Authors: Maria V. Snyder
Kerrick offered her the hilt of his sword. “Take it.”
CHAPTER 3
I arrived in Zabin around midmorning a week after I’d left Mom’s. The town was completely overrun with Estrid’s acolytes and soldiers. When I’d been here with Kerrick, there had been only a few red robes. Now, it appeared as if the streets were covered with blood. A bad omen.
And the feel of the town had changed. Before, unease rippled just under the surface of the populace. Now, outright fear fogged the air.
My dark gray cloak no longer helped me to blend in. Plus, the day would be too warm for my fur-lined garment. Summer was only three weeks away. I removed my cloak and packed it into my knapsack, put my glasses on, then strode through town as if I belonged. But it wasn’t long before a group of five soldiers stopped to question me.
Showing them Chane’s letter, I asked where I might find Major Granvil. They glanced at each other with suspicion creasing their collective foreheads.
“This letter could be a forgery,” the female lieutenant said, passing around the paper to her team again.
I suspected this could take all day. To speed it up, I asked, “Why don’t we ask the High Priestess? I’m sure
she’ll
recognize her own nephew’s signature,” I bluffed. The last thing I wanted was an audience with Estrid.
But my comment had the desired effect. At the mere mention of her name, they blanched. I offered them a more palatable suggestion. “Or we can all find Major Granvil and let him decide on the authenticity of the letter.” Plus it would give me an escort so I didn’t have to do this song and dance all over again.
The lieutenant agreed. I suppressed a laugh as they surrounded me. What did they think I’d do? We walked through the center of town. While the market appeared crowded, I noticed there were fewer stands selling goods than before. I wondered if the nice lady who sold me my cloak and boots remained in business.
We left the town proper. The buildings thinned, and soon farm fields stretched into the distance to the north and east. Except no crops had been planted. Tents, campfires and training areas filled the landscape. It appeared to be the bulk of Estrid’s army. She had a few training camps throughout Pomyt, but it seemed she had concentrated her forces here.
I spotted the grand manor house east of the city’s heart. It had been built on a hill and overlooked Zabin and the surrounding lands. When I’d been a...guest of Estrid’s, I’d stayed there while I’d cared for her wounded. A decent-sized infirmary occupied the ground floor and the caregivers had been quick learners.
A pang of remorse touched my heart. I should be saving lives right now and not playing dead. I did promise Estrid I would return to help with the injured after I healed Ryne. Not the best decision, but I’d thought I’d be dead. Actually, I wouldn’t mind working for her. Despite her strict rules regarding having fun—as in, not having any—she really cared about her soldiers and acolytes. Unlike Tohon, who only cared for himself.
I planned to honor my promise to her eventually. Noelle first. Glancing at the manor, I wondered if Estrid was still living there with her granddaughter and Jael. Did Noelle have a room there, as well?
The lieutenant’s voice jerked me from my musings. “Major Granvil’s company is just ahead. His tent is the big one with the battle-ax painted on it.”
Leaving her companions outside, we entered. Major Granvil, a captain and a female lieutenant had gathered around a table with maps spread out before them. A few had fallen to the dirt floor. The major leaned back in his chair. His long, lanky legs stretched out in front of him. Concentrating on his companions, he stroked his bushy unregulation mustache.
While the lieutenant waited for the major to acknowledge our presence, I listened to the discussion.
“...two squads from Dagger Company disappeared in Vyg’s sector five.”
“Something big is going on over there.”
“We can’t risk any more scouts.”
“Send Ursan and his jumping jacks, they’ll find out what’s going on.”
“Too dangerous. The only squad that’s been successful on the other side of the border has been Belen’s.”
“And why is that?” Major Granvil asked his officers.
No one answered.
“I know why,” I said into the silence.
The lieutenant sucked in her breath at my audacity. And the major turned his full attention on me. Most people would have been intimidated by the force of his gaze, but after facing Kerrick’s wrath and Tohon’s ire, the major didn’t scare me at all. Unimpressed, I stared right back at him.
“And who the hell are you?” Major Granvil demanded.
