Wayward Soldiers (10 page)

CHAPTER 11

Despite my warning and it hampering my credibility as a leader, I waited.

The efforts put in by the townspeople getting ready for the journey pricked at me. Had those making a last minute decision to join us hemmed and hawed with preparation, I would have left them, but they didn’t. They hurried. And they thanked me for waiting.

Even with a legitimate reason for going past my deadline, Ira gave me a hard time. As did Ava.

That’s what friends and family were for.

People ran around like loose chickens, throwing all they could grab into the backs of wagons, or on top of horses. The things they couldn’t fit, they jammed into sacks to be slung over their shoulders. I saw a lot of useless stuff packed, things like candlesticks and sculptures. Yet, I kept my mouth closed. They’d learn soon enough, what was really necessary to take with them. Probably by evening. The weight of their burdens would make their decisions for them. I expected to leave behind a lot of junk on the side of the road come tomorrow morning.

We were almost ready to leave when Myra noticed Zadok missing. She tried to keep her cool, but the slight panic was evident on her face as she grabbed me, Ava, and a couple of others to hunt for him.

I left Dekar in charge to keep things moving along with the townspeople as I went searching. I checked with Nason first since Zadok had been spending a lot of time with him and his kids. No luck.

A few more stops later, I nearly walked into Boaz as I entered the Hemlock Inn. He was leaving with an arm full of supplies.

“I thought you were done packing,” I said.

“I was, but Dinah had some suggestions of what more I should bring along.”

“Have you seen Zadok? We’re having trouble finding him.”

He furrowed his brow. “He’s upstairs in the suite you were staying in.”

“What’s he doing up there? It’s a mess. Not to mention dangerous.”

“He said he was getting something you needed for the journey.”

I grunted and stepped out of Boaz’s way. I had no idea what Zadok could mean.

I thought about calling up to him through the hole that had been ripped through the roof to the main floor. I scratched that thought, worried Zadok might try to get close to the hole to look down at me. The last thing I wanted was for the supports near the opening to fail.

I took to the stairs.

In the suite, junk once considered gifts from the townspeople lay scattered, intermingled with structural debris. Broken glass, splintered wood, and twisted metal sat in heaps. A strong smell of mildew hung in the air from curtains and blankets damp and balled in piles throughout, soaked from the storms following the second eruption.

I heard movement from the bedroom Ava once recovered in. “Zadok, that you?” I called while working my way over.

No answer, but a lot more movement.

“Zadok?”

A crash sounded.

“Zadok!”

“Pa?”

“You all right?” I asked, making it to the bedroom door.

He stood, emerging from a pile of bed sheets and broken wood. He held something in his hand I couldn’t quite make out. “I’m fine.”

“What are you doing up here? It isn’t safe.”

“I know. But it was important.”

“What was?”

He shuffled over, and stuck out his arm. “This.”

My chest tightened as I realized what he held. Stacked neatly and secured with twine were the letters Lasha wrote to me while I was in the military.

I reached out slowly and took them away. “You found them.” I shook my head slowly, biting back the emotions trying to spill out. “How did you find them? I thought they were lost or destroyed. I must have come up here three times since the second eruption.”

“I know,” said Zadok. “I’ve been sneaking up here when I had a free moment since I knew how much they meant to you. I couldn’t leave town without trying again. They were twisted in this blanket.”

I ran a hand over the top of the stack, pausing at the lines of my name written in my wife’s hand. The paper was a bit damp, but there was no sign of any damage except a water spot or two.

I looked up smiling. “Thank you, son. These got me through some rough times.”

“Maybe we can read them while we’re on the road. It’d be nice to see what Ma said about everything.”

“Absolutely.” I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to me to give him a hug. “Let’s get out of here before this place comes crashing down.”

* * *

In the end, we left an hour later than I wanted to, twelve wagons in all. When we ran out of horses, we strapped in a few oxen to pull us along. Besides my family and friends, which included Sivan, Damaris, and Nason’s brood, over forty additional adults and a bunch more children joined our party.

Dekar drove the lead wagon.

We only made it halfway through town before stopping. It seemed progress would be something of a struggle.

Jareb stepped out into Main Street near the end of town. With him was his usual band. Unlike before, quite a few of the townspeople not previously employed by him had joined the group. These were the ones who had decided to stay in Denu Creek rather than throw in with us on the road. They had over thirty men at a quick estimate.

It should have surprised me that so many chose to back Jareb, but it didn’t. I don’t think even half of the thirty men were particularly excited about following Jareb. However, those townsfolk that couldn’t leave behind the familiar of Denu Creek and chance life on the road with me really didn’t have a choice. I guessed they needed to support him openly as he still had the greatest resources in town. I heard that Jareb had offered people who were on the fence about leaving a bit of coin from his private stash. I had a feeling that as the effects of the artifact only worsened and resources dwindled, those people would realize the uselessness of their newfound wealth.

