Exile to the Stars (The Alarai Chronicles) (73 page)

Jeff
crawled out of his nest early in the afternoon. He tried to stand up but
injured thigh muscle cramped into a knot. The pain was so intense he clawed at
the dirt to keep from screaming. The cramp eventually relented and Jeff was
able to limp around camp. Troopers were also moving around and coaxing fires to
life.

As
predicted, the Alemanni had become hooked on coffee while training north of
Rugen. The first pots set to brewing did the trick for those still abed. The
two troops mustered under the eyes of their sergeants and that of the boss, who
was gratified at the initiative being shown. Jeff handed out assignments,
dismissed the troops and spent some time with the wounded. Helwin was rocking
back and forth holding her head when he kneeled by her bed with a damp cloth.

“Tough
night, Helwin. You took a hard blow to the head. Hold still.”

Removing
the bandage, he washed caked blood from her hair and forehead. The wound, a
three-inch laceration, started to bleed. A fresh bandage stopped the flow.

“Okay,
that ought to do it.”

Helwin
looked around blankly trying to orient herself. Jeff fetched a mug of coffee to
help her come up to speed. By the time it was gone Helwin’s eyes were tracking
together and she mustered a wan smile of thanks. Jeff gave her a briefing but
skimmed over details of her rescue.

“I’m
going to head back with Balko and scout results. Get more rest then make sure
the troops set up lean-tos. I don’t like the looks of this weather. We’ll talk
when I return.”

Helwin
set the mug down and fell back onto her furs with a groan. Jeff discovered he
couldn’t stand and had to crawl a ways toward the remuda before his injured leg
loosened up.

“How
you doing, big boy? Ready for a little jaunt?”

“I
can imagine what little means! But as I have said, this one is always ready.”

 
It was a long, painful afternoon for Jeff and
Cynic. Balko had taken a few hits and showed the strain as well. Still, limping
or not, someone had to lead the way and it might as well be him.

The
weather had been going sour for several days. Jeff looked up at the dark gray
clouds hanging overhead and could smell snow coming soon. Winter memories from
the far north jumped to mind and sent a convulsive shiver down his body.

When
he smelled wood smoke, Jeff turned Cynic loose to graze and follow along at his
own pace. Balko was waiting when Jeff bellied up to the rim of a hill that
seemed familiar. He removed his hat and cautiously peered over the top. Thirty
wains were still smoldering at the head of the caravan.

“Enemy
or not, that is one ugly sight.”

They
worked south from hill to hill, tallying draft horses and dodging the
occasional patrol. Dusk caught them only two-thirds of the way down the line.
Jeff slumped to the ground on the backside of a hill. Uncorking a water-skin,
he splashed water on his face and took a long pull. Feeling some better, he
went over the notes he had taken.

“Can’t
be more than 1,200 draft horses left,” he muttered. “They’re going to be down
to three or four per wagon. Even if it doesn’t snow and we leave them alone,
they couldn’t make Rugen before year’s end.”

Jeff
wondered how much damage Helwin’s troop had inflicted before they were
attacked, but it was getting so dark there was no point in going farther. While
he knew her troop had fired some of the wains before they were hit, the
packhorses were another matter.

A
Salchek patrol came winding around a hill to the west, forcing Jeff to beat a
hasty retreat. Cynic had enjoyed his afternoon off and loped along without
complaint. He had rested a bit, the grass was prime, and his belly rumbled
pleasantly. Shortly, leaden skies began to spit snow.

Trotting
into bivouac well after dark, heavy flakes had turned the ground white. Leaving
Cynic free to graze, Jeff hurried to the nearest fire and the smell of roasting
meat. It was a pleasure just to sit and talk about anything except war for a
while. Later, he went in search of Helwin and found her working over damaged
battle gear in a circle of firelight. Sitting down next to her on a handy
boulder, Jeff warmed his hands over the fire. Snowflakes swirled silently into
the firelight, hissing as they fell on coals.

