Bones of the Empire

by Jim Galford

  “There, is not so hard, no?” Yoska asked, sighing as he walked away to grab another cup. “We have work cut out for us, Raeln. You are not only person with no idea how to have fun. My children will tell stories for generations of the day I make Turessian clans actually smile. Shameful, yes? I think Turessians are failure at enjoying themselves.”

  To Raeln’s amazement, at that simple challenge, the majority of the Turessians hurriedly found mugs and got themselves a drink. They seemed entirely unwilling to be looked down upon, even for something they would have been happy to proclaim was how it had always been right up to that moment. One even filled a second mug and brought it to Raeln. The wildlings, orcs, dwarves, and other slave races crept forward to get their own drinks and bits of food from the piles of bread and meat Yoska had the Turessians bringing out. It took only minutes, and many of the tensions of the camp were easing, despite the different clans and factions still only mingling with their own kind.

  “Is not meant to be held,” Yoska chided, pointing at Raeln’s cup as he hurried over. He had assigned ownership of the barrels to a stout dwarven man, who sat atop a barrel, giving orders to anyone who would listen. “Is meant to be empty at every chance.”

  Raeln lifted the mug to sniff it, but Yoska clamped a hand over the top.

  “We do not have good kind of drink here to enjoy,” he warned, grinning nervously. “Is best not to smell it. Turessian ale is not good for nose. You are big man…is small cup. Empty it quickly and we talk about big important plans or something. Drink first, sniff something later. I find something you like to sniff at, no?”

  Hesitating, Raeln looked between the cup and Yoska, occasionally letting his attention drift to several other wildlings, who were starting to mingle nearby. He finally had enough of Yoska staring at him expectantly and pulled the cup out from under Yoska’s hand. Downing the drink, Raeln immediately wished he had never agreed to the whole situation. The liquid burned and made him gag, nearly coughing it right back up in the process. When he finally did choke it down, his head spun almost immediately.

  “The plans…” Raeln said, blinking rapidly to keep his senses about him. For some reason, he felt as though merely having his tail wag might tip him over.

  “Yes, is great plan,” Yoska explained, yanking Raeln’s mug out of his hand and replacing it with another full one. “You will argue if you have not had another. Trust me…would I lead you wrong?”

  Wincing as he lifted the cup, Raeln quickly said, “I’m absolutely certain you would.”

  “Is an insult from sober man. Drink the ale or I take offense.”

  Raeln drank the second cup, which was far easier than the first. He had to put a hand on Yoska’s shoulder to keep himself from stumbling.

  “We discuss over game of cards,” Yoska said, guiding Raeln toward a group of elves, dwarves, the bear wildling Raeln had helped earlier that day, and another wolf wildling Raeln had not met yet. When they arrived, Raeln realized Yoska had already put another mug in his hand and was shuffling a deck of cards. “Rules are simple. Most matching color in hand wins. All others drink. Is no real loser. I will talk about plans when you win hand, Raeln.”

  Raeln held up the mug, staring at the way the firelight danced on the ale. Then he realized the others around the campfire were holding up their own cups in salute. His ears prickling nervously, he realized he had just inadvertently started a toast or similar custom.

  “To our freedom and your victory,” said the other male wolf, getting a grunt of approval from the rest of the group. “The slaves of Turessi will follow you wherever you will lead us.”

  Smiling halfheartedly, Raeln drank about half of the next cup politely in imitation of the others as they applauded him. Within seconds, Yoska had shoved cards into his hands and had somehow gotten someone to refill his cup.

  The whole game seemed to be a blur of nonsense, making Raeln’s head hurt. By the third hand, he could no longer remember the vague rules and was fairly certain Yoska had changed them at least twice. Struggling to keep his head clear, he sipped at his drink and adjusted the cards in his other hand, trying to focus on the colors painted on each.

  A few drinks later, Raeln was no longer sure if he was awake or asleep, and the whole world felt as if it were spinning around him far too quickly. Distantly, he kept hearing Yoska laughing about him losing the game.

