35,281

She left causing Iron to wonder just what kind of stories were starting. Well she would see it fixed. Clearly we made a big mistake in keeping Idrias away, we should have involved her in court once she had control, then there would be less problems, for all it is a lot to ask of the child. She is doing well enough, all things considered. It is just hard to remember how young she is at times, how confused that causes her to be. We haven’t been explain things near enough, forgetting that she is not a normal nineteen year old. At least she did realize not to lie, that is something. Yet for them not to know, she has clearly been trying to hard to blend in. It is a wonder that the stress of it hasn’t caused her problems. Hopefully this will help fix it. Just as long as she doesn’t make a habit of speaking so to His Majesty, she was quick to apologize, and it was clear that she truly didn’t now he was there.

Chapter 5

Idrias looked around and wondered if she dared go see what they were studying on the table. She had been going to show Dr. Burgaus the older maps, but he was deep in conference with the King and others. It was in the open, but still not something she wanted to intruded on. No matter what Sally had said about involving herself in the talks more. She was sure she had meant with the younger ones, not the Lords. Even though a good bit of it out of the meetings had to do with maps for some reason, it still didn’t feel right. If there is something I can add or help with Father or Dr. Jackson will let me know. She started to the group at the table, still not sure, but knowing that if she retreated to her table in the study, Sally would hunt her down again. Once was enough.

As she neared the group and saw Travis was there her faced flushed a bit as she couldn’t help but remember Sally tell her to say yes for once. That it would do her good to have a fling, that it was expected of her. It was so strange to think of having someone stay, but it wouldn’t do to cause talk by not. It is odd to think that it cause more concern not to. She had seen the boys go off and thought that Sally had, but hadn’t realized they expected her to. It just wasn’t something she thought of. Not wanting any thinking she was looking for a clan as was common of shifters, she went out of her way to keep things neutral. Yet according to Sally that was more troubling than the rumors she was out to seduce the young men would be. After all the fact that she didn’t clean to them after would take care of that, and so what if she did find a bound. It was nothing to be ashamed of. There was nothing sinister or disgraceful about clans. The bonds existed even among now shifters and that trying to keep my distance was just hurting them.

When she got over to them she saw that they had recreated the setting of Picket’s charge, which had been a major but costly victory in the last war. His actions in it were still hotly debated. To judge by the older man with them it was likely related to one of their classes, but before she could turn Travis moved over and said. “Come on, there is room here Idrias, we need help. We are running Pikets’s troops and Professor James has Hunt’s. Our goal is to .”

Idrias said. “Well I do have some ideas of what he could have done, but a lot depends on the resources he had. I am not to sure which of the records I have read are right for they are contradicting themselves and all are missing some details about the troops he had as well as those faced, though that could be that he acted without decent scout reports, which is my first suggestion.”

Susan nodded. “We got the scout reports in class, but I don’t remember anyone saying a thing about the info on his troops. Just what do you see lacking? Might be we had different reports than you have found. There are a bunch of them. It was such a muddied battle. We are using Olsten’s reports, do you know them?”

Idrias nodded. “Of the battle yes, but the copy I have read had no trop information at all. I have seen anything about the mages specialties or the shifters, other than that there were some. That is the lack I meant.” A few of the others looked at her oddly.

 Professor smiled a bit. Good finely someone that thought. “I might be able to come up with those. Let me see what I have. Now no one is hundred percent sure. For some reason few of those details made it into the records.” He started looking through his papers, wanting to see what the others said.

Oliver said. “I can see the need of knowing the mages gifts, and I think it was brought in class, but why the shifters? I didn’t know they had. Wait animals can go place people can’t so that is why. They could do the scouting that was missed for one thing. Just why is the clear passage here ignored. It would save a lot to use it. Shift a unit there. I don’t see anything that stopping it. That was a clear mistake on Pickets part.”

Idrias waited for the others to point out the trap that might be there but another boy said. “I don’t see why. He had to have a reson, but there is nothing here. So lets move.”

Idrias shook her head. “Look at the canon walls. How would the troops move through it? See here.” She touched the area where it was at its narrowest, where it would be easy to have a few snipers decimate a unit. “Now then if you were on the other side what you do?”

Travis said. “Snipers, it would be a blood bath, but that is not in the reports. Why didn’t he check? If they weren’t there that passage would be useful, if they are there can they be cleared. We need to scout it.”

