“I ain’t walked this damn much since air assault school,” Hoop told his two companions as they walked up the dirt road that was what substituted for a major highway in this part of Feyland.

John wiped the sweat off his forehead and had to ask, “remind me Hoop. Which school is that? You guys call everything by really weird names. The question caused Jamie to glance up from the ground and study both Hoop and John but, this time, particularly John. Neither one seemed to be particularly hostile, for the moment, so Jamie let it go.

Hoop even sounded cheerful as he answered, “that’s the one where you learn how to attack from choppers, allegedly. Only, the one I went too, they seemed to have missed that memo. I think the whole month I spent in that school, we was in the air for a grand total of five minutes and marching over hill and dale for all the rest of it.”

Jamie tried to add a word of encouragement, “look at the bright side Hoop, you’re minus about thirty kilo’s worth of weight right now.”

Hoop winced, “thirty kilo’s? I don’t do no damn drugs.”

John grunted, “he means sixty pounds you idiot.”

“Whatever,” Hoop went back to sounding less that happy again. He pointed ahead to the little caravan of farmer’s wagons. They had been up there awhile. They were traveling in the same direction and, while the three commando’s were moving faster, they were only gaining ground slowly. “Here’s an idea, why don’t we ask them farmers up there for a fucking ride. I know they ain’t going that fast but, we ain’t nether. This walking shit gets old.”

“Be my guest Hoop,” John held out his hand in an inviting way, “then the first elf patrol we run into, you can explain how you’re just out for a leisurely ride through the country with a bunch of Orcs. I’m sure they’ll buy that one.”

That got Jamie to thinking, “speaking of which, we haven’t seen the first sign of the Noveus-Faeyu since that armor column was tearing balls to the wall towards Merlin.”

Hoop then asked, “yeah, thinking about that, who do you figure they was going to fight, anyway? I’m kind of wondering on account we might run in to some more of them fuckers later. Might be a good idea to know who’s side to pretend to be on.”

Jamie had to admit, “he’s got a point John.”

“Good for him,” John mumbled. Then he looked back over his shoulder but, only half way, when he said, “I can tell you who. I’m guessing the Americans probably promised them something so they’d stab us in the back. Birds of a feather, I got to figure.”

Hoop looked up from his feet, “you trying to say something to me John? We wasn’t the ones that was trying to bomb the goddamn temple you stupid limey fucker. If they was heading for Merlin, it was probably to stop that.”

“Hey,” Jamie raised his voice. The feuding commando’s went back to silence and Jamie let his breath out. He then tried to change the subject, “so John, we’re headed in the direction of Kalean-Erc. What’s the plan? Phvengs?”

John kept on walking easy and with his weapon over his shoulder. He did not answer right away but, when he finally did he sounded sympathetic and, a little unsure, “I guess so. We need to get back up to Gnomeland without drawing too much attention. Ian’s about the only way I figure we can do that right now.”

Jamie nodded and replied, “ride with one of his trucks up to the end of the fairy trails? That makes sense. We might be able to pull that off without even having to talk to him.”

“Depends on who’s working the trucks today,” John replied. It proved that John’s mind was in the game but, his voice sounded pretty distant and even a bit more angry.

If John was distant and mad, Hoop was mad and pretty close by. His tone spelled out that he was against any idea they might come up with, “I don’t’ want to go anywhere near Ian’s trucks if I ain’t got to. Tell you who we fucking need, it’s Taylya’s ass. Jamie, I thought you was supposed to pick her up at NIKA?”

“Good thing for her we missed each other,” Jamie said, trying to make a tired and pathetic attempt at humor. When Hoop did not laugh, Jamie went on, “what can I say? She wasn’t there. I didn’t have time to go and look for her.”

“Convenient,” Hoop snarled.

That drew a laugh from Jamie but, John stopped walking. He turned around and marched right back to Hoop where they squared off with each other. Hoop opened with the first shot, “what do you think you’re doing John? Get the fuck out of my face.”

John was ready to fire back, “I’m getting sick of your attitude.”

“My attitude?” Hoop got nose to nose, “you’re the one telling me I’m all stabbing you in the back and shit. You’re the one making all these damn assumptions and then dumping them on my head. I’m the one that needs to be getting sick here.”

Jamie tried to push them apart but they both told him at the same time, “butt out!”

“You know damn well,” John told him, “that all this shit started long before today. You’ve been in my face about every damn thing, almost since I got back. You know what it’s about too.”

