Dark Wolf's Awakening

by Ryan Evans

  The third evening we met up with the main body of Silvanti’s army already camped and resting. The soldiers I saw as we rode into the established camp looked fit and ready for action. They had a confidence about them indicative of plenty of battle experience.

  I noticed many older sergeants leading the veterans. This was a good sign as experienced sergeants were the backbone of any army. The veterans seemed to welcome the new recruits jovially, and it looked like the integration process would be a smooth one.

  I hung close to Colonel Karsam as we made our way towards the center of the camp, and it was there that I met the other nobles on this tour. We dismounted before a large command tent. The officers who’d been waiting for us were all standing in front of the tent’s entrance. The other officers greeted one another since they already knew each other. Once they finished their greetings, Karsam turned to introduce me.

  “Lieutenant Valian, I’d like for you to meet our other officers,” he said in an upbeat tone. “First is Major Roland Vinea,” he said indicating a man of about the same frame but much older than him. “Next we have Maxon Vinea and Darian Mollis, both captains for Silvanti’s army.” I bowed to each of them, and they returned the courtesy.

  Both captains appeared to be older than me by a couple of years, but not nearly as old as the majors or Karsam. Maxon was a strong looking wolf-kind with broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw. His blonde hair and grey eyes made him quite memorable. His armor and tabard were of the highest quality and so clean they seemed to shine, adding to his imposing appearance. He was obviously the type that made women swoon.

  Darian on the other hand was unremarkable in most ways. He was a little shorter than me and of an average build. By the looks of him, physical activity was not his strong suite. His tabard and armor were expensive looking, but they somehow appeared disheveled and ill kept. He also hunched his shoulders and had trouble making eye contact.

  As I was being introduced, I noticed a look of impatience from Aaryn. The reason became obvious, as after introductions, she wrapped her arms around Maxon with affection and said how she had missed him. Her behavior was not what I’d expected from the heiress of a noble house.

  Maxon froze for a moment, as if not knowing if it was okay for him to respond, before he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her into a tight hug. Their actions were a major breach in etiquette and surprised me. Karsam didn’t immediately break them up or raise a fuss, so I figured this was who Lathian had meant when he hinted at Aaryn’s possible suitors. It was awkward standing there just watching them, and it gave me a strange discomfort in my chest. Finally, after entirely too much time had gone by, Karsam cleared his throat loudly. The noise reminded them of their surroundings and ended the hug between the two.

  I excused myself at the earliest opportunity after that and went to take care of Bashita. I ignored the knowing look from Karsam. After that display, I wanted to be away from the others. A familiar activity that required no thought would do me good, and Bashita had a way of calming me.

  I didn’t fully understand my irritation at their reunion. I’d told Lathian that I had no desire of courting Aaryn, and I’d meant it. Looking back at the last couple of days, I wondered if I’d been lying to both him and myself. Seeing them together had definitely angered my inner beast, and I felt a strong sense of possessiveness I never expected. I tried my best to clear the feelings from my mind as I led Bashita through the camp, and I mostly succeeded before I reached the grooming area.

  The camp was much larger than what we’d had the last several days, so there was a temporary pen set up to hold the mounts instead of a picket line. Walking through the camp, I noticed that the soldiers all watched me as I passed. My ex-classmates had been one thing, but these were all hardened soldiers and strangers. It left me feeling on edge, and I did my best to keep my anger from bleeding out around me.

  As I approached the horse pen, an unknown senior sergeant stepped out to meet me. “Milord, we’ll take care of your mount if you’d like,” he said giving a bow.

  “The last time someone tried to handle her, I ended up with a broken shoulder. While I appreciate the offer, I’ll see to her myself,” I said more abrasively than I’d intended. He looked offended at my lack of trust in his skill, but knew better than to push it.

  “As you wish milord. I’ll make sure someone brings the proper supplies to you and takes your bags to your tent,” he said and bowed again. He left to take care of my needs, and it wasn’t long before I was tending to Bashita in peace.

