“I expected as much,” he nodded, leaning forward to check the dressings wrapped around the side of Leyna’s neck and up to the base of her skull. “You suffered a bit of a good concussion. I had seen you strike your head on the ground, but I did not realize at first that there must have been quite a rock there as well. Your strange behavior seemed a bit too extreme to be mere fatigue.”
“I must have acted like such a fool,” Leyna frowned. She remained perfectly still until the man had moved away from her neck, twisting from her waist to glance up at him curiously. “Please, I must ask you forgive me if I behaved disrespectfully. If my memory serves me, then I recall it was your turn to tell me your name before I lost my senses completely.”
Leaning back in his chair casually, the man placed his hands behind his head. “Your memory is intact, then. That is a good sign.”
Leyna watched him patiently, waiting for him to give a name in response to her question. Her brow furrowed in confusion at his silence, uncertain of exactly what he was thinking as he returned her gaze, looking her over appraisingly. “Or – perhaps it is disrespectful to speak of your first name. Shall I simply call you Captain?”
“By the gods, no,” he chuckled, nodding politely to the commander as he returned with more water. Leaning forward in his chair, he watched Leyna accept the tin from him, drinking it down thirstily. “That title is only required to be used by the members of my unit. Everyone else is free to call me by my first name.”
“Well, that is helpful,” Leyna smirked, handing the empty tin back to the commander. She dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her hand, making sure none of the water had escaped her lips.
Her eyes followed the man as he stood up, his height exaggerated by the low lying cot she was resting on. “I was thinking we could try our introductions again. I know I have been calling you by a name, but I would hate to learn I am incorrect and that you misspoke due to the delirium of your injury.”
“Goodness, I hope my speech was not so scattered that such a thing would be considered. In any event, you have been saying my name correctly. Leyna Evantine, if you are hoping for me to be more specific,” she replied calmly. Biting her tongue, she scolded herself for her brazen mannerisms. She couldn’t believe she was behaving in such a way toward a man of his rank, while on the same token she wasn’t sure why he was tolerating it with such a lighthearted demeanor.
At the sound of her family name his smile faded somewhat, his eyes taking on a distant gaze briefly before focusing back on her. “I am Captain Thade Imri of the Siscalian military. I am charged with the protection of the western and southern borders of Siscal, up to the Carpaen desert and the Tanispan forests. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Evantine.”
With a formal bow he lowered his eyes briefly to the floor. Leyna found herself in awe at the fortune which she had stumbled upon, barely able to contain her excitement at the opportunity presenting itself to her. When she left Carpaen, she was at a loss for how she would even approach the military command to inquire about admission to the lower ranks. Fortune instead had smiled upon her, bringing the military to her.
“It seems the gods favor me, for you are exactly who I was hoping to speak with upon arrival to Siscal,” she smiled, folding her hands neatly over her lap. Nervously twiddling her thumbs, she tried to think of how to best word her request, not wanting to sound inexperienced despite the impression she feared to have already made.
“Me?” Thade asked curiously, straightening the front of his uniform idly with his hand. “I am not sure I would call that knock on your head to be favor, but if you were seeking to speak with me – well, I am anxious to hear what you crossed that damnable desert just to discuss.”
Lightly brushing her fingers over the dressings on her neck, she stared off into the distance, preparing herself for the worst. Her biggest fear was to find she had come so far only to be turned away like had happened so many other places back home. Straightening her shoulders, she held her chin out proudly, her voice calm and steady as she spoke. “As it turns out, Captain, I was on my way to Siscal to apply for admission into the military. I am a trained fighter and was the assistant to the combat training department instructor of the Carpaen academy prior to coming here. It is my hope that you may have an opening.”
“Well, that certainly was not what I was expecting.” Thade’s eyes drifted over to the commander, his brow rising inquisitively. A silent exchange passed between the two of them, their body language impossible for Leyna to decipher. She watched them hopefully, praying their decision would be to her benefit.
