by Ryan Evans
“Valian, that’s enough. Control your aura,” Karsam said in a resigned tone. I realized what I had been doing and immediately worked on reigning in my power. He said nothing about my addressing a superior officer the way I had, so I guessed that we were outside of the house military structure at the moment.
“You see,” Major Vinea said but was interrupted by Colonel Karsam, who seemed to regain some of his fire as he stood.
“I believe you’ve said all you need to say for the time being,” the colonel said in a stern voice. Major Vinea looked a little ashen, but he stayed silent.
“Valian, sit down,” Karsam sighed. I complied by sitting at the end of the table. Unfortunately, it was next to Saundra, but to my surprise, her usual predatory gaze looked much more guarded. Her bluff was further compromised by the smell of her fear.
“The truth of the matter is that both the Vineas and Valian share guilt in this,” Karsam said in a flat tone. His assessment surprised me. I honestly didn’t think I did anything wrong and had the urge to say so until I saw Karsam’s expression directed towards me.
“Valian is right, Roland. You tried to take advantage of a fellow member of House Silvanti by playing to the fact they were new to the nobility.” Major Vinea looked like he wanted to respond, but that same stern look that had stopped me held him back.
“Valian, you were wrong in that you baited Maxon and made it a matter of his honor to face you in a duel. I told you to build relationships with your fellow Silvanti House nobles, not goad them into fights. That applies even if it was of their own making.” His stern expression was focused squarely on me with angry eyes. I bowed slightly to acknowledge his point which seemed to appease him.
“It was just damn unfortunate that Maxon would pick the most dangerous way to fight in a childish bid to impress my niece,” Karsam continued, this time looking at Aaryn. She refused to look up from the table, choosing not to acknowledge his anger.
“I must admit that even I share guilt in all of this,” he continued, “I’ll rectify that now. Aaryn, I’ve doted on you your entire life. I’ve treated you like my own daughter and always tried to give you anything you wanted. My failure was that I turned a blind eye to propriety for the sake of your happiness. Maybe, if I’d treated your and Maxon’s relationship differently, we wouldn’t be here right now. By the ancestors, I won’t do you that disservice again. You’re an officer and heir of House Silvanti, and from here on out, your actions will be befitting a noble of your position. Nothing short of that will be acceptable.”
His words seemed to surprise everyone at the table but none so much as Aaryn. She sat there with her mouth partly open as if she wanted words to come out, but none would come to her. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes, and I looked away, feeling embarrassed for her.
“I’ve watched you and Maxon behave inappropriately for months now, and I’ve had enough. It ends today. If you wish to be engaged to him, you’ll observe all social niceties from here on out.” Karsam said while maintaining direct eye contact with Aaryn. Aaryn met his gaze for just a heartbeat before she lowered her eyes to her lap.
“I’d be delivering the same message to Maxon if he was here right now. As it is, I’ll expect you to convey my words when he is strong enough to hear them, Roland,” he said, looking at Major Vinea. To the major’s credit, he didn’t argue, but nodded his understanding.
Colonel Karsam took several slow, deliberate breaths while he sat back down before speaking again. No one seemed to want to draw his ire, so everyone stayed silent until he spoke. “In six or seven days’ time we’ll be arriving at Fort Granas and meeting up with the main imperial force here on the eastern border. We’ll also be surrounded by other noble houses of varying species. I’ll not have infighting while we’re there. We’ll all carry ourselves with dignity and honor while presenting a unified front.”
His words had a finality and weight to them that no one dared to argue against. “As to your assignment of scout and watch details Valian, they’re effectively canceled. Chain of command be damned, dominance games will not extend to uniform matters. Am I understood?”
Everyone, including Major Vinea, nodded their understanding, though we all remained silent. It was clear that now was not the time to speak. After the silence had stretched on for several moments, Karsam addressed us one final time, “Everyone except Valian is dismissed. I believe the camp needs to be struck and preparations need to be made for the day’s march.”
I didn’t know what could be left to talk about, but I stayed seated as everyone left the command tent. Major Vinea stopped for a moment in front of me. “I’ll have your armor and sword delivered to your tent this evening. The gold we have with us will stay in the troop lockbox under Colonel Karsam’s care until the expedition is concluded. The rest will have to be collected when we return to Tor’s Rest. A promissory note will be signed and placed in the lock box,” he said in a neutral tone.
I had no delusions about where I stood in Major Vinea’s mind. This was his concession and the closest thing to an acknowledgment of my victory and his wrong-doing as I’d get. I nodded my agreement, and he walked out of the tent without looking back.
I waited patiently as the rest of the room cleared. Colonel Karsam also remained seated while the others left the command tent. Finally, after the last of the nobles had been gone for a little while, Karsam spoke.
“So far, you’ve met two noble families and my niece. Almost instantly, you’ve gotten all of them to hate you. What do you think that says about you?” he asked me in a neutral tone. I didn’t know where to even begin in thinking up a response to his question.
