I rested a hand on his shoulder. “There are many things in life that I don’t know, Ira, but one thing that I can say with absolute certainty is that you will be a husband that all wives wish theirs were like and a father that all children wish was theirs. You’ll have plenty to worry about as you grow old together with Reuma, but I doubt you’ll ever have to worry about her regretting her vows to you.”
He met my eyes and embraced me with a bear-like hug. “Thanks, Ty. For everything.”
We turned in unison as the crowd parted down the middle of the street. Ira let out a small gasp when Reuma came forward. My smile returned.
Reuma made a beautiful bride. Her long, red hair was down. I hadn’t seen it worn in anything other than a tail for so long that she looked like a different person. The dress she wore wasn’t quite a perfect fit, but Damaris had adjusted it well on short notice. It was the first time I had seen Reuma in a dress since first pulling her from the wreckage of the Soiled Dove. That seemed a lifetime ago.
Her eyes locked in on Ira as she approached. They stayed there, her smile growing ever wider with each step. Glancing at Ira, I saw his expression mirrored hers. By the time they took each other’s hands, I had never seen two more genuinely happy people in all my life. I felt even more confident about my comment to Ira. He’d never give Reuma a reason to regret marrying him.
I had to clear my throat twice before they gave me their attention. “Shall we begin?”
“Yes!” said Reuma.
Their joy was infectious as I read the translated vows, pausing briefly where it was noted in order to add my own thoughts.
In the end, I think I did pretty well conducting my first marriage, though reading Boaz’s latest supply list probably would have been just as well received. Like my own wedding day, I doubted Ira and Reuma would remember much of what I had said. However, they would never forget the feeling of being joined to the one person they could not live without.
As they kissed and were ushered off by others to the food and festivities, I reflected on that last thought.
After meeting Lasha, I couldn’t fathom living without her. She had confided the same to me. Yet, we had both lived without the other for years. She had gone a long time believing me dead. And upon my return, I learned the truth of her passing.
Neither of us was prone to exaggerate. We both had sworn that survival without the other could not be done, but we had. Was our love not as strong as we had imagined?
An increase in the volume of music being played as well as catching Zadok dancing among the mass of people clustered around Ira and Reuma distracted me for a moment. He wore an easy smile, exchanging hands with several older women. His smiled widened as a girl his age held onto his hand a moment longer than all the rest before her.
“Talk about making me feel old,” I said to myself with a snort.
I looked for Myra and saw her watching Zadok. Dinah leaned over and whispered in her ear while gesturing. The two shared a laugh.
I understood then how both Lasha and I had kept living without the other. Myra and Zadok. She had lowered herself to prostitution. I had gone back to war.
In both instances, we no longer lived for ourselves, but for our children.
Ira and Reuma stopped in their dancing to exchange a kiss. I had no doubt that in our shoes they would do just what Lasha and I had for the little one they expected.
Gods, I just hoped they’d never have to.
CHAPTER 25
Ava and her men had engaged enemy forces several more times since their first encounter. At the conclusion of each victory, they searched each body hoping to find clues that might help them gain a long-term advantage in the war. Finally, they found that very thing. Yet there was no joy. Ava stared in utter shock, speechless at the contents of the parchment she held.
“Ava, are you all right?” asked Sergeant Margo.
Ava heard the question, but she could not answer.
Pull it together. It’s not that bad.
But there was no use in lying to herself. She held the very proof of what the enemy had discovered, contradicting her attempt at optimism. Found on the body of a dead Noval sorcerer, the contents were written in an ancient version of their tongue. It was a language she knew little of, and only then because of her brief time in Hol while studying under several High Mages. The smattering she understood was solely because the best documentation regarding transfer portals had been written in that older dialect of Noval.
She managed to piece together enough to understand the enemy’s use of necromantic sorcery.
Ao-be-damned. First the Geneshan artifact and now this? If you exist, you really suck at being a goddess to allow such things to enter our world.
“Ava? Is it really that bad?”
She swallowed. How do we even counter this knowledge?
“It definitely isn’t good,” she managed with a snort.
It was a pathetic attempt at adding levity. The uncomfortable shifting of those around her was enough to know that her men saw through her effort.
Get them focused on something else while you try to process this.
Ava looked up from the parchment and met the uneasy eyes of Sergeant Margo. “How are the men?”
He furrowed his brow, obviously recognizing her attempt to deflect. Like a good second, he didn’t comment much in front of the other men though and answered somberly, “We lost three.”
“Wounded?”
“I don’t think anyone made it out of this one completely unscathed.” He made a motion to his thigh, pointing out a hastily tied a strip of cloth used to stop the bleeding. “Twenty-six are injured pretty badly but should be fine. Another five I’m not so sure about. Our best men with a needle are seeing to them now. If they make it to morning, they should pull through.”
“Show them to me.”