Helwin
was occupied redoing a lance head binding, so they shared some minutes of
companionable silence. Securing the last turn with a knot, she laid the weapon
down on a pile of equipment that had already been repaired. Clasping her knees,
Helwin stared into the fire while Jeff related the gist of his reconnoiter. She
remained silent for a period after he finished.

“I
have learned the complete nature of my rescue. You have saved my life. I thank
you.”

“You
would have done the same for me,” Jeff replied with a wave of dismissal. “Any
of our warriors would have.”

“Any
of our warriors did not. You did, and at great personal risk. Do not make light
of your effort, for it was no small thing.”

Thank
you’s always made him uncomfortable and Jeff changed the subject. “Were you
able to scatter the packhorses before the Salchek cavalry found you?”

The
look on Jeff’s face was familiar, and Helwin smiled into the fire. Modesty was
uncommon among the Alemanni, and it appealed to her.

“We
succeeded in winning our way through the wains and were among the packhorses
when attacked. I believe it safe to say that while gaining our freedom from the
caravan they experienced a certain unease.”

Helwin’s
droll humor brought a smile to Jeff’s face, but it was fleeting. He visualized
what it must have been like to be assaulted by such a large force while in the
middle of such a large remuda.

“Your
understatement does you credit, Lieutenant. I think we can count our attack an
unqualified success. Now as much as I hate to see this snow for personal
reasons, it serves our purpose. Life will be tough for us, but absolute hell
for the caravan. It won’t be long before those wains are bogged down to their
axles. The Salchek aren’t going to have any idea how to deal with this weather.
From what I know of them, it seems likely they come from southern lands.”

“What
do you plan, Captain?”

“We
will not attack again until I see how they reorganize the caravan. They may
have to drop off some of the wains in order to provide full teams for those
that remain. Once we see what they decide to do and how they reorder defense,
we’ll start our attacks again. From now on, however, our method of attack must
change.”

“Yes
sir, I understand your reasoning. The Salchek are warned. Were we to attempt
another attack such as our first we would get stomped.”

“Nicely
put and exactly to the point. Now we must employ hit and run tactics: small
groups of archers slipping in close to loose several flights of arrows. Wolves
prowling the horses. We must never give them rest. As much as I dislike
centering our efforts on the horses, we really have no other option that will
prove effective.”

Although
it was getting late, Jeff was moved for the first time in many weeks to play
his recorder. Recalling odd bars of Afternoon of a Faun, he improvised the
gaps. Within minutes Helwin was asleep with head resting on her knees.

Jeff
tucked the recorder away and smiled softly as he watched shadows play across
her face. While asleep, Helwin’s features were those of an exhausted young
woman with strong suggestions of the girl that still resided within. It was
easy to forget she was no more than eighteen or nineteen. Jeff shifted
position, allowing a clump of snow on the collar of his coat to slip inside and
down his back. He shivered and got to his feet.

“Gurthwin
was right. I don’t know how I could do this without her friendship.”

Helwin
was so groggy when awakened that he gave her a hand up. No more than on her
feet and she plopped back down.

 
“Okay, I can deal with this.”

Jeff
supported Helwin to her lean-to a few yards from the fire. She nearly fell when
he removed his arm.

“Whoa!
Steady as she goes! Time to return a favor, Lieutenant. Let me give you a hand
getting your clothes off.”

Helwin
was nearly asleep on her feet and didn’t respond other than to lean against
him.

“I
think that means yes,” Jeff said, and chuckled. “We got us a situation here,
Lieutenant. How in hell am I going to do this?”

It
was pitch black and Jeff had to work by feel. The jacket was no problem, but
trying to get the woolen shirt over her head proved difficult. Scooting it up,
his hands brushed across Helwin’s breasts and she cooed in his ear.

“Stop
that!”

Helwin
was so tired she was tipsy, and just giggled.

