Kinderling 16

 It didn't take long for my fears to be realized.  Luckily, while Uncle Zon was keeping us on a faster pace than I would have used, during a break for Father to catch his breath I heard something coming.  It wasn't the tell-tale "sniff sniff, grumble grumble" that I was listening for, but it was something, and it was big.  I alerted Uncle Zon, and we scuffled Father off the trail as quickly as we could and hid under a bush.  I pushed the no-see-me charm in front of us just in time.  

I was amazed by the size of the band of Gorfs that marched past.  Marched.  Gorfs don't march, they meander.  At their best, they behave like a heard of cats.  Always going here and there, distracted by their never-ending search for tasty morsels.  Not these though, this band of Gorfs marched.  Nice straight lines.  In step.  Boots hitting the ground all at once.

Boots!  Gorfs don't wear boots!  Gorfs don't have the industry to make boots, let alone the inclination to wear them.  These Gorfs even wore rudimentary uniforms, complete with what appeared to be rank insignias.  

They were equipped for war, each carrying a shield and a spear with a few wearing swords at their hips.  These weren't Gorf spears either.  Gorf spears tend to be rudimentary at best.  Usually just sticks that one end burned in a fire, then rubbed against a stone to make a point.  Sure, this fire-hardened the wood, I knew about things like fire-hardening, but I never thought the Gorfs understood it.  These weren't fire-hardened sticks though, they were full-fledged spears, complete with nasty looking metal spear heads.  I've been watching Gorfs for some time and had only once seen one with anything made of metal.  It was a knife, and was obviously Kinderling made.  That knife was ill-kept and rusty, probably taken from some unlucky Kinderling that he had caught.  These spears were not beautifully made like a Kinderling craftsman would make, but they were serviceable and hadn't been allowed to rust.

"This is a platoon."  Whispered Uncle Zon.  "Three squads of thirteen soldiers each.  We don't form our patrols like this in the Militia, but I have read about this in the military books of Men."    

Unless you come across a settlement, you almost never see more than a handful of Gorfs at a time.  They just aren't social enough to cooperate in larger groups.  Sure, you might see this many in a settlement, including Mom Gorfs, and Dad Gorfs, and all the baby and children Gorfs.  Only a few would be hunters, most would be gatherers or scavengers.  These Gorfs were not hunters, they were warriors.  They were mostly male, although I thought I saw a few female Gorfs mixed in.

"So you think Men are behind this Zon?" Father asked.  I was worried he would be overheard, but with the tromp of the marching boots, I don't think the Gorfs would have heard us if we shouted.

"Why would they be Tadius?  If Man's caravans return to the village, we would welcome them with open arms and we would trade with them freely.  They have no reason to attack us, and no need to use Gorfs to do it.  No, I think someone has read the same books that I have, and has somehow gained control over these Gorfs."

"Were the Gorfs who over-ran the village like these ones?"  I asked.

"I don't know Tandy.  They were better organized than Gorfs usually are, but they didn't have the uniforms or spears like these have.  They didn't have boots either for that matter. This group is far better equipped and organized."  Uncle Zon replied.

The Gorf platoon quickly passed.

"Good thing the militia isn't patrolling right now.  If a patrol of Kinderlings were to meet that platoon, they wouldn't survive long."  Said Uncle Zon, and I believed him.  How could anything stand up to that?

"Come now, we don't have far to go before we can leave the path and cut across to Old Barrel."  Uncle Zon added.

Instead of walking on the path, we made our way parallel to it for a while.  Uncle Zon and I were both fine because we were used to walking in the forest.  Father wasn't doing well, and required a number of  rests before moving on.  I tried not to get cross with him for not being as strong as Uncle Zon and I.  Mama always said, "Never look to person's weakness, it is their strength that will defeat you."  Weird saying, but Mama was right, while Father isn't at home in the forest, I would hate to have to debate him in front of the village council.  If we ever have a village council again.

Eventually we found the place that Uncle Zon was looking for.  There was a small river that cut across the path.  To my surprise, there was a bridge.  A quick look told me that the bridge was built by Kinderlings.  Not that I could really tell you how I knew, but it had a Kinderling-like quality to it.  Not just functional, but also pretty in a no-nonsense kind of way.  Like Mama.

"The other side is where we leave the path." Uncle Zon said. "We cross and go upriver till we reach The Outcropping, then down to Old Barrel."

I didn't know what The Outcropping was, but the way Uncle Zon said it, it sounded important.

We waited till Father was well-rested, then the three of us scurried across the bridge as quickly as we could.  None of us wanted to get caught in the open if another Gorf platoon happened by.  From there, following the river was a pretty easy walk.  The land did start to rise, but the slope was gentle enough that not even Father could complain too much.  

When I saw it, I knew The Outcropping without Uncle Zon having to point it out.  It was a beautiful chunk of blue-grey granite practically bursting out of the side of the mountain.  To one side, there was a path complete with steps to climb to the top.

"This is The Outcropping, Tandy."  Uncle Zon explained.  "At one time, a small Kinderling garrison always kept here at all times to watch the Trade Road."  

I could see a couple stone buildings built into the side of the mountain.  We were on one side of the gap that the Old Trade Road passed through.  I walked out to the end of the outcropping, and sure enough, I could vaguely make out the road, even as overgrown as it had become.  Uncle Zon came out and pointed out something far below.

"You see that clearing down there?" He said.

"Is that Old Barrel?"  

"That is the caravan grounds.  See that pile of stones off to the side?  That's Old Barrel."  He replied.  "It doesn't look like much from here, but in the midst of those stones is a natural spring inside a depression in the stone.  Standing in there and looking up, it looks like you are standing inside an old barrel."

"Mama should be there."  Look, neat old stone formations are one thing.  Right then, my world was falling apart and I was worried about Mama.  

Uncle Zon let out a short laugh.  "Don't worry Tandy, if there is anyone who can take care of themselves it's your mother.  When we evacuated the village, I know for a fact she had her bow and knife with her, and covered the escape of all her patients.  She didn't lose a single one.  The only reason I came to find you in the woods instead of your mother is that there were too many wounded, and I am inept when it comes to healing."

"I know you are just trying to help, but I'm not a kid, Mama doesn't even own a bow."

Uncle Zon and Father looked at each other, and both fell down laughing as if I had just said the funniest thing ever.

I never will understand men.