The group stopped in the center of the road, blocking our path. Quite a few seemed embarrassed for having to do whatever Jareb had talked them into.

Dekar pulled up and looked my way.

I heard Ava mutter something about wishing she still had her powers. I did too. She’d make quick work of dispersing the group.

Ira trotted his mount up beside me. “Should have let me kill him earlier.”

“No kidding.” I paused. “Sit tight and stay ready. Not sure what’s going to happen.”

“You don’t want me to come with you?”

“No. What I have planned will make for a greater effect if I do it alone.”

I walked to Jareb as he separated himself from the group.

“What is it now?” I called. “Are you planning to stop us from going?”

“No. You and the rest of you cowards can go,” he answered while casting an accusatory glance at those gathered behind. “But not before unloading some of those supplies.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” He puffed himself up. “I won’t have you leave the rest of us hurting for food.”

“We took only what was ours by right and paid for whatever wasn’t. Hurting for food is no fault of ours.”

“Are you saying you won’t unload?”

“I am.”

He jutted his chin out like a man full of confidence. “And are you prepared to fight for those supplies?”

“Do I really have to answer that?”

“Even though we have more men capable of fighting than you.”

“Numbers don’t mean everything.” I drew my sword and started coming toward him again. “Besides, I believe the only person I really need to get rid of is you. The rest will lose their nerve afterward.”

His confidence faltered as he backed up a step and called two of his men forward. They came up beside him. All three drew swords.

I spun mine in my hand. The move held no practical purpose, but it looked good to those watching. Showmanship was sometimes as important as actual skill. “Only three? That didn’t work out too well for you back at your place if I recall.”

Two more of his men came forward as well.

I gave a nasty grin. “Five. That’s a little better. Still,” I said turning my gaze to the men next to him. “Do any of you really want to die today? Because you will die. I’m done showing mercy. The way I see it you’re no better than the raiders we just fought and killed. You’re preventing me and those I care about from surviving. Is your life worth an extra bag of oats?”

The men exchanged glances. The last two that came forward exchanged a nod and stepped away.

Jareb shook with anger. “What in the name of the gods do you think you’re doing?” he shouted at them.

“What about you two?” I asked the others, stopping ten feet away. “Is this really how you imagined dying?”

The man on the right shook his head. The other on Jareb’s left did the same. They stepped back too.

I smiled wider at Jareb. “It must hurt to know that the thing you inspire best is cowardice.”

“May the gods curse you, Tyrus.”

I thought of Lasha and him together. “I believe they already have. It’s just you and me. Still want to die playing hero? Or would you rather live and twist this confrontation into something positive after I’m gone.”

He put away his weapon and hissed through clenched teeth. “I won’t forget this.”

I spun and gave him my back as an insult. “I will.”

“This will come back around on you. You’ll see!”

I shrugged. “Dekar, move out!”

Wagon wheels started rolling once more. Jareb shuffled off Main Street, his mob still following his lead.

A part of me wished I could have been a fly on the wall to hear how Jareb explained his ineptitude to others.

* * *

I sent Ira to scout ahead so Sivan could rest. The old man had slept through all the fuss and preparations. He snored lightly in the back of the lead wagon, sandwiched between a sack of oats and a barrel of salt.

With a few exceptions, the wagons carried the young, wounded, and elderly, all crammed between supplies. Everyone else walked or in the rare instance rode one of our few spare mounts.

I managed to keep pace with Dekar’s lead wagon on foot thanks to half a pot of coffee. Doing so allowed me to distance myself from those struggling emotionally with their decision to leave. The sobs began just outside of town.

Nason walked next to me, his mouth a tight frown.

“You going to be all right?” I asked as the town disappeared behind us.

“Leaving the tannery might be the one bright spot about all this.”

“You’ll smell better.”

He chuckled genuinely, which was nice to hear given his wife’s death. “You know, she never cared about the smell.” He didn’t have to specify who she was. “Said it gave me character.” Nason looked over his shoulder. “Maybe I’ll miss it a little after all.”

We headed up the road. Along the way, two things had an impact on me I wasn’t expecting.

The first was the small cluster of oak trees at the curve in the road not far from my old homestead. The place had always brought a sense of unease, as I felt it ideal for robbers to hide within. The dread returned, but only for a moment. The trees were no longer there.

