What do you suggest, Red? Silver asked.

They were near the farm, in hiding, and depressed. The merchants hadn’t given them the slightest clue regarding the place, and reality was proving definitely far more challenging than their expectations. Robbing this place was going to be a troublesome affair for sure. And Red agreed with the sentiment.

I suggest we turn around, run away deeper into the forest, and try to make it on our own.

Others thought he was acting hysterical; well, he was pretty damn serious! But Silver was not impressed.

Red changed his tone at the flaccid reception. Want to know the truth so bad? Alright, he scented. I’ll explain.

They were hidden pretty well inside a stalwart red berry bush growing at the feet of a mulberry tree. Green definitely knew her stuff when it came to scouting and finding useful places. There were two hundred of them and no matter how Silver erased their scents he was bound to slip up at some point. But she had taken care of even that! The red berry bush had a pungent odor to it that usually kept pests away, but they were using it to mask their odor. It was ingenious and Silver was thankful for her thoughtfulness.

Red continued. There is a sentry post right in front of us. It’s not even hidden, and there are good three hundred soldiers manning it. And you say there are others to its left and right? Both at a distance that can be easily covered in just a few minutes of time during an emergency?

They were far enough from the sentry post that only Silver was able to gather information, which by no means meant that it was a disadvantage, but Red had his own perspective. He knew there were bound to be key things that his strong-headed leader would gloss over, but could prove useful for their Endeavour.

However, good as Silver ‘the mighty fang’ might be, even he couldn’t see the farm. They were a good few hundred heads away from it, with the advanced posts right in between.

If we are to infiltrate the farm beyond —Red was finishing up his report, which basically spelled ‘D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R’ from the D to the R and chocked the soldiers with the scents now that he was being truthful— We’ll have to go through them without letting them cause an alarm. Not going to happen. He added upon noticing Green stirring to his left.

She was discontented with the stark refusal; he could have at least heard her piece, right? Sure it would be difficult for all of them to slip through, but who said she couldn’t do it alone? She could slip through and, and…

Don’t let her get away, Black.
I know.  

Well, there went her plan in the pit. But she would try anyway. How would she succeed against strangers if she couldn’t even give the slip to her friends (to those she knew left, right and around)?  

That’s just one of the things. Red continued, worried. We don’t even know what we have to steal? He was so worried precipitation was starting to form on his head.

 Honeydew. Silver got their attention. You can smell its sweet taste in the air.

I think only you can smell something so far away, leader. Black said and turned toward the merchants. Well, the lot of them were fishing stars in the sky, and it wasn’t easy to get hold of them once they were like that. He dared poke one in the head and they all stirred awake from their… sleep?

Is it true? Are we here to rob honeydew?

At first, the question confused the merchants, until Black explained, and they all nodded in glee.
You impress us more and more, troop leader. One of the merchants said.

Black felt something rising inside him. He suppressed it, leading his left antennae to twitch a few times. He was lucky to avoid embarrassment.

Someone really needed to bind them together and poke their insides, to find out everything that was wrong with them. Just how could they act lost and attentive at the same time? It was over Black’s head. Only Yellow seemed to have an easier time around them. He had learned to ignore their eccentricity, even their existence.

Yes, another merchant, a frail and weak looking worker picked up the conversation. The farm produces honeydew and enough of it every day to feed the army for a week.

Did they send us to the other side of the river to rob such a dangerous place for a week’s worth of food? Red didn’t like the answer. That makes no sense. He knew the army commanders wanted to deal with them, but this is too low even for them.

Of course, the biggest of the merchants answered. The scent he released was deep, impactful, and serious, completely opposite of the previous speaker. We never said that was all there was to their stores. There is a distribution center deep inside the farm that stores everyday produce for monthly distributions to the alliance. That is the place you will rob.
How much? Silver asked.
Obviously, there is enough to start a war over it, troop leader.

It is all too good to be true. Red shook his head. And the alliance is also a problem. If one of the sentries alone has two to three hundred soldiers, then there are bound to be thousands protecting the farm, and even more of them keeping the stores safe.
 
There are fourteen thousand soldiers on the farm, approximately. The Merchants added, raising heartbeats ad causing scented murmurs among the two hundred soldiers. The colonies are also not far, and the tower is a safe hold that can’t be broken into easily. The reinforcements can arrive in less than two hours, dumping nearly two million soldiers into the fray.

