Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (149 page)

“Are you talking about replacing him as Lord Athione?” Jihan asked intently.

“Not yet.”

Yet? That didn’t sound good. It wasn’t good for Keverin, but worse, it wasn’t good for Deva. If Keverin was successfully ousted, Julia would leave with him.

“If you think to remove Keverin, you will receive no help from Malcor.”

Dylan’s face hardened for a moment before going blank again. “Keverin is my father’s friend, and yours I know, but Deva’s welfare comes before friendship.”

Surely Dylan did not truly believe Deva’s welfare was best served by replacing Keverin. Jihan frowned as he remembered an argument he had witnessed in Devarr. Keverin had been angered when Gylaren ordered three thousand cavalry to Devarr, but would not send them in pursuit of Julia’s kidnappers. Purcell had pointed out that the king had the entire kingdom to think of, not just one person. Because of this, he could not do as Kev wished. Keverin had rebutted by saying that without Julia, the sorcerers would take Athione easily, and therefore Deva was in jeopardy without her. Neither Jihan nor Purcell were fooled into thinking Keverin’s concern was for Athione alone, but that did not make his words less true.

“Friendship is important to me, Dylan, but I do take your meaning. Even so, you should not think to strengthen Deva by removing Keverin. Among other things you would lose Julia’s aid in defending us against the Hasians.”

“As I said, Keverin has not been removed,” Dylan said dismissively and changed the subject. “Now the news to the east is not good either. Although it does not affect us directly from a military point of view, my father is still very concerned. Tanjung hit Japura hard last year. With the loss of Talayan, the Matriarch had little choice but to retaliate in force. The Tanjuners have been pushed way back on the defensive. If things keep going the way they are Vexin will lose his capital.”

“If that happens, he’ll lose the confidence of his lords and from there his position as emperor.”

“Yes exactly. The Japurans have stayed within the same borders for their entire history… well, we assume they have. They haven’t moved since the Founding, but what precisely this all means to us is anyone’s guess. My father is concerned as I said. He has made a few inroads on the problem of trade, and I can see that more will come in the future, but war in the east will likely ruin his current efforts.”

Jihan could see that. Deva was in a poor position where trade was concerned. High quality metal goods had always been the bedrock of Devan trade, but now they had nothing anyone wanted. The larger mines had been closed well before the last master smith left Chulym. Gylaren
could
sell ores to Japura, but the smaller mines were not producing anywhere near their capacity. The good quality ores had always come from the larger mines in any case; they were deeper than the smaller ones and dated from the Founding. The Founders had their magic to seek out the best ore, and succeeding generations of miners had simply followed them into the mountain’s bones. Trade was a long term problem; one Jihan felt ill equipped to deal with. He did feel able to deal with current concerns however.

“All I know of trade is what little I have picked up from my tenants and farmers. The merchants always laugh at my attempts to understand their business. I do understand matters of war though.”

Dylan nodded. “We know this. I have brought three thousand recruits to you. The rest will arrive in smaller groups throughout this year, but I expect you to have enough for a full Hasian-sized legion before the summer closes.”

“That is good news, but what of weapons and armour?”

“That’s not a concern for the group I brought with me; they have what they need with them, but the future is more difficult. Father has put the supply situation squarely into my hands while he tries to solve the trade problem. I have a few ideas, but how I’ll supply your second legion, I have no idea. Perhaps trade will have resumed by then. I can hope so anyway.”

Jihan was not concerned about the second legion; he had yet to build the first one! Ahnao had remained silent while Dylan spoke, but now she took charge.

“Well, if further discussion will wait a little, Jihan, I think Dylan might like to freshen up before dinner.”

Jihan and Dylan nodded.

“I will show you to your rooms, Dylan,” Ahnao said rising to her feet.

Dylan stood and offered his arm to Ahnao and they left together.

Jihan was grateful to her for taking Dylan off his hands. He felt an urgent need to find Echion and investigate Dylan’s claims that weapons and armour were indeed no longer a concern. He made his way through the corridors nodding occasionally to guardsmen as they snapped to attention as he past. A quick ride to the camp should reassure him that all was well. With this in mind, he was soon riding through the gate toward the camp.