“Oh fucking yeah,” Hoop was screaming ‘bring it on’ with his body language, “why don’t you just go ahead and tell me then, John?”

John poked Hoop in the chest as he said, “I don’t have a damn thing to do with you and Taylya, so why don’t you give it a rest. She didn’t dump you because of me, Hoop. She dumped you because of you.” John became excitable and jumpy but, he stepped back as he gestured and nearly screamed, “I don’t get it Hoop? You got somebody else now. Why the hell are you so hung up on Tay? Why the hell are you blaming me.”

Hoop was not any less hostile, “gee I don’t know John. You was the one that slept with her you sumbitch.” Both John and Jamie blinked and looked confused so Hoop explained, “it’s like son of a bitch only more country.”

“I don’t believe you,” John blew up. “That was a long time ago Hoop. We didn’t even know you then!”

“I ain’t talking about that John,” Hoop said the name like he would have said ‘eat shit.’ “You done gone and slept with her since you been back.”

John was stunned. He stumbled with his words for a second and then, “did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t have to,” Hoop grumbled. “I fucking know her like the back of my hand. I got goddamn eyes. What the hell you think you doing anyway? You got a fucking wife. Ain’t that who you went back to see?”

John was so livid he couldn’t speak. He tried but only huffs came out. He calmed down a little before he tried to unsuccessfully say, “she’s not with you any more Hoop. What happens between us is our business.”

Jamie tried to help, “Hoop, what does Angie think about all this?”

“She ain’t stupid nether Jamie. She knows what fucking time of day it is,” Hoop replied.

John grumbled “Hoop, that still has nothing to do with you. You know what, you want to try and take a shot at me, when we get back to Nordhalt, you’re more than welcome. Right now though, I kind of need you to get back there. So can we put this aside for later?”

The bitterness came out of Hoop in a tidal wave, “sure you ain’t afraid I won’t stab you in the back?”

Even though there was distance between them now, with these two, it didn’t mean very much. Jamie stepped up and imposed himself as a physical barrier, “guys, whatever the hell happened back at Merlin, we all know that it won’t last. When the politicians are done, this is all going to be swept right under the rug.”

“Unless,” John responded, “the Americans went and invaded my home Jamie. We both know that’s probably what happened.”

Hoop shot back, “will you listen to your shit John. I’ll tell you what we all know here, Merlin ain’t run by no Great Britain, Chesterfield took his orders from that goddamn little cult your wife is in. If anybody caused all this shit, they did.”

John was bowing up again, “Hoop, there were guys on that base that didn’t have anything to do with all that. They were just regular guys and following orders from the RAF. They’re dead now, Hoop!”

“Yeah,” Hoop did not back down, “and how many of my guys are dead right now cause your in laws are a bunch goddamn dust running cock suckers who like kissing fairy ass.”

John’s weapon landed in the dirt and he immediately started stomping his way toward Hoop while saying, “that’s it. I’m not waiting. I’m kicking his ass now.”

The challenge was accepted and Hoop wasted no time tossing his weapon in the dirt and going right back at John. This left Jamie trying to pull them apart and thanking his lucky stars that they decided not to do this with weapons. He noticed they were more wrestling and trying to cause pain, rather than going for weak points and quick kills that, as Jamie very well knew, they were both more than capable of. He still couldn’t pry them apart and, if they kept this up long enough, what might happen is exactly what did a few minutes after they started.

“Guys!” Jamie rolled out of the mess in the middle of the road and had to yell a few more times before he had enough of their attention to point down the road and advise them, “elves! Armored cars, coming this way and hauling ass!”

John and Hoop wasted no time breaking their grapple and recovering their weapons. John looked down the road to see how far the farmers had gotten. Since the elves were moving so quickly then, John figured, he stood a good chance of just walking on the other side of the wagons and would likely be missed. The only problem he figured was the farmers had probably moved too far away. That was why he was surprised that they had not. They were not even moving?

“Um,” John reached out and slapped Jamie, “where the hell did the Orcs go?”

Jamie and Hoop ignored him. Jamie grabbed John by the arm and drug him into the bushes and trees on the other side of a muddy depression. When they took cover, Hoop checked his barrel for obstructions and let John know, “this ain’t over muther fucker.”

Jamie snapped right back at him, “would you stow that shit already!”

The whine of the armored car engines drowned out most of Hoops reply but, he was still talking as the noise began to return to normal, “and that’s another goddamn thing. You guys are always…” Jamie stuck his hand over Hoops mouth and listened carefully.

