With his course of action set, Frodo faced a question: Should he lead this expedition to the Eastern Gorge?
This would be Mammoth Mountain’s first offensive beyond their borders. Until now, their skirmishes had been defensive, fighting from fortified positions.
Marching into the gorge meant facing the elements and the unpredictability of neutral camps.
Whether Tor’s spearmen could hold formation without a choke point was an unknown.
This made it difficult for Frodo to watch them leave. His spear-fighting skills were non-existent, but his grasp of supplies, healing, and battle tactics surpassed anyone on the frozen continent.
But leaving the mountain left his valley exposed. If rumors of his departure reached the scavengers, Kael’s lieutenants would take advantage.
Kael might not care about losing slaves in the east, but if he realized the ’Mountain Lord’ was exposed in the gorge, he would divert his Blood-Walkers to encircle him.
Even if Kael ignored the gorge, a raiding party attacking the mountain while Frodo was away would shatter the tribe’s heart.
Suffering a setback on the frontlines was bad, but allowing a fire to burn your home base was catastrophic.
Frodo decided to stay and command from the cavern.
The spearmen’s primary task was to protect Vash while she administered the cure, and their secondary task was to escort the refugees out of the pines.
Rather than fighting Kael’s elites, their true enemy was the spreading sickness and the Shamans’ hold on the tribes. As long as the medicine was delivered and discipline maintained, Tor’s hunters wouldn’t need to throw a spear.
Frodo had to ensure the plan was flawless before they departed.
At noon, Frodo summoned Tor, Silas, Bael, Vash, and Orin to his alcove.
Although Frodo had never seen the Eastern Gorge, Orin solved the problem by drawing a map of the valley on the central stone using crushed charcoal. Frodo began issuing commands to Tor and Silas.
"This circle represents the neutral camp, and this line is the frozen river," Frodo said. "You have two duties. The first is to protect Vash and the medicine while curing the refugees, and then bring them to this mountain. Your second duty is to prevent the Black Frost from cementing Kael’s control over the neutral tribes. You must understand that the sickness is no longer a natural tragedy; the Shamans are using it as a weapon."
As a crippled survivor of the wilderness, Bael had lost reverence for tribal shamans, holding a cynicism Frodo appreciated.
"When Kael’s Blood-Walkers burned the river clans, they didn’t just take slaves. They forced the survivors into the stagnant swamps of the eastern basin before letting them escape into the gorge," Frodo explained. "Now that the sickness is tearing through the caravans, the High Shamans have declared Kael’s totems are the only protection against the ’blood-curse.’ This panic is a strategy to conquer the neutral tribes without fighting."
Frodo detailed how the Shamans distributed the ’Sacred Ash’ to those who pledged loyalty to Kael. "They are not trying to heal the sick; they are letting the weak die to inspire terror. Then, they offer salvation. After the Black Frost has terrified the gorge, the Shamans will distribute their ’cure,’ ensuring whoever survives believes Kael is a god."
"The fire that burns in the darkest winter night is the most blinding," Bael muttered.
"Exactly," Frodo nodded. "If you want to be worshipped as a savior, you must offer salvation when the people are in despair. The stronger the contrast between the terror of sickness and the relief of the cure, the deeper their loyalty to Kael will become. As for the refugees bleeding out in the snow, the Shamans will call them ’unworthy sacrifices.’ We must save the refugees, but more importantly, we must shatter the Shamans’ conspiracy."
Tor asked, "How do we accomplish that without triggering a war in the camp?"
"You remain invisible. You will fulfill your duties so Kael’s elites never realize you were there until the sickness vanishes," Frodo pointed to an elevated area south of the river. "The pine ridge should be thick enough to hide a small army. Establish a lookout point there. Silas, your scouts will disguise themselves as scavengers and help the cured refugees slip out of the camp. We will use Orok’s sleds to move them quickly."
"How do we cure the camp?" Silas asked. "We can’t build sweat lodges in the middle of the gorge; Kael’s patrols would spot the steam."
"This relies on Vash’s preparation," Frodo said. "Vash has spent the last two days boiling wormwood and pine into a concentrated black tincture. It is bitter, but deadly to the sickness. You do not need sweat lodges. You only need to pour drops of this tincture into the communal pots where the traders make their broth. The heat of their own fires and the power of the extract will kill the sickness in their blood."
"Just pour it into their soup?" Tor asked.
"There are two rules you must follow," Frodo said. "First, ensure the tincture is mixed into the water, or the bitterness will make them vomit. Second, you are prohibited from telling the traders you are curing them. The more secretive the delivery, the better. When the sick begin to recover without taking Kael’s ’Sacred Ash’, the Shamans’ claims will collapse. You might find it strange to hide our mercy, but if you do this, Kael’s hold on their minds will break."
"What about the infected traders in the center of the camp? Our scouts can’t reach the High Shaman’s tents without being recognized."
"That falls under Jax’s responsibility," Frodo said. "Jax will use the Bone-Scrapers. If we pay them in fat, the street rats will slip the tincture into the central pots."
"Those scavengers are unreliable. Broken-Tooth might sell Jax to Kael’s patrols," Silas objected.
"Which is why the medicine delivery is secondary," Frodo stood. "The moment you sense something amiss, or if Kael’s elites move in force, Tor’s spearmen must protect Vash and withdraw. Extracting the refugees is a victory, regardless of how many traders we cure. Undermining Kael’s conspiracy isn’t possible just by giving them medicine, but if we disprove the claim that *only* the Shamans can save them, their strategy fails." Read the latest chapters at g.com.
"I will declare the strike team," Frodo said. "Tor!"
"Yes!" Tor stepped forward.
"You will lead forty spearmen. You are responsible for protecting the healers, securing the pine ridge, and eliminating any Blood-Walker scouts that threaten the extraction. Bring our people back alive."
"I will do as you command, Lord!" Tor said.
"Silas!"
"Yes!"
"You will lead ten scouts, disguised as wanderers. You will coordinate the medicine delivery with Jax and ensure the refugees maintain silence when slipping into the woods."
"It will be done."
"Next are Vash and Orin," Frodo said. "Vash, you carry the cure. Orin, you will map the movements of Kael’s patrols. Pay attention to your security above all else."
"Rest assured," Tor said. "I will be standing beside them."
"Then we come to the final rule. Once you arrive at the gorge, you have three suns. After three days, no matter the situation, you return to the mountain. If Kael’s shamans are using this sickness, they will not just target the camps. They will eventually send infected thralls into the western wastes to poison our valley. You cannot stay in the gorge for longer than three days. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lord Frodo!" Tor and Silas answered.
"Execute the plan."
"What will I do?" Bael asked.
"You will man the ballistas," Frodo said. "You will guard my mountain."