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.
“Now. And I’ll be observing.”
“Great.” I scanned the area. “Is there a section of the forest reserved for training and free of Death Lilys?”
“Yes,” Ursan said. “Do we need any weapons?”
“No. But you’ll need your shirts.”
He paused for a moment and shot me a look. I wasn’t sure what he thought, but I knew he was intrigued despite himself. Good.
They collected their uniforms. Instead of strapping on their swords, they just tucked their utility knives into their belts. Thea pulled Ursan aside and said something to him. He nodded but kept his gaze on me.
We headed to the woods north of Zabin. Familiar territory for me as I had bypassed the city through this area a few weeks ago.
When we reached the edge of the forest, I turned to the five sergeants. “We’re going to play a game of hide-and-seek. You hide and I’ll seek. Standard rules apply.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling at their outraged expressions that clearly said, grown-ups don’t play kids’ games.
Thea’s voice remained emotionless when she said, “Sergeant Irina, please go over the rules with them. I’m sure it’s been...a while since they’ve engaged in this activity.”
“Of course. I count to a hundred while you go hide in the woods. You can only stay in one hiding spot for thirty minutes before you need to find another. You can move at any time and, if you hear me approach, feel free to change positions. If I find you all, I win. If I don’t find you all by sunset, you win. Any questions?”
Everyone glanced at the sky. We had about two hours until sunset.
“Sounds pretty straightforward,” Thea said. “Let the game begin.”
They grumbled but trudged into the woods as I turned my back on them and counted.
When I reached one hundred, I yelled, “Ready or not, here I come.”
Thea stared at me as if I’d grown a second head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Don’t worry, Lieutenant.” I saluted her before entering the lush greenery.
I drew in a deep breath. Oh, yes. The Queen Seeker was back!
* * *
I stepped into the shadowy half-light. Streams of sunlight cut through the forest canopy. Without thought, I touched the leafy branch of a bush, seeking Kerrick’s magic. Disappointment stabbed deep.
Moving without matching the forest’s song, I crunched deeper into the underbrush. When I’d gone about a hundred paces, I stopped.
“Okay, Sergeants,” I shouted to the surrounding trees. “You’ve heard me tromping around. Now I’m going to go silent.”
I concentrated, listening to the sounds. An off note came from my right. I headed in that direction and surprised Sergeant Liv. After that, it didn’t take me long to find Odd, Saul and Wynn. Not that I was bragging, but if I could locate Belen, Quain and Loren, who’d all had training, I could find these sergeants who hadn’t.
Ursan proved to be
harder to find. He possessed some skill, and I had to wait until he moved to another hiding spot to discern his general location. Once there, I lost him again. I made a few loops until I remembered what Kerrick had done to throw me literally off his scent.
I returned to the original place I’d zeroed in on. Then I looked up, spotting the sergeant sitting on the tree’s lowest branch. Ursan jumped off and landed next to me. His expression unreadable.
Before I could say found you, he stepped close to me. Now he let his anger show along with the blade in his hand. How did I miss that?
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
KERRICK
Kerrick offered the hilt of his sword to Cellina. From atop her horse, she met his gaze. If she signaled the pack of six dead ufas behind him, he would be torn apart.
“Take it,” he repeated.
“No. You’re going to need it.” Cellina whistled.
The high-pitched sound pierced his heart, releasing a surge of fear-fueled energy. Grabbing the hilt of his sword, he spun. The closest ufa launched straight at him. Kerrick sidestepped and slashed down with all his strength, decapitating the creature.
The rest pounced. Kerrick lopped off another head before they closed the distance, knocking him to the ground. His weapon flew from his grasp so he punched and kicked as his world filled with gray fur, sharp claws, growls and the rancid odor of decay.
When an ufa clamped its teeth around his neck, Kerrick fought with pure desperation. He grabbed the beast’s jaws, cutting his fingers on its teeth, and pulled the jaws apart.
“Heel.” Cellina’s loud command sliced through the ruckus.
The ufa on Kerrick yanked its mouth from his grasp and bounded over to sit with its pack mates behind Cellina. She had dismounted and now held his sword.
Kerrick jumped to his feet, preparing for another round.
“Relax. I wasn’t going to let them kill you.” She gestured to the pack. “I needed you to fight them so I can lie convincingly to Tohon that you’re dead.”
“You could have told me,” he rasped.
“Then you wouldn’t have fought so hard.” She approached. “Here, grab the hilt.”
Despite her claims, Kerrick didn’t trust her. “Why?”