Story name: First Command
Author: Chris O'Kane
Publication date: February 12, 2000 (on TSA-Talk)
Date: mid-September, 706 CR
Location: south Giantdowns, Metamor Keep
Overview
Arla decides to rescue a mysterious stranger, even as her Long patrol is put in danger.
Summary
Arla pulls back her hood, astonished at the stranger who just saved her. Two other Long Scouts join her: Ralls begins working on the badly wounded man, while Meredith asks who he is. With the sounds of shouting and rustled foliage nearby, Arla urges Ralls to hurry and get him ready to travel. Meredith shoots a lone Lutin charging them. Soon after, a squad of 10 charges out of the bushes. The 3 Longs manage to kill half of them before they flee, and Arla orders her Longs to move, leaving no trail behind.
They manage to move past the stream and avoid several Lutin patrols, but David's wound re-opens, and Ralls has to set him down again. Merideth argues that there is no time, there are too many Lutins in the area, while Arla wonders aloud where Baldwin is. This is her first command of a Long patrol, and what was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance has been upended by this stranger's injury. Just then, David awakes, and tells Arla that he can teleport the group to the Keep. Arla fetches the gold disk he asks for from his pack, and David asks where they can go. Since the Keep prevents direct teleportation, Ralls suggests the standing stone nearby, and gives a brief description and general distance and direction.
When David finishes inscribing the runes, they hear Lutins nearby. Arla is about to suggest leaving Baldwin behind, as it isn't a long distance to the Keep, when Baldwin suddenly lands, warning of a Lutin horde coming their way. David holds the disk overhead and cries out the incantation, and in a column of flame they are teleported to the standing stone. David tosses the burning disk away, screaming, his hands burned, and passes out. Arla orders Baldwin to fetch a wagon, while she and Meredith create a stretcher.
2 hours later, the wagon arrives. It is bumpy, and David briefly wakes up, and tells Arla something shocking. In Coe's office, Arla delivers a quick report to Misha. Coe cannot heal David, and asks Misha for Omega's help. When Omega enters the hospital, Arla takes Misha to a private room, to tell him that there is a traitor in the Long Scouts.
Characters
Main characters:
- Arla: A border collie morph, a Long Scout. This is the first Long Patrol she's commanded. She was rescued by David, and puts the whole mission in jeopardy to save him. She learns from David about a traitor in the Keep, and reports to Misha that it is a Long Scout.
- She is armed with a mace.
- David: The stranger who saved Arla. All the Keepers know is that he is a mage who saved Arla from a Lutin blade. His wound is too severe to travel with, but David manages to regain consciousness long enough to teleport to a landmark outside the Keep. He is taken to Coe and Omega to heal.
- He had only used his teleport spell once before, on himself. He uses a gold disk, on which he draws with his lightwriter. On the front center is a circle with 2 runes in it; along the edge of the gold disk are 3 sets of runes; on the back is 1 large rune.
- The lightwriter is a pointy rounded end which sparkles with magic. When he touches it to the gold disk, the runes glow brightly and disappear. An iridescent sheen appears when David draws on the gold disk.
- Also in David's pack are clothes and toiletries — Arla doesn't seem to notice any other magic equipment or weapons inside.
- He had only used his teleport spell once before, on himself. He uses a gold disk, on which he draws with his lightwriter. On the front center is a circle with 2 runes in it; along the edge of the gold disk are 3 sets of runes; on the back is 1 large rune.
Supporting characters:
- Ralls: A male gendermorph, a Long Scout and healer.
- He is short and muscular. He uses a dagger as both a medical tool, and a weapon.
- Meredith: A bear morph, a Long Scout. He urges them to move, and leave behind the stranger if necessary.
- He is armed with a crossbow.
Minor characters:
- Baldwin: A condor morph, a Long Scout. He claims something big attacked him while he was flying over the camp, and doesn't get back to Arla until the last minute.
- Coe: A raccoon morph, the Keep's physician.
