In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 103

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'More than halfway in, how is everyone doing?'Jena asks from her spot over the mind link.

'Coyotes are ready to spring from the shadows and the cats have fire beneath their feet. All of them are eager,' Umani answers.

'Remember to preserve your numbers as best possible. The cats especially, they still have lots of running to do,' Al'Aeen reminds them.

'Will do! I think we can no longer hold back. I strongly believe we can get to you before you reach the two-thirds breakthrough mark,' Nazih challenges.

'One week's water ration says you won't!'

'Agreed!'

'B-Force has stopped running and have turned to face the warhogs, 30 seconds until they clash with their pursuers,' Conall informs Al'Aeen.

'Damn it! It's sooner than expected!

Fcuk it then!

Everyone is cleared for synchronized war-form shifting in 20 seconds from my mark.

Group leaders, see to it!

Mark!

Let's scare the shit out of these bastards before they have a chance to react!

Go for the eyes! 

Go for the throat!'

'Come on, lads! Let's show them how fast we are at killing warhogs! Shift!' Nazih encourages those around him, as both coyotes and cats clash into the warhogs in their war-forms.

Both North and South warhog groups stagger, with the larger one now in danger of breaking in two and not because of a rouse to lure the wolves between them, but because they have no choice but to give way to the bipedal combatants they knew nothing about.

The war-group leaders are however experienced so their ranks and discipline are quickly re-established, though the lost ground is not.

The southern group is split in two, about 120 of them being forced towards a rock wall, though at least they can't be surrounded there.

'Push them further apart!'

'Quickly, focus on the smaller group!'

'Surround them on three sides and allow them to retreat.'

'Punish those who push back!'

'We are now heading for Phase 5 positions so cats disengage and head north to help B-force!'

'C-force irregulars have reached us and are moving on to help as well.'

'Irregs, use your sheer numbers to further push the warhogs split. Bite and move!'

Between Al'Aeen, Jena and Conall, everyone knows exactly what to do, and the big man loses track of where some of his people are exactly, but he trusts his team to have his back and with the mobility of the war-form he's happy he can't be flanked anymore.

'Al'Aeen, you're pushing them too hard, and we are in danger of breaking off from the rest of the wolves,' Meiarr reminds him.

'There's 20 more of them on this side than I estimated. I should have realized they will adhere to keeping their 30 men war-groups together. I should have known better!' he replies over the mind link, too much anger seeping through.

'Well, your damn frenzy made sure that's no longer the case, we've almost split this smaller group in two trying to keep up with you!' Emre scolds him.

'I concur, there are...'

'Less than 90... '

'Warhogs remaining on this side...'

'Instead of your initial projection...'

'Of 100, which should have turned...'

'Into 120 considering their movements.' Ron and Rin add.

'Fine then! I'll let up. How is B-Force doing?'

'The cats have reached them and reinforcing, the C-force irregs are beginning to arrive as well. They are pushing successfully with acceptable losses,' Conall informs him.

'No losses are acceptable!' Al'Aeen replies forcefully.

'Guys, I could use more help here. We are barely holding them in place when we should be pushing. Moons damn it! That hurts!'

'Jena! Jena!'

'Go lad, I got this. I just have to hold them, right?' Conall urges him.

'Yeah.'

'OK. Take your team and 40 more war-forms with you. I obviously don't need 150 of them to hold back a mere 90 warhogs in place.'

'Thank you! You heard your Master at Arms! On me! Animal forms for speed!'

He drops to bear and starts running, hoping to be in time to reinforce what should have been 250 wolf war-forms and 90 coyote ones against 300 and 30 was it? Yeah, 330 warhogs. Two forces way too equal in strength for his heart to relax.

Why didn't things go according to my plan for Phase 5, Al'Aeen wonders. 

It would have been so much easier! At least B-force was on schedule; Conall probably had a good grip on the smaller middle group of 90 warhogs. Damn uncompliant warhogs!

Especially since Jena has the hardest role of all: not just holding but pushing back, albeit slowly, an enemy over which she has no advantage other than her commanding presence, her talent at fighting in the war-form, with its supple form and dangerous gleam that seemed to want to equally eat him up and put him on his ass the last time they sparred.

He shakes his head, trying to come up with a plan for the A1-force to appear stronger than it actually is.