Authors: Maria V. Snyder
The lieutenants gaped at me, then glanced at Thea. She met their outraged expressions with her typical calm. “All my squads will be there, Sergeant,” she said without looking at me.
One by one, they nodded and left to inform their platoons.
She turned to me. “Go tell Liv, and I’ll find Saul and Odd. Wynn’s out on patrol.”
“Thanks,” I said.
A brief smile. “You haven’t led me astray. Besides, nothing wrong with more training.”
We parted to spread the news. It was well past midnight when I crawled into my cot. Exhaustion had one benefit—no nightmares.
Liv shook me awake at dawn. “Come on, Baby Face, wake up.”
I groaned and tried to roll over, but she yanked my sheet off.
“You’re evil,” I mumbled.
“This was your idea, not mine.” She crossed her arms and studied me.
I ran my fingers through tangled hair. Still no lice. “What?”
“Your hair is getting darker, and your lips aren’t as fat.”
There had been no free time for me to reapply Mom’s various dyes. “So?”
“So, there have been rumors about you.”
Oh, no. It had started. “What rumors?” I asked with what I hoped was a mildly curious tone. Getting up, I pulled on my shirt.
“That you’re working for Prince Ryne. You were spotted heading straight to his tent when you returned from your secret mission. And you’ve been in his tent a couple times since he has arrived.”
Thinking fast, I said, “Since the exercise in the forest, he’s been consulting me on a few things. Lieutenant Thea is well aware of my activities.”
“Consulting you? A sergeant? Yeah, right.”
“Okay, I confess.”
Liv waited.
“We’re lovers.”
She burst out in a high-pitched semigasping laughter. So amused by my comment, she doubled over and collapsed onto her cot. I debated between being offended and glad I entertained her as I finished dressing.
After waiting for her to calm, I said, “What’s so funny about that?”
“Come on, Baby Face. First, he’s a prince, and second, everyone knows there is only one man for you.”
That surprised me. “Really? Which man?”
“We’ve no idea. But you’re the prettiest sergeant around and you’ve been so oblivious to the interest from the other guys that we’ve figured you had to be in love with someone else. Did he die from the plague?”
“No.” My reply just popped from my mouth.
“Then why isn’t he with you?”
“It’s complicated.” Before she could ask any more questions, I brushed past her. “Let’s go, we’re late.”
A sizable group had already gathered in the training yard with more arriving. Saul and Odd joined us as soon as we entered the area.
“More games of hide-and-seek?” Odd asked me with a smile. “Or do you have a new game to play?”
“A new one.”
“Oh? What’s it called?”
I remembered Thea’s comment about the dead soldiers. “Fighting the impossible.”
Odd’s humor died as his gaze slid past my shoulder. “I think I’m going to like hide-and-seek better.”
Ryne, the monkeys and Flea approached us. Quain carried the neck collar along with a burlap sack that clinked with each step.
“I thought you were sending someone else,” I said to Ryne.
Liv and Odd shared a look, and I realized too late that my tone and demeanor had been inappropriate for a sergeant talking to a prince.
Ryne ignored my insubordination. “This will be another chance for me to get acquainted with Estrid’s troops. It’ll be important when we’re fighting together. Please ask all the officers and sergeants to come over. We’ll demonstrate the technique to them first, and then they can teach their squads.”
I waved Thea over and relayed Ryne’s request. Soon we were surrounded, and even Major Granvil joined us. He nodded to Ryne, gave me a look that would pierce armor, but didn’t say a word.
Prince Ryne explained to the group that when Tohon attacked, the soldiers wearing the metal collars would be Tohon’s special forces. “They will come at you with a mindless determination in utter silence. They will be unaffected by injuries to their bodies.”
A ripple of unease tinged with amusement rolled through the audience.
“Yes, I know what you’ve been told. And you probably think I’m crazy right now. But I’m not here to convince you, just to teach you a skill that might save your life in battle.” Ryne gestured to Quain.
Quain set the sack down. It clanked. He clamped the metal collar around his throat, drew his sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. He advanced.
Ryne pulled his own weapons. “First step is to unarm your opponent.”
They engaged in a sword fight. Metal rang and clanged as they fought. Even though I wasn’t an expert, Ryne’s superior skills with a blade were obvious. He used a number of quick and efficient moves. Quain’s cheeks turned red as he struggled to defend himself. I scanned the faces watching the match. The others appeared to be impressed. I suspected that was another reason Ryne decided to lead this training exercise—to gain the soldiers’ respect.
