Chapter 8.3

It was several more months until we were deployed again. I bid my time slowly collecting things I would need to survive and devising a plan. I stole the things I couldn't get from the storage cupboards, and from the squad members, gradually, so they wouldn't notice. I couldn't escape while we were in an industrial area, it had to be when we were resting in a forest, preferably on a border to another country so I could slip away easily.

I had to be patient, but once I'd made up my mind to try and escape it was difficult. I was restless and preoccupied. I started making simple mistakes that cost me a beating on more than one occasion.

I stared blankly at the notes Captain gave me, even though I'd long since memorised the Garlantian words. I was so lost in my thoughts that it took three times for Rickon to grab my attention. When I look up, he's looming over me with an irritated expression.

"I want to remind you of something. Even if you escape us, what do you think you'll do? You won't have our protection anymore; I guarantee you'll get picked up by the enemy. Do you think they're any kinder than we are to our enemies? To them you'll be a monster."

How did he know? Did he know all this time that he forgot the antidote for the poison? My mouth went dry and I couldn't find any words, so I just nodded. Then he continued with an announcement to the rest of the squad. I tried listening.

I heard a new name- Vastan, I recognised it as another country in the continent that we'd left untouched. It was a small country to the East of Reagen, mostly consisting of lakes and fishing villages, it encompassed most of the East coast. Garlantia had left it alone so far because it wasn't included in the alliance, put bluntly, they were insignificant. They didn't have anything to offer. Somehow, recently, that had changed.

Vastan was a pretty place. There were lakes in almost every district. Their waters were beautifully clear with stone embankments and ports with little fishing boats on it. In places, willow trees arched over, kissing the waters surface as tiny fish nibbled on its leaves. It was also a still and quiet place. There weren't many children around due to its devastating aging population and most of the citizens were middle aged or older. I heard they offered to make an alliance to allow more younger people to enter the country, in return they'll teach them the fishing trade for those who didn't have jobs. It was a bid to both help revitalise Vastan and help poverty in the other nations.

The problem was entering Vastan. Most of Vastan was separated from the rest of the continent by lakes. There was no dry land to cross between Garlantia and Vastan and only one passage large enough and suitable for travel in Reagen. I thought we were heading for the Reagen passage, but I was surprised to see that we continued East and didn't enter Reagen. Instead, through the trees, I catch a glimpse of a great expanse of water, as far as the eye could see. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was the ocean. My gawking wasn't received well, when I was shoved over by Leon's unusually large rucksack when I got in the way. Both Jay and Leon wore long thin rucksacks; when they found an ideal break in the embankment, they emptied the contents of the bag at their feet. It seemed to contain long thin, slightly curved pieces of wood. But when they started to piece the planks together, I realised it made a boat, just large enough to take all of us across the lake. Rickon handed them a jar of strange looking paste which hardened almost immediately when the smeared it across the joints. Then within half an hour we were on the lake, rowing into Vastan.

I'd never been in a boat before and I certainly didn't know how to swim, but the crystal clear water looked cool and inviting, I was yelled at when I tried to touch the water over the side of the boat. Then I was told "If you like it so much- here!" an ore was shoved into my hands and I was instructed to row. It was difficult, I fought with the waters resistance and I couldn't keep up with the other men rowing. Eventually, it started to throw us off course. Leon, who was behind me, snatched it out of my hands and began rowing in my stead, cursing at how useless I was.

The sun set while we were rowing, casting pretty colours in the reflection of the water, which turned into long shadows and dark clouds. By the time we reached the other side it was almost in complete darkness. There was a small harbour where someone had lit a lamp to signal the way. When we came to a stop, I noticed the bottom of the boat was coated with a layer of moisture, and the paste was turning gummy. But thankfully we offloaded just before it dissolved and fell apart. I watched as it suddenly filled with water and sunk into the dark depths.

Unconcerned, we turned to the little town we'd arrived in; the streets were deserted even though the sun had barely set an hour ago. Tiny slivers of light escaped through the windows of nearby houses, lighting our way as we crept between the buildings. The village was small, and we'd reached the other side within twenty minutes and then we were back in woodland. There was one main road leading into the village, and at first, we followed it closely within the treeline. Leon regularly checked their map, and we made several adjustments to our bearing, taking us away from the main road, although I had no idea how he could read the map in the darkness.

