had obviously affected me more deeply than I had ever suspected. I had the urge to compete with my peers, to shine, to put them in the shade, to blind them with my brilliance, I wanted to gather the reins of power into my hands, I wanted control, I wanted responsibility. I wanted all the things I had been meticulously avoiding my whole life. Or at least part of me did.
Well, I could take control of what I had control over.
Meran interrupted my introspective self-analysis with blessed hot water and fresh clothes. I washed and dressed and, feeling better for it, stepped back out into the dusk of the evening to take charge of things.
Kerral appeared as if by magic as soon as I barked his name.
“Sir!” He had snapped to attention and saluted in mere moments and I had to resist the urge to throw my arms around him and give him a big hug. It was as if he had been waiting for me to catch up, which I guess he had.
“Report.”
I could almost see him resisting the urge to smile. I had done nothing in the way of formalizing relationships with my command, appointed no one, fixed no chain of command. I'd ignored my responsibilities, light though they may be, but that was over now and he knew it. Dammit, I think he was proud of me.
“Our quartermaster has established contact with stores and our supplies of food and other necessities are secured, sir. The men are settled under discipline and prepared for their duties. Weapons and armor have been inspected and the men pass muster. Horses and spare gear have been checked and all is in order. Your charges are secure and their comforts are being attended to, sir.”
“My slave has the war chest. See that it is guarded, Centurion.” First Centurion would have been more pretentious than I could take, but he needed to know what I intended. Subconsciously, decisions had been made. We had needed horses and I had sent Meran back to the city to bring a librarian to my home and sell my library to him. The assessment would have been on the low side, due to time issues, but I needed that money now so now it was. I knew their value and guessed what I would get; enough to buy the horses and leave a good sum over, and that would become my war chest. I was as capable of raising an army as Tulian and to hell with taking his orders and there was nothing anyone could do about it. My soldiers would have to be raised on route but there were several towns between here and the end of our lands and I had five good men to act as centurions and doubtless Kerral could find one more. My men. My army. My command. My life. My destiny. And if I was going to keep my word I needed to do this, though I honestly think I would have anyway. Once the lion smells blood it wants to eat.
9
On the second day of the march I'd woken before dawn and presented myself at the commander's tent to receive the password. I had been given no other instructions. It felt like a waste of time, but there was no avoiding it.
Later that day we entered the Modrasin hills, and this is where my father's agent caught up with me. We were traveling in a loose group, two or three abreast, and it was a moment or two before I noticed the stranger, riding at Meran's side, leading a pack animal. My gaze traveled from Meran to his companion who caught my eye, held my gaze and moved closer. Pakat was between us with steel bared, his mount tossing its head and forcing the other's mount away. Meran made space and Kerral was on the other side of the man, also with his blade drawn.
“Give your name and business with the commander!”
Pakat had the voice of command and I saw the smaller man pale slightly, his confidence dented. He had obviously asked for me, found my slave and commanded Meran to bring him into my presence. No faulting him for that but my men were having none of it and I chose to let them have their way.
“Give answer, man!” Kerral was just as clearly serious.
The newcomer didn't waste effort on bravado. Though I was pretending not to notice I could clearly see him eye the weapons and the men clinically. This was a man who had seen naked steel before and was not automatically intimidated by it. I re-interpreted his first reaction, he had paled in anger as some men are made flush by it. His sudden stillness had not been fear but preparation. By his hairstyle and dress he was a freedman, a former slave who had earned or bought his freedom. He answered Pakat but was more clearly addressing me. “I have messages and gifts for the commander. My name is Sapphire.”
I acknowledge that I had heard this and by gesture let it be known that Sapphire was to be passed into my presence. I'd guessed already who had sent him and, from the bundled goods on the pack horse, what he brought. A few moments later he rode by my side and held out a scroll for me. “A letter from your father,” he informed me.
I had already guessed as much and decided on my response. I took the letter and tucked it under my thigh. “Travel with my slave, I'll write a reply tonight and you can return with it.”
A cloud passed briefly over his expression and was gone instantly. He bowed in the saddle and dropped back out of sight. When I was sure he was gone I turned in my saddle and gave a nod of approval to both Kerral and Pakat, then broke the seal and read the letter.
Get this man safely to Gerria. Don't sell my armor. If you do I'll disown you and let your brother-in-law do what he wants. Come back with money. Destroy this.
I set my stone to it, found the tug of the stone in my mind and pushed in the way I had been taught. The paper charred and burst into flame moments later, all of it in one. I let it go and it rose out of my hand before disintegrating into charred particles and drifting as black dust on the breeze. It was a little theatrical but suited my mood. Not a word of greeting or good wishes. Get this man to Gerria. Why? Not a word of explanation. Don't sell the armor. Can't say I hadn't earned that but I was going to war. Why would I? Come back with money. With your shield or on it. Sod you. Destroy this. Why? What was this man Sapphire up to that even the fact I was supposed to get him onto Gerrian soil in one piece had to be secret? Well, I had plenty of time to pump him for information. In any case, I'd certainly have him watched.
It was a few minutes later that it started bothering me that the whole thing wasn't very subtle. Did my father think I was stupid or such a lush that I just wouldn't be interested? Surely the best way to get someone there was just attach him to the baggage train as a drover or some such. Have the son-of-a-bitch enlist. Why have him travel with the army at all? It was a pretty safe road from the city to Gerria. Our lands, the provinces of Lirria and Muria which had been ours for centuries, the client kingdom of Wherrel, then the client Gerrian tribe of the Geduri and you were there. He could have traveled alone much faster, changing horses every ten miles. Pushing hard he could have made it in mere days. The more I worried at it the more weird it seemed and the more determined I became to have the bastard watched and find out what he was up to.
There is no ill wind, as the saying has it, that blows no good. Personally I kind of doubt that is true but in this case it was, not that I was sure that Sapphire was in fact an ill wind. If Sapphire could ride to Gerria in a few days, then so could anyone. I had been thinking in terms of recruiting along the way but, of course, I could send someone ahead to recruit near the border. It would give my agent time to knock a unit into shape, something that could not be done on route. Not that I wanted new recruits, as I couldn't afford to equip more than a very few men; they would have to be either landowners who had, as law decreed, armor and weapons, or veterans of one war or another who had run out of money and needed another stint. Veterans generally kept their equipment, especially on or near the frontiers where they might be needed at the drop of a hat. It was, I decided, the way forward. Now, who to send?
10
“You want me to what?”
I'd called Sheo to my tent as soon possible after the army had camped.
“Think it through, Sheo. Who else can I send? I need Kerral with me since I made him first centurion. The
