several lower ranking officers also on
horseback.
“Report, Snow,” she
said by way of greeting.
“Small village, Ma’am.
The resident elder says they haven’t seen anything out of the
ordinary. Well,” Snow added, glancing back at Martinsson, who still
stood glaring at them. “At least until now.”
“And you believe
him?”
“I don’t believe he
would have any reason to lie. But I feel that once he sees we are
not a threat, he might be more open to cooperating.”
“He is subject of the
Empress,” Dillaini stated flatly. “He is duty bound to offer us
aid.”
“I’m not sure he feels
the same way, Ma’am.”
“Does he not?” she said
returning Martinsson glare. She dismounted. “You!” she called to
Martinsson. “Come here! NOW!”
Snow shifted
uncomfortably. “Ma’am I...”
“How long have you been
a Captain, Snow?”
“A few weeks now,
Ma’am.”
“Then you still have a
lot to learn. You! Here now! Do not make me repeat
myself !”
Snow held his tongue as
Martinsson approached Dillaini, still eyeing her defiantly.
“Do you know who I am?”
Dillaini asked him.
“No.”
“I am Arch-General
Dillaini of Her Imperial Legion, and you answer me truthfully and
respectfully. If you don’t, it will go very hard on you. Now, have
you or any of your people seen enemy soldiers in this area?”
Martinsson’s was rigid.
“Yes. I am looking at one right now.”
Snow sighed. The two
other mounted soldiers slid from their horses.
“You regard me as an
enemy combatant?” Dillaini asked in a low voice.
“I know a bully when I
see one.”
“That wasn’t what I
asked. Since you are clearly ignorant of the proper way to address
a general in Her Imperial Legion, I will ask you one more time, and
you will be civil or I will cut out your tongue. Have you or yours
seen any enemy soldiers in this area?”
Martinisson clenched
his jaw. “No, General. I have not.”
Dillaini stared him in
the eye. “You’re lying. Take him.”
The two armoured
soldiers seized Martinsson by the arms. He struggled, and being far
bigger than them, almost succeeded in pulling himself free.
Dillaini stepped up, and punched him hard in the gut. Martinsson
doubled over gasping, and the soldiers forced him to his knees,
twisting his arms behind his back.
Serrel stared in shock.
He took an impulsive step forwards, and Caellix elbowed him roughly
in the stomach, and shot him a glare that asked, Are you really
that stupid ?
Dillaini drew her sword
and held it at Martinsson’s throat.
“Where are the
soldiers?” she demanded.
“ What soldiers ?”
Martinsson asked in exasperation.
“ The elves, you
maggot! Where are the elves ?”
“Elves? By the gods,
you stupid woman, there were three elves passed by days ago! But
they weren’t soldiers! They were dressed like noblemen, but all
ragged like they had been travelling!”
“Three elves! You
expect me to believe only three elves passed by here?”
“It’s the truth! They
stayed but half a day! I even offered them a bed for the night, but
they turned me down.”
“Where did they
go?”
“I don’t know! Last I
saw they were headed east, into the forest.”
“Is that where the army
is hiding?”
“I don’t know of any
army!”
“The main road goes
right by your shitty little village, man! Are you telling me you
failed to notice a bloody army of elves marching right by you? Are
blind or stupid?”
“There was no army! Not
until you lot came by!”
“You’re a lying little
maggot, and a traitor, and I will get the truth from you,” Dillani
promised.
She stood upright and
addressed the closed and barricaded doors of the village.
“People of Martin’s
Rest! You are guilty of harbouring a traitor to the empire, and of
colluding with the enemy! On behalf of the Empress, I hereby
confiscate all of your property, until such time as I determine
that you are not enemies of the Empire! If you do not leave your
filthy homes and present
horseback.
“Report, Snow,” she
said by way of greeting.
“Small village, Ma’am.
The resident elder says they haven’t seen anything out of the
ordinary. Well,” Snow added, glancing back at Martinsson, who still
stood glaring at them. “At least until now.”
“And you believe
him?”
“I don’t believe he
would have any reason to lie. But I feel that once he sees we are
not a threat, he might be more open to cooperating.”
“He is subject of the
Empress,” Dillaini stated flatly. “He is duty bound to offer us
aid.”
“I’m not sure he feels
the same way, Ma’am.”
“Does he not?” she said
returning Martinsson glare. She dismounted. “You!” she called to
Martinsson. “Come here! NOW!”
Snow shifted
uncomfortably. “Ma’am I...”
“How long have you been
a Captain, Snow?”
“A few weeks now,
Ma’am.”
“Then you still have a
lot to learn. You! Here now! Do not make me repeat
myself !”
Snow held his tongue as
Martinsson approached Dillaini, still eyeing her defiantly.
“Do you know who I am?”
Dillaini asked him.
“No.”
“I am Arch-General
Dillaini of Her Imperial Legion, and you answer me truthfully and
respectfully. If you don’t, it will go very hard on you. Now, have
you or any of your people seen enemy soldiers in this area?”
Martinsson’s was rigid.
“Yes. I am looking at one right now.”
Snow sighed. The two
other mounted soldiers slid from their horses.
“You regard me as an
enemy combatant?” Dillaini asked in a low voice.
“I know a bully when I
see one.”
“That wasn’t what I
asked. Since you are clearly ignorant of the proper way to address
a general in Her Imperial Legion, I will ask you one more time, and
you will be civil or I will cut out your tongue. Have you or yours
seen any enemy soldiers in this area?”
Martinisson clenched
his jaw. “No, General. I have not.”
Dillaini stared him in
the eye. “You’re lying. Take him.”
The two armoured
soldiers seized Martinsson by the arms. He struggled, and being far
bigger than them, almost succeeded in pulling himself free.
Dillaini stepped up, and punched him hard in the gut. Martinsson
doubled over gasping, and the soldiers forced him to his knees,
twisting his arms behind his back.
Serrel stared in shock.
He took an impulsive step forwards, and Caellix elbowed him roughly
in the stomach, and shot him a glare that asked, Are you really
that stupid ?
Dillaini drew her sword
and held it at Martinsson’s throat.
“Where are the
soldiers?” she demanded.
“ What soldiers ?”
Martinsson asked in exasperation.
“ The elves, you
maggot! Where are the elves ?”
“Elves? By the gods,
you stupid woman, there were three elves passed by days ago! But
they weren’t soldiers! They were dressed like noblemen, but all
ragged like they had been travelling!”
“Three elves! You
expect me to believe only three elves passed by here?”
“It’s the truth! They
stayed but half a day! I even offered them a bed for the night, but
they turned me down.”
“Where did they
go?”
“I don’t know! Last I
saw they were headed east, into the forest.”
“Is that where the army
is hiding?”
“I don’t know of any
army!”
“The main road goes
right by your shitty little village, man! Are you telling me you
failed to notice a bloody army of elves marching right by you? Are
blind or stupid?”
“There was no army! Not
until you lot came by!”
“You’re a lying little
maggot, and a traitor, and I will get the truth from you,” Dillani
promised.
She stood upright and
addressed the closed and barricaded doors of the village.
“People of Martin’s
Rest! You are guilty of harbouring a traitor to the empire, and of
colluding with the enemy! On behalf of the Empress, I hereby
confiscate all of your property, until such time as I determine
that you are not enemies of the Empire! If you do not leave your
filthy homes and present
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