  Bashita taken care of, I left the horse pen and was unhurriedly looking for my squad among the camp when an aid approached me at a jog. “Milord, Colonel Karsam has summoned you to the officers’ meal. He also gave me this message for you.” The young soldier trembled slightly as he relayed his message. Ignoring his nervousness, I thanked him, took the slip of paper and dismissed him.

  The message he delivered reminded me how poorly my introductions with the Umbras went and expressed the expectation that first impressions with the Vineas go smoother. It was rather frustrating, but I understood where Karsam was coming from. I sighed and made my way towards the command tent in the center of the camp.

  As I got to the entrance, I saw through the flap that all the other nobles were present and seated at a folding table more than large enough for the entire group of officers. By the expressions on their faces, they had been waiting for some time. I apparently had a knack for being late to things, which was absurd because until a few days ago, that kind of behavior would have meant public lashings.

  The two guards at the tent entrance bowed as I came in range and held the flaps open for me as I entered. As I stepped into the tent, I noticed Lathian standing behind Colonel Karsam’s seat at the head of the table. He stood staring straight ahead, but I knew that his awareness encompassed the entire tent.

  “Ah, Lieutenant Valian, how nice of you to make an appearance. We were just discussing where to assign you,” Major Vinea said as I walked into the tent. Though his tone was pleasant, his eyes shown with a predatory glint.

  “We’ve decided that the young Umbras should serve under Dorian and their father. That leaves you and Aaryn serving under Maxon and Major Vinea,” Karsam said as I took the only available seat at the table. Unfortunately, it was right next to Maxon. Aaryn was on his other side, and the two of them were deep in some whispered conversation that only they could hear. Aaryn hadn’t even acknowledged my entrance.

  “Yes sir,” I said to the colonel and then bowed to Major Vinea as I forced down my irritation at the couple beside me. At that, the meal commenced, and all attention was redirected to the food before us.

  Servants stepped forward and lifted lids off the trays sitting at each place setting. Underneath the lids were two roasted quails and fresh bread for each officer. The sight and smell of the food made my mouth water, but the abundance seemed out of place on a campaign.

  Others came around with pitchers of wine or ale, and once everyone was served, the serving staff stood at the edge of the command tent quietly. The entire scene felt overly excessive compared to the camp just outside of the tent flaps. I would have much rather sat with my squad and enjoyed a simple meal.

  The Colonel, along with Major Vinea and Major Umbra, discussed politics in Silvanti House’s home city of Tor’s Rest as they ate. I tried to pay attention to their conversation, but I couldn’t keep my focus from Maxon’s and Aaryn’s whispering and laughing. The Umbra siblings enjoyed bullying Dorian, who said nothing since their father was his immediate superior.

  With everyone engaged, no one attempted to bring me in to their conversations. I ate in silence, observing everything around me. The food was expertly prepared, and the ale was better than any I’d tasted before. I debated tasting the wine, but decided I would wait for another occasion.

  I couldn’t say the lack of interaction between myself and the other nobles disappointed me, but it made the time move by slowly. As dinner was finally concluding
, I noticed Major Vinea get his son’s attention and signaled that Maxon should get on with something.

  “Lieutenant Valian,” Maxon said, tearing himself away from Aaryn for a moment. My meal soured in my stomach at his addressing me. “Since you were late to the officers’ dinner and had to be summoned by a superior officer, you must face punishment. From this point forward, you will serve with the forward scouts during the day’s march. You will also oversee the guard detail each night until we reach Fort Granas. As such, you will have a proper excuse for missing the officers’ meal the rest of the trip. Am I clear?”

  I glanced around the room. Everyone was quiet at the table. A punishment was one thing, but to hand out a punishment in front of everyone else was an insult. The excuse to get away from the other officers made me happy. I didn’t mind the extra work. It would give me something to do since I didn’t sleep much anymore, but I couldn’t ignore the slight against me. “Yes Captain,” I said in a clear and neutral tone pushing down my irritation.

