[i]Standing from his seat Cahlou curses under his breath.[/i]

"And you were seen!?  You had no reason or order to engage!  You were to evade any encounter!"

[i]Cahlou sighs deeply as the scout fumbles for an answer.[/i]

"No!  No more words, just go."

[i]The orc hesitates.[/i]

"[b]GO![/b]"

[i]The scout scrambles out of the tent before a swift kick could follow. Rubbing his brow, Cahlou curses again.  What horrid luck, not even a week on this new continent and they were discovered.  And Exorcists of all things, yes, Cahlou remembered them...[/i]

"It seems as though time is no longer on our side."  [i]An ever-present elemental states.  Cahlou scoffs.[/i]

"That is putting it lightly.  But why would the paladin have such elite troops here?  Surely they would be needed to guard the border?"

"Perhaps the locals were not cooperating with... the recruiting practices."

[i]Cahlou strides to the tent's flap and gazes outside, the eternal guard continue working on the ladders without relent.  The sun is now high in the sky, remaining as a stark spotlight upon the camp itself.  Cahlou closes the tent flap again.  Yuri floating behind his chair waits, allowing Cahlou to ponder.

When it came to fighting the living, the Exorcists may not fair as well against the dead, but even then such a gambit would be foolish.  He would have to take another approach.  The night would be his ally, no doubt of that.  Cahlou knew that he had access to barely over one hundred ladder made, which was formidable, but it may not be enough to allow easy flow of his troops onto the wall.  Finally there was the problem of the missing scouts...

Many must still be wandering and some must have been captured in the skirmish, this area was no longer safe.  Unlikely as it is that the Exorcists would keep hostages Cahlou would have to factor that in as well.  He did not have the living to spare to let them die left and right as well as his image would take the hit if they were killed because of him.  He needed more information...[/i]

"This will require extensive thought Yuri."

"It would be foolish to assume otherwise Cahlou."

"..."

"Don't worry you have practiced the technique many times, I know you can perform it successful this time."

[i]With a nod, Cahlou sat in the center of his tent.  With a deep breath Cahlou crosses his legs and closed his eyes.  He let the world fade away from around him, allow himself to reach far beyond his grasp.

Cahlou knew his eternal guard, knew how to command them and make them perform given tasks.  But they were like small disposable tools that could only be sent out to work or fight.  With this technique though, he could receive information back from them and control them more finely.  With this technique they became an extension of both his body and will.

Cahlou's breathing caught when the twinges of pain and pressure began to build up in the back of his skull.  He could feel them, every bony finger and cracked tooth!  It was all to much!  The sensations every noise, every sight!  Whenever a hammer struck the wooden nail of a ladder Cahlou could feel the reverberations tenfold.  Cahlou grunted and the pain started to swell and intensify.  He couldn't handle all of this feedback, it was crushing![/i]

"Focus Cahlou!  You've practiced!  Remember that you are in control!" [i]Yuri's voice seemed like a faint cry in a sea of sound.

[i]But luckily Cahlou had heard it.  He didn't need to see and hear everything, a few vessels will do.  Drawing in a deep ragged breath, Cahlou pushed away the extraneous feelings, honing in a few throughout his camp.  The pain subsided, his breathing normalized.

There, now.  He needed to check if any of those foolish scouts had the foresight to at least make a map.

To all those outside nothing seems to happen.  Save that a single skeleton, of several working or patrolling, lays down it's tools and strides to where the orc scouts are being treated.  No one moves or even notices as the skeleton approaches, it is one of the eternal guard, their protectors.  Attention is only garnered when said skeleton strides into the medical tent.[/i]

"...is that?  Um, you seemed to be confused, this a treatment area."

[i]One of the healers stand and take hold of one of the skeleton's shoulders.  Attempting to steer it back to the door.[/i]

"Odd, they don't wander off that often.  I wonder-" [i] the other orc is cut off as the skeleton slowly and carefully, but still with some force removes the healer's hand from its shoulder.  They recognize that this eternal guard is on specific business.

They quickly stand aside, bowing and apologizing.  The skeleton walks over to one of the conscious scouts.  The scout blinks in shock but doesn't flinch or whimper, knowing that he must comply with the eternal guard's objective.  Through the skeleton, Cahlou points and the scout's bag currently being used to prop up his leg.  One of the healers quickly runs over with some extra blankets and swaps out the bag.

With bag in hand, the skeleton searches the contents of the bags.  The canteen, tools and personal effects of the scout are quickly taken out and cast out onto the bed as the eternal continues searching.  Soon Cahlou finds what he is looking for.  At least one of the scout had be diligent.  A handful of crude maps drawn of bark laid at the bottom of the pack.  Delicately these are retrieved and through the empty sockets of the skeleton Cahlou examines them.

They detail the location on the human towns and the rough road network between them.  Cahlou could defiantly use this.  The maps and items are replaced into the bag and a curt nod is given to the attentive scout.  Without further delay the skeleton leaves and returns to its work.[/i]

"We can cut off their communications," says Cahlou opening his eyes.  I can station a large amount of undead along all the roads stop work of attack from spreading between the villages.  Thus giving me the time I need."

"I sense that you won't be mounting for a battle Cahlou."

"No Yuri, with Exorcists involved, I'll have to try something a bit more clever."

[i]Moving out of the tent Cahlou gives the order to the living to get ready to move, and to bring only some of the tents.  And only some of the eternal guard.

Woe to the vanguard who step into the ruins of this camp.[/i]