“She’s...uh...High Priest...er...sent. Here, sir.” The lieutenant thrust the letter into his hands.
The major scanned the document and then tossed it onto the table. His officers bent their heads to read it.
“Um...sir, is the signature authentic?”
“Yes, Lieutenant. You’re dismissed.”
She snapped a salute and bolted from the tent.
Once again the major studied me. White streaked his short black hair and peppered his mustache.
“Now, why would Chane send you to me?” he asked.
“Perhaps because I know the answer to your question,” I said.
“Please, enlighten us.”
I ignored the hint of sarcasm in his tone. “Belen’s successful because he knows how to move through Vyg’s forest without making a sound. I’m sure he taught his squad how to, as well.”
“And you know this...how?”
“Because I’ve been through those woods recently, and all the other squads made so much noise, I easily avoided them, which I’m sure Tohon’s soldiers did, as well.”
“You know Belen?”
“I met him once.”
“So why didn’t Chane send you to him?”
“Belen already has those skills, he doesn’t need my help. You do. I can train your scouts and special squads. Actually, I’m surprised no one has asked Belen to teach more of you.”
“He’s been busy.” The major fiddled with his mustache. “Why should we trust you?”
I pointed to the letter.
“Chane’s a good kid, but he can be tricked.”
“I’ve seen the other side, Major.” I shuddered as the memory of the dead filled me with horror. “You need all the help you can get or Tohon’s going to decimate you.”
“And I’m thinking you’re not the type to scare easily.”
“No, sir.”
He gestured to the female lieutenant. “This is Lieutenant Thea. Her platoon includes the special squads for our company. You can coordinate with her. Now...” He drummed his fingers on his leg. “What do we call you?”
It was a rhetorical question, but I answered it anyway. “General Irina has a nice ring to it.”
He laughed and stood. “There’s only one general in this whole outfit, sweetheart.”
“And who is he?”
“
She
is General Jael. Not only does she command the army, but the very air. And she has a nasty temper. I’d suggest you stay far away from her.”
Worry for my sister swirled. Jael had taken her on as a page. They were together every day.
The major extended his hand. “Welcome to Axe Company,
Sergeant
Irina.”
“How about Lieutenant Irina?”
“Let’s see what you can do first, and then we’ll talk.”
I shook his hand. “Deal.”
* * *
Lieutenant Thea eyed me critically. She matched my height, which was a bit of a surprise since, at five feet eight inches, I was on the tall side for a woman. Her no-nonsense demeanor hid her opinion about me. I had the feeling she wasn’t the type to make a quick judgment.
“First stop, the supply tent.” She led me to a huge canvas structure that was more like a building than a tent.
I was given two sets of the daily uniform—basic green camouflage fatigues—they were very smart to change from red—with the sergeant stripes stitched onto the upper sleeves, a thick leather weapon’s belt, a pair of brown boots manufactured for rough terrain, a backpack also camouflaged, underclothes and a dress uniform, which consisted of a button-down collared shirt, jacket and a skirt all in the same bland khaki color. The dress shoes had a two-inch heel.
“Heels and a skirt?” I asked Thea.
Humor sparked in her blue eyes, but it didn’t reach her face. “The dress uniform must be worn when meeting with high-ranking officers, priests and priestesses. I doubt you’ll have need of it.”
“Thank the creator!”
This time she smiled, but it only lasted a second. Back to business, she asked, “Weapon of choice?”
I glanced at her belt. She wore a sword on her right hip and a dagger on her left.
“I don’t need anything.”
She gestured to me. “That stiletto won’t be enough to defend yourself.”
I brandished a couple of my throwing knives. “How about these?”
Thea shrugged. “They’re only good if you know how to use them.”
Aiming for the center post, I buried four in a neat row.
“That’s handy.”
“Keeps the gentleman callers away.”
Another fleeting smile. I considered it a minor victory.
“I’ll show you to your quarters.”
I grabbed my knives and followed her. We walked past tents and around training areas. At first the camp looked as if it had been haphazardly planned, but as Thea pointed out the various platoons, a pattern emerged. Each company had been grouped together.