Intertwining, thick branches used to hang over the road. But the trees had fallen into a gaping hole some fifty feet in diameter. The edge of the hole came dangerously close to the road. Bark, sticks, acorns, and leaves decorated the edge of the opening. Daring a glance down into the abyss, I saw nothing but darkness and the faint puffing of sulfuric-smelling smoke.

We took our time getting around the wound in the earth. No one wanted to see firsthand how deep the old oaks had gone.

The second thing that had an impact on me was the land and house I once owned. I didn’t recognize either.

Half the old barn at the back of the property had descended into another crater. A crack in the earth traveled from the crater to the fallen remains of what had been the house my grandfather built. Lava had recently bubbled out of the fissure, spreading and cooling into black, steaming rock that ruined the fields.

There’d be no planting crops there again.

I thought of the couple that had moved into my old place. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t come across them in town, nor had anyone ever mentioned their names. That should have dawned on me sooner, but my mind had been elsewhere.

That did nothing for my mood. Their being on my land had saved not only my life, but those of my kids. We could have died there.

That wasn’t an easy thing to swallow.

“I’m sorry, Pa.”

I looked up at the sound of Zadok’s sad voice. At some point, I couldn’t say when, I had come to a halt at the edge of the road, just across from the pile of splinters that had once been my home. Dekar pulled reins on the wagon, stopping just ahead of me.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this after you and Myra got back from helping people out here after the first eruption?” I asked, feeling betrayed.

Zadok’s face contorted as he tried to keep his emotions neutral. “Myra thought it best not to burden you with the news.”

I glanced back to Myra who refused to look at me or the remains of our home. I addressed her. “Why?”

“You had enough to deal with. Learning about Ma and worrying about Aunt Ava was wearing on you. I didn’t want the news of this to put you over the edge and affect your decision-making.” She swung her gaze over. “Can we go now? We’re wasting time.”

Though she wouldn’t admit it, I could see the damage to our old home bothered Myra as much as it did me.

I pulled out a small leather pouch I kept in my pocket and went a few steps onto what was once my land. The pouch held the few meager coins I still had to my name. Opening the binds, I reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt. I let the soil slowly roll through my fingers and into the pouch.

I gave Dekar the signal to move out. Zadok and Myra rode away. Thankfully, no one else in our group said anything about stopping.

Ava gestured to the pouch as I walked back to the road. She wore an inquisitive look.

“Too many good memories here to leave it all behind.”

I squeezed the pouch and placed it back inside my pocket.

She threw an arm over my shoulder as we joined the wagon train together.

CHAPTER 12

The best thing about the rest of the day was that nothing happened, which was fine by me. I was long overdue for an uneventful period.

Although there wasn’t much to do but walk, ride, or shuffle down the road, there was still plenty to see as we took in the changes of the countryside.

Very little green remained. Brown and rust-colored plants, dead and rotting animals, all decorated a dry landscape that was pockmarked with holes and jagged fissures, illuminated by the strange, new, orange sunlight.

Though we had filled up on water before leaving, staring out at the harsh land had me concerned about how easy it would be to find more. Would wells still be drinkable? Would lakes and rivers still exist? I hated heading off into the unknown with so many crucial, unanswered questions, but I saw no other reasonable option.

I’d like to say we kept a brutal pace, but truthfully our speed was downright embarrassing. I had to keep reminding myself that we were with a slew of people unaccustomed to traveling. Factor in everyone’s fatigue and it didn’t surprise me that we hadn’t even reached Tamra, Dekar and Ira’s hometown, before making camp that night.

Camp was eerily silent. After dinner, most people, including the children, found places near the fire or in the crook of someone’s arm to lay their heads and go to sleep.

I knew that sleep was exactly what I needed as well. I could feel its pull with every movement. The only part of my body that didn’t hurt was my hair. However, sleep would not come. Sitting with a full belly on a quiet night awakened many of my thoughts, concerns, and regrets. Flashes of past battles came to mind. My heart raced as I watched squad mates under my command die all over again. My chest tightened and I squeezed my eyes shut while pushing those images aside. The blasted things haunted me enough while I slept, I didn’t need them dominating my waking thoughts as well.

Perhaps Myra had been right to let me come upon the truth about what had happened to our old home myself. Learning about it sooner would have only given me one more negative to dwell on, when I scarcely had the mental capacity to do so.

Glimpses of my childhood came to me while I fondled the old leather pouch that held my meager fortune and a handful of earth three generations of my family once owned. A pang of sadness hit me when I considered how that succession ended.

Poor decisions by my Uncle Uriah had forced my wife to make choices no woman should ever have to make. But as much as I wanted to blame my uncle for some of my problems, I kept coming back to my commission to join the army. Without the war, I’d be sitting at our old table in the kitchen near the fire, likely whittling a piece of wood as my Pa used to do to pass the time. Lasha would be sitting across from me, probably stitching up a shirt or two. The kids would be tucked away in bed.