“We don’t see very many women aspiring to military goals,” the commander said suddenly, directing his comment to Leyna’s hopeful gaze. “It is not that the women here do not know how to fight, but merely that they have no desire to crawl around in the mud and surround themselves with blood and gore.”
Defensively, she shook her head at him, surprised it was her gender which had piqued their interest rather than her age. She’d never been faced with any obstacles regarding her sex, leaving her at a loss at how to argue. “My stomach is like iron. I assure you I would not place my fellow soldiers in danger over a retching fit at the sight of a little blood. I give you my word that I am just as strong a fighter as any of the men at the academy.”
Thade’s quiet laughter distracted her from the commander, her eyes shifting to him questioningly. Noticing her gaze, he coughed awkwardly, repressing his amusement. “No, I don’t doubt that,” he chortled. After a moment his smile disappeared, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. “Your behavior is certainly not the dainty upbringing of the women around Siscal, which is a definite plus in arguing your point. My hesitation comes in your youth. After watching you fight that ghereac, I cannot disagree with your assessment of being capable of handling yourself. I merely am forced to look at the big picture.”
With a snap of his fingers, he made a gesture toward the commander, who quickly retrieved a scroll from a nearby table, placing it hastily into Thade’s hand. He appeared contemplative while reading over the words written there, pondering aloud quietly to himself. “Yes, I think this will work,” he mused, rolling the scroll back up and handing it to the commander. “We could use another scout. There should be no combat required of that position, but it is important nonetheless. Once we’ve been able to observe you for a while, possibly even giving you some advanced training, we will see about moving you up to the soldiering ranks. Does that sound agreeable to you?”
“Quite so, Captain,” Leyna smiled. Her heart felt as though it might burst from her chest, the fluttering sensation distracting her from the discomfort in her head. She could think of nothing but Reina back home at the orphanage. It stung her deep to know she had left Reina there in such a miserable place; but everything seemed to be working out for the best. It would only be a matter of time before she was able to return to Carpaen and bring Reina to Siscal with her.
“Excellent,” Thade nodded, offering her his hand. “Our next scout will be taking place in a couple of days. That should be plenty of time for you to get rested up and back in shape.”
Leyna clasped Thade’s outstretched hand in her own, his fingers wrapping around hers completely until her tiny palm was obscured by his hand. Holding it there, he stared down at it, turning her arm over curiously to glance at her wrist without removing his grip. She swallowed hard at his searching gaze, afraid of what he might say about her slight form. Her bones were not yet fully matured, her limbs still appearing frail like that of a child. A hint of some understanding flickered in the depths of his silver eyes, his hand slowly releasing its hold on hers.
She sat in silence, speechless by his strange behavior. She wasn’t sure what words would be appropriate; something that wouldn’t draw unwanted attention to her unease. Her situation was fragile, and she knew it. The slightest mistake could cost her everything, and she wasn’t willing to take such a risk.
“It will be a task to find a uniform that wil
l fit your small frame. And we are fresh out of skirts, so I hope you have no qualms with dressing yourself in trousers,” Thade’s voice broke through the silence, cutting the tension in the air between them. Giving him a sharp nod, Leyna lowered herself back down onto the cot, the pain in her head flaring up once again.
“I will find a way to make them fashionable, I am sure,” she mumbled, covering her eyes with her hand. The pain eased at the absence of light, her body longing to return to its slumber. Listening intently, she could hear the sound of Thade’s footsteps moving away from her, his voice giving a soft order to the commander before disappearing into the distance. Content that she had managed to survive her first encounter, she allowed her mind to drift, giving in to the comfort of sleep that overtook her.
