"What the hell is a Boarbatusk doing here?!"

"I don't know, just keep running!"

Clouds of dust flew behind Reed, Seraphina, and Phaedra as they tore down the forest path. Behind them one of the rarer Creatures of Grimm destroyed brush and ground alike as it pursued them. Boarbatusks resembled pigs, with shining white tusks sticking out from the bottom of their masks. Armor the same hard material as its mask covered its back, making it very difficult to get at the more vulnerable black flesh.

Especially when they tucked into a ball and became a spinning white and black harbinger of death.

Phaedra, at the front of the group, spun and slammed the glowing brown end of her hammer into the ground. A pillar of rock five feet across and ten feet high shot out of the ground to block the path between them and the Boarbatusk. The trees to the left of the pillar exploded as the spinning Grimm smashed through the solid wood trunks as if they were nothing but a nuisance.

Reed grabbed Phaedra's arm as he sprinted by, dragging her behind him until she found her feet again and could run on her own.

"This is getting us nowhere," he said, thinking furiously. "We obviously can't outrun it, and it's too fast to hit with anything that would stop that cursed spinning."

Reed glanced at the muscular girl running next to him. Seraphina's red hair was plastered to her head with sweat, her eyes glued to the ground to avoid making a fatal mistake with her footing. It was possible that her semblance would be able to stop the Grimm, but she was far from being able to control it.

It had been several weeks since the three of them had gone out into the woods together for the first time. They had tried to test Seraphina's semblance and give her some practice transforming into a bear, but every time she had tried nothing had happened.

"Sera!" Reed had to shout to be heard over the crashing of the Boarbatusk. "I need you to stop that thing in its tracks for just a moment. Can you do it?"

She turned to him, looking in his eyes for some hint what he was thinking. Then she shrugged. "I can try. Just tell me when."

"Phaedra, be ready with that rock pillar!" Reed called to her, and she nodded in understanding.

"Alright Sera… Now!"

Seraphina spun around in the middle of the path, feet braced in a wide stance, and bear claws held out in front of her. The Boarbatusk crashed into her hands, and though her arms buckled, she managed to halt its momentum for a second. Phaedra struck the ground again with her hammer, and a rock pillar sprouted from the ground directly beneath the Grimm.

The monster was thrown into the air from the force of the blow, opening up from its clenched position to reveal the black flesh of its stomach.

Reed started running back up the path toward the two girls and shouted, "Sera, toss me up!"

Seraphina turned and put one bear claw in the palm of the other, placing them on her bent knee. Reed jumped onto the platform of black metal and glowing red dust, and with one heave she tossed him twenty feet into the air.

As soon as he was clear of her, Reed flipped the green switch on his halberd, activating the wind behind the already extended halberd head. Rather than try to juggle the staff in mid-air, Reed simply held on and let his whole body spin with the force of propulsion. As he reached the top of his arc he met the descending Grimm and his halberd smashed into the exposed flesh, cutting clean through its midsection.

Reed turned the halberd in his hand so that the wind would cancel his rotation before he flipped the switch off. He landed on the ground between the two quickly dissipating pieces.

"Ha! Got you, you bastard!" Phaedra whooped. "Too bad their bodies disappear. I could go for some bacon right now."

"I doubt it would taste very good, Pixie," Seraphina said dryly. "You know, being a creature of darkness and all."

"Doesn't mean I'm not hungry after all that shit."

Reed looked at the sun in the sky. The Boarbatusk had chased them for the better part of an hour, and in the opposite direction of town. They would have quite the hike back.

It took them several hours to get back to town, most of which Seraphina and Phaedra spent arguing about the theoretical taste of Grimm flesh. As was their habit after a day spent in the woods, their first destination upon returning to Adigiar was Komodo Curry. Melony rushed up to greet them as they walked in the door.

"Hey you three!" she said with a broad smile and a flash of a split tongue. "I was starting to think that you weren't coming today."

"Training ran a little long," Reed said, smiling back. He hadn't told Melony that they were spending their Sundays in the woods, not wanting to worry her.

They went to their spot at the back of the restaurant. Phaedra, as usual, decided that she deserved a whole bench to herself, so Reed sat next to the wall, with Sera on his left and his halberd leaning against the wall to his right. They sat sipping Komodo Tea, discussing the implications of Boarbatusks in the woods surrounding Adigiar in the nearly empty restaurant. Sunday nights weren't terribly busy for restaurants, people tended to be at home preparing themselves for the coming week.