Karsam picked up on my inability to answer and continued talking. “To me, it says you aren’t capable of being a member of the pack; that you insist on going your own way regardless of the consequences. Do you have anything to say to that?” I didn’t know where this was coming from, but I didn’t like where it was going.
“Colonel Karsam, I feel I’ve done my best to work with the others given the circumstances.” I said in defense of my actions. I was getting angry thinking back over each incident, and I had to actively work on controlling my tone.
“When I first met the Umbras, they were insulting the soldiers I’d spent the past six years training with, soldiers that have sworn to give their lives for Silvanti House. The Vineas tried to illegally take my mount because they decided they were more deserving of her. I would never allow that type of insult to go unchallenged.” I said, feeling my blood boil.
“While I see your point, what other action could I have taken? What would you have done in my place?” I challenged. If I was to be judged, I would hear what course Colonel Karsam would expect of me.
I couldn’t help my tone rising at the injustice of it all. I realized that I was starting to lose control again and stopped speaking. Shortly after, Sergeant Iglias called to me from the tent entrance.
I excused myself from the table at Karsam’s nod and walked over to see what was so important that I be summoned during a conversation with the colonel. Lathian was standing patiently in front of the entrance while Sergeant Iglias and Tristan blocked his path. The elf had an outward tranquility about him, but my instincts told me of his capacity for violence lurking just below the surface.
“Milord, this elf slave says he works for the Colonel and requests entry.” Sergeant Iglias said in a way that made it clear what he thought of elves. My soldiers’ commitment to their duty impressed me. Many would have immediately backed down at someone claiming to work for the Colonel. Even though their dedication impressed me, the sergeant’s prejudice was disappointing.
“It’s all right Sergeant, I know this man, and he may come and go as he pleases. In fact, I believe the danger has passed. Have the men fall out to their required tasks and prepare to march. I think we’ll be getting underway before too much longer.”
Sergeant Iglias bowed and left to carry out my orders. Tristan was right behind him, but smiled and w
inked at me before he left. I noticed the speed and efficiency with which my soldiers moved out. I decided then and there that my people would be elites among Silvanti House’s army. We would show the others a higher standard. I made a mental note to speak with Sergeant Iglias about it later. I turned my attention back to Lathian, who was still standing in front of me.
Lathian was watching my squad head back towards the edge of the camp with an appraising look. His interest in my soldiers put my inner beast on edge. It was as if, even as a slave, he was sizing up an opponent.
“Quite the display of respect. It would seem that your soldiers are extremely loyal to you. Most wouldn’t dare stand with their lieutenant if it meant running fowl of higher ranking nobles within the house,” Lathian said with an almost inquisitive tone.
“They know that I value their lives above all else and would never put them at odds with Silvanti House. They were on guard for possible assassination attempts and had clear orders to stand down if any nobles were involved,” I responded. I tried to keep any defensiveness out of my voice, but his unspoken accusation was entirely too bold.
I turned around and headed back towards the central table. Karsam was still seated and waiting for my return. I was acutely aware of the danger of having the elf so close to my back, and my senses were on overdrive looking for the smallest sign of him making a move against me. I made a point to appear casual and unconcerned as I covered the remaining distance. It wouldn’t do for him to see me sweat.
At the last moment, Lathian veered away from me and walked up to Colonel Karsam. “Sir, Maxon Vinea will live, but he will require four or five days of rest in the wagon before he is able to travel on horseback again. The scars to his face and body may take many months or years to fade,” Lathian said in a professional and disinterested way.
Colonel Karsam received the news calmly, but I could see tension around his eyes. “You see, Valian, this is more of what I’m talking about. You haven’t been a member of Silvanti House for even a month, and already you’ve severely injured one of our strongest up-and-coming nobles. You’ve also weakened an already small number of officers on this expedition.” His words didn’t hold the fire they had earlier. They seemed more resigned.
“I didn’t share my theory of your bloodline with the rest of the officers, but after this morning’s display, I see no reason to hide the information. I thought hiding your heritage and strength would allow you to blend in better. Clearly, I was wrong, and it instead painted a bigger target on your back. That changes today. From here on out, you’ll be known as Valian Fero. The name might draw attention from the imperial family and some other influential nobility, but I hope it will give our own people pause in challenging you. You’ve made it clear you’re more than willing to defend yourself, and I’d like to still have more than two officers at the end of this march,” he said resolutely.
I stood there for a moment digesting his decision. It would definitely draw the ire of some very important beast-kind families; but he was right in that it would make the others hesitant to move against me. Not seeing any other way, I responded with a simple, “Very well sir,” and he continued speaking.
“I wanted you to learn how to be a part of high society, but it’s clear that a new tactic is required. With your skill set and strength, you’re more suited to being feared for your combat and leadership abilities than accepted due to your heritage. From here on out, I want you training your squad in the evenings to hone their skills further. If you’re determined to be at odds with everyone else, you’ll need strong soldiers watching your back,” he said, clearly ending our conversation.