Leyna gazed proudly at her reflection in the mirror. Everything about the uniform was too big for her, though it mattered little. All she could see was her dream coming true from under the extra fabric and clunky boots. Cady’s method of stuffing shoes helped to bring her boots to a more comfortable fit while the leather armor laced over her chest and midsection made any further scheming unnecessary. She spent the prior evening working to hem the wrists and pant legs to fit her more appropriately. The last thing she wanted was to risk stumbling over her own feet while on the scout. She was happy that the dark blue material matched her complexion well, the hat a bit more stylish with its tiny brim. The ensemble was somewhat oversized, but at least she looked fashionable.
“Well, Soldier, are you about ready?” the commander announced, stepping through the flap of the tent. Jumping to attention, Leyna nodded her head, quickly catching herself to give an awkward salute. The stern expression on the commander’s face eased at the sight of her, his lips curling into a gentle smile. “Relax, dear,” he chuckled, moving across the room to where she was standing. “This scout is less formal than you might think.”
“That may be so, Commander, but I should still maintain proper etiquette…”
“Please –” he cut in, holding his hand up to stop her from speaking. “We are kin. Call me Feolan when we are not in the presence of other soldiers. It helps keep my ego in check.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Leyna’s mouth, uncertain of whether or not it would be acceptable. Once she heard Feolan’s casual laughter, she gave in to the smile, a rush of relief coming over her at the release of the tension built up inside her. “I was not sure if you were serious…”
“Even if I wasn’t, how could I be angry with you? You look like a little girl playing dress up in daddy’s uniform,” he grinned, patting her once on the shoulder.
Leyna’s smile instantly faded away at his words. She didn’t know what to expect from him, afraid he may be using some form of trickery to discover her secret. The men she was surrounded by now were not like those whom she’d become accustomed to at the academy. They were trained to discern tactics and secrets of their enemies. Her ruse seemed hardly clever enough to slip past them. “I am not a child,” she stated calmly. She kept her gaze locked steadily on Feolan’s, hoping her unshaken demeanor would help to back her words.
“Oh, of course,” Feolan nodded, his smile slowly disappearing from his gentle features. “Either way, we have all been instructed by the Captain that we are to treat you like one of the men. Failure to do so holds consequences I doubt any of them will want to risk. Our only concern is for you. If you are to be treated like one of the men, then you will have to act like one of the men – there will be no easing up on any of our training on your behalf. Thade, however, seems extremely confident that you will be fine.”
“That is reassuring,” she mumbled. A feeling of dread washed over her at the thought, worried she wouldn’t be able to keep up with their rigorous routines. She held no false ideas that the academy was anything like the real military. It was a means of basic training, and nothing more. She knew her physical strength was severely lacking. Her only hope was that her size would compensate with increased speed and agility the others didn’t possess.
Absently tying her hair back, she made sure it was out of her face, tucking the stray strands behind her pointed ears. Snatching her hat up from off its hook, she situated it on her head, checking it briefly in the mirror to make sure it was straight. I can’t be looking like a slob…
The armor was heavier than what she was used to. It weighed down on her upper body, making it more difficult for her to maneuver. She was thankful she’d been allowed to keep her own sword, granting her the advantage of having a lighter weapon than those of the other soldiers.
“There will be four of us on the scout today. I should brief you before we head out,” Feolan announced, motioning for her to have a seat on a makeshift chair nearby. “The Captain will be going. You will also be accompanied by a fellow scout, a Mialan man by the name of Teagan, and myself. We received intelligence a few days ago that the enemy is planning an attack. We know they will be traveling from the south, so we need to determine a good location to set up our troops to cut them off without them becoming aware of our position.”
Sitting stiffly in the chair, Leyna watched Feolan intently. His movements and manner of speaking were captivating to her, much the same way as she’d felt about Thade. The Vor’shai people were scarce in Carpaen, most of them avoiding the hotter climates. Because of this, she had little experience with them, her earlier memories faded due to her young age when she’d last been amongst her own kind. Seeing them again reminded her of her mother, reviving her memory in Leyna’s soul.
