Apparently three gryphon riders and their mounts were enough to count as a company. If it had been an overstatement before, it certainly was true ever since the battle at the gap. I had seen the corpses of gryphons and other flying mounts aplenty there myself after all. They were a rare asset these days and in a way I was lucky that the three gorgon sisters had missed the great battle due to coming across a single wyvern that apparently had gotten lost on its way there as well. I wouldn't complain. Hiring them burned a deep hole into my war chest but as far as I was concerned they would be worth every crown.

Adapting the camp to accommodate the new arrivals had been a bit of a hassle but in the end it hadn't posed any unsolvable problems either. Securing the camp against slime incursions on the other hand was proving a little more difficult. Salt to ward them off and sugar to lure them into traps were both in short supply. In the end we settled for an enchantment that would compel the creatures to move away from the camp. That was not a foolproof plan without any risks either though.

The camp was pretty big. A magic circle to encompass all of it would have been too prone to failure. One guard on patrol smudging a part of it would have been all it would have taken to make it useless. Thus Tero settled on poles that would emit the spell to keep the slimes away. He had to carve and power multiple poles like that as a single one powerful enough to cover the whole camp would have to be made of one of the magic metals and I doubted that there would have been enough of those anywhere in the known world.

Using multiple wooden poles had another downside. It was quite possible that there would be gaps in the coverage provided. Tero wasn't quite sure either how multiple area of effect enchantments would interact with each other. In theory they could enhance each other. It was just as likely though that they would cancel each other in an area where they overlapped. We simply couldn't be certain how well it would work, thus we made arrangements to be prepared for the spell's failure just in case.

These preparations started with reminding everyone to watch out for each other. The guards and patrols were trained to recognize the sounds and sights that could hint at the presence of slimes even if they were not in plain sight. And of course, everyone not busy making room for our reinforcements was busy chopping more wood. We stacked plenty of it on the moat surrounding the camp and even more was turned into kindling and wood chips which in turn were soaked in oil to make sure we could light the moat, or parts of it, on fire at a moment's notice.

The warriors on picket duty beyond the confines of the camp received their own enchantments as well. Hopefully they would be strong enough. Hopefully everyone made use of them! I really didn't feel like using any more of the rangers and scouts. They already suffered losses against the headhunters. I didn't want them to suffer any more, as far as it could be avoided. Anyone going to war always put their lives on the line. That didn't mean though that those lives should be carelessly wasted. Every single one of the men and women under my command was valuable. They were willing to spill their blood alongside me. They deserved to be treated with respect.

Despite all the ongoing preparations I still felt unease. Tortho's description how these slimy little creatures could try to crawl into your mouth as you slept to start eating you from the inside still gave me shivers whenever I thought about it. That really was a gruesome way to die.

The others must have noticed as we sat around the fire in the evening. Finally Kaele prodded me in the side. “What is up with you shivering like that? You aren't getting sick or anything?”

I shook my head. “No, I'm not getting sick. No, just thinking about slippery slimes crawling down my throat and digesting me from the inside out.”

The others groaned. Apparently they didn't like that mental image any better than I did. It was Leumina, the newest addition to our group, who spoke up. “Thank you, I doubt I'll be able to close an eye tonight or anytime soon for that matter.”

Tora just laughed. “Girl, you need to learn to sleep in the saddle!”

A round of laughs and chuckles answered her and even Leumina grinned. It was my sister who steered the conversation back onto topic. “These slimes, they can squeeze through small openings? But there are limits to their ability to change shape to achieve that, yes?”

Gash'zur nodded to each of Kaele's questions. “It is especially the smaller ones that can be a threat in the way our Lady described. The hot and wet air of our breath and a half open mouth are pretty much like an invitation to them. Our people put the legs of our infant's beds in bowls of salt for that reason, back home in our ancestral homes at the edge of the Ringwall Mountains.”

I patted Leumina on the back. “There you have it. I think we can find enough salt for a use like that, especially as it won't go to waste if kept in bowls or something like that.”

Kaele nodded as well. “Face masks might be an option as well. Like the ones worn when we have an ash storm. If you tie them tight a slime probably would have trouble getting past it. At the very least you would gain some warning if it were to try.”

That suggestion put thoughtful looks on our faces and I was no exception in that regard. Several of the others nodded thoughtfully and I joined them as well after a moment. “You know, lets spread that suggestion around. It might just save a life or two.”

