As I took the fur-bundle from Aleanna, tossing her over my shoulder, I led the Knights back to the central tent. The bundle began to squirm on my shoulder, muffled groans coming from within. Once inside the tent, I dropped the bundle into a folding chair and pulled the fur wrappings from the top.
Tussled, dark brown hair sprouted from the bundle, under which was a fair-skinned young woman with fierce brown eyes and a gag shoved in her mouth. Looking very much like a younger version of the Jarl, she glared at all of us, her eyes darting between the Knights.
“Right then,” I said, dragging a chair over and dropping into it. “Elisabeth Amihan, daughter of Jarl Patrova Amihan, you are now our honored guest. You’ve been invited to the Holy Imperial Capitol. You do not have the right to refuse. You do not have the right to return to your mother until the Emperor gives you leave to do so. We will be heading back to the Capitol at dawn. You have the choice to ride with any of the Knights. You will be escorted at all times, when you need to bathe, relieve yourself, eat, or sleep. Understood?”
She puffed her cheeks out, lifting her chin to attempt to look down her nose.
Pity I was far taller, even sitting.
“The proud look suits you,” I told her, “but right now, you need to cooperate. If you don’t, it will be a far more unpleasant journey for you.” My voice turned low, growling, as I said “Understood?”
That low growl made her flinch and shrink into herself. After a moment, she nodded, turning her eyes to her legs, still trapped within the fur bundle.
“Good.” I reached forward and removed her gag. “Aleanna, please see to it that she has a change of riding clothes and a thick coat. Dawn is fast approaching and Duras should be here soon with the rest of the legion.”
“Yes, Captain,” she said, saluting, and turning on her heel, heading out of the tent.
“Eyvindr, Euri, I’ll leave her with you for now,” I said, standing. “Ji’u, you’ll come with me to get the camp breakdown started.”
“Yes, Captain,” the Knights said in unison, thunking their gauntlets against their chests in salute.
Ji’u followed me as I left the tent. We found the commanders easily enough, and I noted on the walk the camp was already bustling with activity.
“Commanders,” I said, projecting my voice over the slight noise.
“Captain!” the commanders all snapped to attention, saluting with one hand on their chest.
“It seems I don’t need to order the camp breakdown. When did you start?”
“As soon as we got word you had arrived, sir. We started loading the supplies back into the wagons immediately and breaking down the tents legion by legion,” the commander of my legion replied.
What was his name again? Ah, whatever, he’d be replaced in a decade.
“Good. Make sure we leave nothing behind. Were there any issues while I was gone?”
“No, Captain, sir, no issues,” the commander said.
“As you were then,” I said, turning away from the command staff. Ji’u followed me, glancing only once at the commanders.
“Efficient,” he murmured, writing something on his clipboard.
“Indeed. He takes the initiative, which is why I’ve kept him around for so long. But he’s slowing down. I’ll need to find a replacement soon,” I mused, watching the soldiers as they moved through the camp. The wagons filled quickly, crates passed hands to be loaded, and tents disappeared from the orderly lines.
Just as we returned from our inspection to the Knights’ tent, Duras trotted into the camp up to the paddock. Behind him, soldiers and their gear jogged into camp. By the looks of things, he didn’t appear to have lost anyone. I strode over to Duras as he dismounted, looking over the column of dispersing soldiers.
“Success?” I asked him.
“Yes, sir,” he said, “set fire to the forest on the far side and a few of their tents, then outpaced them as we retreated.”
“Any trouble during retreat?”
“Eh, nothing that couldn’t be handled,” Duras said with a shrug.
“Lose anyone?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Are you kidding, Captain? Nah, everyone made it just fine.” Duras opened the paddock and let his beast walk in, though the creature turned back and eyed his albino rider.
“Really,” I said, glancing towards the soldiers as they joined their legion to quicken the process of taking down camp. “Good. We’ll be leaving soon, so grab something to eat and get ready.”
With that, I turned on my heel and entered the large tent, Ji’u coming in after me. Inside, Euri sat at the camp table, leaning his elbows on the wood, looking rather bored.
