Forever Soldiers: The Tyrus Chronicle - Book Four

by Joshua P. Simon

  Even though death meant that she’d never see her brother, niece and nephew, and the few friends she had made again, a large part of her did not care if she died. She couldn’t explain why that was so, but Danso saw it.

  He grunted and in one quick motion rolled off her. He stood and looked down. “We’ll continue this discussion in private. Now.”

  Danso strode to his tent.

  Still on her back, she glanced about. The Southern Kingdom soldiers in attendance looked amazed at the exchange, especially a wide-eyed Captain Kamau.

  Several Turine soldiers came up to offer a hand. She appreciated the gesture, but waved them away. She hated to be helped and in light of how she had gotten to her back, the last thing she wanted was to act as if she needed assistance.

  Once on her feet, she stared at Danso. A part of her wanted to walk in the opposite direction and ignore the man out of spite. That’s what the old her would have done. The old her would have not cared one bit if she angered the commanding officer.

  But the old me had Tyrus to smooth things over and clean up my messes.

  “I’ll be back,” she said. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

  “You mean like what you just did,” Sergeant Margo snorted beside her so that only she could hear the joke.

  She allowed a grin. “Exactly.” She approached Kamau and said, “Captain, I’d be honored if you could see to the well-being of my men and find them a place to rest while I speak with Jumla Danso.”

  He seemed surprised at her tone, but she could play the game when she wanted to. After a moment of consideration, he said, “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Unlike most command tents, there were no armed guards posted. Instead, there was one young boy she assumed was a page of some sort stationed at the entrance.

  I guess he feels he doesn’t need protecting.

  The young boy stepped into her path, blocking the entrance. “Jumla Danso, High Mage Ava wishes to speak with you.”

  The title stuck faster than I thought it would.

  “I know. Allow her in,” Danso replied.

  The boy moved aside and opened the flap.

  Ava entered and allowed herself a small grin once more.

  Behind a rectangular table, Danso stood under the dim light of a single oil lamp at the center of the tent. Several maps lay flat on the table with their corners weighted. Rolled parchments she supposed were more maps and reports rested on the edges of the table. At the back of the tent was a simple cot. To the right, a small chest, which likely held Danso’s few personal belongings.

  “Does something amuse you?” Danso asked, unable to hide his annoyance.

  “Command tents look the same no matter where they are.”

  Ava had hoped for a retort, or a mock apology, or anything really. Something that might ease the wall of tension between them. She got nothing.

  “You have a resistance to sorcery,” she said, hoping a change of subjects might be better.

  Considering the details of their brief exchange, it was the only logical explanation for how easily he had penetrated her defenses.

  Danso said nothing, as if admitting as much would betray some secret he wished hidden.

  She continued. “It wasn’t a question. You’re not betraying anything I don’t know is true. You’re stronger than most, though not quite as strong as my brother. Tyrus had the strongest resistance I’ve ever known.”

  He finally showed a reaction, raising an eyebrow, then gestured to two unopen scrolls on the table. “Captain Kamau gave me the latest reports of the council. I obviously haven’t read them yet, but before your outburst with Lungile I saw they mentioned your brother.”

  “The council asked for my brother’s help, so he gave his opinion on the information he had. He’s a great strategist.”

  “I’m sure he is.” He guffawed. “Another foreign commander afraid to take the field, choosing instead to hide and move men around like game pieces.”

  “You don’t know my brother at all, if that’s what you think. He started on the front lines and later led an elite unit. We were often given the most hopeless of tasks and he usually took on the most dangerous elements himself.”

  “If he’s a great soldier, why isn’t he here? Kamau said he’s not injured. Yet he sends you in his place.”

  “I volunteered to come.” She paused. “And some injuries go beyond the physical.”

  Danso hesitated as if considering her comment. Then he lowered his head solemnly in a sign of respect. It was not an open affirmation, but not a denial either as if he understood her underlying message.

  The gesture kept Ava from growing angry with the Jumla.

  Danso examined his map.

  “Are those the latest troop movements?” Ava asked, stepping forward. Focusing on the enemy would surely put them on better terms.

  Danso looked up, leaning over the table as if to block the view. “Were you often part of crafting strategy for the Turine military?”

  “Not really,” she admitted.

  “And you presume such a role now?”

  “I only thought I might be able to offer a different perspective. Tyrus appreciated my input.”

  His cocked his head. “I believe the freedom your brother gave you explains your lack of discipline.”

  She made a conscious decision not to argue. In truth, Danso was probably right. Tyrus had drilled her hard and had expected more out of her than anyone else, but at times he allowed her to get away with things no others could.

  “I won’t accept Lungile’s methods to force submission,” she said.

  “You prefer letting soldiers do as they please and walk all over their commanding officers? Did your great brother allow his men to behave that way? That would explain why it took Turine more than a decade to defeat the Geneshans.”

  Anger swelled in her for Danso’s constant berating of Tyrus when he wasn’t here to defend himself. She knew part of his behavior related to the sting of being told by Batna’s council to consider a foreigner’s suggestions on how to run his army.