The bell above the door tinkled as some more customers walked in, and Reed was surprised to see Tamus and Tanners in the middle of a heated discussion.

"I'm telling you Henry," said Tanners in an insistent tone. "Grimm are unheard of in these numbers in recent years. Reports are coming in from all over, they-"

Tanners stopped talking when he saw the three of them in the back of the restaurant. Tamus followed his gaze, and upon seeing them smiled and approached, Tanners trailing him.

"Hey you three! Mind if we join you?" Not waiting for a reply, he spun a chair around and placed it at the head of their table.

Tanners looked annoyed, but he sat in the seat next to Phaedra after she cleared their bags off. Melony came by and took their order, then left after giving Reed a smile and thumbs up, obviously thinking his friend group was growing.

"So, what are the lot of you talking 'bout?" Tamus said. He had the distinct sound of a man trying to change the topic of conversation.

Reed exchanged glances with the other two girls. Phaedra had told Reed after he had been released from the infirmary that all she and the two guardsmen had discussed before he woke up was their general relationships to Reed and Seraphina, and the events leading up to their collapse. Phaedra hadn't told them about their trips into the woods, and hadn't had any contact with them since.

"Just the weapons we would like to wield if we were Hunters," Reed said quickly. It was a half-truth, and he hoped the two older men wouldn't question it.

"You mean like the staff equipped with ice next to you, and the fire infused knuckle-knives at Seraphina's waist?" Tanners said, eying Reed shrewdly. Reed cursed himself, he should have known the sergeant would be too discerning to let that slide.

Not waiting for Reed's reply, Tanners turned to Phaedra and said, "I'm assuming you, Phaedra, are the one who made those? Not bad craftsmanship, I assumed you were just a forge apprentice who was a lunch-time acquaintance of these two."

"Go to the Grimm," Phaedra said hotly. "As if a Blau would stoop so low as to desperately seek companionship at a meal."

"You're last name is Blau?" Tanners said, surprise seeping into his voice. "I had no idea, that means Edmund is-"

"My old man." Phaedra said shortly.

"That explains a lot." Tanners turned to stare at Reed. "Your lack of concern about starting road patrol, your quick actions when Grimm ambushed our patrol, and you and Seraphina's excellent performance in the last few weeks. How long have you been sneaking off into the woods?"

"About two months," Reed admitted, recognizing the futility of secrecy. "I met Phaedra my second week in the guard, and we've been working on developing this since then." He patted the staff next to him affectionately.

"By the Maidens, boy, you've got stones," Tamus said, impressed. "You've been fighting Grimm with just a stick?"

"That is not just a stick!" Phaedra said angrily. "That is a full anti-cavalry halberd, equipped with air enhanced speed and infused with ice!"

"A halberd, huh," Tanners said thoughtfully, while Tamus eyed Phaedra with dislike. "Good weapon for a staff wielder looking to deal some extra damage, though personally I prefer the spear. Not those dust-begotten things the Guard uses mind you, but a real one made by a master forger."

"Well if you're looking for one," Phaedra said, pouncing on the potential to work with such a capable fighter. Tanners, however, shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, Phaedra, but I'm plenty happy with the one Edmund custom made for me."

"My old man made a special order weapon for you?" Phaedra said, impressed. "He only does that for those he knows will put them to good use."

"He gave me one the day we met," Reed argued, but Phaedra shook her head.

"That was one of his generic staffs. His special order weapons are custom tailored for the fighter he works with. He spends weeks studying the individual's fighting style. The end result is a piece of perfection, lengths down to the millimeter, edges honed to the finest keen and made of a special mix of metals that will never wear down. Special order weapons are the only times he will even consider incorporating guns into his works." Turning to Tanners, Phaedra asked, "How old were you when he made it?"

"I was thirteen when he first made it, the last adjustment he made was last year when I joined the guard."

"Tanners is a member of some elite military family," Seraphina said. Then added quickly, "Sorry, I mean Sergeant Tanners."

"Just Tanners is fine," he said. "We're all off duty."

At that point their food arrived, and everyone tucked in. Phaedra snuck a spoonful of her extra spicy curry onto Tamus's plate, both laughing her head off and trying to look innocent when he started fanning his mouth frantically and gulping down all the water in reach.

Reed was surprised that Tanners hadn't said anything, but the satisfied look on his face as he watched his friend's eyes water made Reed think he was still annoyed that Tamus had cut their earlier conversation short.