We took a short break near midnight when the full moon was highest in the sky. The night was clear, the light of the moon pierced through the canopy making it easier to see. The air was crisp, so I huddled against my blanket, but it had been a long time since I was given it by the Captain, and it was going threadbare. It did little against the cool night air, but I managed to fall into a light slumber. When I woke, I could hear the men arguing over something in hushed tones. Jay and Quin seemed to be getting a little heated while a few of the others lazed nearby, almost uninterested.

"What's the matter now?" Rickons voice cut across their arguing.

"We just returned from scouting the area." Jay explained.

"And?" Rickon demanded impatiently.

"And its too easy. I think something is wrong." Jay continued.

"There's nothing wrong. They don't know we're coming so their security is shit. That's all." Quin argued hastily.

"OR they do know we're coming, and they've set us a trap." Jay argued.

Rickon sighed, "let's get going then." He announced and the rest of us promptly collected our things and marched on.

The next town was closer than I thought, soon we were on a cliffside facing the West side of town.

"The Reagen convoy is already here but it looks like they only have a couple of men in security, likewise, there's no apparent increase in security on Vastan's side like you'd expect during this sort of exchange." The town looked quiet to me, and there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. But that in itself was strange. It was true that negotiations between Vastan, a country deemed insignificant from the beginning, and Regean, the central force for the alliance, was definitely a big deal. There weren't any soldiers patrolling the streets, but two men stood guard outside a cottage, presumably where Reagens ambassador was staying. The sun began to rise on the horizon, setting a gentle orange hue across the town and giving us a better look at its structure. Most of the town was houses; they were once bright, varied colours but had faded with age and bleached in the sun. There was a market near the centre, just outside the town hall, and beyond that a grand looking building with stone pillars, where the Vastan ambassador resided. Everything was still and tranquil, not at all the setting for a decision that is likely to mould the further of nations.

"I admit it does seem like they're up to something. The negotiations are set to occur in the town hall at ten-"

"I'm telling you, we've checked and there's nothing there." Leon argued impatiently.

"What are the possible sniper positions?" Rickon asked.

"There aren't any tall enough buildings to get a clear line of shot. So we're safe in that aspect." Jay assessed.

"What are they up to?" Rickon mused under his breath.

"I think this is a bad idea. Something isn't right."

"We can't afford another failure. Captain Lehi just wants an excuse to get rid of us, this squad was formed to do dangerous missions like this even if it is a trap, if we don't follow orders then we're out." Quin argued.

"Then lets set a trap for their trap." Xeon suggested, piping into the conversation as the rest of the men were beginning to take interest.

"What do you have in mind?" Rickon asked.

"Our original target was Vastan's leader, so if we've been had that where the trap will focus." Jay mused.

"Our goal is to destroy any chance that the alliance will include Vastan. So we go after Reagan leader instead where there's less security, and make it look like either Vastan was just covering their ass on fake info or they were in on it. We'll split into two groups, one will go ahead as planned to attack Vastan's leader, if there's a trap, withdraw and draw the security away from Reagan so the other group can go in an eliminate Reagen's leader. If there's no trap, go ahead with the original plan while the second group gives support from behind.

"This simple assassination job has got a lot more complicated." One of the newer members complained.

"Rather than dividing our forces, why don't we just send the kid in?" another man said.

"I don't think they're gonna see a kid as much as a threat. I won't work if he isn't enough to activate the trap."

"He will be if he's carrying this." From somewhere he pulls out a machete and its forced into my hands.

"I'm not sure it'll work with just the kid. No-one will be stupid enough to send a kid alone for an assassination and actually expect it to work. Not so blatantly anyway. It has to be believable, and a feint wont work, so we have to send him with the intent of actually killing ambassador."

"There's ten of us, if they knew we were coming there likely more of them. Why don't we do both? We can divide their forces that way. If the boy goes in in intent to kill, then one team backs him up when they reveal their positions, limiting the risk, while the other team goes ahead and kills Reagen leader. If Vastan's leader survives but Reagens doesn't then it looks like a set up."

Rickon icy gaze peers down at me, weighing me up. "Don't fuck this up kid. It'll be bad for you too."

I didn't want to kill anyone anymore, but he was right. If I didn't go through with his plan with conviction, I'll either die or get abandoned and then die. I didn't really have the choice to refuse if I wanted to live long enough to escape. Whether or not I killed him was irrelevant, it just had to look like I was trying to kill him convincingly enough to draw out the trap. The machete was large and cumbersome in my hands, so I replaced it with a smaller knife I'd been carrying and readied myself.