- Misha: A fox morph, leader of the Long Scouts. Arla gives him her report, and tells him that there is a traitor in the Long Scouts
- Omega: An ancient automaton who resides in the Long House. He has special healing magic. Coe requests Omega's help in healing David.
Referenced:
- A "powerful mage", whose camp Arla was ordered to reconnoiter, and assassinate if possible.
Locations
- The Lutin camp, previously thought to have 100 Lutins, turns to have at least 300. It lays 20 miles northeast of the Standing Stone.
- Several groups of Lutins roam the camp in the aftermath of the attack. A group of 10 first attack Arla and her Longs, losing 5 before routing. A group of 20 is avoided, as is about 12 lutins led by an ogre, and a group of 20 led by a human. Once past the stream, they avoid a group of 40 lutins led by 3 ogres.
- Metamor Keep does not allow direct teleportation from the outside.
- The Standing Stone, or the "Sentinel" as Ralls calls it, is a tall free-standing stone that has stood for centuries east of the Keep. A grove of tall old trees surrounds it.
Society
- When David activates the gold disk, says the following words in order:
- "Ser-Un-Vos", which causes the runes to softly glow;
- "Gy-Ok-Jor", which makes the runes flare, and starts a wind and a circular fiery trail on the ground;
- "San-Ir-Kun", which makes the disk glow, and flames to extend from the trail up into the sky, triggering the teleportation. The flames then disappear, and the disk glows hot.
- David had only done this once before, by himself. It seems he has not expecting the disk to burn his hand, perhaps a side effect of using it on so many people, or to an unfamiliar location.
Story Connections
- This story follows directly after A Journey into Shadows.
- The Keep is said not to allow outside teleportation inward; yet Rickkter was able to teleport there in Live and Let Die. Perhaps it is the part of the Keep's protection spell, and Rickkter was able to teleport there because of his curse and counter-curse.
Points of Interest
- Note that in "A Journey into Shadows", David told Arla his name before he was knocked out, but Arla doesn't remember it at first. It seems Arla wasn't paying attention, though it's not surprising, given how out-of-control her first patrol had gotten by that point.
- The Longs talk in sign, up until their position is revealed, when they talk aloud again. After changing position, they resume in sign.
- The author, Chris O'Kane, announced a traitor contest a few days after this story, revealing that the traitor was either one of his own characters, or a high-profile character like Matthias or Rickkter, and that he had left clues to the traitor's identity in his stories. Not that clues are limited to "First Command", but there are arguable cases to be made for each character in this one:
- The only person we know is not the traitor is David, who found out that there was a traitor from Regenci. Misha is also unlikely, as in the one known scene with the traitor (Cry Havoc), Misha is referred to by name.
- Arla was the first person to tell Misha that there was a traitor, having heard it from David. Perhaps, knowing that her cover was blown, her being the first to tell Misha would throw suspicion off her? Note that David did not hear, in "A Journey into Shadows", that the traitor was a Long Scout, so how would Arla know?
- Meredith was insistent on moving, despite David's injuries. Perhaps he hoped David would succumb to his injuries and not reveal his secret?
- Ralls scowls when he has to heal David, and insists on having more time to heal him. Is this devotion to his duties, or does he need more time to make it look accidental without giving himself away? Note that as a human, his presence in the Giantdowns would not rouse suspicion.
- Baldwin was missing from the group for several minutes, seemingly against orders, and gave a very vague response when asked what he was doing. Was he checking up on Regenci before rejoining the Longs? Note that his ability to fly would allow him quick access to the Giantdowns.
- Omega (though not among the Long Scouts) only arrived at the Keep shortly before Craig's betrayal, has many unknown special abilities, and is described as having graceful, non-mechanical movement. Perhaps he is more loyal to the Giantdowns than the Keep?
| A Journey Into Shadows | |
|---|---|
| Prologue | Coming of Age · Learning the Hard Way · An Inner Child |
| Main Stories | A Journey into Shadows · First Command · A Return from the Shadows · A Hunt in the Dark |
| Epilogue | New Neighbours |
| Major Characters | David · Arla · Misha · Caroline · Rickkter |