"So Tanners," Reed said, trying to sound as casual as he could. "We ran into a Boarbatusk today, only a handful of miles from town. That's a little close isn't it?"

Tanners cast Reed a knowing look, but Tamus suddenly choking on his water made it impossible for Tanners to deny Reed had hit on the topic they had been discussing when they walked in.

Tanners sighed, and said, "Yes, Reed, it is. Tamus and I," he shot the large man an annoyed glance, "were just discussing the increase in Grimm activity. Since our run in with that pack last month, reports have been flooding in from all the other patrols. Every single patrol has met at least a couple juvenile Beowolfs. A couple months ago one would have been a bad week. Additionally, an entire patrol went missing on the road leading to the mountains. Including that group, which was composed of eight veterans, we've lost more than fifteen guards in the last month."

Reed leaned back, whistling softly. He'd expected a few more deaths, but an entire patrol going missing hadn't happened in decades. Things were way worse than he had had imagined, and Reed was pretty sure he knew why.

"This has to be because of the White Fang," he spat angrily. "Those damn terrorists, ramping up everyone's fear. They don't even care about equality anymore, they are just a pack of thugs looking to drag the world into chaos and make a quick buck off of it."

"Careful Reed," Tamus said, and the hard note in his voice surprised Reed. He looked at the hippo-Faunus, the normal easy grin and jovial attitude had been replaced with a serious stare.

"A lot of Faunus don't like to hear the White Fang bad-mouthed."

"You can't be defending them Tamus!" Reed said hotly. "They are a bunch of thieves and murderers who-"

Tamus held up a hand to stop Reed's tirade before it could gain momentum. "I'm not saying they don't go too far," he clarified, "but in a world that is incredibly discriminatory to those of us who resemble animals, they are some of the few who fight back. You have no idea what it's like to live every day in fear for you and your own. The paranoia starts to wear on you."

His gaze grew distant, and his voice saddened as he continued, "Any day could be the day where you get ambushed in an alley, or come home to find your family strung up by their necks. It's hard to find a job, and therefore hard to support your family. I mean, for me it was basically either join them, or the Town Guard. What kind of shit choice is that?" He looked up at Reed, his gaze understanding, but unmoving. "So, while I don't agree with their methods, I sure as Dust see why they do it."

Reed wrestled with his anger, forcing himself to see things from Tamus's point of view. Reed was not discriminatory toward Faunus, and in recent years had even started protecting those he saw being dealt an injustice. But he had never tried to consider what they thought of the White Fang. Reed knew Tamus was a good man, Reed had seen him helping the less talented recruits with kind words and gentle encouragement. And yet he saw some good in the terrorist group that had taken Reed's dad from him.

"I see what you are trying to say Tamus," Reed said, the words garbled despite his best effort to unclench his teeth. "but those bastards killed my father, a man who loved Faunus and humans alike."

Reed met Tamus's hard stare with one of his own, and said, "I won't talk about them anymore around you. If I get the chance, though, I will make them pay for what they took from me."

Tension built between the two of them for a moment before Tamus sighed and looked down. "Fine," he said. "I'm in no place to deny you your vengeance. Just be careful where you talk about stuff like that. You are a decent human Reed, but there are less of you than you think. Some Faunus may decide to try and slide a knife between your ribs if they hear you talking like that."

Reed glanced around the table, and saw Tanners's face was set with disapproval. As a disciple of Tanaka he most likely didn't agree with Reed's talk of revenge, but he chose to remain silent on the subject. Talk returned to the increased number of Grimm in the nearby woods, but it was more subdued, and the party disbanded as soon as dinner was finished.

When Reed got back to his apartment he flopped into bed without bothering to put pajamas on. It had been a long day, and all he wanted at this point was sleep.

Reed woke up to the sound of a loud speaker blaring. Bleary-eyed, he jumped up and looked back and forth, before realizing that the sound was coming from outside. The indistinct voice continued as Reed ran to his door, throwing it open and leaning on the rail outside. A car drove by outside, hovering down the street and blasting a message from four megaphones secured to the roof.

"Guards are to report immediately to headquarters. This message will now repeat. CCT transmitters are experiencing technical difficulties. Do not be alarmed, we have received reports from the relay tower, and they are working to fix the problem. Citizens are asked to stay in their homes for the time being. Town Guards are to report immediately to headquarters. This message will now repeat."

Cursing under his breath, Reed ran back into his room and threw on his uniform, barely taking the time to make sure the double row of buttons was fastened properly. He pulled out his scroll and, sure enough, the icon that normally showed signal strength was replaced by a tiny red 'x'.