“What do we know about our enemy? I hate to admit that I have little knowledge of the situation here in Siscal,” she inquired curiously, anxious at the opportunity to learn more. Knowledge would make her more useful to the unit, and it was the one thing she knew she lacked.
Feolan paced the floor slowly, his hands clasped lightly behind his back. “We face the barbaric people of Namorea. The Namirens, however, also have the Sanarik people on their side. We find them to be a larger concern. They are crafty and they fall hard in battle. While the Namirens prefer the traditional attacks, the Sanarik utilize trickery, setting traps and whatnot. We know a new wave has landed off the coastline of Carpaen, taking advantage of the wasteland there to make camp before making their way across the border.”
“They make their base in Carpaen, and the Carpaens have nothing to say about this?” she asked in disbelief, shivering uncomfortably at the thought of how possible it would have been for her to have accidentally stumbled upon them during her journey here. It was frightening to think what might have happened to her. An unsuspecting prey.
“Carpaen has made it very clear that they are hoping to remain neutral through this. More importantly, though – they aren’t aware it’s occurring. The closest civilization outside the desert is so far away that the Carpaens are oblivious to the fact that their “neutral ground” is being taken advantage of. I also doubt they would be willing to trek their army across the desert to stop them.”
At the sound of the tent flap opening, Leyna raised her eyes to see who had arrived, climbing swiftly to her feet at the sight of Thade standing there. To his left stood another young male, whom she assumed was the other scout Feolan mentioned to be Teagan. His light brown hair was tied back behind his shoulders, his somewhat slanted, gold colored eyes glancing over to Leyna curiously before averting his gaze to Feolan. “We should be heading out before it gets much later. I want to make sure we are back at camp before nightfall.” Thade’s tone was more commanding than Leyna was used to, realizing she’d never actually seen him while in the role of Captain.
Without argument she made her way over to him, following behind Feolan obediently. Seeing her there, Thade gave a courteous nod, turning away to lead them back outside the tent. They bypassed the horses, continuing out of the camp on foot. She struggled to keep up with their quick pace, her shorter legs unable to carry her the same distance as the lengthened strides of the men. Her armor hindered her progress further, her lungs feeling as tho
ugh they would explode from the exertion.
Once out of view of the camp and deeper into the mountains, their pace slowed, allowing her an opportunity to catch her breath while making up the ground between them that she had lost. Teagan’s eyes moved over to her as she stumbled up to his side, her cheeks red from her hasty steps. “This is your first scout. You must be excited,” he mused, quickly shifting his eyes away.
“I think determined might be a better word to describe it,” she exhaled, finding her breath still lost to her. Continuing to speak, her words were broken up by attempts to take in air, gradually easing with the slower pace. “I think many of the men don’t believe I can handle myself. I view this as an opportunity to show them I can keep up with anyone here.”
“You won’t find any harsh feelings among the people here. It’s the Siscal men you have to be wary of,” Teagan stated flatly, his eyes staring straight ahead at the backs of Thade and Feolan. “You see, the Siscal soldiers are a bit lacking in comparison to the Tanispan and Mialan militaries, but they will argue that to their dying day. Truth be told, my grandmother could probably run circles around them.”
Leyna could see Thade’s shoulders shaking with quiet laughter in front of them. “In all fairness, Teagan, your grandmother is still in her prime. That hardly seems a fair comparison.”
“My grandmother’s grandmother then. Either way, it serves my point,” Teagan shrugged, the leather of his armor creaking with the motion. “I doubt you would disagree with me, in any case.”
“Regardless of whether I agree or not, they are still the soldiers which we fight alongside, and therefore we must do what we can to ensure they are the absolute best, or Siscal will have no chance at victory.” Thade’s tone was light yet dismissive, a hidden meaning buried within it which requested their conversation to cease. They were further into the mountains now, their direction completely lost to Leyna. Everything looked so similar. It was impossible for her to tell one mountain from another, the twisting paths taking them outside the main road.
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 5