  At my response, Maxon leaned in so that only I could hear him. “You’ll have to conduct your star-gazing alone from here on out,” he whispered.

  The pieces snapped together at once in my mind. Someone had reported Aaryn’s and my time together. He was staking his claim. My inner beast didn’t appreciate that.

  Maxon was over-doing the punishment for the sake of establishing his dominance in front of Aaryn. By the smug look on his father’s face, the two of them had discussed the matter beforehand. If I had to guess, I would have said my discomfort at Aaryn’s and Maxon’s earlier display had been noticed.

  My punishment was more to keep me away from Aaryn than anything else. If I was too busy to talk to anyone, it would be impossible for me to disrupt their relationship. While their abuse of military structure bothered me, I could ignore it. I’d let them think they had properly cowed me while getting the solitude I desired. If Aaryn wanted to speak to me, she would find a way.

  Despite my feelings on the matter, it was clear that Colonel Karsam was less than impressed with what had just happened. My punishment flew in the face of the guidance that Karsam had given me. My guess was that Major Vinea hadn’t consulted with him first. Regardless of where the decision came from, the colonel couldn’t overturn their decision without undermining the major and his son. If that happened, the colonel’s support would be clear for all to see.

  “If that is all captain, it would seem I have work to do,” I said as I stood to leave. I hoped that I could defuse the tension if I left the area. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Major Vineas triumphant expression made it clear he’d mistaken my attempt to smooth things over for weakness.

  “That’s not all Lieutenant,” Major Vinea interjected. “As you’ll be a part of the scouting party, you’ll not be needing such a noble steed. I’ll be assigning the battle charger to Captain Vinea, and you’ll be issued another from our stock.” His words stunned me for a moment. Even if Maxon could ride Bashita, which I knew was impossible, she was mine. I’d not be giving her to anyone.

  The major, thinking me weak and easily intimidated, was using my punishment as an excuse to overstep his position and steal my mount for his son. His actions technically broke no laws, but they were dishonorable. I tried to find my inner calm, but it slipped away as I processed the major’s actions. Maxon’s face only made it worse as I saw the smug grin plastered upon it.

  My vision went red. The Soltaran Empire had been built on strength, and its laws reflected that. The Major might not be breaking the law in trying to take from me, but he inadvertently opened a door to me that transcended rank or standing among the nobility.

  Violence was the ultimate authority within the empire. If someone was willing to put themselves on the line, they could fight to protect their property or take someone else’s. This law was true for everyone save the emperor himself.

  “Major, while I appreciate your concern for my mount, I fear that I won’t be able to follow your order,” I said as diplomatically as I could.

  My anger was building as I thought about how they had just tried to strong arm me, thinking me afraid. “If Captain Maxon would like to issue a challenge for my mount, I’ll happily accept. I’ll even allow him to name the terms, but that is the only way I’ll be relinquishing my battle charger,” I said, staring into the major’s eyes.

  They had over played their hand and placed themselves in a bind. I saw Major Umbra smiling cruelly out of the corner of my eye. No doubt, anything that made the other nobles in Silvanti House look bad was a boon for him.

  “Lieutenant Valian is correct Roland, if your son wishes to press the matter, then he must challenge for the mount and offer compensation should he lose,” Colonel Karsam stated, heading off the rant by the red faced Major Vinea. Despite his speaking in my favor, the colonel looked sick from the turn of events.

  If the Vineas backed down, it would be a sign of weakness. If they challenged me, it carried the potential of losing to an unknown noble who’d only awakened a handful of days ago. Since they were going after a trained battle charger, the counter reward would also be significant. My offering to let them name the terms only made it worse. The offer let them play to Maxon’s strengths, and they had no excuse not to make the challenge.