Damage to the Cross Continental Transmit System would be bad. The CCT was responsible for communication across Remnant. Access to emergency services would be limited. People would panic about being unable to reach loved ones and would probably start wandering the streets, where they would be easy picking for groups of delinquents and thugs. Riots might even breakout if order wasn't established soon, and that would lead to something much worse. Swarms of Grimm.

Reed grabbed his staff on the way out, slamming the door behind him. It was a far inferior weapon to Halmvoulge, but it was better than nothing.

Hurrying through town, Reed could feel the stress in the air. As he thought, there were several groups of people hurrying about despite the warning to stay indoors. He shouted at a couple to return to their homes, but they ignored him. Reed also passed several alleys with small groups of hooded figures leaning against the walls. This second group also ignored him, probably deciding there was better prey at the moment than a Guard.

Upon reaching the Town Guard headquarters, Reed was greeted by the fat sergeant who normally ran the armory. He wondered if the Town Guard was honestly incompetent enough to not have anyone ready to hand out weapons.

"Name and rank," the guard said in a tired voice, rubbing a fat fist against one eye as he yawned.

"Reed Aoki, recruit." Reed couldn't believe that in a time like this the guard wasn't even fully awake.

The sergeant consulted a list in his hands, another gigantic yawn sending a spray of spit onto the paper. "Report to classroom four. You will be briefed on your duties after the officers have decided on a course of action."

"With all due respect, sir," Reed said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Shouldn't we be sending patrols into the city to keep the peace? I passed several groups of less than reputable looking individuals, and-"

"Yeah, yeah," the sergeant interrupted. "Great idea kid, why don't you mention it when you are briefed?"

Fuming at the condescending words, Reed stormed down the hall. He slammed open the door to the classroom, noting that he was the first person from the recruits to arrive. He lived pretty close to headquarters, but he knew others lived closer. Would any of the other recruits honestly be so lazy as to go back to bed after hearing the warning?

Unable to sit still, Reed paced back and forth in front of the blackboard. Over the next ten minutes the rest of the recruits started to trickle in, most looking grumpy and tired. Seraphina showed up breathless, looking as if she had run the whole way from her place, which Reed knew to be across town. Of course she would understand the dangerous position the city would be in.

Seraphina looked around the room, eying the recruits in various states of stupor or sleep in their seats. "This is bad, Reed" she whispered. "They seriously haven't sent out patrols yet?"

Reed shook his head. "I tried to bring it up to the sergeant at the door, but the fool blew me off."

The door opened again, and they were surprised to see Tamus stick his head through the door. "Oi, you two," he called. "Sergeant Tanners wants you in the briefing room. Let's go."

He turned around without waiting for a response, leaving Reed and Seraphina to exchange a surprised look before hurrying to catch up.

"Tamus, what's going on?" Reed asked, falling into place beside the larger man, jogging to keep up with Tamus's long strides.

"I will let you see for yourself," Tamus said, his voice hard. "And it's Corporal Tamus right now. You are about to enter a military meeting, make sure you remember your manners. Stand next to me, don't speak unless you are spoken to, and for the Hermit's sake don't stir up trouble."

The corporal was dead pan and serious, his tone far away, and none of his usual cheerfulness was present. They reached the briefing room where they had been assigned to Tanners's charge for wall patrol. Tamus slid the door open and walked in, Reed and Seraphina following him around the perimeter of the room to stand at the back wall.

Every one of the seats was filled with officers. Captains were seated in the front row, with their lieutenants behind them, and the sergeants in the last two rows. Reed could pick out many of the individuals who had been assigned to watch the recruits on wall patrol, although the tough-looking woman who had been in charge of two of Seraphina's previous gang members was conspicuously absent. The three of them stood against the wall directly behind Tanners, who gave them a brief nod before returning his attention to the front of the room, where a man was standing behind the podium checking his watch.

Reed realized with a start that the man was the commander of the Town Guard, Boyd Fulvio. He was an older man, with a weak chin and wispy white hair pulled back in a frayed ponytail. It was well known that he was the commander of the Town Guard only because he was good at organizing the various day-to-day activities of the Town Guard. He had no experience in the type of crisis they were now facing. Fulvio adjusted some papers on the podium nervously, cleared his throat, and started to address the assembled officers.