Gash'zur rose at this point. “I'll let the healers know since I'm headed over to them anyway. I have to make sure my brother takes his medicine and eats his greens without giving them too much trouble.”

That earned another round of laughs. I rose as well. “You do that. I'll try to catch some sleep while I have the chance.”

One by one the the others said their good byes and left as well as I retreated to my tent. I stopped briefly just outside of it to look up at the darkening sky. The moon was still far from full but it was growing fuller with every night and providing enough light by now to make the guards and sentries lives a little easier. Satisfied I stepped inside and got ready for bed. This now included tightly wrapping the shawl intended to be worn during ash or dust storms around my face, tying it properly in place at last. Sleeping like this wouldn't be comfortable but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

As it turned out I would not get a whole lot of sleep anyway. It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when the first calls of alarm roused me with a jolt. I was already sitting up before I even knew it. I rubbed my eyes and strained my ears. After a moment the sound of a horn reached my ears. The calls of alarm only followed after it. That meant an alarm raised by the pickets outside the camp itself. Good. Or at least not as bad as it could have been.

I got to my feet with a groan and stretched a little to work some of the kinks out of my back. I took off the shawl still covering the lower half of my face as well. Only then did I slip back into my armor. Properly fitting it in place on my own took a little while but the sounds of the camp outside suggested that I had the time. The alarm had been raised but everyone was moving about with the quiet calm that was the result of good preparation and extensive training. Whatever threat had been spotted, we were ready to face it.

At last I made sure that my knives were in place before picking up my glaive. Only once I was properly geared up did I step out of the tent. I let my gaze wander. Indeed, everyone was moving with purpose and quiet determination. It didn't take me long to spot the section of the palisade where the alarm had been raised. The guards were lighting fires there in preparation, in case they had to light up the oil soaked wood in the moat. At the same time the other sections of the camp's fortifications were being reinforced as well.

I headed in the direction where trouble seemed to be brewing. Along the way Leumina and Kaele joined me. I paused to adjust the former's armor a little as she had obviously put it on in a hurry. At her hip, next to a knife, she was wearing not one but two quivers with arrows for the short composite bow she carried. “How is your marksmanship coming along?”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I have been told that slimes are not all that quick. They don't dodge either. Since I'm not shooting from horseback I'm confident that I can make every arrow count.”

I turned to my sister as we reached the palisade atop the low earthen wall. “And you sis? Can you pick these little buggers off with magic missiles at range?”

She started to nod only to be stopped by a mighty yawn. “Give me a moment or two.” She rubbed some sleep out of her eyes. “Once I'm properly awake I'll make them pop by the dozen.”

Others were standing at the palisade as well, their weapons at the ready but so far it was still quiet. Another horn signal sounded from the woods beyond the cleared area directly beyond our fortifications. It was a little off to our right. Soon after another sounded out, this time to our left. There were sounds of fighting as well, but it sounded like low intensity fighting. Just as intended. The pickets had orders only to thin the slimes out a little if there were too many of them and retreat if things got too dangerous.

Leumina tested the tension of her bowstring one last time and pulled an arrow from the first quiver.

I in turn focused on casting a spell, carefully building the spell matrix and channeling the appropriate amount of Mana into it once I was done. Once I was done a bright ligth sprang into existence a fair distance above our heads, illuminating the fortification and the open area beyond the trench as well as the woods even further out.

As the light came into existence the first slimes were revealed. They were moving through the open space beyond the moat. Everything organic they came across was dissolved as they moved about. None were moving directly towards the camp. Or rather, almost none. A little ways away I could see a few heading for the palisade. That was probably one of the weak points in the slime repelling enchantment.

“Carefully aimed shots! Coordinate your fire!” I didn't raise my voice much. I didn't have to either.

At the section of wall we were at, my human companion was the first to let an arrow fly. And her aim was true to her word. The arrow hit one of the little blobs, currently busy dissolving a fallen branch, dead center. It burst splattering its surroundings with blue glibber that started to dissolve everything it touched.

Kaele was next. She let fly a trio of magic missiles. Each one burst another slime without them ever realizing that they were under attack. It was like that all along our line. The little menaces got picked off one by one, one after the other.

Just as I was getting used to the idea that I might not have to enter battle myself after all the sound of falling trees reached my ears. Whatever it was, it sounded as if it was closing in.