As I left, I caught Lathian watching me from the edge of the tent. He always looked as if he was debating whether or not to try to kill me. Regardless of his motivations or thoughts on the matter, his attitude drove home the need for my men to be better trained. I knew my squad was skilled, but if they were to survive having me as their leader, they’d need all the help they could get.
Chapter 11
The entire army was packed up and ready to go by mid-day. It was only a seven day march to Fort Granas, and I was looking forward to being around other beast-kind. I hoped there would be fewer issues within our own army if we had rival groups around us.
We junior officers oversaw the scouts and watch rotations during the trek. With Maxon down for the time-being, it was made clear I’d be taking over his responsibilities on top of my own. It really didn’t bother me though. It was roughly one third of what I would have been doing if his punishment had stayed in effect.
The biggest dilemma it presented was that I needed to devise a way to work with my squad while also overseeing my details. I spoke to Sergeant Iglias before our departure, and between us, we came up with a solution. My squad would hate it at first, but they would definitely be stronger by the time we got to the fort.
We decided that, while we had the mounted scouts patrolling the road, the army would benefit from some closer scouting work. I had sergeant Iglias break the soldiers into three groups. We assigned each group to the left, right or front of the formation. Their goal was to survey our surroundings as stealthily as possible while keeping pace with the main army.
While they did that, they also had another task. Each member of their respective groups took turns dropping back and trying to sneak up on the main formation without being seen. They continued this exercise continuously throughout the march. When the formation stopped, the groups rotated their positions relative to the main army and continued their tasks when we moved out again.
The pace was grueling. They had to work on being stealthy while also moving faster than the main body of our army. That in itself was difficult, but they were also being evaluated. As they stalked the main force, I searched for them.
My senses were sharper than they ever had been, and I had little problem picking out my soldiers sneaking up on the formation. Once I located them, I tried to assess them on what the average soldier would have noticed. The worst three would have a special training session with me during the night while everyone else got to sleep.
The day went well. We marched until slightly after sundown to make up for lost time that morning. I thought the day’s training was a success, and even Bashita enjoyed moving in front of and around the formation. The mounted scouts reported nothing out of the ordinary further down the road, and the entire army settled for the evening.
My three lowest performers of stealth were Tristan and two of the larger male members of the group. The two larger wolf-kind struggled with hiding their bulk in the surrounding terrain, but Tristan was simply bad at stalking. His footfalls were heavy, and he somehow shook every bush and shrub he walked by. While as his friend, it was amusing to watch something he didn’t excel at, as his commander, it was aggravating to have a soldier so weak in an area.
As the formation stopped for the day, and the different squads moved to set up their tents, I had my soldiers assemble on the edge of camp. They all looked exhausted, and I momentarily felt badly for putting them through such training. I dismissed the feeling almost immediately as I remembered why I was doing this. They needed to be better.
Still mounted on Bashita, I called my three worst stalkers to the front of the group. They hadn’t known they were being scored, and their faces registered uncertainty with a little fear from being so close to my battle charger. She had a tendency to bite those within reach.
“Today, I watched all of you as you carried out your assignments. Many of you did an excellent job. There is room for improvement, but overall, what I saw impressed me,” I said to the entire group. I saw several of my soldiers stand a little straighter at the praise.
“Unfortunately, some of you need extra training while the others sleep. You three will be with me tonight,” I continued as I made eye contact with each of my remedial students. All three of them had trouble holding eye contact as they all knew how poorly they had performed.
“Sergeant Iglias, take the squad out pa
st the sentries. I’d like two man watch details. You’re in charge of who goes when. We won’t rely on other groups until we know we can rely on our own skill,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear and dismissed all but the three before me.
There were grumbles from some of the soldiers, but none were loud enough that I thought they needed addressing. The sergeant had known about this part, but we had decided that it would work better if the rest of the squad didn’t know until the end of the day.
I had Tristan and the other two work on gathering wood and water for the squad’s campsite. They would also have trail rations for dinner instead of the warm meal that the cooks had prepared. I left them with the understanding that I’d be back later in the night for their training.
I made my way over to where the other mounts were being kept as the last of the day’s light faded completely. A soldier working with the horses brought me a feed sack along with a brush without my asking. It seemed it had become accepted that I’d be working with my own mount, and no one bothered me as I worked.
After Bashita was cared for and put up for the night, I made my way towards the command tent. A quick word with a guard let me know that I still had time to freshen up before dinner was served. I walked towards my own tent where I’d be able to get the dust of the road off of my uniform and gear.
What I found when I got there was unexpected. Inside of the tent, on my bed was a set of metal plated leather armor and a sword and dagger on a weapons belt. In all the excitement of the day, I had forgotten about my prize. The fight seemed like forever ago even though it had been less than a full day. Next to my new gear was a short letter that simply read:
I’m sure these will be sufficient for your prize.
The note was condescending, but the armor and weapons were the nicest things besides Bashita that I’d ever owned. I took a moment to inspect each piece before moving to the next. I couldn’t help but smile as I did so.