He found the camp a boiling chaos of shouting and shoving men, but it wasn’t a fight he was seeing. This was the result of trying to integrate three thousand young men into a new way of doing things—the soldier’s way. Jihan called a man over to hold Jezy while he went to speak with Echion who was standing to one side of what was to be the parade ground.

“Is it as bad as it looks?”

“Not quite, my lord,” Echion said with a smile. “Our lads can work around the confusion well enough for now.”

“They shouldn’t have to,” he said and walked toward the centre of the confusion.

Men were rushing back and forth carrying long crates that Jihan assumed held swords. Where Dylan had found them was a mystery, but he was glad to have them. Other crates he assumed held armour, but when a recruit dropped one, he found something else.

“Shirts?”

“And boots my lord,” Echion said. “Some of them have armour, others trousers. The long ones are swords; some have daggers in as well. The list goes on. Everything we could want is here, except a full compliment of recruits that is.”

“Dylan has promised us the rest in smaller groups. We should have enough by the end of summer, but we’re not waiting around. I want the men to assemble before me right now. Tell them to drop whatever they are doing and tell our captains to stand with me. All clear?”

“Yes lord!” Echion said and trotted off to get the captains working.

Jihan waited as his captains yelled at the sergeants and the sergeants yelled at the recruits. When that didn’t work, they began shoving the recruits into rudimentary ranks. Echion finally returned with the captains and Jihan was able to hear himself think.

“My name is Jihan, lord of Malcor and lord Protector of the north,” he began in his best parade ground voice. “You are recruits for Deva’s first standing army. I’m sure you have all heard how good the Hasian legions are. I will train you to be as good, and hopefully, better than they. It will take time and hard work, but if you are willing to give it your all, you will become the best!”

He walked along the first rank trying to guess which of the recruits would make good sergeants. It was a purely intellectual exercise at this stage.

“With these aims in mind I want you all to realise that you are now under orders,” he said stopping next to Echion in the centre. “My sergeants, my captains, and I will be obeyed without question. Any Malcoran guardsmen tasked with training you will be obeyed similarly. This camp has been built to house you and others like you; you will treat it with respect. Anyone found wantonly damaging this camp will be thrown out and chased off my lands. Is that clear?”

Jihan waited. There were a few nods and murmurs indicating it was, but by no means was it an adequate response.

“I said is that
clear!
” he roared.

“
Yes lord!
” came back the shouted response.

He nodded accepting what he had received as the best he was likely to get. Not everyone had entered into the spirit of the thing, but it was their first day. Time would tell.

“Good! I am taking you at your word. I am a man who believes in honourable conduct. I expect to receive it from those I have dealings with. This includes all of you!” He waited a moment for that to sink in. “Now, if any of you during the course of your training believes he was treated underhandedly or unfairly, you will first go to senior captain Echion, who will judge if your case should be brought before me. I believe my men are honest and true. In the unlikely event I find that indeed you were treated badly, I will give similar treatment to your alleged tormentor. That I swear!”

Jihan found belief on most faces, but not all. There were some in a group on the left that seemed sceptical, whether from intelligent paranoia or from a distrust of nobles in general, he could not say.

“Keep an eye on that group to the left,” he whispered to Echion. “They might be all right, but they seem different from the others.”

“Yes my lord. I had noticed they stick together. I’ll find out more later.”

“Good enough,” he said and reordered his thoughts to the task at hand. “The legions have a system of maniples and battalions. It’s a good system. I want all of you to reorganise into groups of a hundred. A sergeant will be with you in a moment to check the count.”

“See that done, Echion,” Jihan said waiting.

Echion gave the word and the camp again erupted into a chaos of screaming men. Thirty hand picked guardsmen, the very best Malcor had, rushed forward to attend to their maniples. In short order, the recruit sergeants had all three thousand recruits reassembled into square formations. The sight made Jihan shiver with excitement. These men could not fight, could not ride, could not do much of anything yet, but already they were looking like soldiers.

