Page 135 of Phoenix's Fire

"Because we know they're coming?" I asked.

"Because they finally have hope of winning," he clarified. "Ayla, for the first time in over a decade, we're not being caught with our pants down."

"That's another saying," Zasen assured me before letting out a shrill whistle. "Okay, gather up!" he bellowed at the crowd.

Bodies moved towards him, all pushing to make a tight ring around Zasen. He glanced at me, then shifted over, closing the distance between us. When someone jostled my shoulder, I stumbled, but Zasen's tail wrapped around my hip, keeping me from going too far. Kanik immediately moved to block my open side, pinning me between them. Sadly, Rymar had vanished.

Once the crowd was as tight as it could get, Zasen raised his hand, silencing them all. "The Moles will be moving near or on the main road just before dark. They will probably stay off the path if they have any sense, but we can't be sure. Keep a healthy distance from that area. Stay in the trees. Use your coloration or clothing to keep hidden, because they can't see well in the sun. Do you all understand?"

There was a murmur of agreement from the group, but a woman asked, "How can Ayla see?"

"I got used to it," I replied. "The Mole compound is like a large cave. The lighting is about the same as moonlight, so dim and blue. They can read in that.Ican read in that. It took me weeks to be able to tolerate the brightness of daylight."

"Like when someone lights a match in the middle of the night," a man said in understanding.

"Right," Zasen told them. "And the brighter the light, the harder it will be for them to pick us out. But what you need to know is the Moles will move in groups. From what Ayla could see in the last attack, they find a target, kill him or her, and a pair withdraws, leaving the rest to keep moving forward. Flank them. Stay out of sight. They will make coordinated sweeps through the area, and they are trained to attack, defend, and search in specific patterns. Move randomly, like deer and rabbits - jagged lines and never repeat the same path."

"How do we fight against their guns?" another man asked. He looked younger than the rest.

Zasen lifted his hands reassuringly. "The venom you should've coated your arrows with will even the odds more than you realize. However, do not approach the Moles head-on. Attack from the sides or back if you can. Most importantly? Kill them. Kill every Mole you can, but only if you won't give away your location. Work in groups of two or more. Just like hunting coyotes, you will need to stay silent and keep moving."

"And pick up the guns," I added. They all looked at me like I'd lost my mind, so I went on. "In the compound, they have rooms filled with bullets and rifles. Casings can be made, and bullets can be filled, so those aren't their limiting resources. It's theguns. They grow old, parts wear out, and they only have a set number. Take the weapons, and eventually we will render them powerless."

"This is an arms race, people," Zasen declared. "They have them; we want them. Our goal is to take out as many Moles as we can, but when they run, we let themgo. The only reason they could hurt us before was because they had the element of surprise. This time, we do!"

Then he began splitting the people into two groups. Kanik took one half. Drozel was in charge of the other. Jeera had a squad of four medics who Zasen said would respond to a triplet of sharp whistles. From there, the militia broke into even smaller groups, and Zasen organized them by location. Kanik's party would be responsible for the western side of the road. Drozel's the east.

Then he ordered everyone to make one last check of our weapons, because we'd be heading out in half an hour. That gave them time to say what they needed and wish each other luck, but mostly they focused on preparing.

Extra arrows and bolts were offered to those who were short. I saw someone pass over a knife in a sheath. The group leaders checked in with the squad leaders. They were supposed to let their team leader - either Kanik or Drozel - know when everyone was good to go.

The plan was for small groups of fighters to make their way into the forest, staying well away from the others. We had two hours until the sun set, but none of us would want to be late. The Moles would gain the advantage once the sun went down. ButIhadn't been assigned to a group. Instead, Zasen pressed my back, angling me away from the mob scrambling to get ready.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Watch my back," he said. "We'll move where we're needed most. Ayla, I want you to keep your distance, picking off the men who come to attack me."

"But what if I miss?"

He tossed a grin at me. "Don't miss." Then he jerked his chin at someone as if greeting them.

"I found you two extras," Rymar called to us.

Standing beside him were Irrik and Lansin, the Reapers, but Lansin also had his two dogs. "I think that's four, Rymar," I said.

"Might as well be," Irrik agreed. "How do we help, Zasen?"

"Stick with Jeera," he decided. "She's going to be getting first aid to people, and that could leave her exposed. The dogs will help cover the medics."

"Can do," Lansin said. "But I wanted to do something first." He held up a small bag.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A way to make sure these two learn a few more commands before we go." His eyes shifted to Zasen. "I thought I'd teach them all of your scents."

"Kanik!" Zasen roared. Then he flicked a finger at the bag. "Ayla first."

"Okay." Lansin passed me the bag. "In there are small pieces of dried meat. I want you to pull out two, hold them in your fist, then stick your hand straight out, level with their heads, okay?"