Ava was not a healer by any means. Even if she had become a High Mage the real way, she would not be a healer. High Mages resented and derided healers because of their unique set of skills that other magic users could not easily replicate.
Ava had never shared that condescending bias. She understood that without the grossly underappreciated Turine healers, thousands more would have died in the Geneshan War, her brother among them.
She had tried to pick up a few things over the years from healers willing to teach, but the talent it took to perform a healing spell was so drastically different that she could never master anything more than the simplest of spells. And even those left her spent.
Upon looking over the five men, she stood on shaky knees. Ava figured only two might make it to morning. The remaining three were so close to death that they might die at any moment.
Yet she did all that she could, focusing especially on easing their pain as they waited out the inevitable.
A sad consolation for giving one’s life to a country that doesn’t appreciate you.
Upon finishing the last spell she knew to help them, Ava stood on shaky legs, weak from her exertion. Margo helped steady her. She noticed his thigh wound had been redressed since last she saw it.
“How long?” she asked him while taking in several slow breaths.
“Almost an hour since you started.”
Pushed myself too much, she thought. I’ll regret it come morning.
Ava looked down at the last of the five men she had worked on. Sweat beaded his forehead despite shivering under a borrowed cloak as he lay with eyes tight to manage the pain.
I’d have regretted it more to do nothing.
She took a drink from a skin of water Margo passed her.
“Seems like something is on your mind,” she said, noticing his stare.
“Still waiting for you to share what was on that parchment you found.”
She swore to herself. She had forgotten briefly about the hellish news.
“I’d rather not to be honest,” she said.
Margo hissed, “Xank’s ball’s, is it really that bad?”
She nodded glumly after another swallow of water. “More necromancy.”
He gestured to ten rotting corpses thirty yards away, isolated from the others. Hours before, those bodies had attacked them at the hands of a Noval sorcerer during battle.
“Worse than what we’ve dealt with already?”
Ava noted how not one of her men dared to go within twenty feet of those corpses. Though death hung in the air as was often the case after any battle, the smell that carried on the light breeze from those rotting things overpowered all else. Her men had bravely fought the corpses while they moved, but once each had been put down a second time, her men pretended as though they did not exist.
In recent contact with the enemy before today, they had come across a more simple form of necromancy, walking corpses that moved about with far less care. Those were more of a distraction in how they flopped about, than any serious threat. However, these had fought as skillfully as the average soldier.
Proof enough that what I read is true.
“Much worse.” Telling Margo about the enemy’s plans without a good course of action won’t do him any good. “I need to speak with Danso first,” she admitted. “I promised that I’d share anything worthwhile I learned. I meant it.”
“We’ve been gone for weeks now. I doubt he’s going to just welcome us back with open arms.”
“Maybe not, but I imagine he’ll see the wisdom of not immediately throwing us in chains either. Especially after we’ve stopped so many smaller forces from taking out these western towns.”
Margo let out a frustrated sigh. “We haven’t been tracking him. No telling if he’s moved from his last position.”
“True.”
There was a commotion to her right. Margo’s hand went instinctively to his sword while she subconsciously began working an attack spell.
Both relaxed slightly when they saw a small squad of Southern Kingdom soldiers conversing loudly with men she had placed on guard.
“And you were worried about finding Danso,” she snorted.
“They don’t look very happy,” Margo said.
Weapons suddenly came out of scabbards while each group took a defensive step back from the other. Ava swore and sprinted toward them. It was obvious that neither side wished to fight, but it was equally as obvious that neither wished to concede to the other’s demands.
She opened a small crack of earth between the two groups, making the imaginary line separating them tangible. Her spell accomplished what she had hoped, jarring them from their emotions. After seeing to the five of her worst wounded, she didn’t have much in her to do more.
As she neared, she was surprised to see Captain Kamau among the squad. He separated himself, walking toward her. A Turine soldier made a move to go around the fissure and block his path.
Ava called out, “At ease, private.”
She put on a fake smile in an effort to lighten the mood. “Captain Kamau, I’m so glad you came to visit. I was just thinking how much I’ve missed you.”
“This is no time for joking. We know for certain that this force,” he said with a gesture, “was the last of any substantial size in the area. All others have withdrawn. Therefore, Jumla Danso has ordered you and your men to return to the main host immediately.”
“So I heard last time. And if I refuse again?”
“Then I am to personally drag you back to him.”
Laughter sounded from the men she had placed on guard. Even after the day’s battle and recent losses to their company, they still outnumbered the small, Southern Kingdom squad greatly.
Kamau is not stupid. And knows some of what I’m capable of. So why is he acting so confident?
She studied the other Southern Kingdom soldiers. Three of them held their weapons nervously and kept their free hand hidden behind their backs. Their eyes bore holes into her as if anticipating her next move.
Ah. He brought sorcerers. But only three? She was almost insulted.
