Princeps

“Sir,” added Threkhyl.

“How far away from you can you image, Undercaptain? Do you know? How large and how heavy an object can you create?”

Threkhyl looked puzzled, while, beside him, Baelthm nodded.

“If they bring archers against us, some shafts can be lofted two hundred yards, if not farther. We won’t be doing much good if all we can do is slay a few hapless troopers trying to storm a wall we’re standing behind. Lord Bhayar would prefer that the Bovarians never get that close. It would be even better if you could image across the river, but we might not have that choice. That’s also why we have a full company of troopers assigned to us. Their task is to get us close enough to create damage. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not to get any closer than we have to, and that means I have to know exactly what each of you can and cannot do … and what you may be able to do with practice. Now … we’ll be heading out to the north end of the post.” Quaeryt rose. “Follow me.”

He did not look back, but he did listen intently to the words murmured behind him.

“… don’t see the purpose…”

“… know what he’s doing?”

Quaeryt certainly hoped so.

Once they reached the long courtyard, he walked up to where the barrels and plank were set, then took ten long paces back and half turned. “Line up even with me.” He waited until they complied. “Each of you is to image a metal disk onto the plank between the barrels. You first, Shaelyt.”

“Yes, sir.” The Pharsi looked at the plank, and a copper disk appeared.

“Desyrk?”

The blond nodded, and a gray disk appeared beside the copper one.

“Akoryt.”

A disk of a lighter gray appeared.

All six of the undercaptains managed the first trial, as well as the second-from roughly thirty yards-but Quaeryt could see a slight sheen on Baelthm’s forehead as he told them to move to the end of the long and narrow courtyard.

Baelthm glanced to Quaeryt, a worried look on his face. Quaeryt stepped over closer to the older imager. “Image a very small piece of copper in the shape of a square on the left end of the plank.”

“I don’t know…”

“Try it. It can be small.”

Something did indeed appear, but Baelthm looked drawn when he finished.

After all the imagers had created a piece of metal, Quaeryt walked back down to the plank, gathering up the small disks and squares of metal and setting them on one barrel butt. He turned the plank on its side, so that its widest side faced the imagers. Then he propped it in that position with small stones from the courtyard and stepped back roughly ten yards, to about where the undercaptains had begun the first exercise.

“Undercaptains, here!”

He waited until they were again lined up before speaking. “I want each of you to image a hole in the plank, one at a time. I’ll tell each of you when to start.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” demanded Threkhyl.

Quaeryt kept his smile to himself. He was glad he’d thought of the answer to just that question. “I could tell you many things, Undercaptain. I won’t. For now. In the meantime, I would suggest you try imaging a hole full of air into the plank. Or, you could try imaging a circle out of the plank.” He gestured to Baelthm. “You, first.”

The older imager concentrated, but nothing happened. Finally, he said, “I can’t do that.”

“Shaelyt?”

A square hole two digits on a side immediately appeared.

“Good,” said Quaeryt. “Desyrk?”

The blond imager managed a small circle, as did Akoryt and Voltyr. Threkhyl created a circle about the size of Shaelyt’s square.

“Now we’ll walk to the end of the courtyard. Those of you who managed it from the shorter distance will try again from there.”

All five managed to create holes from the end of the courtyard, but when Quaeryt took them another fifty yards, only Voltyr, Threkhyl, and Shaelyt could.

“You can have a few moments to rest, and then we’ll return to the courtyard, and we’ll see how many disks you can create quickly, and then how many holes.”

From a short distance, all six could create small disks fairly quickly, although Baelthm and Desyrk were sweating before they finished. Again, only Voltyr, Threkhyl, and Shaelyt could create more than a few holes without getting so tired they had to stop immediately.

During another short break, Quaeryt went to the carpentry shop, persuaded the chief carpenter to let him have two more planks, and carried them back to the courtyard, where he replaced the first plank with one of the two he had obtained. Then he lined up the undercaptains some twenty yards from the plank.

“This time, I want you to image a metal arrowhead into the plank, with as much force as you can muster.”

“Why arrowheads?” asked Threkhyl. “Archers can do that better.”

“The exercise isn’t about arrowheads. It’s about gauging your strength, and seeing what can be done to strengthen your abilities.” Quaeryt turned to Baelthm. “You first.”

As Quaeryt expected, Baelthm’s near-miniature arrowhead barely stuck in the board.

“Threkhyl?” As he spoke, Quaeryt attempted to create a shield across the front of the board.

Threkhyl’s heavy iron arrowhead bounced off the unseen shield, leaving the board unmarked.

“What the frig?” muttered Threkhyl.

“Try again,” said Quaeryt, removing the shield.

The ginger-haired imager’s second arrowhead went through the board, pulling the plank right off the top of the barrels. It dropped between the barrels and the stone wall.

“Much better!” Quaeryt’s voice reflected appreciation for the effort, but also a certain pleasure in his knowing that there were ways he could continue to test his own skills without the others realizing that he was doing so. “Wait a moment. I need to reposition the plank.”

After that exercise, he then had the imagers go on to other exercises and tests that he had devised.

By the time Quaeryt dismissed the six for a midday break, he was sweating himself. Trying to train them is more work than doing it yourself. He shook his head. The problem was that he couldn’t be in seven places at once. You just have to figure out how to use and improve what they can do, preferably before the Bovarians decide to attack.

66

By the time he walked toward the mess for the evening meal on Jeudi, Quaeryt had a solid idea of which undercaptain could do what … and what each could not do. What he didn’t know, and wouldn’t for a time, was how much they would improve with training. Just from what he had observed from Shaelyt’s actions, he had no doubt that he’d see more improvement from the young Pharsi. He also thought that Voltyr and Threkhyl would improve. Baelthm seemed limited in his abilities, as well as either reluctant or unable to try to learn more. As for Akoryt and Desyrk … he had no idea.

Is it easier for Voltyr and Shaelyt because they’re younger? That might be, but he’d learned and developed skills as an adult, and he was older than both of them, considerably older than Shaelyt.

Skarpa was waiting outside the mess, well away from the door, and Quaeryt walked over to join him.

“Pain in the ass to be regimental commander, sometimes.”

“Oh?” asked Quaeryt.

“I can’t walk into the mess any more and talk to anyone before we eat. Not for the evening meal. I can’t even be early, because…” He shook his head.

“Because that’s the signal to serve?”