28 Tricked

Taban crouched by the small, crackling bonfire, his hand extending a rolled-up river map to Haitao. Haitao unfurled it with a snap, then immediately passed it to Chinua. Taban's gaze lingered on both of them as he explained, his voice even, "This river is neither too broad nor too deep. The current is remarkably steady, unless there's a raging storm, which, thankfully, is a rare beast in the south. Sometimes the currents only truly surge when there are major storms or floods up north."

Chinua's eyes traced the lines on the map. "The weather's been stable this year. We should avoid any strong currents, which is absolutely in our favor. We won't need nearly as many soldiers to manage the rafts."

Taban looked first at Chinua, then at Haitao, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "How many people are you taking?"

"I need fifty men and twenty horses," Haitao stated, his voice firm.

Taban gave a single, decisive nod. "Done."

Chinua rose and walked over to where Taban sat, her finger landing precisely on a small mark at the bottom of the map. "Captain Taban, why is there a marker here?" she inquired.

"Oh, that spot," Taban clarified, a light chuckle in his voice, "that's an open, flat area. The villagers trek there to fetch water during the summer dry season."

"How far do they have to travel?" Chinua pressed, a subtle calculation in her gaze.

"A day's walk," Taban replied simply.

Chinua's finger moved to another mark. "And this one?"

"That place is marked because it's littered with rocks, and there's a significant drop downstream," Taban explained, pointing. "It's about a hundred arm's lengths from there before you hit that open, flat area." His finger circled the first mark Chinua had shown him.

Haitao's gaze sharpened as he pointed to the first mark. "If we're going to make our move, it should be right here."

Taban followed Haitao's finger. "Captain Haitao, I agree completely. The only hitch is the current; it's faster here because it's downstream."

"Leave that to me," Haitao declared, a confident glint in his eye. He looked at Taban's men. "I need forty-two excellent swimmers."

"All my soldiers are excellent swimmers!" Taban boomed, a hearty laugh escaping him.

A soldier approached Taban, saluting. "Captain, everything is ready."

Haitao turned to Chinua, a shared understanding passing between them. "Let's go and have a look."

In the hushed pre-dawn, before the ghost hours stirred, Haitao and seven of his elite men, along with forty-two robust southern soldiers, including Hye (his hands still bound) and Khawn, descended to the river's edge. Behind them, hundreds of laden rafts bobbed, their silent procession stretching into the mist.

Gazing at the deceptively slow-moving water, Chaghatai murmured, a hint of worry in his tone, "I wonder if Timicin, Od, and Och will reach the evacuation point on horseback in time."

Erden glanced at Chaghatai. "If they don't, then we're in for a long walk back to the village."

Muunokhoi groaned, rubbing his arms. "My arms are already screaming; I absolutely do not want to walk."

"The spot where we disembark isn't far from the village," a nearby soldier offered, his voice reassuring.

Chaghatai swiftly moved to the soldier's side. "Brother, exactly how far is it from the village?" he pressed, eagerness in his eyes.

"Just a day's journey," the soldier replied with a shrug. He lowered his bamboo pole, expertly pushing the raft back into the middle of the current, preventing it from nudging the bank.

Seated on a box at the rear of a raft, his wrists still tied to the crate, Hye craned his neck to watch Chinua. A faint smile touched his lips as she observed the other soldiers, their voices a low hum of chatter, ahead of them.

"Do you truly like this kind of life?" Hye asked, his gaze fixed on her.

Chinua looked down at him, her expression unreadable. "I do," she affirmed simply.

Hye sighed, a weary sound. "I've journeyed through countless places and cities, and I've learned that Hmagol women, above all others in this land, possess the most extraordinary freedom."

Chinua looked at him, intrigued. "How so?" she asked, a genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Well, first of all," he began, a knowing glint in his eye, "they can shoot arrows on horseback. And now, I look at you – a Hmagol woman – fighting fiercely, shoulder to shoulder with men."

"Not all Hmagol women fight alongside men," Chinua clarified, a subtle correction.

"So, tell me, Chinua," Hye pressed, his gaze piercing, "what makes you so different from other Hmagol women?"

"Perhaps," Chinua mused, a thoughtful pause, "I just don't think like most women in Hmagol."

Hye's eyes narrowed, a smile playing on his lips. "I see it in your gaze. You are undeniably ambitious. How did you become so driven?"

"People with goals are often ambitious, don't you think?" Chinua countered, her own smile returning.

Hye chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling. "You are a truly fascinating person."

Chinua met his gaze, a wry twist to her lips. "Not as fascinating as you. A deeply mysterious person with many hidden talents."

"Do you want to trade secrets?" Hye challenged, a playful spark in his eyes.

"I'm not interested in your secrets," Chinua dismissed, her tone cool.

Hye glanced around at the surrounding landscape, then back at Chinua. "It's a brilliant idea to confuse the enemy," he admitted, a grudging respect in his voice. He looked at her again. "But how do you all get off the raft safely?"

Chinua met his gaze, a slight scoff escaping her. "You'll see," she promised, a hint of mischievous anticipation in her eyes.

Downstream, where the river would soon merge to the southwest, Drystan and his desperate party were already poised, arrows nocked, ready to unleash a lethal volley upon the approaching rafts.