Three sorcerers would have once been a challenge for her. However, she had improved tenfold in skill over the last half year. Though she was exhausted from fighting and healing, Ava still felt confident she could defeat them.
Yet, what good would it do? We’re supposed to be on the same side.
She pretended to be relieved and happy to see Kamau. “Excellent!”
“Excellent?” blinked Kamau.
“Yes. I was just saying that I needed to speak with Jumla Danso. It’s good to know that we will be so openly received by him.”
Kamau’s brow furrowed. “Yes. Well. We’ll need to leave right away and—”
“Now that, unfortunately, I can’t do. The earliest we could march out is tomorrow. As you can see, we’ve had an eventful day and several of my men are badly injured.” She had no trouble filling her voice with sorrow. “By morning, their fates will have been decided.”
Kamau gave a solemn nod then glanced over his shoulder. “Nkruma.”
One of the men Ava had pegged as a sorcerer approached with one eye on her. “Yes, captain.”
“Go with High Mage Ava to the worst of her wounded. Do all that you can for them.” He addressed her. “He knows the healing arts well. Let’s reassess the health of your men after he’s looked at them to determine when we can return to the main host.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Though her experience with Kamau and other Southern Kingdom officers had been less than ideal, his compassion for her wounded raised him up in her eyes.
Perhaps we can find a way to put aside our differences after all.
* * *
The three soldiers Ava had been certain would die healed under Nkruma’s skill at a rate she had only seen from Turine’s most talented healers.
More proof that Danso isn’t taking advantage of their talent.
Ava had watched Nkruma work himself to complete exhaustion without complaint. At one point, she caught him using a technique that allowed him to siphon power away from the other two sorcerers within Kamau’s company.
Gods, think of the possibilities. Can they all do that? I wonder how easy it can be taught and learned.
The efforts of the three sorcerers and the genuine gratitude expressed from the Turine soldiers that followed eased the tension between the two groups as evening fell.
They marched out shortly after dawn with Kamau’s squad leading. Though Kamau hung back and walked with her, it had taken him several hours before he relaxed enough to ask her about what she had accomplished since leaving Danso. To her surprise, he stated that her exploits had reached them through questioning recent enemy prisoners as well as the western towns Ava had protected. Ava’s efforts had left a sour taste in the mouth of the enemy, forcing them to reevaluate their strategy as they thought Danso had done the same.
She puffed with pride at that, especially since it seemed as though Kamau finally saw her as someone valuable to their cause. Then a cold thought struck Ava as she considered the confiscated document at her side.
Is this the enemy’s new strategy? She swallowed a lump in her throat. Did I force this?
Ava didn’t want to think about that and instead peppered Kamau with questions about the main army’s progress.
He didn’t admit much, seemingly under Danso’s order not to. However, based on his short responses and stiff body language, it appeared as though Danso’s success had not matched hers.
CHAPTER 26
Less than twenty-five yards from the northern towers, Reuma and I listened to the messenger from Sinsca with astonishment. I had wanted to know how my sister fared in the war, but never did I think it would come from such an unlikely source.
He continued, “Paki wanted to make sure you knew that yo
ur sister has done very well for herself as have the men she commands. Hundreds of the enemy died by her hand. Many towns were saved.”
I blinked. “Tell Paki, thank you. I appreciate the courtesy, but how did he hear this news and why is he passing it on to me? Last I was told, Paki hated me.” I gestured over my shoulder. “Hated all of us. Did Ava bring upon this change?”
“Paki has relatives in one of the towns your sister protected. They evacuated to Sinsca to be farther away from the fighting and brought the news with them. We appreciate your sister’s efforts to protect our kingdom, but there is no change. Paki wanted to offer a token of peace in order to emphasize how much he does not wish for violence between our towns.”
“Violence?” Reuma cut in. “Why in the name of the gods would you think we’d want that?
He glanced up to the towers, face souring. “There is evidence everywhere.”
I shook my head. “Those are only meant to defend against raiders or forces from the north. I was told you’ve had run-ins with raiders before. Upon arriving here, we saw signs of scavengers ransacking the town.” He appeared surprised at the news. “Given that, you should understand our needs for protection. We also have permission from the council to improve Kasala’s defenses.”
The man shrugged. “I’m only a messenger.”
Working my jaw in frustration, I said, “I assume that Paki has also not changed his mind about the river?”
“Again, I’m only the messenger, but I cannot see him ever changing his mind about that.”
Reuma hissed, “Unbelievable.”
“So now what?” I asked.
“I return to Sinsca,” said the messenger.
“It’s nearly dusk. Stay a night in town. We have plenty of room available.”
The messenger shook his head. “No, I have my orders.” He gave a bob of his head in parting, spun his mount and trotted off north toward Sinsca.
Forever Soldiers: The Tyrus Chronicle - Book Four Page 20