  But the other part is likely to bait me into doing something stupid.

  She took a slow breath, thinking again of the eighty men counting on her. “Tyrus was not above getting physical with a soldier who challenged his authority or caused a problem. However, he never did so unless there was a legitimate reason for it. He certainly never punished an innocent person for someone else’s mistakes. He was granted respect because he first gave it to others. Soldiers knew what he stood for and also knew that whatever he expected from them, he expected more from himself. This can’t be a foreign idea. I saw the way your men look at you. It’s very similar to how men looked at Tyrus. So why would you allow one of your officers to act differently than how I imagine you act yourself?”

  Danso said nothing, but his face spoke volumes. He didn’t appreciate being criticized.

  She needed to diffuse the situation. “Fine. I’ll do a better job of not challenging your officers.”

  “Better job?” he snapped.

  “I will not give you an absolute. I’m not going to tolerate someone being a mule. But if one of my men oversteps themselves, I won’t get in the way of them being reprimanded either.”

  His face twisted as he came around the table to stand before her. “Still you attempt to negotiate with me when this is not a negotiation. Would your infamous brother tolerate such talk?”

  She gritted her teeth because in truth Danso was right again. Tyrus listened to those under him, but when it came down to making a decision, his word was absolute. If someone sought to circumvent him or belittle his authority, he ended it.

  But Ava didn’t want to say that. It would be admitting fault and giving Danso too much. She still worried that Danso might make he
r men arrow fodder if she didn’t stand up for them.

  She tried a different approach again, using a more formal tone. “Jumla Danso, my name is High Mage Ava. I’m here with eighty volunteers from Turine at the behest of the Council of Batna.”

  He snorted, not in amusement, but disgust.

  Ava tightened jaw, teeth rubbing together as she said, “I just want to help you win this blasted war. Why—”

  “I don’t need someone who wants to help. I need someone who will submit and obey.”

  “Now you’re just bandying words. The council told me that you don’t have the same cadre of sorcerers as before the eruptions. I can show them spells that would help tremendously in—”

  “You will do nothing of the sort,” he snapped. “If I had it my way, I’d send you and your eighty back to Batna. But if I do, the council will only poke their nose more in matters they have no clue about. If you truly want to help so much, you can do so by staying out of my way and having your eighty do the same.”

  “We didn’t come here to twiddle our thumbs. I want this war over so that I can return to my family.”

  He waved his hand at the tent entrance “Why wait? Go now.”

  “I made a deal with the council.”

  “And I gave you orders to stay out of my way. Let’s see if you can actually follow them.”

  Danso pivoted on his heels and moved back behind the table. He didn’t look up as he said, “You’re dismissed. Send in Captain Kamau.”

  She was sure he expected a salute, a bow, a “yes, sir,” or maybe even a “yeah, sure.”

  But she was so angry she didn’t trust herself to say anything. Instead, Ava exited the tent without a word.

  Ava walked past the Southern Kingdom sentries in open defiance. Probably not the best course of action considering how her entire discussion with Danso had been about unwilling to compromise or bend to authority. However, the alternative was to let her anger fester until it grew into something she could no longer control.

  By the gods Tyrus, was this how it felt when dealing with Balak? I’ve got a new level of respect for you.

  In the past when her anger had gotten the best of her she practiced minor spells while pacing about until Tyrus inevitably found her. The two would then hash out whatever had gotten her worked up.

  She thought of the last time that had happened. It was the day before their last mission in the Geneshan War when she had nearly killed a man for beating on a camp follower.

  Gods, how things have changed. Not just for me or Tyrus, but the whole Ao-be-damned world.

  Following Tyrus’s departure from the military outpost when he rejoined Balak, she had learned to calm herself and make things right on her own. Nevertheless, she still wished he was around to talk to.

  Well past watchful eyes, Ava stopped at the bottom of a dry riverbed. While considering her best course of action, she gave herself over to the most important thing in her life after family.

  Rocks tore through the air, sinking into mud, shattering against larger boulders, or ripping through pieces of driftwood. Balls of fire flew from her hands, scorching small spots of vegetation that had begun to grow. She walked the bed as the fires burned, allowing tiny blue webs of lightning to fan out from her until small holes in the ground swallowed them.

  She continued this process while strengthening her defensive shields, allowing the invisible shield to become visible once more, but with a muted red tint. Her goal was to look like some spawn of Xank, the Turine god of death who in stories took poor souls and manipulated them into some awful tool for his own amusement.

  Ava lost herself briefly in those spells while still maintaining a general awareness of her surroundings. Therefore, she did not jump when she heard her name. Nor was she surprised by who called it. Eder had made a habit of interrupting her solitude.

  She glanced up as he partially hid on the edge of the river bank behind a large boulder. Considering the sorcery she flung about, Eder was wise to seek protection.

  She ended her attack spells and reduced the strength of her defensive shield. “What is it?” she asked, more strongly than intended.