"Prepare yourselves!" Drystan bellowed, his voice raw with anticipation. "The order is: take no prisoners!"

"Yes, boss!" the bandits roared in a single, eager chorus.

Drystan murmured to himself, a cruel smile stretching his lips, "Let's see how you get out of here alive, Chinua…"

Haitao's eyes were fixed on the descending afternoon sun, a silent countdown in his mind. He began to discern the familiar shapes of rocks along the riverbank. Turning to his soldiers, his voice sharp and clear, he commanded, "Ready to dismount by the count of twenty. One… two…." He began to count, his voice steady.

The soldiers moved with practiced speed. They quickly hoisted the scarecrows, clad in soldier armor, and positioned them prominently in the middle of their rafts, on the left side, clearly visible. Grabbing ropes from the rafts, they swiftly tied them around their waists. Then, with swift, precise movements, they picked up their arrows, aiming for the sturdy trees on the riverbank, the ropes tied to the arrows. One by one, with barely a splash, the soldiers began to plunge off the rafts.

Chinua, moving with urgent purpose, quickly secured a rope around Hye's waist. "If you can't swim, you'll have to pull yourself out of the river!" she instructed, her voice crisp. She took an arrow and fired it, the fletching a blur, embedding it in a tree just a few feet away.

Chinua then tied another rope firmly around her own waist and shot an arrow at the very same tree. When the moment came to abandon the raft, Chinua seized Hye by the belt, herding them both off the craft and into the rushing river.

As the cold water enveloped her, pulling her beneath the surface, Chinua held her breath, furiously pulling herself along the rope toward the bank. When she finally broke the surface, gasping, and looked for Hye, he was nowhere to be seen. A jolt of panic shot through her—he couldn't swim, he couldn't keep his head above water.

Chinua knew that Khunbish should be right next to Hye. "Khunbish!" Chinua screamed, her voice strained. "Help me pull him up!" She released her own rope, desperately searching for Hye in the murky water, but he remained elusive. "Khunbish… help him!" she yelled again, her voice thick with fear. She grabbed her rope once more, pulling herself out of the water with furious haste, knowing that every second out of the water meant she could help Hye faster.

Khunbish plunged into the churning river, his strong arm finding Hye almost instantly. With one powerful hand, he grabbed Hye and hauled him out of the water. Hye was limp, unconscious. Khunbish quickly gripped Hye's bound hands, raised them over his head, and began to pull the lifeless weight towards the bank.

Khenbish and Khawn reached the riverbank simultaneously. Khenbish wasted no time, quickly standing and grabbing Chinua's rope, hauling her towards the solid ground.

Khawn, without a word, seized Khunbish's rope, exerting all his strength to pull both Khunbish and the unconscious Hye towards the riverbank. Chaghatai and Muunokhoi rushed forward, their hands grabbing the rope, adding their strength to help pull in Khunbish and Hye.

As Chinua scrambled out of the river, breathless, Khunbish and Hye were already on dry land, dragged clear with the combined efforts of Chaghatai and Muunokhoi. Hye lay still, sprawled and unconscious.

"Press his stomach hard to help him spit out the water in his throat!" a soldier urged, his voice urgent.

Terbish immediately dropped to his knees, pressing hard on Hye's stomach with both hands. After a few agonizing tries, Hye suddenly gasped, then coughed violently, expelling a gush of water from his mouth. A collective cheer erupted from the soldiers as Terbish and Khunbish carefully helped Hye to his feet.

Hye looked at Chinua, his eyes wide and frantic. "Cut this rope off my hand!" he rasped, still coughing.

Chaghatai chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes, as he drew his dagger and swiftly severed the rope binding Hye's wrists. "Chinua, you don't mind, right?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice.

Chinua simply shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Let's go," Haitao commanded, his voice sharp and decisive.

The soldiers began to move away from the river, their ears catching the distinct sound of galloping horses. They looked up, their faces breaking into grins, as Timicin, Od, and fifty horses thundered towards the riverbank.

"Get on the horses quickly!" Haitao ordered, his voice ringing with urgency.

All the soldiers scrambled, mounting their horses with practiced ease. Once everyone was aboard, Chinua vaulted onto the same horse as Khunbish, settling deftly behind him. The entire company then rode away from the riverbank, leaving the empty rafts to drift.

Downstream, as soon as the first raft drifted into view, Drystan's fury erupted. "Shoot!" he screamed, his arm sweeping forward. A hail of arrows descended, piercing the silent rafts floating on the river. Volley after volley was unleashed, but no cries or resistance followed. Drystan's hand shot up, a signal for his bandits to cease fire, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Pull one of the rafts ashore!" Drystan snarled, his voice laced with suspicion.

A bandit hurled a grappling hook, snagging a raft and hauling it towards the muddy bank. What they found sent a shockwave through the group: a crude scarecrow, propped up with a bamboo pole, dressed in soldier's armor.

"Open that box!" Drystan shrieked, his face contorted in a mad, terrifying fury.

A bandit pried open the edge of a box, only to find it utterly empty. He turned to Drystan, his face pale. "Boss, it's empty."

Drystan let out a chilling, high-pitched giggle, a sound more insane than amused. "You did well, Magoli," he hissed, his eyes wide and manic. He turned to one of his subordinates, his voice now flat and cold. "Send a message. Tell them we were tricked by the female soldiers."