No wonder the army doesn’t want to directly butt heads with the alliance. Black added, antennae shaking knowingly.

Green stirred. So when am I going in for a quick look around? She was woefully ignored. Well, she would get her turn. She always does. It was just a matter of time and safety. The others would come around, beg her, and everything would be perfect. 

So, what are your thoughts, Red? Silver asked for the second time and he couldn’t stall any longer. His leader had asked for his opinion and since warning hadn’t worked he was sure the truth would. Well, it should! A lot of lives depended on it.

Truthfully, right now I don’t have anything. We need to get Green inside and have her take a look around. We don’t know anything behind the farm and the alliance. We chased the eight-legged goliath for a whole week, looking over its habits and activity periods before deciding the how, where, and when.

So you mean we need to infiltrate the farm as a member and gather information? Silver asked.
But that’s impossible. Red let out in exasperation.
Is it Impossible? Silver asked the merchants, who all stood up together, as if ready to march off into the farm without a moment’s hesitation.

We can get you into the farm. They said.  

But you want something in return. Silver took the words right out of their heads. The merchants pounced at the chance.

Nothing much: We only want to know who you are, your history, your story, everything. It excites us much to know that there are still some places we haven’t been to and species we haven’t met. It gives us a purpose.

The others also stood a little forward, antennae straightened, interested. Everyone in the army knew Silver Fang, but no one knew him really. He had appeared out of nowhere one day and taken the army by a storm. He demanded to be put at the front of the line when everyone wanted to do the exact opposite, and there he earned himself a reputation and a name.

You want to look inside my head? Silver asked.

How else will we know the truths from the lies?  The merchants wanted to perform an I.C with Silver, and however interested the slaved might be about their leader’s past, they bared fangs at the merchants upon learning their true intention. They had crossed the line.

Don’t agree. Red snapped. I-I’ll think of something. I’ll make sure to find a way.
Black took action. He stepped toward the merchants, and the slaved moved with him.
Yellow didn’t say anything but quietly pointed his bottom toward them and waited. That seemed to get the point across as the merchants wavered.

Look at the lot of you getting serious. A merchant, their spokesperson with a neutral tone scented. They didn’t even rise up from their resting position when warned. Did they not care for their lives? The question confused and abated more than a few of the slaved, including Black, and he had seen enough in the army to know that no amount of training and thwart instincts.

But the merchants were so nonchalant he couldn’t help but ponder whether it was actually the result of training or something else.

We are only joking, of course. Although the offer stands; you can ask us anything in return—

Silver interrupted. Of equal value, he completed the sentence. That seemed to get the merchants more riled up than having two hundred soldiers ready to butcher them.

So you have indeed met one of ours before. But why don’t we recall anything? Anyways, we can only take forty of you with us, and they won’t be able to leave the farm once in. So think about that. Tell us when you are ready.  

***

Now stay here unless called. No mischief. You are under watch. We have brought you here, but they haven’t agreed to take you in yet. We’ll go talk with the authorities. I’m sure they’ll like you all. Just whatever you do —don’t wander off. They’ll send someone to pick you up if everything goes right. 

The merchants finished their speech and left the group exposed and trapped. They followed a pair of rock ants, big, hard-shelled giants that could easily wrestle with a young bee if they had to, and disappeared into the thicket of plants beyond the sentry post, leaving them on the ground with no place to hide.

The merchants had put them in a real bind. The antennae pointing at them only proved it to be true.

I don’t like this. Red said. We are too exposed. And I don’t think the merchants can be trusted.

It’s alright. Silver answered. There was no unease to him; however, the same couldn’t be said about the group behind him.

The two of them had picked forty soldiers and workers, as the merchants had insisted, and followed them out of their hiding place. The other group led by Black had retreated for the time being; and Green though relentless to go to the farm was forced to go with them. The group would have to hunt and live; basically what they had been doing, but without Silver looking out for them. And it would be up to Green to keep them safe and fed.

The soldiers rose to attention when a group of five approached them from the advanced camp. It was led by a large black jawbreaker ant with a mean pair of serrated mandibles hanging in front of her face. The group stopped a few heads away from Silver and his band of misfits, while the jawbreaker approached closer.