  The law was clear on duels. If the reason for the duel wasn’t a capital offense, it could not end in death. Opponents could be maimed, but not killed. Submission, incapacitation or unconsciousness were the only acceptable outcomes. If someone killed their opponent in a regular duel, the matter would be investigated and the kingdom could apply harsh penalties including exile. After all, the empire didn’t want the nobles killing each other off and weakening its power base.

  The only areas where dueling was not allowed were those that would harm the fundamental stability of the kingdom such as imperial appointments and granted titles. The caveat to using martial prowess to enforce your will was that you had to be strong enough to keep your prize.

  Going around dueling every noble in sight left a long line of enemies in one’s wake. Many noble families were not opposed to using unsavory tactics to get revenge. Several of the books I had recently read made that abundantly clear. As the Vineas would be the challenging party, I didn’t think I’d have to worry about it in this case.

  The Vineas really had no other course of action but to move forward. “Very well Valian, I challenge you to a duel to be held tomorrow morning before the day’s march. As the battle charger is quite valuable, I offer a set of plated leather armor and fifty gold pieces as recompense. This is outside of military rank, and this challenge will not affect your disciplinary matters,” Maxon said with a tense jaw and hard eyes.

  The message was clear. Regardless of how this went, I’d still be on the scout and guard details. Aaryn looked back and forth between the two of us. An expression of anxiety marred her attractive face.

  “Colonel Karsam, I believe you were a part of acquiring Bashita and the other two battle chargers, were you not?” I asked, ignoring Maxon’s offer. I was guessing at his involvement, but as the house’s second, he was a part of most large decisions.

  He nodded at my statement. “What was the estimated value of their pedigree and training?” I continued. He didn’t answer at once, but stared at me. His eyes said it all; this was not what he had wanted when he’d told me to spend more time around the other nobles. He had meant for me to get along and find a place among the others in House Silvanti. Fate seemed to have other ideas.

  After a moment, Karsam answered, “The full estimation of worth for Bashita is right at three hundred gold coins due to her pedigree and training. That includes none of her value as potential breeding stock.” The amount shocked me. Upon hearing that, it was clear Karsam had never expected Sergeant Arnef to give me the battle charger. Maxon turned pale upon hearing the value of his challenge’s goal.

  “I see. In that case, the armor and two hundred gold pieces should suffice, or perhaps the armor, new weapons, and
one hundred gold,” I said looking at Maxon. Weapons and armor had a special value in duels. They wouldn’t be worth near the gold they replaced, but the victor gained more prestige among their peers. When a family lost a duel for armor or weapons, they were expected to offer the best they could.

  It was a matter of honor to say you won your arms and armor from another noble family. Since we were in the field, the best equipment Maxon had was most likely what he was wearing. As a commoner, I’d have been lucky to ever see a gold piece, but now that my station had changed so drastically, I’d have to play to the situation in which I found myself. Half measures wouldn’t suffice.

  Maxon thought about it for a moment. Even for a successful noble, two hundred gold pieces was a steep price. Noble Houses, of course, had much greater wealth than their members, but there was no way the Vineas could borrow that amount of money from the house coffers without collateral. Since that was the case, he’d have to bet his arms and armor along with gold.

  “Very well Valian, I agree to wager arms, armor, and one hundred gold pieces against your mount. As you’ve given me right of choice, I choose tooth and claw mid-morning tomorrow before we set out,” Maxon said with a cruel smile. There was a gasp from the Umbra twins and Aaryn.

  I saw a moment of doubt in Major Vinea’s eyes as the words sunk in. Major Umbra sat silently with a calculating look in his eyes. Duels were very tricky while shifted. For one, there was always the chance that the aura of your opponent would hinder your ability to fight effectively without hesitating. By his outward confidence, Maxon thought he could cow me in such a manner.

  Another issue was that damage from other beast-kind in beast form was slower to heal and sometimes left marks even when you shifted back. Maxon clearly cared a great deal for his appearance, so it was a risk to fight in such a manner. While the army respected battle scars, polite society gravitated towards pretty things.