Gone Again - Chapter 33 - Hidden Monsters

 Negotiations went into high gear when Ulvarg's ultimatum arrived in the camp. Tomas led the war council in devising a strategy to storm the castle and take control but they wouldn't avoid heavy casualties in the process.

Jill straddled a branch high in an immense willow listening to the arguments. Layla stood on a branch a foot above her while Robbie sat closer to Jill. He no longer appeared as a human but when he took her hand and she didn't pull away, she could tell he was smiling. Layla caught her eye and motioned them to follow. They climbed from the tree and followed Layla back the large tent they shared. Large cushions padded the floor and the top was translucent enough to see an occasional star. Jill lay on her back staring up. Layla lay opposite her, their heads almost touching. Robbie finished the triangle and laced his fingers with Jill's.

"They'll never survive against the swarm," Layla said.

"You mean we won't survive," Robbie added. "Anyone within a 3 mile radius when those things are released are targets. It's a rarity for them to leave anyone alive."

"A swarm of what exactly?" Jill asked.

"Wasps, similar to the ones in your world but much bigger. They don't sting but their bite is poisonous," Robbie said.

"How many make up the swarm?"

"It's hard to say but based on the sound they made, I'd guess hundreds," Layla said.

"What can we do?" Jill asked, her voice thick with exasperation. Robbie lightly squeezed her hand. It helped a little.

"Any precautions taken against the swarm in the past have proven useless. Smoke just pisses them off," Layla said.

Jill thought about it for a while as they continued to stare at the ceiling. She remembered a few things from science class regarding bees and wasps. Their natural enemies include spiders and birds. She shuddered to think of how large a spider would have to be to prey on the wasps here.

"So do they have any natural enemies like birds?" Jill asked. "Maybe we just need a big flock of birds to eat up the swarm." Robbie chuckled but Layla sat up and stared down at her.

"We may not be able to find a flock of birds but the swarm will only attack if they're agitated. If Father catapults the swarm into the camp, that would make them angry enough to attack. But if they were released gently, perhaps they will just fly away," Layla said. Jill and Robbie sat up at this.

All three of them smiled.

###

Tomas sat by the fire a few feet from the other wolves and thought of the impending battle. Part of him felt indignant and justified to fight for his freedom. The other part cringed to think of others fighting and dying in the streets for a criminal. He didn't feel like one but in the eyes of the king, he was. Tom left the fire and walked back toward his tent. He quietly slipped into the children's tent to check on them. He stopped just inside and listened. No sounds of sleeping. He rushed to one of the forms and snatched back the blankets. Pillows!

Tom rushed from the tent in search of them but there were no where in the camp. He sought out Veelka next.

"The children are gone. I need you to take me to the castle now!" Tom said.

"If you show up there, Tomas, King Ulvarg will kill you on sight."

"Whatever those kids are up to, you can be certain Ulvarg will kill them if he catches them. It's time I face him."