“That certain group managed to stay together again my lord,” Echion said with a nod.

“Maybe they all come from the same village,” he replied and turned his attention back to the recruits. “The man standing in front of your maniple is your sergeant. Get to know his face. The men of your maniple will become closer than brothers. Get to know your brothers. There may come a time when all that stands between you and death is one of these men. Think about that carefully.

“The first ten maniples on my left are first battalion. The middle ten are second battalion, the third ten are obviously third battalion. Do not forget your maniple and battalion numbers, they’re important. You will find two numbers painted upon the doors of the barracks; these correspond to your maniple and battalion numbers and are where you will live for at least a year and more probably two.”

He moved toward first battalion and returned the salutes of the sergeants. The recruits of course stayed as they were. He decided on Erwin as captain because the odd group was contained in a single maniple within first battalion.

“Erwin!”

“Lord!” Erwin said and trotted to him.

“You are captain for first battalion,” Jihan said and moved on.

“Yes my lord,” Erwin said to Jihan’s back.

Erwin was a good captain, but a hard man, which is why he had chosen him for first battalion. If the odd group became in any way rowdy he could rely on Erwin to sort it out.

Jihan made his way along the silent ranks and assigned two more captains. Captain Cort was his choice for second battalion, a young but able ex-sergeant. Lastly, Captain Rikka for third battalion, a contemporary of Echion. The two were friends, and would often spar together.

Jihan took his place next to Echion once more. “There will be no training today. You will follow the orders of your officers and finish the unloading. Tomorrow you’ll begin the journey toward becoming soldiers.” He began to turn away but stopped himself. “One last thing. Make me proud fellow soldiers.”

“Dismissed to duties!” Echion roared.

Jihan turned away with Echion at his side as the cacophony erupted once more. This time he could hear the difference. Instead of thousands of voices shouting and talking at cross purposes, he heard three captains quietly giving orders and thirty sergeants bellowing instructions. Much better, he thought, and Echion seemed to agree.

“I would never have believed so many recruits could be organised so quickly if I hadn’t seen it my lord.”

He smiled as he mounted his horse. “It’s simple Echion. Every problem whether big or small can be broken down into smaller and smaller parts. Do that enough, and soon you find there is no problem.” He turned his horse toward the fortress. “You know the plan. I’ll leave it to you until I can see Dylan safely on his way.”

“You can count on me my lord!”

“I know I can,” he said and urged Jezy out of the gates.

* * *

Interlude III

Vexin stared at the map of Tanjung unseeing. Too many places were crossed out. Every town and village in the borderlands was gone. More worrying was Keppel’s news confirming the rumours of a second Japuran army in the east. It seemed Talitha was not satisfied with her greatest strike leader’s efforts even though Wakiza had won every battle to date.

“Prince Ranen you say?”

“Yes my emperor,” Keppel said with a firm nod. “Talitha has raised the princes. Not that they needed much persuading. Talayan was a big incentive for them.”

“Yes it would be,” Vexin said.

Bothmar remained silent, but his slight nod said he agreed.

As Talitha’s consort, Ranen was leading the princes, but it was hard to say which army was the more dangerous of the two. Wakiza was the older and more experienced soldier and was so far undefeated. Ranen on the other hand was young and inexperienced but had more men in the form of the princes and their sworn men.

“Are the houses mobilising as ordered?” Vexin asked as he left the map table to pour more wine.

“All are delighted, my emperor. I’m not aware of any problems as far as the nobles are concerned.”

“That’s good.”

That Vexin had to ask was an indication of his precarious position as emperor. He had ordered the raising of the second army when it became apparent that Methrym, good though he was, was unable to bring Wakiza down.

“We have to do something about Ranen. He could be here in less than a tenday if he pushes the pace.”

“He’ll not do that,” Bothmar put in. “He has to be concerned about ambushes and the like. More likely he’ll take our towns one by one as Wakiza is doing to secure his rear.”