134 Supplies (1/2)
Chirps and cries of bird wyvern echoed softly down to the forest grounds. Creaks and squeaks of wooden wheels could be heard along with the stamp of steel-toed boots.
”Bronco One to Bronco Two, have you got eyes over Blue Diamond? Over.”
”Two, affirmative,” A low voice replied 1st Battalion, Bravo Company, Platoon 1's earpiece. ”Two, two wagons spotted, a large herd of livestock and at least four zero bodies, over.”
”Roger, keep eyes on them, over,”
”Copy that.”
The convoy of wagons and livestock with the guards rumbled on unaware of being observed by a platoon sized recon party hidden in the forest. The convoy so stopped next to a clearing where a small spring was nearby. The wagons were drawn up into a circle and the livestock and dragons used to pull the wagons were kept coraled in the middle of the encirclement. The guards and the wagon drivers collected fresh water from the spring and set up camp within the wagons, some kept guard, while others pitched tents and prepared cook fires for dinner.
”See anyone following them?” Third Sergeant Eunos Silverstar asked his point men over the comms.
”Negative, Sarge,” The replies came back from the scouts scattered along all likely approaches to the clearing. ”Nothing here.”
”Roger, stay alert, out,” SGT Eunos ended the comms and gestured his radioman over. The backpack-sized radio equipment carried by the signaler was a new product from the mysterious factory of the Iron Castle. Due to the lack and shortage of the vastly more advanced communicators, only certain personnel will be issued with the communicators while the rest had to use bulky radio sets for long distance communications or for platoon based communications, they used a low tech short distance walkie-talkie.
”Radio back HQ, and tell them Blue Diamond has arrived, Bronco Two and Three are standing by for further instructions.” He passed his instructions to the radioman, who nodded and remove his backpack radio and started to fiddle with the controls of the radio set.
”Bronco Two to Thunderchief, come in over?”
Due to the thick canopy and strange properties of the trees, radio waves, laser, and even infra were blocked or partially scrambled by the forest. The tech guys came up with an idea to plant relays at fixed intervals all around the surrounding areas. An all-weather antenna rose above the thick canopy of the forest and a signal transmitter is housed in an armored camouflaged casing at the bottom of the antenna.
The relays were installed next to the tallest trees in the area and used the trees as a natural support. Each relay uses a battery able to last a week and the Marines used the relay points as patrol routes, heading to each relay in sequence and ensuring that the expensive relay stations have power or were not damaged or tampered with.
”Sarge, HQ is telling to hold and proceed according to the plan,” The signaler looked up from his radio set, wearing a pair of large ear cups.
”Got it,” SGT Eunos nodded, ”Inform all units that Operation Chaperone is go.”
The signaler nodded and returned to his set, and started to issues out instructions to the rest of Bronco Two and Three. SGT Eunos looked up to the gaps in the canopy and looked at the matte black hooman made digital wrist watch and mentally calculated. ”Still three more hours to night fall, tell the team leaders to let the men rest and rotate the watch.”
Soon night came, and dozens of fire from the camp cast shadows to the surrounding forest. The men of Bronco Two and Three hunkered down in tree roots in ones or twos or slung themselves up onto the tree branches. Night creatures and monsters came out and stalked the caravan but none approached, just keeping to the edge of the clearing, watching and growling at the ring of wagons with the alert guards.
The creatures and monsters ignored the men of Bravo Company, as they had sprayed something called a Monster Repellant on themselves. Rumor among the Marines had it that it was made from the dung of the Mutated Super Silver Dragon aka Mini Godzilla and the spray does smell bad, but it worked and the low leveled monsters avoided the Marines.
The night passed peacefully for the caravan, as the pointmen of Bronco Two, stealthily lobbed a few Monster Repellant stink bombs around the caravan, protecting them from the creatures of the night. As day broke out, the camp stirred to life, groups of elves headed towards the spring to refill their water buckets and others started to make breakfast and break up the camp.
Sergeant Eunos walked out calmly with two other Marines as escort towards the camp in full view of the guards. He kept his hands off his weapon and waved at the guards who looked dumbstruck at their sudden appearance. ”Hello, the camp!”
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Norman Stone was washing his face when a loud commotion broke out, outside his wagon. ”Foreman Stone!” A guard in leather armor and wielding a windup crossbow yelled urgently, banging at his wagon. ”Eh... something or someone is here! Anyway, come see!”
”What thing?” Norman gave a confused look and hurriedly wiped his face with a towel draped over his neck and followed behind the frantic guard. He noticed the whole camp in an uproar as they all stood around nervously and staring at the same direction the guard was leading him to.
”What is going on?” He pushed his way past the caravan workers and guards. He climbed up on top of the outer ring of the wagons and peered over the roof to see a trio of strangers in strange items of clothing and appeared to be covered in paint and bits of leaves and twigs on its helmet or head, he couldn't be sure.
”Greetings to the camp, is there a Foreman Norman Stone among you?” SGT Eunos ignored the looks and crossbows directed at him and his men. His escorts, however, were on high alert, their Magelocks snuggly nested against their shoulders, ready to aim and fire at the first sign of danger.
”I am Foreman Stone,” A sweating, half dressed, potbellied elf, waved his hand from one of the wagons. ”Are you the contact we are supposed to meet here?”
”Yes, we are. We will be your escorts and guide,” SGT Eunos nodded, ”We can move off at any time when you are ready.”