A simple life.

I never wanted something so boring and unimaginative as badly as I currently did. If only the Molak-be-damned war had never begun. . . .

“Are you busy?”

I started, nearly dropping my pouch.

Looking up, Myra stood several paces away. Under her arm, she carried the set of crests Dekar managed to save from Denu Creek, one of the few non-essential items we took with us.

“No. Just thinking.”

“Are you up for a game?” she asked, gesturing to the case in her arm.

“Absolutely,” I lied.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the game, but I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to bond with my daughter.

She sat, and without speaking, undid the clasps of the case and unfolded the board. Each individual game came with its own painted map of a different imaginary world. It added to the experience of playing since the owner of the map held a bit of an advantage.

The board was well cared for. Unlike most boards I had seen, I could still distinguish the various terrains and borders of the made-up countries, cities, and other landmarks. Small holes littered the map. Players used them to position their game pieces, advancing, retreating, or flanking as the game progressed.

She began counting out the various military units and other pieces of warfare each player would have at their disposal. It was the first time I didn’t recall using the game’s dice to determine who got what assets. Apparently, a full set allowed for everyone to start off on even footing. No wonder Dekar made sure to bring the game along.

We each set up our side of the board to our own liking, hiding the identity of half the pieces as the rules allowed. Dekar often let me see all of his as a way to entice me to play with him and add a layer of difficulty on his end. Not that it mattered. I still lost to him every time.

She handed me the dice. “You can go first.”

“Usually we roll to see who has the highest number.”

“I know.”

Ah, pity. Some might have felt offended, but remembering that Dekar had said she was a natural, I thought I should take any advantage I could get.

I took the dice and rolled a two. Things were not starting off well. I used the safe approach and moved my scout two places, aiming for one of the pieces she had kept secret in an effort to learn its value.

“Dekar must have told you how awful I am at this game.”

“He did.”

“And you wanted to play me anyway?”

“I thought he might be exaggerating. Besides, watch changed and Dekar took Ira’s place. Everyone else is asleep, but I’m not tired. I saw you were awake and thought it might be a good way to pass the time.”

Watch had changed already? My thoughts really were weighing on me.

Myra rolled a four, moving up her own scout, two units of infantry, and a unit of cavalry which she used to start flanking my forces. Probably a feint, hoping I’d bite, but since this was the first time I was playing her, I couldn’t be sure.

“Do you always have trouble sleeping?” I asked.

“As far back as I can remember.”

“Must have gotten that from my side of the family.”

She said nothing to that, taking her turn again after another safe move on my part, bringing up a unit of longbowmen with knights protecting them on either side.

We took a few more turns in relative silence. Then I made a really boneheaded move and she captured half my elephant units and a third of my sappers.

“Dekar wasn’t lying. You are awful at this game.”

“I’m not that bad. You have to remember, Dekar is by far the best I’ve ever seen play crests. Obviously, you have the same knack for it as him. Believe it or not, I usually win a third of my matches against everyone else.”

“That’s still not a very good winning percentage.”

I grunted, moved up a unit of light cavalry, and fell right into her trap of heavy knights and ballista.

I opened my mouth to swear and caught myself, not wanting to get too free with the language in front of my daughter.

She shook her head while studying the board. “Dekar said you were hands down the best strategist he’s ever met. So much so that General Balak used to come to you for advice.”

I felt a little embarrassed. “There’s some truth to that.”

“I’m glad I didn’t play you in crests before the raiders attacked.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” she said, causally taking out my entire left flank. “I wouldn’t have had any confidence in your plan.”

I smiled, seeing her point.

“I mean, from what he told me, you break most of the strategic principles of war crests helps teach. Yet, you were his unit leader, and Dekar wasn’t even your second.”

I ignored the small jibe and focused on my turn. Maybe I could at least whittle down her forces so that her victory didn’t seem so absolute. After a minute, I brought up two divisions of infantry supported by my last unit of cavalry and a reserve of crossbowmen. I managed to make a good dent in her front lines but three turns later, she easily engulfed my forces.

Myra began setting up the pieces again before I could even ask if she wanted to play another match. The way she beat me was embarrassing, but I’d gladly sit through a hundred games if it kept her near me.

I revisited her last comment. “Did you make that point about the chain of command in my unit to him?”

“Yeah. He said that if he’d been in charge, your unit would have been wiped out years ago.”

“He’s being too hard on himself. Dekar has often led smaller squads for me just fine. And the man probably has the sharpest mind of anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Then why wasn’t he at least your second?”