“At
least hold your arms up so I can get this off!”

“Like
this?”

Helwin
held her arms up in a languid movement that elevated her breasts to full
display. They were gorgeous.

“Oh,
wow,” Jeff muttered under his breath, “this is cruel and unusual punishment.”
Keeping his eyes glued to Helwin’s chin, he pulled the sweater over her head.
“Okay. Crawl into the lean-to. We have to get those wet pants off.”

Draping
her arms over Jeff’s shoulders, Helwin rested her cheek against his head. “I
feel like a babe, Jeffrey.”

Helwin
was so tall that her breasts pressed against his chest almost at neck level.
Jeff carefully placed his hands on her back. It seemed to be the safest place.
Helwin’s skin was so siky smooth that he sighed with pleasure.

“Lieutenant,
you are definitely a babe. Now come on. Before you freeze and I lose it
entirely, let’s get you under cover.”

When
Helwin was stretched out in the lean-to, Jeff pulled off her boots. “Lift your
hips so I can get these pants off.” No answer except a soft snore.

“Damn.
She can’t sleep in those pants—they’re soaked. How am I going to get them off?
She weighs more than I do!”

Wedging
into the lean-to, Jeff straddled Helwin’s legs and wrestled sodden leather
pants over her hips inch by inch, cursing under his breath all the while. The
whole situation abruptly struck Jeff as so ridiculous that he began snickering.
After that, the fact that Helwin was wearing no underpants didn’t even bother
him. Scooting higher to straddle her abdomen, he dragged her the rest of the
way under cover.

Pulling
a fur robe under her chin, Jeff touched lips and whispered, “Goodnight,
Helwin.”

Shuffling
through several inches of snow, he made a beeline for his own lean-to. Tucked
into sleeping furs, he gathered warmth.

“Oh,
damn, this feels good!”

Jeff
fell asleep as snow continued to fall with the large flakes of early winter.

Helwin
awoke to the muffled quiet of a snow-covered land. Her fur cocoon was
comfortably warm and the headache was gone. She drifted in and out of sleep for
a period before responding to the nagging call of duty. Propping herself up on
her elbows, Helwin freed a foot from the furs and kicked open the flap of
leather that closed her lean-to. The dim light revealed her pants and other
clothing folded in a neat pile.

“Jeffrey
undressed me. I remember that.” She also remembered the feeling of his hands on
her breasts. Helwin hurriedly pushed the memory aside. “He is my captain and
friend. Were matters otherwise perhaps I would come to know his body and deeper
spirit, but they are not.” Helwin felt envious of Magda and made a face. “Why
couldn’t he have come to my village instead of hers?”

Gingerly
picking up a spare pair of pants that were merely damp rather than soaking wet,
she began dressing. Emerging from the lean-to Helwin noted that the snow had
stopped, leaving at least six inches. A few troopers were up and about trying
to find live embers in soggy fire pits. Lean-to’s sagged with their load of
snow, and some were visible only as mounds. The sky was an even slate gray,
although giving promise of thinning as a breeze from the north moved in.

She
waded over to a renewed fire to soak up some heat before setting the day’s
activities in motion. That accomplished, Helwin checked up on Jeff. He was
still sleeping and had kicked off his furs. Helwin reached inside fully
intending to pull them straight, but his skin looked so appealing that she drew
her hand down his abdomen.

The
warmth and smoothness proved too much. Surrendering to impulse. Helwin moved
her hand between his legs. The sensation was more than satisfying and she
dallied for a few moments to feel his response. She quickly pulled her hand
away when he moved. It was either that or slip into the lean-to with Jeff. His
response had been quick and impressive. Covering him up, she hastily walked
away.

When
Jeff roused himself and hurried to a fire to get some coffee, the camp was
bustling with activity under Helwin’s stern eye.

“Time
to do it, Lieutenant. Forage and food or it’ll be too late. Another snow like
this one, and the grass will be out of reach.”