  *

  Raeln woke gradually, wincing as the sunlight crept across his face from the open window of the hut. For a moment, he could not remember where he was or how he had gotten there. Then he soon made out the familiar scents of his mud-packed hut, built for him by the Turessians when they had camped last. Knowing he was somewhere safe gave him some small bit of relief, even if he could not quite convince himself to open his eyes, lest the pounding in his head grow any worse—if that were even possible. He had taken blows to the head that he had been told should have killed him that had hurt less.

  Rolling over, Raeln tried to hide himself from the sunlight, and in doing so, he ran into something warm and solid next to him. His senses slowly woke up, letting him know he was naked under his blanket and his whole body was pressed against the fur of another person. He jumped up in shock, trying not to yelp.

  The wolf wildling from the card game lay beside him, still asleep. He had worn rags when Raeln had seen him during the night, though judging by feel, they were both undressed under the blanket. With the man on his side, Raeln could see the deep scars of a slave’s brand on his shoulder.

  “I’ll kill Yoska,” Raeln growled and got up. Grabbing another blanket to pull over his groin, he realized that everything in the room stunk of alcohol. He had to hope he had not done anything too drastic. “I’ll break his neck…”

  Chuckling as he sat up, the other wolf rubbed at his eyes. “Yoska had little or nothing to do with this. He wanted to fill your bed with every woman that passed out last night, just to see the look on your face when you woke. I talked him out of it.”

  Hanging his shoulders, Raeln sat back down, folding the blanket over himself. He could not manage to bring himself to look at the other man. “I’m sorry. This isn’t me at all. I don’t even know your name. I…we shouldn’t be like this. Can we start over?”

  The wolf smirked and nodded. “My parents called me ‘Somn’ after the Turessian word for ‘one who has lost his way.’ The clan just called me ‘wolf,’ which works when there’s only one of us around. We covered this last night, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t remember much. I think the wanderer poured half a barrel down your throat. The man’s sadistic.”

  “I’m so sorry you got dragged into his games,” Raeln said, shoulders sinking. “It’s bad enough when he does this to me, but so much worse when others get hurt.”

  “Hurt?” Somn asked, laughing. He sat up fully, pulling his own blanket over to cover himself. “I dragged you away from the wanderer’s games when you started getting sad. Figured you didn’t want the Turessians hearing you in that kind of mood. We came back here and talked for a few hours about Greth and other things. Nothing happened, Raeln. Nothing much. Relax.”

  “Nothing? Wait…nothing much?”

  “Unless you count baring your soul about how much you miss him, no, nothing. The clans didn’t need to see their battle leader crying over his lost love. It was better to have that talk here than out there.”

  Raeln groaned and covered his face with both hands. “How much did they see or hear? About us, Greth, or whatever.”

  “Nothing that will change their opinion of either of us,” Somn admitted, sliding over to sit beside Raeln with his back to the wall. “I’ve been there, Raeln. I knew that look in your eyes before you said anything. No one heard anything. They saw you party with the wanderer, and they saw me help you back to your hut. Nothing more. I made sure of it. Your clothes stunk of liquor, and I insisted on them going away. There was some cuddling, which I think we both needed. Beyond that, we slept.”

  Looking over at the brown-furred man,
Raeln said softly, “Thank you. This could have cost me the army if I were less careful. They aren’t the most accepting people.”

  “They accepted a wolf as their battle leader, Raeln. Turessians don’t care who someone beds or has feelings for. They pretty much ignore anything physical that they don’t have to watch in public. So long as it happens behind closed doors, they don’t care. It’s a nice change from what I’ve heard of other lands.”

  They sat in silence awhile as Raeln tried to recall anything from the night before. Everything after joining the card game devolved into flashes of memories. Nothing seemed to fit together anymore, making him wonder how long he had blacked out for before leaving the common area. Worse still, he kept coming back to the fact that they were both naked. Somn’s excuse about his clothes smelling explained one of them being naked, but not both. He might have been sheltered, but Raeln knew cuddling did not require their clothing to go away.

