To Claim the Elvin Princess: Apprentice by Jack Bessie

them!” he complained.
    “And why do I not have more men? Perhaps it is because some of the Tribal leaders fear me having too much power? They hold back their forces, preferring to squander their warriors foolishly on insignificant attacks, when we might do far more, if all were properly allied under one leader!” Shocara loudly proclaimed.
    “If you were more forceful, perhaps they might follow you more? Or more successful? If you would gain support, then give them more reason to follow you! You aren’t brutal enough to gain their respect!”
    “It makes little sense for me to hack down our own men! I’m sure the Elvin would find much humor in such a thing!”
    “I have little care for what the Elvin wish!” Karturic insisted. “You must find more ways to harm the Elvin. This raid was a good start...now go do more of the unexpected! You might even surprise me!”
    Shocara stood, seething, before turning and walking away. It took will power not to slam the door. She went looking for Hacarim, one of the leaders most inclined to resist her ideas.
    She found him sharpening his sword with a stone, sitting cross legged on the ground. Shocara squatted, facing him.
    “What might you suggest for our next raid?” she asked, and then waited. He seemed inclined to ignore her, but she waited, trying not to fidget. Finally, he looked up.
    “There is a small settlement of Elvin across the border from our lands. It is well defended and much secure. Unfortunately, for the Elvin, there are large areas of forest near by. If those guarding it could be persuaded to hastily depart, leaving a small garrison, we might pounce, from out of the forest cover, and take many captives!”
    “And what might draw off the warriors guarding them?”
    “An attack on Alarinad...they will be expecting such, and seeing what they expect, they will find that reasonable, although it isn’t.”
    “We should lose many men in such an attack!”
    “Ah, Princess, that would be true if we actually intended to attack!” Hacarim laughed.
    “A feint? You would hope to draw off a substantial force, to pursue us? We would be at a severe disadvantage, mounted on tired terranaks!”
    “Not if they had rested at night, and were well ready! Should our force scatter, we would make a less inviting target. By the time the Elvin abandon their pursuit, the warriors will have taken captives from our real target, and well made their escape, also on well rested creatures. By the time the Elvin understand what we have done, they will be faced with pursuing us on tired mounts, and we will be far ahead!”
    “That is wicked! I must persuade the others that this will work! We need to have the area scouted first, and not rush. The Elvin will be on edge for a time, but the longer we wait, the more complacent they will become. We should raid other places far removed, to aid them in their distraction!”
    Hacarim though this also wise.
    When Shocara presented this idea to all the leaders, while eating the evening meal, there was more silence than agreement, still, with Hacarim apparently in favor of it, others became more enthused. Atrucin, who had been one of those to scout for the raid on Alarinad, had a more mundane concern.
    “How shall we get that many Terronaks to hide in the woods. We had great difficulty getting even three to go in! They prefer the open! All we did last time was to get them under low hanging branches, at the forest edge, not actually under the trees!””
    “We have time...start devoting much time to training them to do so! We can’t afford to take any that won’t co-operate with such a critical thing!” This made the men sit up and begin muttering among themselves. The terranaks were huge and difficult creatures, easily capable of attacking their rider if annoyed. Trying to coax or drag one under the tree cover was likely a good way to get eaten.
    “I thought you were brave?” Shocara asked, eyes gleaming.
    “We are, but we aren’t