"G-Guards, we face a difficult situation at the moment. We received a distress call from the CCT Support Tower in the Morose Mountains at 0512 this morning, just before we lost contact with the CCT System. The call was garbled, but from what we could make out we have surmised that an unprecedented number of Grimm have swarmed the tower, damaging it severely. We are unsure why the Grimm have attacked the tower in such large numbers, but obviously the safety of our town is dependent on that tower being operational. Now, does anybody have a suggestion for what should be our first course of action?"

A mountain of a man stood up in the front row. He had a crew cut of dark brown hair, with muscles that attested to hours spent in the weight room. The insignia on his shoulder clearly labeled him one of the five Town Guard captains. Commander Fulvio eagerly vacated the position to him, obviously not wanting to be the one in charge of the meeting.

"The course of action is obvious!" the man shouted into the small briefing room, causing Reed to grimace. "We must send reinforcements to support the tower immediately! All available troops should be deployed within the hour and march through the day and night into the mountains. We must secure the tower with all haste!"

Reed groaned internally. This man was clearly all brawn and no brains. The tower in question was easily a three day forced march away, it would take more than a day and night to reach it. If the troops were unrested they would have uncounted casualties from minor skirmishes along the road, and would be slaughtered to a man upon encountering the larger horde. Meanwhile, with no one to keep order, the town would be pandemonium. Even if they somehow managed to secure the tower, they would most likely find upon reestablishing communications that the town had become a wasteland.

To Reed's relief, Tanners stood from his position at the back of the group.

"With all due respect, Captain Gerstein, our first priority should be to secure the town. With the collapse of communications there's bound to be looting and riots. We need to ensure the safety of the town and its people before we march on the tower. We should send out patrols to prevent gangs and delinquents from taking over, establish emergency communication with medical services, and make sure the people have access to food and other amenities before-"

Captain Collins stood from his position at the front of the room, face red and spit flying as he shouted at Tanners, "Who are you to question those with more experience, Sergeant?! We are senior here, we have had many more years of experience than you. I have been with the Guard for nineteen years, and Captain Gerstein has been here even longer! Trust those with more experience and do as you're told!"

"Now Collins," Fulvio said in a placating voice, hands ringing nervously in his lap. "Sergeant Tanners was part of the Vale military for several years, maybe we should listen to what he has to say…"

"Trust me, boy," Gerstein said in a condescending tone. "Our number one concern should be the tower. The citizens can make it a few days without destroying themselves, but the Grimm will completely destroy the tower if we leave it alone. We must go there immediately!"

"Sorry, sir," Tanners said, and Reed could tell that the sergeant was having a hard time keeping from grinding his teeth as he spoke, "but there is more to moving a large force than just pushing them into a forced march. We need to establish supply trains, and the troops will need to be well rested when we reach the location if we want to have any chance of routing an entrenched enemy. The soonest we could be there is three days, and that would be assuming we had already prepared the necessary food rations and weapon deployments. Those preparation will take at least a day, so-"

"Your concerns have been noted, sergeant," Gerstein said in a clearly dismissive tone. His gaze traveled to Reed and the others standing at the back, and anger entered his eyes. "What the Grimm are a couple of recruits doing here?!"

"They are with me," Tanners said coldly.

Gerstein's face grew red, and spittle flew as he bellowed, "You are out of line, Sergeant! You have no right to invite a couple of recruits greener than the Spring Maiden to a classified officer's meeting!"

An uncompromising note entered Tanners's voice. "Town Guard Charter clearly states that all officers are allowed to bring their squad to any meeting, if they wish, and I prefer working with informed individuals. This clause was instated by the Vale Government after certain cases of corruption among the officers were found about a decade ago. You were enlisted then, sir, I'm sure you remember."

The mountainous captain looked like he was about to explode with rage. He took a step towards the standing sergeant, when a window at the side of the room slid open, and a young woman entered the room.

Everyone halted, stunned. They were on the third floor of the building, and the window opened out into thin air. The woman in question was of average height, with skin the same dark shade as Reed's teacher's. Her light orange, pixie-cut hair swirled around her face as a breeze followed her into the room. She wore dark, form fitting leather armor and a long scarf that draped down her back in twin lines, fading from black to a bright green at the tasseled ends. At each hip hung strange looking weapons: long, curved blades that created a hemisphere around leather-wrapped handles. At the small of her back, Reed could just make out a small, brass spyglass, like those used by sailors to keep track of the shore.

The first to recover from the shock of the woman's unexpected appearance was Captain Gerstein.