All three men exchanged nervous glances when they heard an unusually loud metallic clang. It sounded almost like somebody had just set a huge spring and latch. Jamie said what was on all their minds, “what the hell was that?”

The loud clap of thunder echoed through the trees and was immediately followed by an even louder explosion. The commando’s ran back to the road just in time to see the turret of the lead armor car flying across the nearby flooded fields. It skipped a couple of times and then it’s smoking remains settled on a raised pathway. The rest of the vehicle was, now, no more than a fireball. The other two vehicles tried to take immediate action but, the road was too narrow. The second vehicle crashed into the fireball but, made it far enough past to begin taking huge strikes from glowing rocket like embers that came flying out of the tree line. The third vehicle began taking similar fire and the armored plates proved to be of no use at all. Both were reduced to junk in seconds and their crews never made it out.

Hoop’s jaw dropped and he asked, “are the elves fighting each other again?”

John was just as stunned when he replied, “I don’t think so.”

The answer to that issue was resolved in seconds when a wave of Orcs, all brandishing staff weapons, rushed the remains of the vehicles to look for survivors and plunder.

Jamie gulped and replied, “guys, those don’t look like farm help. Anybody please step in and tell me I’m wrong, I won’t mind, honest.” Nobody did so Jamie said, “really guys. I’m wrong? Tell me, it’s ok.”

Hoop ran back for the cover of the tree line yelling, “them is sure as shit Polmarij!”

John took off after Hoop yelling back to Jamie, “I think the hillbilly is right this time!”

Jamie stood a second longer mumbling, “really, you can tell me. Oh fuck it!” He followed his friends into the woods and about a good kilometer away they all stopped running and collapsed under some trees to catch their breaths. Hoop was the first one to sit up and say, “ok, somebody tell me how in the hell the Orcs got a patrol way the hell down here? Without anybody noticing?”

John did not feel like sitting up. He rolled over on his side and then gasped before saying, “it’s simple. They didn’t.”

“Guys,” Jamie was still on his back when he raised his hand and said, “I got to throw up.”

Jamie was ignored and Hoop blasted John, “so I was just imaging things? Them was really the Jehovah’s Witnesses, from back home, trying out a new way to knock on doors?”

Finally, John managed to push himself up on an elbow and he said, “Hoop, think about it. If you were going to go through the trouble of penetrating every single defense we have, would you just send a patrol?”

“Hell no,” Hoop replied, “I’d send a whole goddamn…” Hoop jumped to his feet, “they’ll hit the cities for sure. What about Nordhalt guys? We got to get back there.”

Jamie raised his hand again and said, “one little problem Hoop, well, actually, a few more besides the fact that the US Army blew up our rides. How about, there’s quite a few cities between here and the central highlands.”

“It’s too far to walk,” John said, almost pouting.

“So,” Hoop began pacing around, “we steal us one of them armored cars.”

“Hate to break it to you Hoop,” Jamie replied as he pointed with his raised hand, “they didn’t do them elves much good, did they?”

“Damn it guys,” Hoop replied as he paced around, “Angie and Cami should be back there by now. If the Orcs think they can take on the cities down here then you damn well know they’ll hit the gnomes. We got to get back up there.” Suddenly Hoop stopped pacing and his eyes got big, “Tay.”

Jamie shook it out and pushed himself up to sitting, “what about her?”

John was now up on a knee and he pointed at Hoop, “he’s right. If she didn’t show up to meet you earlier. How do we know something didn’t happen to her, like our buddies back on the road.”

As Jamie got to his feet he helped John up and told him, “I see why you want to kick his ass John. He’s unbearable when he’s right all the time.”

“You guys hear that,” Hoop said and was followed by silence. Then, just at the low end of the audible range, a long way off, they heard what sounded like thunder. Then there were some rattles and claps that sounded a little closer.

John could put the pieces together, “it’s started. That’s got to be Kalean-Erc we’re hearing.”

Jamie asked, “Phvengs?”

“Wouldn’t risk it now,” John said as he started looking around like he could actually see anything of the use in the thicket. “Ian’s got them two damn Orcs of his. How do we know they haven’t done killed everybody in that place?”

Then John told them, trying to calm them down, “as for Nordhalt, I wouldn’t worry too much. We know the gnomes are some tuff little bastards. As for the girls, Angie and Cami can take care of themselves just fine. Right now, we need to figure out what this thing is, and what we can do to stop it.”

