122 Logistics

 The Twin Hammers army had gathered at the mouth of the Zhang Pass. They waited to be given instructions as to what was happening next. Rumours had spread through the various camps that they were about to go home, whilst others had heard rumours there was still a lot of fighting to be done. 

None wanted to return through the Pass.

"Do you think we will get to go home?"

"I heard we had to do a lot more clearing out of the Mu dogs first."

"Will we have to get them back to their own territory....."

"If we don't, they'll spread like a plague again, you know that lot!"

Hatred had developed to the point of boiling over and the more the troops saw the aftermath of their slaughter, the more they wanted to strip them and torture them to death."Death by a thousand cuts is still too kind!"

"Peg them out in the desert and let the ants have them!"

"Burn them alive like the did to some of the women..."

The comments reached fever-pitch when they saw the hand of their Commander go up.

He was standing on top of a wagon at a point where his voice carried. He knew the mood and he knew the desire to mutilate. He had to maintain order and discipline.

"Men!" he bellowed, "listen carefully and make sure you listen because your very lives could depend upon you enacting my command."

A loud chorus of, "SIR!" rang out and then it fell silent.

"I am fully aware you all wish to go home, BUT...." he paused so they could take in what he had intimated, "we still have much work to do. We want peace but not at any cost,AND I WILL NOT HAVE MY COMMAND DESCEND INTO A PACK OF HOWLING DOGS AS HAVE THE MU!" 

His emphasis on this sentence caught attention, "so gentlemen, we will maintain order and discipline throughout. We will be known as a just army of men! We will be known as an army who supports the weak and removes the bullies!" 

A resounding cheer went up.

"We will be an army of peace bringers, of brave and noble warriors who will go home with clear consciences knowing we have done a good job!"

Another resounding cheer went up. He had quelled the unrest and had unified his troops. Hao marvelled at his brother's skills, he was indeed the perfect person to take over as head of Chen House, as long as he would do it.

"So, what are we here for I hear you ask? Let me tell you. This summer we will collect the Mu remnants and house them here. They will be unarmed and any with arms will have them confiscated by one of the commanding officers who will take charge of each detail. You will be assigned to a detail and be responsible for maintaining order and discipline. Any indiscipline on either side will be automatically punished." He surveyed the scene; thousands of men all standing, silent, straining their ears to hear and knowing their lives would depend upon his words.

"I will not tolerate any insubordination however justified you might feel. You will be punished and it will be done in public, not private."

There was an intake of breath, they knew how humiliating this would be, and how potentially damaging this could be in their ability to contain the Mu army. They could taunt until there was an indiscretion and then watch as their captures were punished.......

"How do we keep order, I hear you ask. How do we stop the Mu men claiming brutality when it doesn't happen? This, gentlemen, is for us to oversee and oversee, I can promise you, we will. Mu trouble makers will be herded up, penned and shackled. If they insist on continuing to insight trouble, they will lose their tongues."

He looked around, "but this goes for us as well."

"I have many a branding iron ready for the fire. Do not be branded with the traitors mark."

He surveyed the scene. That was enough stick, now the carrot. 

"By the end of the summer, we will be on our way home!"

The cheers went up. There was light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel. "I will be speaking to your officers and we will establish the next steps we will take. Some of you will take the Mu dogs across the river at Shipao into Liú territory, and then sweep the countryside of stragglers as you go. Another contingency will take the toll crossing to the east of Shipao province and work your way down towards Chenxi, clearing out as you go. Once south of Shuān Hé, you will make another crossing into the remaining part of Shipao land clearing as before. Hopefully by then, a temporary crossing will have been created where you will join up with the other section of the army."

He looked around to check. There were many nodding in agreement and others were explaining to those who maybe had missed something.

"Once the two parts are re-united we will deposit the Mu army back inside their border."

The loudest cheer went up. The men grabbed one another and jumped about with joy, relief, overwhelming happiness. Tears fell from many eyes with the sheer relief they had been given an end point. Others were still having it explained to them and once they understood, joined in the ecstatic dancing which had erupted.

Their Commander raised his hand once more. They slowly came to attention. 

"Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow we recover from hang-overs and begin work. We know what we are broadly doing, now we prepare. GENTLEMEN DISMISSED!" 

 

Didi slowly moved towards the fire and warmed himself. The bowl of food, Xin had placed on the ground, was grabbed and he ate hungrily. I got up with the second bowl and without looking in the direction where the girl was, I walked over and quietly placed it on the ground. Turning, I took up my place by the fire once more.

"The food is there, the fire is here. You are more than welcome to share what we have. It isn't much but from the way young Didi is eating, it is more than you have at the moment." I kept my voice low and quiet, my eyes remained on the fire, I wasn't about to spook her.

Slowly, a hand came out from the bushes and silently picked up the bowl. Xin smiled toward me, "its a start," she whispered. 

Xin went to the boat and retrieved two skins. She walked with one towards the girl and placing it on the ground, she said, "it'll get cold tonight. You might find wrapping yourself in a skin will help." Then she turned to Didi. "Here you are young man, sit on this and tonight, wrap yourself up in it. You'll be lovely and warm." She smiled at him and he kinda smiled back.

"Where do you come from?" Xin asked. Didi pointed inland. He said nothing. The girl suddenly spoke. "We used to be at our family farm, but some men came and...." she stopped for a minute and we imagined what she was reliving in her mind, "but they did terrible things to my mother and then killed my father. My mother tried to protect us, but the killed her too." It was then she burst into tears.

"It's okay little one, we're here and we won't let anything happen to you."

"What can you do, you're just girls!" 

"Oh, you would be surprised dear heart, very surprised.." Xin chuckled and turning to me, "think we might be going to work tomorrow, what do you think?"

I nodded, "time to suit up I think. Time to begin the cleansing of Chenxi land."