“This might sound harsh, but the one attribute all great commanders have is the one Dekar’s never quite been able to master, and that’s the human element. Hamath had a good knack for that which was why I made him my second. The leader of those raiders must have had a similar ability. You don’t keep that many people together without some understanding of those around you.”

“I’m not sure I understand your point.”

I gestured to the board. “Crests is a great game for teaching the fundamentals of battle. However, the stringent rules it enforces stifles creativity. Yes, you can move your pieces, but only so many at a time, and only in a certain way. Yes, you can take advantage of the terrain, but only in a general sense. You don’t have information about the types of trees in the forest, the condition of the roads, the weather or any of that stuff. Those are all things that affect a soldier. And let’s not even talk about the morale in each unit. Are they confident from past victories? Scared because of a recent defeat? All those things are crucial when developing strategy. In battle, you aren’t trying to defeat three divisions of infantry, two cavalry units, and so on. You’re trying to beat men and women. Not pieces on a game board.”

She tilted her head, looking genuinely interested. “How do you develop creativity?”

“By paying attention to people. By seeing patterns. Putting yourself in the shoes of your opponent, then thinking how you would act in a situation.”

“That’s what you did when you had Ira use the dead bodies on the road into town? You thought about how you would react in their situation given their easy victories beforehand.”

“Exactly.”

“That was still a big risk. If it didn’t work, Ira and those with him would have wasted a lot of time that could have been better spent elsewhere.”

“True. But the way I look at it, three things could have happened. One, the raiders could have ridden up, seen what we did, thought the place was cursed and ridden off. That was the ideal situation, but one I thought the least likely. Two, the raiders could have reacted as they did, with some deciding to leave and the rest choosing to go on. I figured that the most likely scenario since there are always cowards and blowhards in every group. Then the third option was that none of the group split away, and all the raiders attacked.”

She jabbed her finger, pointing as though she had me. “And that’s when the work would have been for nothing.”

“No. Remember what I said. Put yourself in their shoes. How many people would have thought to do what I did? Did it cross your mind?”

Her brows furrowed. “No.”

I snorted. “It takes a special kind of person to come up with something as crazy as that and carry it out as well as Ira managed. To be honest, it’s not normal. Those raiders that went through with the attack knew that, which is why they entered town slowly. They knew Denu Creek would be different than anywhere else. Fear tickled the backs of their minds. It had them wondering what else we had in store for them. All of that affects a person’s ability to fight. So, even in a worst case scenario, getting inside your opponent’s head and shaking their confidence might be enough to gain the advantage in battle.” I motioned my hand over the board of crests. “That sort of thing doesn’t show up here.”

She stared at the board, looking confused. “What else?”

“A lot of things.” I had to admit that each of her questions lifted my mood. Though I never thought I’d bond with my daughter over military tactics, I wasn’t one not to take advantage of a situation. “For example, it’s also important to understand what the men under your own command are capable of. You can have the most creative, ironclad strategy in your head, but it’s worthless if you can’t carry it out. Rarely do things ever work out exactly as you plan them. You can talk scenarios until you’re blue in the face, but something always comes up during battle that you’d never expected. You have to react and trust those you command to react as well. Like when the leader of the raiders ordered those riders around to scout.

“Ira had no way to see my signal with the flags and still react in time. That’s why I used a crow call to warn him of trouble. I trusted him to take care of the problem. Without people like Ira, Dekar, and Ava, every part of my plan would have probably fallen apart. Just as things would have been more difficult without Sivan’s scouting skills. Once I learned of his ability, I took advantage of it to the fullest.”

Her shoulders slumped a little. “This is all much different than crests.”

“It is. And there’s still one more thing about commanding men that few people ever admit to.”

“What’s that?”

“Luck. That part is actually captured in crests with each roll of the dice. You can plan until you’re blue in the face, but you can never get rid of luck completely. That’s why it helps to have back up plans and the ability to change them quickly.”

Myra stared at the board, fiddling with a game piece that marked her general.

“Sorry if I got a bit long-winded there.”

She grunted. “That’s all right. It was actually really interesting.”

“Good. Did you want to play another match?”

“No,” she said, starting to pick up the game pieces. “I think I’m ready to get some sleep.”

“Oh.” That was sudden. I tried to hide my disappointment, not wanting to appear too needy for her attention.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tyrus.”

I winced at my name, wondering if she’d ever call me Pa. I forced a smile as she got up. “Good night.”

The abruptness of Myra’s departure had me wondering if I had said something to offend her.

Given the nature of our relationship since returning home, I didn’t doubt it.

* * *