  Eder stepped into the open. “Just wanted to see if you were all right. You came out here without letting anyone know what happened.”

  She swore. Ao’s teats. I did, didn’t I?

  “You’re right. I’ll be along soon and fill everyone in. Is everyone settled? Being treated all right?”

  I can’t believe I came out here by myself without first checking on everyone.

  Eder took the questions as an invitation and slid down the bank toward her with one hand hidden behind his back. Ava didn’t think he would hurt her, but she strengthened her shields anyway out of habit. It didn’t hurt anything to be overly cautious. Paranoia often kept a soldier alive.

  “Yes. Though they put us as far away from the rest of the army as they could.” He shrugged. “But no one is giving us a hard time and the food is pretty good. Things could be worse.”

  “Careful. Worse things usually aren’t long in following that phrase.” She nodded. “What you got behind your back?”

  He reddened. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”

  “Try.”

  “Well . . .” he looked around at the destruction she had caused. Something flickered across his face. “I wasn’t really expecting all of this. It almost doesn’t make sense now.”

  “What?”

  He brought his arm around. In his hand was a small bouquet of red wildflowers.

  She frowned. “For me?”

  He extended his hand, and she cautiously accepted them.

  “It’s just . . . you’ve been trying to make roses lately so I thought it was probably because you missed them. I tried to find some as we marched, but I learned the other day that there are no roses in the Southern Kingdoms. This was the best substitute I could find.”

  Ava had made roses to perfect an illusion of odor. Nothing more. “Uh, I’m at a loss for words here.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I just thought they might cheer you up.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, I guess.”

  He smiled. “You know, holding them like that, you look even more beautiful than usual.”

  “What!”

  She had to be hearing things. She never considered herself ugly, but beautiful was a word that only her mother had used to describe her. The men she had been with in her life had other things on their minds than doling out compliments.

  Realization of Eder’s recent behavior dawned on her. Visiting me more frequently. Acting funny, almost nervous. “By the gods, are you coming on to me?”

  Eder turned ten shades redder than before. “Well . . . I. . . ”

  Molak’s bloody rear. Worse than I thought. This isn’t just about having a lay. He actually has feelings for me.

  She tried to process that thought as he continued to stumble over his words in search of an explanation. The old Ava would have reacted in one of two ways depending on her mood. She would have either laughed in his face or pulled him off somewhere and made sure they both got something out of his admission. They had been through too much for her to laugh at him, and while Eder was attractive, he was young.

  I didn’t mean—” continued Eder. “I guess it was a stupid thing to do . . . it’s just that . . .”

  Ava couldn’t listen to his awkward stumbling any longer. “Eder. The flowers were a nice thought. Really. But there can’t be anything between us. It would only create problems.”

  “You mean because you’re our leader?”

  “Something like that,” she said, going with his reasoning.

  “Then when the war is over and we return to Kasala we could still . . .” he started.

  Ava admired his tenacity, but she couldn’t let that hope linger. “It’s more than the
war. I just don’t think it would work out between us.”

  He frowned. “How do you know?”

  I carry so much baggage. No man would ever want to deal with that for more than a night or two.

  Nason’s confession of love popped into her mind. Tyrus’s childhood best friend didn’t know all that she dealt with, but he knew far more than most with them growing up together. He had witnessed what Jareb and others in Denu Creek had put her through as a child because of her sorcery.

  Would hearing about all my baggage finally make him see me differently and pursue someone else? She made a tiny clicking noise in the back of her throat. If he doesn’t, would I be a fool to let him slip by? No different than what Tyrus is doing with Damaris? Ao’s teats, I can’t believe I’m even thinking like this.

  “Because I just do,” she said, forcing herself from deeper thoughts of Nason.

  “I guess I’ll see you back at camp then?” His head drooped in defeat which only made their difference in age all the more startling.

  “Yeah, in a few.”

  She wanted to go back with him so she could tell the others about her conversation with Danso as she should have before. However, she worried that returning with Eder would make him think she would change her mind about him.

  She sighed as Eder disappeared over the river’s bank. Her annoyance at him triggered thoughts of everything else she felt helpless over. What was Tyrus dealing with back in Kasala? Were Damaris and Ira keeping a good eye on him? How was she going to handle Danso? How was she going to tell her men that they had volunteered for this war needlessly?

  Once Eder was gone, she let out a large pulse of power that shook the blackened earth. It helped relieve her pent up frustration.

  With the lingering smell of smoke, she took half a dozen slow breaths. Then after counting to ten, she climbed out of the riverbed.

  One problem at a time. I need to tell the men what they deserve to hear and do my best to keep them at peace.

  CHAPTER 20

  A slight breeze flowed around Ava as she stood on a low ridge that overlooked the battlefield below. She studied the Southern Kingdom army as they clashed against the might of the Bozrathan and Kartan forces. Despite their supposed new alliance, she had seen no sign of Noval’s troops with their famed bright yellow armor.