Quain grunted, and I turned in time to see his sword fly from his hand. Blood welled in a bright red line from his thumb to his wrist. I fought the desire to rush to him and check the severity of the cut.
“Once your opponent is unarmed, don’t hesitate to take the next step,” Ryne said. “Plant your sword.” He shoved the tip of his blade into the hard ground. “Move in close. As you advance, change the grip on your dagger like so.” He spun the hilt in his hand so the blade now pointed to the ground. “With your free hand, grab his head and pull down. Then aim the blade for the base of his skull. The collar protects the neck and prevents decapitation, but if you can jam the blade into the spot between the cranium and spine, you’ll stop him.”
Murmurs of shock and disbelief sounded. Comments and questions erupted all at once.
“That’s brutal.”
“It’s an impossible place to reach in a fight.”
“What if he’s taller than you?”
“Why can’t we just chop their arms off instead?”
Ryne explained with a strong calm voice. Even when he repeated the same answer multiple times, he never lost his temper. He demonstrated the strike many times, as well. Each repetition soothed the ripples. They quieted and finally really listened to him. When they started repeating back his instructions, Ryne appeared satisfied.
Quicker than I’d expected, the lieutenants and sergeants practiced finding the kill spot on Quain, Loren and Flea. The burlap sack held more collars. Although they didn’t quite match the one stolen from Tohon, they proved adequate for the training. When Ryne was happy with their efforts, he distributed collars to the sergeants so they could teach their squads.
As they disbursed into smaller groups, I walked over to Quain. “Let me see.”
He flexed his hand. “It’s just a scratch.”
“Scratches can get infected.” I grabbed his wrist, but he broke my grip.
“No. I’m not letting you blow your cover.”
I huffed. “We’re four days away from war. I’m not going to hide when I’m most needed.”
“You still have four days,” Quain said. “If it isn’t better by then, I’ll be first in line.”
“All right, but go wash it with soap right now and cover it with a clean bandage. Keep it dry and—”
“Av—Irina, don’t worry, I know how to take care of a cut.”
“Sorry. I’m just...”
“Overprotective? Overly cautious? Smothering?” He smirked.
I crossed my arms and gave him my best stern look. “You didn’t seem to mind my tendency to nurture when I healed Belen and Loren.”
Unaffected by my comment, he said, “They’re a bunch of wimps.”
Just then Loren joined us. “Who’s a wimp?”
“According to Quain, you are,” I said.
Quain’s smirk died. He sputtered.
“Care to explain?” Loren asked him, putting his hand on his sword’s hilt.
“Go ahead.” I waved jauntily and left the monkeys.
Ryne moved among the squads, assisting when needed. Flea also helped. I watched a few bouts and answered questions. Eventually, Loren and Quain joined the training.
By the end of the day, word of the special strike training had spread to the other companies. Major Granvil organized with his colleagues and scheduled more practice and teaching sessions for the next couple days.
As the groups finished for the night, Ryne approached me. “Sergeant Odd’s team picked up the technique the fastest. Can you ask him if they’ll help demonstrate it tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“And we need to discuss what we’re going to do about the Peace Lilys,” he said.
“How do you mean?”
“First, we need to decide if we’re going to give the information to Estrid. Also if war breaks out, we’ll have fatalities. Do we try to feed one to a Peace Lily?”
He had followed the same logic that Thea had the first night we found Flea. I scanned the area, searching for Flea. He joked with Loren.
“Thea and Saul know what happened. I was so excited about Flea, I didn’t ask if they planned to report it to Major Granvil.” If they had, it would explain Granvil’s nasty look earlier.
“Can you find out?” Ryne asked.
“Yes. And as for the Peace Lily, I think we owe it to the soldiers to try it at least once.”
“I agree. I’ll see you in the morning.” He touched my shoulder before heading to his tent with the monkeys and Flea in tow.
I caught Odd and Liv staring at me. Liv’s lips were pursed in thought, and Odd gave me a knowing look. Sighing, I decided it would be a relief when I no longer had to pretend to be Irina. But, for now, I had to talk to Thea. I found her near her tent.