Several planes flew over so that low they were rustling the tree tops just over John’s head. He picked a few leaves out of his hair and he, also, recognized the sound of those engines. They were not jets but Spitfires. That meant they were elves on their way somewhere and, from the sound of it, in a hurry. Their destination became obvious less than a minute later when several more distant explosion were followed by dark smoke rising into the sky.

Jamie was saddened as he said, “they’re bombing Kalean-Erc.”

“Well,” John noted, “let’s face it. It’s not the like the elves haven’t always wanted too. Now they got an excuse and it’s one good reason for us to avoid it altogether.”

Hoop finally gave up on standing around. He started walking and told them, “fuck you guys. I don’t care what you cock suckers do. I’m going north.”

“Hoop,” John called to the man. At least Hoop stopped even if he did not turn around. John then took a knee and deflated, “I’m sorry man, ok? I’m human, I get pissed off like anybody else. I was taking it out on you and, I apologize, all right?”

Now Hoop did turn around and he pointed at John, “what do you mean you get pissed like anybody else? Hell John, you get pissed worse than anybody else.”

John tried sounding sincere, “look brother, Taylya didn’t leave you because she wanted too. She left you because she had too. Her old man, and a lot of others in her clan, were putting a lot of pressure on her to come back and join the fold. That’s why I had her go to work with the Americans. She could still feed us intel and get her father off her back till we got this shit sorted out. I swear to god that’s the truth.”

“How the hell do you know,” Hoop demanded.

“She told me,” John replied, “all right? Her and I had a long talk and she told me everything.”

That was not good enough for Hoop, “then why the fuck didn’t she tell me?”

Jamie added with a shrug, “probably because she knew you’d act like a twit?”

“Yeah,” John finished, “I promised her I’d keep you from doing anything stupid.”

“Oh yeah,” that sounded like a challenge coming from Hoop. It turned out to be, “was that before, during or after you fucked her?”

“Um,” John rubbed at his chin and said, “before? I think?”

Jamie dropped his head and moaned, “John would you please not start another fist fight?”

It surprised the others when Hoop did not take it the way they thought he might. In fact, he shocked them when he came out with, “wait a minute. If she left the team because of her old man, that means..”

John winced, shrugged, and wagged his hand as he said, “well technically she wasn’t off but…”

Hoop interrupted, “that means her old man don’t know what it was we found up in the Hurt.” Now Hoop was mad all over again, “who the fuck did you guys tell?” Hoop looked right at Jamie, “more important, who are we working for, THIS TIME, guys.”

Jamie fumbled with his words, “um, I told you who I work for.”

“One thing I noticed about you Jamie,” Hoop replied in a hostile way, “who you work for tends to change from day to fucking day. Now somebody better give me some straight goddamn answers. I might should remind you two that the last time this happened, we killed off half our own team.”

Jamie began fumbling for words and then, finally, it was John who told him, “we’re not working for anybody man. After what happened with Avery, we figured it might be safer to sit on this till we know more.”

“Huh?” Now Hoop was thoroughly confused, “where the hell are you guys getting our all our beans and bullets from?”

Again, Jamie began fumbling with his words, “well, you know, odds and ends, all that…”

Again, John blurted out, “we’re stealing it. Same way we always get half our shit. It’s just all of it now.”

Hoop looked to be in pain and shock, he finally asked, “everybody know about this shit but me?”

“Oh no,” Jamie rattled out, “we didn’t tell um,” He looked to John for a cue, “who else didn’t we tell?”

John said, “Yeah Hoop, I think you were about it.”

Jamie came back with, “it just slipped our minds. You know we got busy and…”

“Fuck ya’ll,” Hoop turned around and began walking.

John called out to him, “we need you man.”

Hoop came stomping right back up to John and got back in his face, “well since you two dildo’s don’t have a plan, let me remind you that we are standing around lost in the woods.” Hoop then pointed to the nearby mud flat, “and see that water hole over yonder, I think that’s called Shit Creek, ether one of you two cock suckers got a paddle?”

“It’s was Taylya who told us not to tell you,” John confessed. “You were going through enough. We would have eventually. Now, are you going to pull your head out of your ass? We got work to do.”

Hoop stormed off once more, only this time, when he stopped, he yelled back, “well are you two coming or not? If we’re going on an Orc killing spree we need to find a few more kilo’s of ammo. That’s for you Canadian ass wipes that don’t how to count with real numbers.”

John started walking and as he passed Jamie, who was still confused, the Canadian asked, “what did that mean?”

“Don’t ask me man,” John replied and then admitted, “I’m still in shock because I agree with him.”