My quarters ended up being a tent occupied by two other female sergeants.
“Your roommates are also assigned to my platoon.”
“How many soldiers do you command?”
“I have fifty-six. Five squads of ten soldiers with one sergeant commanding each squad.” She cocked her head. “And you.”
I dumped my uniforms onto the empty cot.
“Bed linens can be found in the storage locker.” She pointed to the large trunk at the foot of the cot. “Get dressed and I’ll introduce you to the other sergeants.” She left.
As I changed into the fatigues, I wondered how the other sergeants would react to my sudden...assignment. Stuffing all my things into the trunk, I locked it, then tucked the key into my pocket.
Lieutenant Thea waited for me outside. “My platoon is in training right now. We’re not on patrol duty for another two days. Will that be enough time to teach them?” She led me to one of the open areas used for practice.
“Not all of them.” I considered. Since I’d never taught anyone the skill, I wasn’t sure how long it would take. Or if I could. I suppressed the doubts. Too late to worry about them now. “I might be able to train one squad if they’re quick learners.”
“And if they cooperate.” Thea gave me a tight smile that almost resembled a grimace.
“Because I’m new?”
Thea raised a finger. “That’s one of the three things against you. The others are that you’re a young female and that you haven’t earned your place here. All of my sergeants have been promoted up through the ranks. Not
assigned
a rank.”
I understood two of the three. “Female? General Jael’s in charge, and the last time I checked, she’s a young female.”
“She’s also the High Priestess’s daughter-in-law and an air magician.”
“And I’m not.”
“Correct. Plus we need to rebuild our population. Women of childbearing years are already in short supply, and my lady sergeants are older.”
I caught on. “They don’t want us getting killed in battle.”
“Yep. It’s all about our future survival.”
“But if we don’t stop Tohon, we won’t have a future.”
“These guys are quite confident we’ll win.” Thea stopped at the edge and watched the men practice. “They have to be, in order to do their jobs.”
I studied the fighters. Most had stripped off their shirts in deference to the afternoon heat. Some of them held wooden swords while others fought with knives. The clangs of metal blades sounded as a few used real weapons. Sweat coated muscles and stained their sleeveless undershirts.
After a few minutes, Thea whistled and three men and two women broke from the knots of fighters and headed toward us.
As they approached, I wondered if the male sergeants in Estrid’s army had to be over six feet tall and solid muscle, because these guys made Kerrick seem small—something I’d thought only Belen could do. I glanced at Thea.
“Don’t let them intimidate you,” she said under her breath.
Too late.
When they reached us, they saluted the lieutenant.
“At ease, Sergeants,” she said.
They dropped their hands, but their tight postures were far from relaxed. All wore their hair buzzed short, even the women. All glared at me. And their nonverbal message was clear.
Go away, stranger. You don’t belong here.
I fought my desire to step back, reminding myself that I’d faced down Kerrick. But there were five of them. Kill. Me. Now.
Thea introduced me. “Sergeant Irina, this is Sergeants Liv, Ursan, Odd, Saul and Wynn.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
They remained silent and unfriendly.
Thea’s voice took on her no-nonsense tone. “Major Granvil has assigned Sergeant Irina to our platoon to help with our special operations training.”
“We don’t need help,” Sergeant Ursan said.
His named sounded familiar—something about jumping jacks.
“That’s not your decision,
Sergeant
. It’s the major’s,” Thea said. “Your squad will be the first to start the training.”
Wrong move. Yes, she was his commanding officer, and he’d obey her orders, but his whole demeanor shouted I’d get more cooperation from Tohon’s dead. I had to get all the sergeants on board or the lessons with their squads would be a frustrating and fruitless waste of everyone’s time.
“Sergeant Ursan, you said your squad doesn’t need help. Is that correct?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then how about we work out a deal?”
A flash of interest sparked in his brown eyes.
“How about you give me the opportunity to prove to the five of you that I know something worth learning?”
“And in exchange?”
“Full cooperation.”
He glanced at the other sergeants. They nodded.
“Agreed,” Ursan said.
We shook hands.
“When would be a good time?” I asked Thea.