  “Before you say it,” Somn said, breaking the silence, “I know you’re not looking for someone to replace him. I’m not either. We’ve both lost the people we won’t ever forget or stop loving. When I say I understand, take that for absolute truth. It was good to talk to someone who’s been through it, though. You owe me nothing.”

  Raeln smiled weakly and nodded.

  “Can I ask you something?” Somn inquired, folding his blanket over his waist.

  “Probably too late for me to be shy,” Raeln admitted. “Ask.”

  Somn thought a moment. “How long since you…I know you were with Greth, but…it’s been a while?”

  Raeln laughed halfheartedly at that. “I loved…love…Greth, but we were never together. As for how long…not even worth discussing. Before him, there was no one I ever wanted to be with.”

  Somn nodded solemnly, looking distant for a moment. “That explains a lot.”

  “Meaning what?” Raeln demanded, his ears getting hot as nervousness ran down to his tail.

  Smirking, Somn replied, “Lots of talk about how you wouldn’t ever do certain things even as you seemed very reluctant not to do them. Don’t worry, I kept you honest, even if I was flattered.”

  Raeln wanted to cry, but forced himself to thank Somn instead, which was all he could manage without having to say more than one word. If he did, he was afraid of what he might say or find out.

  “If you need a shoulder or company of any kind, please ask,” Somn said, sounding sincere. “You’re doing something that no man can do without the fear of failing crushing him. You have friends, but if you need someone else to talk to, come to me. No judgments, no questions. I’ll listen. It’s why I’m still here.”

  Patting Somn’s knee, Raeln said, “Thank you. You probably know I won’t ask, but I appreciate the offer more than you can imagine.”

  “You sure, Raeln? I was a slave most of my life, and know how to be useful. I know a few things about ropes and whips…”

  Raeln hopped to his feet and backed away, too uncomfortable for words, getting an amused grin from Somn.

  “And that’s the line…got it. There was a wager on what you’d say if that was brought up. I couldn’t pass up seeing what you’d do. It was a joke. Seriously, my offer still stands. Don’t try to weather this alone. It’ll destroy you in time.”

  “I know,” Raeln admitted, relaxing somewhat once he was certain Somn was joking. Nervously, he tied his blanket around his waist. “I can’t put it on someone else. I have to do this alone. If it destroys me after we free Turessi, I’m fine with that.”

  “That’s why your friends push their way into your life to help you. You should ask for their help, instead of making them find a way to do it. It’d be easier.”

  “No, Somn, this is my burden, as I keep telling Yoska. I’m the war leader and the one Turess’s damned prophecy threw to the clans. I’m the sword of the empire, whatever that means. I will do what I have to. I can endure it. I don’t have a choice.”

  Somn’s ears twitched as he studied Raeln’s face. “My masters released me from a decade of slavery simply because you told them to. That kind of debt doesn’t get ignored because you want to be the toughest person in the clan. I owe you my life and anything else I can offer.”

  “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “Stubborn, too,” Somn said. “A freed slave is something the Turessians don’t really talk about, given how few there ever were. Traditionally, slaves fled south, but the others already told me what to expect down there, so I’m stuck right here. If we don’t leave, a slave is always a slave in these lands. We just find a new master who we trust more than the old. It’s our one true freedom…we select the clan we would serve.” Getting up, Somn walked right up to Raeln, barely covering himself with the blanket. “A battle leader is considered to be apart from their clan, and one who leads multiple clans is often viewed as a clan unto themselves. I pledge to serve your clan, Raeln. As you’re the only member, I belong to you now.”

  “Somn, don’t do this…you’re free. I won’t have a slave. I can’t accept your pledge.”

  “I’m no soldier, Raeln. I won’t be in the battles. I can’t do that. Would you have me run away and die on the plains like the wildings you found near Jnodin? Yeah, I heard about them. That’s where I’d end up if I don’t stay here, and if I stay here, I’ll be your servant. This isn’t your choice anymore. In this I’m going to pretend I’m a lot more stubborn than I am.”

  Grabbing Somn by the back of the neck to pull him into a hug, Raeln quietly thanked him. Whether he agreed with Somn’s decision or not, it was moving. “I won’t make you a slave, Somn. You are free, whether you call yourself my servant or not.”