"Listen here, girly," Gerstein said, stalking towards her, "This is a classified meeting, you're gonna have to leave."

The hulking captain moved to put a hand on her shoulder. Her reaction was instantaneous. Grabbing the captain's wrist she spun into the air above and behind him. Her leg flashed out, shin catching the man in the nape of the neck. Caught completely off guard, without time to activate his Aura, he was knocked instantly unconscious.

"Oh by the Maidens, I'm sorry!" The woman gasped. "That was just instinct. You really shouldn't threaten someone you just met, though. I only came to help."

Reed's mouth had fallen open the moment the woman had walked through the window. How had the idiotic captain not recognized her? She was probably the most famous person in the region.

Commander Fulvio got to his feet, shaking like a leaf in a Maiden conjured storm. "For those of you who don't know, this is the Huntress Kiwidinek Kadir, of the town of Tani."

The young woman grimaced slightly. "Please just call me Kiwi," she said. "That name is way too long and formal. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

She bowed slightly, then straightened. The room was silent, people still adjusting to the sudden appearance of the famed Huntress, and the subsequent dethroning of Gerstein's position as head of the meeting. The woman shrugged, and continued, "Anyway, to the issue at hand. I noticed you don't have patrols in the town yet. How long until they are ready, and how many are you planning on deploying?"

"Actually," said Captain Collins, attempting to regain his previous bluster, "We were just about to deploy the troops for the mountains ASAP as soon as possible. Retaking the tower is our primary concern-"

"Admirable and ambitious," Kiwidinek Kadir said in a kind voice, that never the less cut over the captain's idiotic ramblings. "However, we must first secure the town and prepare supplies for what is likely to be a lengthy expedition. I understand you are eager to fix the problem, but we must have an Adigiar to return to, right?"

"If I may, Huntress Kiwidinek," Tanners said, pronouncing the name fluidly and dragging slightly on the 'n' sound. "I was just saying that today should be spent securing the town, gathering supplies, and planning the expedition. If we want to be in any condition to fight when we reach our destination it will take at least three days to get there, so plans have to be made for where a large company can rest for the night, camp layouts have to be determined, and sentry shifts have to be drawn up. Not to mention all the preparations for keeping the town safe and guarded in our absence."

The woman smiled broadly at Tanners, obviously singling him out among the others as someone with legitimate experience handling military affairs. She nodded to him, then addressed the room.

"The sergeant here is absolutely right, I couldn't have said ti better myself. Sergeants, all of you contact your corporals and have each of them prepare five patrols of five guardsmen. Send three of those out immediately to cover major roads and densely populated areas, and have the others ready to march at a moment's notice. Our first task here will be to determine areas of biggest concern and form a schedule and routes to makes sure no sections of the city remain unprotected."

She spoke with absolute authority in her voice, and the two rows of sergeants at the back of the room scrambled to do her bidding without waiting for orders from their captains. Tanners nodded gratefully to Kiwidinek, then turned to face the three behind him. "Tamus, do as she says. I want Reed and Seraphina taking lead on one of the latter patrols, their combat experience is going to be necessary in securing the more dangerous parts of town."

"Felix," Tamus protested. At a hard look from Tanners, he corrected himself. "Sergeant. These two are still too new to lead a squad. Let me put them under a more senior guardsmen, otherwise anyone in their squad is going to resent them."

"We don't have time to waste on a 'senior' guardsman holding these two back. You know the caliber of people we have to work with. Put them with one of the more level headed veterans, and the two best fighters from their batch of recruits. Reed is squad leader, Seraphina is second in command. Understood?"

"Sir." Tamus said in the affirmative, although it was obvious he was still apprehensive about the situation.

Tanners turned to Reed and Seraphina. "Reed I know you are about to say you don't have enough experience leading people to do this."

Reed closed his mouth, having had his words taken from it.

"Well, guess what? It doesn't matter. You are one of the best guards under my command, and I need you to figure it out. There is a second reason I want you in one of the later groups. Find Phaedra, and get your weapons from her. We have a limited number of gun-spears, and it would be wasted on you anyway when you have such superior weapons. Check the forge, she should be there and hopefully she had the foresight to bring them with her. Also, we are going to need some forgers on this expedition to maintain equipment. Tell her I will push her into the group that is chosen, so she should be ready to march tomorrow at first light. If she runs into any problems, tell her to come find me here."

Tanners took a deep breath, then nodded to the three of them. "Be careful out there, all of you. Dismissed."