“Where’s our guest?” I asked, glancing around the space.
Euri motioned toward one of the flaps that lead to a sleeping area. “Getting changed with the ladies. I got kicked out.”
I snorted at that and grabbed a goblet from the side table, pouring myself some water from the waiting pitcher. “Not everyone is happy to strip for you.”
“Nonsense!” Euri shot back, waving a hand in dismissal. “Preposterous nonsense. Mortals fall over themselves to share my bed.”
“Only those who fall for your charms,” Ji’u replied in his steady, calm way. “There are those mortals out there immune to you.”
“Bull!” His head whipped around to stare in shock at Ji’u. “You take that back. Don’t you curse my loins like that.”
“Take your peacocking elsewhere, please, for the love of the Gods,” Duras sighed as he stepped inside, a travel pack of food open in his hand. He tossed a few dried pieces of meat into his mouth, looking down his nose at Euri. “I’d rather not lose my appetite.”
Euri puffed out his cheeks and turned away from Duras, dropping his chin onto his folded arms. Ji’u disappeared behind the curtain across from where the women were, presumably to pack his own area. Duras sat himself down in a chair, shoving jerky into his mouth. With a shake of my head, I poured another goblet of water and took it over to the albino knight.
“Thank you, Captain,” he said with a grin.
Then, with little preamble, the curtain hiding the women parted and Eyvindr strode out, followed closely by the barbarian princess in her new riding leathers and fur coat. Aleanna strode out after her, dropping saddlebags onto an empty chair.
“Ready, then?” I asked them, looking over Elisabeth.
She flushed and nodded, ducking behind Ev.
Duras snorted, his grin widening. “Aw, Captain, you musta scared the little fawn.”
The flush on Elisabeth’s cheeks darkened and she dropped her gaze, boring holes into the ground.
“Have you decided who you’re going to ride with?” I asked, ignoring Duras.
She nodded, though did not speak. Instead, Eyvindr spoke up for her. “She’ll ride with me first, Captain. Aleanna has agreed to switch with me every other day.”
I nodded at that, having expected something of the sort. “Fine.”
“Sers, Commander Zackaria requesting entrance,” came the voice of the commander of my legion from outside the tent.
“Granted.” I turned from my Knights to watch the commander duck around the tent flap, snap to attention once inside, and report.
“Captain, the wagons are loaded and the last of the tents are coming down,” the commander said.
“Good,” I replied, turning my attention towards the Knights and our guest. “Knights, escort our guest to the paddock so this tent can go down.”
The Knights snapped to. Duras drained the goblet and left it on the side table, for the camp followers to put away. Aleanna and Eyvindr guided Elisabeth out of the tent, with Euri and Duras close behind. After a moment, Ji’u reappeared with his saddlebags slung over a shoulder. He retrieved Aleanna’s bags from the chair and ducked out of the tent, following his comrades.
“Commander, the men are clear to take down the remaining tents,” I said. The commander gave me a quick ‘yes sir’ as I left the tent. I paid little attention to the activity around the camp as the soldiers swarmed the command tent, breaking it down with practiced ease.
As I reached the paddock, Eyvindr swung up into her saddle. Elisabeth, however, hesitated when Ev reached down a hand to help her up.
“Afraid of them?” I asked, coming up behind her. “You should be. But while you are with us, you have little to fear. Just keep away from their mouths.”
She squeaked and darted forward, taking hold of Eyvindr’s offered hand. Ev swung her up behind her, settling Elisabeth behind her on the beast’s rump.
“Man, Captain, you really have a way with women,” Duras said with a smirk from his saddle.
I rolled my eyes, not rising to his bait as Zephyr trotted over to me. After I greeted him with a pat on his nose, I opened the paddock gate and swung up into my saddle. As I settled into the creaking leather, soldiers swarmed the paddock and removed the fencing, packing it away into the nearest wagon. Looking over the encampment, I nodded with satisfaction.
The field was once more a field. Though the ground was clearly disturbed, the slush and mud would hide much of our numbers.
“Let’s move out,” I called, raising my voice for the legions and their commanders to hear.
Comments (1)
See all