  Raeln wiped at his eyes as he pulled away, trying to think of all the things he should be doing instead of sharing a tender moment with a man he hardly knew. Briefly, he thought with shame on what Greth might think of him being there with Somn. Then he quickly realized Greth would have probably told him to do something far more explicit than hug the man. Greth was not the type to expect Raeln to live the rest of his life alone, even if that was what Raeln really wanted.

  Grabbing a clean pair of pants from the folded piles, Raeln hesitated as he realized he was not alone. With nowhere to go to slip them on without exposing himself, he looked around nervously, unsure whether it would be impolite to ask Somn to leave.

  “You really haven’t been doing much out in the world, have you?” Somn asked, walking over to Raeln. He stopped near the piled clothing, picked out a shirt, and held it up to Raeln’s chest, nodding to himself. “Servants dress their masters. Nothing wrong with it at all. If you intend to wait me out, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Raeln grumbled under his breath and did his best to slide on his pants under the blanket. Somn calmly waited, holding the shirt for him. He snatched that from his “servant” next and slipped it on as he tossed aside the blanket. Even once Raeln was dressed, Somn made no attempt to dress himself or even pick up his clothing. It was unnerving, though Raeln had to assume others were not quite as sheltered as he had been growing up.

  Excusing himself, Raeln went to the door of the hut, intending to travel to the area where the various clans’ leaders tended to meet to discuss strategy each day. He wanted to find out what the public thoughts were on anything he had done, and how much of the clans’ favor he had lost in a single night’s drinking. Given that it might take him the whole day to recover what little authority he had, he figured he may as well get that underway.

  When Raeln opened the door, he found a small makeshift camp had been set up, blocking him from going out into the village. Every tent or bedroll was filled with a former slave, including the orcs he had saved the day before and various people he had seen around the camp but not spoken to. There were wildlings and orcs in abundance, but also several people of other races, all with the markings of former slaves. To his surprise, he saw the Turessian man who he had met his first day in Ceran’s clanhold. Somewhere nearby, he could smell Dalania, though he could not see her.
Ildorn and Vertin were even among the orcs, he realized a second later.

  Raeln then noticed the white bear he had helped carry from Jnodin stood at attention beside his door, clearly guarding his hut. As Raeln stepped into the light, the bear wildling grunted and nodded at him. The blood had been washed from his jaw, but he still looked tired. Likely an aftereffect from healing, though Raeln wanted to go find Yiral and lecture her for letting the man out so soon.

  “You should be resting,” Raeln told the bear, who snorted back at him. “Go back to your tent and rest. I won’t have you dying from infection or exhaustion…”

  The orcish woman who had been the first out of the crate near Jnodin stood from her blankets, spread right out in the open where snow had fallen throughout the night. Several other orcs—children included—got up around her, all of them apparently too tough for the weather to bother. She seemed to take offense to Raeln’s remark to the bear.

  “We had a talk last night,” the woman told him gruffly, indicating the whole of the slave group with her large hand. “The Turessians follow you to war. They have no loyalty to you. You are one of us, not one of them. You will not stand alone in the middle of a war with disloyal troops. We will stand at your side. We have sworn our honor to you and will live or die with you. Every person here belongs to you now. I believe Somn has already spoken our mind, that we intend to declare ourselves to be yours, but I would have it come from my mouth as well.”

  Raeln could not find words as he looked from one expectant face to the next. When he looked up, the white bear was grinning wickedly, clearly having been a silent part of the decision of the slaves.

  Somn slid into the doorway beside Raeln, making him jump a little and pressing his body close. “Okay, I wasn’t entirely original with the oath,” Somn admitted quietly. “I thought having one person explain it privately might soften the surprise a little, instead of everyone at once.”

  “This is my personal guard?” Raeln asked, and many of the adults in the group straightened their backs. The orcish children grinned at him, making him shiver a little, seeing their rows of sharp teeth and large tusks. “I…I’m honored beyond words. Thank you all.”