face was turned away, pressed awkwardly against the tent, though she remained oblivious. The canvas glowed like an old lampshade as sunlight filtered through, casting her features in soft light. Ilbei witnessed her lying there, one bare arm flung out as if she’d been reaching for the major as he rose. Ilbei noted it silently, then glanced back to wait for the major to finish pulling his trousers on.
The major saw his expression and seemed amused. “It’s been awhile then, Sergeant?”
Ilbei spent a moment catching his meaning, then shook his head. “No, sar. It hasn’t. Though I make a point of not engagin with the troops. Her Majesty’s strict policies and all.” He made a point of keeping his tone level as he said it.
“Well, I trust a man of your experience has long since learned how that all plays out in a vertical structure such as we have in the Queen’s army.” There was no malice in the man’s voice, but there was a threat in it all the same.
“Yes, sar.” Ilbei turned so that only the major was in his field of view, out of respect for the young soldier still lying there in her indispose.
“So get on with it then, Spadebreaker. What is it that brings you in before breakfast?”
“Breakfast is bein kept warm fer ya, sar,” he said. “But I come to request yer nod fer me and a few of the men to check the other two camps fer news of Ergo the Skewer, sar. Wouldn’t have bothered ya fer such a thing, but with yer bein here, seems proper I clear it afore I get to the work the general hisself gave us to do.”
“Are you a gambler, Sergeant?”
Something of a mudslide began upon Ilbei’s brow. “Sar?”
“With cards. Have you any experience at cards?”
“I reckon I can hold my own against most, sar. Cards and dice the same. Can’t hardly go ninety-some years in Her Majesty’s army without pickin up a thing or two, much less an upbringin in lands not so different as all of this.” He tilted his head toward the tent wall to indicate where they were upon the world.
“Yes, I’d heard that about you. They went to a good deal of trouble to gather you and that emaciated excuse for a magician you have.”
Ilbei was enough of a card player to keep his expression blank. He waited for the major to make whatever his point would be.
“I’d like to get a game going with the boys when you get back.”
“A game, sar?”
“Of course a game. You’ve been standing here for the last fifteen seconds, surely you aren’t so old that you can’t remember what we are talking about.”
Ilbei cocked an eyebrow at the remark, but kept his mouth shut.
“Can you get to both camps and be back by nightfall?”
“I don’t expect so, sar. If’n ya check the maps, you’ll see Camp Chaparral is near eight measures as the ravens fly, west-northwest, back down into the foothills some. Fall Pools is closer, only four measures upriver, but steep the last to make it slow.”
“Then I’ll go to Fall Pools myself. I’ll take Decia and her sister with me. You can take whom you will so long as you leave enough behind to secure the camp.”
“Sar, all due respect, word last night says there’s eight men at least what’s jumped the roads. Might be best if’n ya take a few more along. Corporal Trapfast is a fine sword and a keen shot, and we got more than a few sharp archers like him in the company. There’s plenty to guard the camp and make a decent company fer yerself goin up Softwater.”
“I appreciate your concern, Sergeant,” the major said as he buttoned up his coat. “But what I can’t parlay out of, I can whip handily enough. And ….” He paused and looked down at the woman lying beneath his blankets. He grinned. “I happen to know she can handle herself perfectly well in a fight, if the vigor of her affection is any evidence. So she with her sister, both hearty farm girls as I understand, ought to be enough force to handle business in the company of my sword.”
“Well, I’m sure they
The major saw his expression and seemed amused. “It’s been awhile then, Sergeant?”
Ilbei spent a moment catching his meaning, then shook his head. “No, sar. It hasn’t. Though I make a point of not engagin with the troops. Her Majesty’s strict policies and all.” He made a point of keeping his tone level as he said it.
“Well, I trust a man of your experience has long since learned how that all plays out in a vertical structure such as we have in the Queen’s army.” There was no malice in the man’s voice, but there was a threat in it all the same.
“Yes, sar.” Ilbei turned so that only the major was in his field of view, out of respect for the young soldier still lying there in her indispose.
“So get on with it then, Spadebreaker. What is it that brings you in before breakfast?”
“Breakfast is bein kept warm fer ya, sar,” he said. “But I come to request yer nod fer me and a few of the men to check the other two camps fer news of Ergo the Skewer, sar. Wouldn’t have bothered ya fer such a thing, but with yer bein here, seems proper I clear it afore I get to the work the general hisself gave us to do.”
“Are you a gambler, Sergeant?”
Something of a mudslide began upon Ilbei’s brow. “Sar?”
“With cards. Have you any experience at cards?”
“I reckon I can hold my own against most, sar. Cards and dice the same. Can’t hardly go ninety-some years in Her Majesty’s army without pickin up a thing or two, much less an upbringin in lands not so different as all of this.” He tilted his head toward the tent wall to indicate where they were upon the world.
“Yes, I’d heard that about you. They went to a good deal of trouble to gather you and that emaciated excuse for a magician you have.”
Ilbei was enough of a card player to keep his expression blank. He waited for the major to make whatever his point would be.
“I’d like to get a game going with the boys when you get back.”
“A game, sar?”
“Of course a game. You’ve been standing here for the last fifteen seconds, surely you aren’t so old that you can’t remember what we are talking about.”
Ilbei cocked an eyebrow at the remark, but kept his mouth shut.
“Can you get to both camps and be back by nightfall?”
“I don’t expect so, sar. If’n ya check the maps, you’ll see Camp Chaparral is near eight measures as the ravens fly, west-northwest, back down into the foothills some. Fall Pools is closer, only four measures upriver, but steep the last to make it slow.”
“Then I’ll go to Fall Pools myself. I’ll take Decia and her sister with me. You can take whom you will so long as you leave enough behind to secure the camp.”
“Sar, all due respect, word last night says there’s eight men at least what’s jumped the roads. Might be best if’n ya take a few more along. Corporal Trapfast is a fine sword and a keen shot, and we got more than a few sharp archers like him in the company. There’s plenty to guard the camp and make a decent company fer yerself goin up Softwater.”
“I appreciate your concern, Sergeant,” the major said as he buttoned up his coat. “But what I can’t parlay out of, I can whip handily enough. And ….” He paused and looked down at the woman lying beneath his blankets. He grinned. “I happen to know she can handle herself perfectly well in a fight, if the vigor of her affection is any evidence. So she with her sister, both hearty farm girls as I understand, ought to be enough force to handle business in the company of my sword.”
“Well, I’m sure they
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