I said.
There was a knock at the hatch beneath me. It was the young scholar with a large mug that smelled of coffee. He passed it up to me saying, “Master Hulland said that you’re a coffee drinker.”
“Yes, thank you,” I said, surprised that Aubrey had picked that up. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with him but I had been in the workshop with Asser a fair bit so perhaps he was just a noticing kind of person.
I sipped my coffee and watched as Albrecht, with very little input from me, carefully steered the train onto the mean and rutted road that led into the woods. Once the train was lined up he coughed politely into the speaking tube then said, “There’s a mirror that you can use to keep an eye on the back end of the train if you angle it correctly. You need to tell me if there’s going to be any problem with the alignment.”
At first I couldn’t see what he meant but there was a small knob labelled “mirror” and when I turned the knob a curved mirror on an adjustable arm popped up. It took several tries but at last I found the perfect angle so I could see the rear of the train.
I watched as Albrecht’s slow and gentle turn towards the wood nudged the back end of the train ever closer to the road. He’d become so skilled in the weeks that we’d been travelling this way that it seemed like the travelling rails had been laid down on top of the low stone walls that marked the boundary between road and field.
Looking ahead again I realised that we were slowing down. Probably a good thing as there wasn’t a lot of clearance.
“Your alignment looks about perfect,” I said.
###
The journey to the clearing passed with very little fuss but it was still about the hardest I’ve concentrated on anything, ever.
About half way between the entrance to the woods and the clearing we had to send someone onto the roof with some lopping shears and hatchets to clear the low-hanging branches. Tensia, the teacher, and the two gardeners looked relieved to have something to do but more than a little worried about the actual task.
I somehow managed to level up lumberjack again just by watching Tensia. Whatever she gets paid for teaching it’s not enough.
It was already starting to get dark when we reached the turning to the clearing. I was worried that the turn would be too tight but I had not grasped the level of preparation that had gone into this operation.
###
The clearing that I had first woken up in all those months ago was basically gone. A huge area had been cleared of trees and flattened out. Enough of the wall that marked the edge of the road had been taken down to allow Albrecht a choice of angles of approach.
“It’s going to be tight getting the whole train in there,” I said.
“A bit tricky, to be sure,” said Albrecht, “But I think we can coil her back on herself and finish with the engine by the gap in the wall.”
Albrecht had to slow the train right down to pull it off. It moved by inches and some of those inches were back and forth a few times. Eventually the train lay stationery inside the flat clearing cut for it.
###
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
By the time I got to the compartment I shared with Amris he had already packed all his stuff and most of mine.
Ursula was also waiting, wearing a pack with most of her stuff and wielding her clipboard like a wizard's staff. She thrust it at me with all the pride of a nerdy teenager holding out an immaculate Millennia Falcon built out of Lego.
“I knew you’d be too busy so I took charge of the preparations.”
The papers on the clipboard were a summary of the actions and decisions that Ursula and her helpers had taken. I flipped through them, reading as fast as I could. Beside me Amris continued stuffing the last of my things into my pack.
Ursula and her team had created groups who would travel together. Everyone was carrying as much of their own gear as they could carry, plus some high calorie rations, a bottle of water and a blanket. That meant that if anyone got lost on the way to the camp they’d be able to survive the night.
Ursula had listed the priority additional supplies. Things like food, water, medical supplies and some of the records that Moonstone really couldn’t leave behind. She’d had them packed into bundles and distributed to the people noted as having the highest strengths stats.
“Excellent work,” I said
“Thanks, I learned from the best,” she said and I was sure that she meant Gertrude and was just waiting for me to preen so she could say that.
After a slightly awkward pause she went on, “We hope we’ll get the chance to come back and get more stuff but we’re not relying on it. If you look at the next page I’ve listed all the stuff that’s worth prioritising if we can come back.”
I gave that list a very quick look. I was aware that we were losing daylight and no-one was going anywhere unless I led the way.
“Looks good but I can check it again later,” I said.
Amris handed me my pack and I noticed it had a rolled up blanket strapped to the top and an additional water flask stuffed in the side pocket.
Ursula handed me a couple of ration bars that I stuffed into one of my pockets and then produced a small bundle of books tied up with a leather strap. “Your contribution to carrying the essential supplies.” She handed a slightly larger bundle to Amris and swept out.
“From mighty warriors to beasts of burden in half a day,” said Amris. “Warfare was ever thus.”
###
When I climbed down from the train Ursula already had people standing in their groups. The Mayor cast a quick spell to amplify my voice so that everyone could hear me. Ursula gave me her clipboard again and I glanced over the group list before speaking.
“We don’t have time for anything fancy so this won’t take long to explain. I’m going to be taking the lead because I know where we’re going. Amris is going to be with me because we might run into trouble. Following us I want Shield Casters group one,” I paused and let the group raise their hands and then move to the entrance to the clearing. “Groups with children I want you after the shield casters. Youngest children first.”
The three groups with children lined up behind the casters. The younger children seemed unable to keep still, buzzing with excited energy and yet already tired and overstimulated. The older children were trying not to look concerned and mostly succeeding.
I was glad to see that Tensia was with the youngest children. I fully expected that if we got jumped on the way she would set about herself with spell and axe.
“Sarah and Asser are going to bring up the rear with Shield Casters group two in front of them. All the other groups will go between the last group with children and the second Shield Caster group. The actual order doesn’t matter.”
I watched as the various groups shuffled around each other and into position. The result looked weirdly like a train made out of people. It took less time than I expected for them to seem ready to go.
I went along the line of groups checking that everyone was as ready as they looked.
There seemed to be no putting it off. Once more I raised my voice.
“Here are the rules,” I said. “Stick with your group. Groups travel at the speed of the slowest member. Group leaders, raise a hand.” In every group a hand went up. “You are responsible for your group’s pace. If you lose a member make a note of where they went missing, pass the message up the line but keep moving. If I find out that you have purposely lost a member because they were slowing the group down you will be cast out until you find them and bring them back. If we are attacked in a way that the warriors cannot defend against you will hear the command, SCATTER!
“If you hear that command do not attempt to run along the track. Go over the wall and into the trees. Stop as soon as you can and hide. Wrap yourself in your blanket, eat your rations when you get hungry, drink your water when you get thirsty. Wait for morning light. If you can see the road then get back on the road and follow it. If you can’t see the road then wait where you are, we will come and find you. Follow the rules. They are your best chance of safety.”
I nodded to the Mayor, who dispelled the amplification, and I went to my position at the front of the column, Amris following closely. To my surprise Ursula and the Mayor followed closely behind us.
“Don’t you want to be safe in the middle?” I said.
“Nowhere is safe,” said Ursula.
“I have had enough of letting other people fight my battles,” said the Mayor.