Susan said. “That would be a place to use the shifters, they could get in unnoticed and see what was there. Might even be able to take them out.” Oliver nodded.

Travis said. “I don’t know about that. Not all are going to be comfortable attacking humans in their animal form.  Can they report back? We need to know what is there and some can’t change rapidly. So can they communicate if in animal form?”

Idrias said. “Some can, abilities differ among us. Now if there is a clan then in most cases that tie sees to it that they are always in contact, but the clarity of it varies. If there is a strong mind speaker it could work, but the type of animal matters as well. For a scout they need to be able to blind in. Perhaps try avian if there are any, or better yet is there any one with the ability to hear the animals that are there? If we can get the information another way there is a better place to use the unit of sifters. See this trail here, using it you can get behind the known line.”

Oliver said. “That trail is impassable, far to steep for anyone. It was rejected as the troops would never make it over it in one peace. What good is it? Sure they might make it, but then what? There isn’t enough to make a difference. More so if they are going to get upset over killing them. What is the point in it, even if they are there they won’t have weapons so will be useless in human and won’t do anything if not.”

Idrias said. “War is war, that will over come a lot of the hesitance. That said they can take smaller guns, and by going in at night they will all have enough time they could shift plus get in unseen, with a bit of luck.” She looked back at the map and had another thought. “Maybe a bit of an illusion can be used to help with that. Not on them, but a fog in the area. Done wide, that will get them to think we are trying the pass, they won’t think of the trail. Do we have a list of the mages yet and is anything known about what forms the shifters have? That will let us know what weapons they can reasonably have with them.”

Oliver shook his head. “Just how could they? Illusions aren’t useable they would be noticed right off. I don’t see how that would help, but can see that I am out voted. Still how would they carry weapons?”

James hand over some papers. “This is what we have, now it is just copies of the record, so the slurs are not my fault. That said I am interested in how you plane to have them carry the weapons. That is not something I have heard of, but if it is possible it would answer some questions.”

Idrias said. “The abilities of shifters are over looked by most. They are not as well understood as mages are. That is changing, but it has taken time. As old as the records are there was even more fear and distrust than there is now. At first it was expected that the shifters would join the Wraith, that the mutation made us irrational. I expect that to be in shown in the reports.” Travis took the papers then handed her the ones on the shifters. “I don’t know if it has ever been done, but guns and knifes strapped to the legs. Now it would be pistols, so limited range, but it would be some help. They need to be fastened tightly so as to not limit mobility, but it would work. The ammo is in the pack with clothes and rations, those are standard, and worn on the backs. If there are larger shifters it would be possible to get some rifles on the backs as well. Avians could also carry some in nets, if there is cover. It would be small arms, but it would be enough to cause the enemy problems. Small forces are able to hide and pick targets. Like I said it depend on what we have.” She turned to look at the papers so didn’t see the faces around her. They were a bit shocked and then nodded as they worked it out.

Oliver said. “I never thought, it could work. However animals carrying weapons would get noticed and there would be a good deal of talk. What a wild idea. Just think of the panic it could cause. Still is it as much advantage to make up for not using them to scout.”

Idrias said. “The advantage as scouts assumes that there are some that are able to slightly pass as local wildlife. Shifters seldom look like normal animals, and might not be of a type found normally in the area. How many tigers are around?” She looked and smiled. “There is a dragon, and they are a weather mage! We can have fog, and they can deliver riffles for the unit, with the others carrying cases of ammo. Then they stay in form and attack from above. The agile ones can thieve from the camps for a bit. Even after the other side catch on having to watch the skies as well will provide a useful distraction. A few might even be able to work a pistol a time two. Not with much accuracy, but just the fact they did it would be enough. Mostly it will have to be rocks or bottles that get. Wait grenades. That would work, with a modified trigger so the explode on impact. All of them could drop those.”

Travis said. “There are three earth mages, they can help with the fog. Not as good as another weather mage, but most earth ones can create steam.”

Idrias nodded. “Wait any of them have an L notation?”

Travis said. “One does. What is that?”

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know how you keep it straight. If they can make fog that would help. How does shifting affect the mage? And they work magic in their animal form? I thought that shifters were unreliable as mages. I don’t know where the question about tigers came from, but they are not native so there shouldn’t be any here.”