Captain, she addressed Silver, earning a few pointed glares, but continued unabated. Our chief, the black baroness, sends her greetings and offers refreshments for your weary minds. She also apologizes for having you stay in the open, but that’s the protocol. She hopes you understand.

Thanks your chief for the refreshments. We happily accept them.  

Red advised caution but was taken back upon learning that the refreshment in question was actually honeydew.

The slaved were delirious at the offer; refusing it would have not been good for other psychology. Accepting the offer displayed their leader’s confidence, which allowed them to finally relax.

The sweet nectar refreshed their minds and washed their tiredness. It filled them with much-needed energy.

However, just when everything was going great, a scent rose from the post that sent their host sprawling. Her soldiers fidgeted in nervousness, and so did she.

What’s wrong? Red asked. He had to tap her head to get her attention. And even then she acted scared and horrified.
The commander of the advanced posts is coming. She said, packing up and leaving, but stopped midway to warn them. Don’t get on her bad side. She said and they hurried off toward the camp post.

She made it back just in time as another group appeared from the thicket of plants ground trash.

The progression stopped at the post, noticed them, and changed direction. The commander was a warrior, days and days old. That much was easy to see from the battles marks cladding her exterior. She wasn’t a giant, however, but a digger of the mountains: Large orange head, with short but thick mandibles, a smaller black abdomen, and spread out legs to keep her center of gravity closer to the ground. Ants similar to her made the ensemble. And she was hostile from the get-go.

No introduction, no greeting. She dived directly to the bite the bone.
Are you the ones with the merchants? She scented.
Yes. Red answered.

Has the army sent you?
That bit sent Red into a thinking sprawl.

We are not at the liberty to say anything. Silver answered for Red was taking too much time. He might often leave decisions to his captains, but there were times when he took the command in his hands, and this was that time. The commander was clearly hostile and stubborn. Only someone who could be equally stubborn could handle those like her. Red was not it.

We’ll see about that. The short, but stable commander scented. She was not large, but she was wide. Everything about her scented of power. You, she pointed an antenna at a young worker, one of the only three that Silver had picked. Come forward.

The worker looked at Silver who nodded and the worker followed.

Do you know why I called you forward? The captain asked.
The worker shook his head, hairs standing straight from nervousness.

A group is as strong as its weakest link, and you clearly are the weakest link of this group. Now you will either tell me what the army is planning, or I’m going to kill you.

The slaved stirred into action as the commander’s ensemble caught the worker. The angry soldiers stopped when they saw their leader not budging, however, the worker was not released. The worker was young, but he had been together with Silver since the day he created his team of the slaves. He had seen his leader do some incredible-incredible things. He would go far to say things that no one else could do.

However, he also knew that the army constricted him and this was a consignment by them and there was a chance Silver wouldn’t help him. He looked ready to struggle his way out of the predicament when his antennae stood up buzzing, and he relaxed.

I’m going to give you three breaths of time. The commander said. You either come out clean, or I’ll kill you.

Three, the captain finished counting. So you have chosen death. She said and snapped her mandible at the worker's neck.
Silver watched it happen. Red contracted his antennae. The soldiers fidgeted as the worker was let go and he fell to the ground.

The commander let out amusement as the youngling crawled away from her, fear finally taking control of her. The worker didn’t leak pheromones and he didn’t cry for help till the end, but that didn’t mean he was fine. Red heaved him up to his feet. Silvers pat his back, which made him lift his head. Confidence returned, but he stumbled a few steps in. The soldiers caught and welcomed him back. But his thrumming heart said all that he couldn’t.

He believed when the commander said she would kill him and she wanted to do it till the last moment, until the snap. He had lived long enough to know that it was no acting.  

Well, at least the merchants didn’t lie about your group being daring, captain. Silver did not humor her.

They seemed docile enough to be useful. Let’s see how to fare against enemies larger than them. They are yours, shepherdess. The commander left with her ensemble, leaving behind a small worker whom no one had noticed until then. Green would have loved to spare some time with, for the shepherdess looked exactly like her, with the difference of their sizes, of course. Green was a soldier, a scout, a  

Umm, if you will follow me, please? The tiny shepherdess politely requested.

Add the difference of their temperaments to the previous statement, because Green wasn’t the kind of soldier to say please. It would need a miracle to happen for the words to come from her.