“Yes, I told the major everything,” Thea said. “It was too big for me to keep secret.”
“Will he report it to his commanding officer?” I asked.
“If he wants to cover his ass, then, yes, he will.” She considered. “He was pretty pissed off when I explained, but he was at the training today. That’s a good sign.”
I guessed I’d have to talk to him. The thought was far from enticing, and I decided to put it off until the morning. Instead, I washed up, filled a tray of food and joined Liv, Odd and Saul around the sergeants’ fire.
As soon as I sat next to Liv, the discussion switched to Prince Ryne. Liv and Odd asked me a bunch of questions about him.
“Liv, I was kidding this morning. You know that,” I said.
“Yeah, but you were so chummy with him today that I thought it might just be possible that he’s the one you’re pining for,” Liv said.
“He touched your shoulder,” Odd said as if that proved everything.
“Tell them,” Saul said.
I hesitated.
“They’ll understand,” he said. “I did.”
Still I paused. Telling them would be the start of the end of Sergeant Irina. I liked her. She was safe. And she’d earned her place as a member of Axe Company. But it would be better if they learned who I was from me and not through the rumor mill.
It didn’t take long. After I finished, the silence stretched to an uncomfortable length.
Then Odd said, “Ursan’s going to gloat. He’s suspected since you arrived.”
“He already knows,” I said.
“Are we the last?” Liv asked.
“No. Only Lieutenant Thea and probably Major Granvil know.”
“Not Wynn?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes.
“Not yet.”
“Ho boy! Can I tell her?”
Then I remembered what Thea had said about Liv and Wynn. How they couldn’t resist passing along juicy gossip. I figured by tomorrow night the entire camp would know. At least I’d have one night of peace.
Except I was wrong. In the middle of the night, I was woken by a hard shove. Noelle stood over me. She held a small lantern in her hand. At least it wasn’t a knife. Progress.
“General Jael wants to see you,” she said.
Half-asleep, I was more confused than afraid. Silly me. “Now?”
“Now.”
KERRICK
Noak held Danny in one hand as if the boy weighed nothing. Danny looked like a fragile toy next to the big man. Pulling a knife from his red sash, Noak pressed the tip to Danny’s neck. The ice growing inside Kerrick seized his heart.
“Cooperate, or he dies,” Noak said.
Danny’s muffled protests were clear. Brave boy. But Kerrick couldn’t let him die. Could he?
Breaking his frozen thoughts, he considered his options. If he refused, they’d be killed and the tribes would continue to advance south, except they would move with caution. If he agreed, Danny would live, and the tribes would continue to advance. However, they wouldn’t be as cautious, and the noise of their passage might alert those pockets of people who hadn’t moved to Orel, perhaps saving them.
Ah, hell. Logic aside, he couldn’t let the boy die.
Still fighting Winter’s Curse, Kerrick summoned every bit of strength and pushed, sliding his torso up the tree. The skin on his arms scraped along the rough bark as the manacles clanked. Noak watched, impassive, as Kerrick stood.
“He...goes...free...” Each word burned his throat.
“No,” Noak said. “He lives as long as you cooperate.”
“Free...him...I’ll...give...my...word.”
Noak scoffed. “No. You cooperate. No magic against us. He lives.”
“Curse?”
“Lifted. For now. Agreed?”
Kerrick had no choice. Danny might get an opportunity to escape. “Yes.”
Handing Danny over to a tribesman, Noak grabbed Kerrick’s throat. The ice inside Kerrick melted, releasing him. He drew in a deep breath, luxuriating in the ability to breathe.
“No trouble or—”
“Keep the boy close to me, and there won’t be any,” Kerrick said.
Noak slammed him against the tree. “You do not give orders, only follow. Understand?”
“Yes.”
The tribesman tied Danny to a tree near Kerrick. Satisfied the boy was safe for now, Kerrick sank back to the ground and fell into an exhausted sleep.
* * *
An ufa stalked him through the tall grass. The long thin blades rustled slightly and were the only sign of the beast’s movements. Kerrick’s magic couldn’t sense the dead creature, and he had lost his sword. His heart slammed against his chest as he backed away.
With a roar, the animal broke from the grass and pounced on him, knocking him down. The pure-white ufa opened its huge maw, flashing razor-sharp teeth made of ice before they ripped into his throat. A freezing-cold pain pierced his body.