Idrias said. “The L means the mage can detect life energies in an area. Tied to earth, that means get them a map and they can point out the snipers. It is something that they have to be looking for to detect, and chances are they don’t know to look or guard against it. In order to make the best use of troops you need to have an understanding of the abilities they have. That to me meant that I should memorize the mage rankings and do my best to learn what there was about the abilities of sifters. Not that there is much. Mostly I am just going of what I can do. The dragon is the only one that is listed with a mage rank as it is listed I am going to say it is stable. I have not seen any studies done on it, but as all dragons are mages to some degree I say that means they can.”

Iron said. “I have been sent to tell you that you missed the call to lunch. So how is the battle looking?”

Travis said. “We can get them big guns. Look here, there is a portal mage. Where it doesn’t need to be living item, it won’t take more than six hours to build. Sent the port with the shifters, once over there they open it and the guys here toss them weapons and ammo. They won’t know what hit them. Have the man bunch set in the bluff with the big guns, smaller groups nipping at them from the bushes and the birds. We cut the losses by a good third.”

James said. “They have done better than I had. I was going for that route, but missed a few things they are using. Never thought of having the avian sifters dropping bombs, but that is a very good tactic. Idrias, what year are you and which school?”

Oliver said. “We can’t use a gate, they have mages watching. Nice thought though, maybe once the fight starts.”

Susan stared to the tables getting the others to. “Not a gate a port. They are hard to tell, for they cause less disruption in the first place. To find one for non living items you have to be looking for it, and right at that area when it is open. Even if they have someone looking, the chances they would be looking in the right place are tiny.”

Oliver said. “That is good to know, but even the one is ranked as a mage, we are talking about a shifter unit here, remember?”

Susan nodded, but was confused. “So?”

Idrias said. “I am just nineteen sir, and have not taken the university tests yet. I have sat in on a few classes at Royal, but mostly it is just that I have read any book on strategy that has come my way since I was able to read.”

James smiled. “Then I might just have a chance at convincing you to come to Elxta. I would like to have you in a class.”

Idrias flushed and tried to come up with an answer. Luckily she was rescued by Oliver answering Susan. “So? Everything. Sifters cannot use ports! That is elementary school.”

Idrias said, not realizing how close they were to the tables. “I don’t know where you are from, but who ever told you that was wrong. That is one I have never heard before. Did they give a reason?”

Oliver looked at her. “Where did you go to school? It is unthinkable that you wouldn’t. I wonder just what else you failed to learn. It is a wonder that there are a few that can touch the power. I can see the dragon shifter, for as you said it is a part of the dragon. However the fractured makeup of sifters means that they can do nothing with enjoy for the majority. Pots need to be stabilized, as shifters are not stable by their very nature there is no way that.”

Idrias started laughing, she had been doing her best not to, but she just could stop it, for a few of the others at the table were nodding as well. She knew she likely shouldn’t say anything, but she had to apologize for laughing and they did need to know why it was funny to her. Even though it seemed likely to cause some problems not addressing it after that would be worse.  “I am sorry, I don’t mean to insult you. It is just news to me. Yet it is clearly beloved by a number of the ones that can here us. Yet, I am sorry, but it is wrong. I have no idea who told you that, but I can gantry you that it isn’t the case. I have never had any problems going through a portal or a gate. If it is just opening them you meant, well I was given mine to Milton when I was eight and it bonded to me then. I do think it was a year before I used it, as I only do so if I need to get there when I am not near the house.”

A few there were looking horrified and one of the Lords looked to be about to speak, but Oliver did so first. “Just does that have to do with anything? I wasn’t talking about children.”

Idrias looked at him and took a breath. “I keep forgetting that not all here know me. I am a shifter. I first changed when a toddler.” Oliver looked horrified and took a step back, she shook her head. “Knowing it doesn’t make me a different person. Yes I can turn into an animal, but I am the same person no matter my shape.” She looked at her father worriedly.

Iron shook his head. “I do wonder just how this happened. I do think that we need to look into some type of stranded for textbooks after all. This has ne worried about what other misinformation is getting taught. This isn’t too dangerous but some could be. Idrias you did the right thing. It needed to be answered. I am as surprised as you are by the fact that so many seem not to have known.”