There were none.
“Get to it.”
The men set to work. Stiger made his way up the stairs for the roof and found Eli already up there. Stiger looked to the south. There was still no sign of the Third, only the column of smoke rising from the town.
The elf was looking to the north.
“They are getting ready to march.” Eli pointed.
Stiger joined Eli and studied the enemy’s encampment. Tents were being broken down. Several companies had already formed up. Stiger even saw the enemy’s supply train being readied, with horses and mules being hitched to wagons.
“The enemy’s general must not like wasting time,” Stiger said. “They are marching even before they’ve taken the entire fort. I guess with all that we have left, they don’t need much.”
A horn sounded in the distance. The call repeated itself. Stiger felt himself frown. It sounded like a recall. There were a number of shouts from below out in the fort. Though Stiger could not understand the Rivan tongue, they sounded like orders being called by officers and sergeants.
The horn call sounded again. It was taken up by others nearer. The enemy began moving toward the walls. Stiger could not believe his eyes as they started climbing back over the barricade and descending the ladders, first in ones and twos and then lining up in large groups, waiting their turn.
“What’s going on?” Stiger asked, confused.
“They are leaving,” Eli said plainly.
“Stiger! Is that you up there?”
Stiger glanced off to the north wall and saw an enemy officer standing next to a ladder with men lined up and climbing back over. It was Golves.
“Do you have any arrows left?” Stiger said.
“No,” Eli said with regret. “I’ve used them all.”
“That’s a shame,” Stiger said, before shouting back. “What do you want?”
“I thought that was you,” Golves replied. “You are a hard man to kill. I am so pleased to learn you survived.”
“Crief didn’t,” Stiger said.
“His father gave him the chance to redeem his honor by storming the walls,” Golves called back and then gave a shrug. “I never much liked him anyway.”
Stiger actually chuckled.
“Where are you going?” Stiger called back at him when the last man in line climbed over.
Golves shook his finger at Stiger. “If I told you that, it might spoil the surprise.” He clambered onto the ladder. He stopped at the top before climbing down over the other side. “I hope we shall meet again. I have found you a worthy and honorable opponent.”
Golves started down the ladder and was lost from sight.
“What’s going on?” Tiro asked, coming up behind them.
“They are leaving,” Stiger said, elated and at a loss as to why.
“But where is the Third?” Tiro looked to the south.
“I don’t know,” Stiger admitted.
“I bet they do,” Eli said, gesturing out at the enemy encampment.
Stiger had to agree with the elf. They continued to watch as the first enemy companies to march stepped onto the road and turned north, climbing the hill toward the forest. Company after company followed, until a few hours later none remained behind, leaving only the remnants of the enemy camp. Below them, the enemy had also left behind their dead and injured.
“I guess this means we held the fort,” Tiro finally said, breaking the long silence. Dusk had begun to fall.
“We did,” Stiger said, somewhat numbly, thinking on Varus, Asus, Erbus, and so many others.
“Sir,” Tiro said, “permission to go out and find our wounded.”
Feeling thoroughly worn out, Stiger gave a weary nod.
Epilogue
“This is awful,” Stiger said, coughing. “It’s really bad.”
Tiro took the pipe back from Stiger and sucked in deeply. He let out a long stream of smoke and gave a contented sigh.
“That’s right good stuff, sir,” Tiro said. “Good old Eastern tobacco that is.”
“How can you enjoy that?” Stiger continued to cough, thoroughly mystified. “It burns. Why would anyone want to smoke that?”
“It takes a little getting used to is all,” Tiro said, “but trust me, sir, there’s nothing better to help you relax after a good day.”
Tiro and Stiger were sitting on a couple of stools outside of one of the barracks. A third stool lay off to the side. Pazzullo had left them a few minutes before.
It was the day after the enemy’s attempt on the fort and dusk was fast approaching. There still had been no word or sign of the Third.
Stiger had put his men who could walk to gathering up the dead. He had worked alongside them all throughout the day. There were thirty-two ambulatory men in the whole of the fort. Of these, only thirteen were from his company. Another five had survived from the Seventh, but these men had been severely injured. They would be lucky to return to service. These unfortunates would end up discharged, living on the dole back in the capital and whatever they had accumulated in their pensions.
The company was no more than a shell of what she had been just weeks before. The heart of the Seventh had been thoroughly ripped out. The loss of so many hurt, almost as if it were a physical wound. Stiger understood the company he had come to love would never be the same.
He wasn’t even so sure if he would ever be the same. So many good men had perished here that Stiger felt a part of him would forever remain in this place. As he gazed around the parade ground, he was confident Fort Covenant would haunt his dreams for years to come.
“How do you get used to it?” Stiger looked at Tiro.
“Well, sir,” Tiro said, “you just smoke some more and keep on smoking. You kind of get used to it.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Stiger said, turning his gaze to the ground.
Tiro was silent a moment. “You never do.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Stiger said.
Tiro handed the pipe back to Stiger, who was hesitant to take another puff. He gave in and sucked in a deep breath, almost immediately breaking into an uncontrollable fit of coughing.
“Just a little,” Tiro said with a laugh. “At first, you only want to pull in a little. Then, when you’re more used to it, you take a bit more.”
Stiger cast a doubtful glance at his sergeant and was about to reply when a shout rang out.
“Riders approaching, sir,” a sentry called from the top of the keep. “To the east.”
Stiger sprang up from his stool, placed the pipe upon it, and started for the eastern wall. Tiro followed a few steps behind. They climbed the rampart and up to the barricade. When they got there, they could see a troop of cavalry riding for the fort, perhaps three hundred yards off. It took Stiger a moment to identify them as legionary cavalry.
“They are ours,” Stiger said to Tiro.
“Better for us, then,” Tiro said. “I’d hate to have to hold this fort again.”
“A stiff wind would overwhelm us,” Stiger said.
“Perhaps even a gentle breeze, sir,” Tiro said.
“Open the gate,” Stiger called and moved over to the platform above the gatehouse to wait for the new arrivals.
Though Stiger had the men busy throughout the day working to organize the dead for funeral pyres, the truth was there were simply too many corpses. They hadn’t even begun to start on those of the enemy outside the fort. Heck, it’d taken half a day alone just to shovel the mound of dirt away from the gate that Merritt had ordered thrown up.
The troop rode up to the outer trench and dismounted. Stiger recognized Carbo, but also saw Colonel Aetius. The colonel surveyed the grisly scene before the fort’s main gate—the enemy’s ram, the bodies, and flocks of birds feasting on the dead. After a few moments, he and Carbo dismounted, handed their reins over, and carefully made their way across the enemy’s makeshift bridges.
Stiger met the colonel down at the gate. He offered a salute, which the colon
el returned. There was a hard look to Aetius’s eyes as he gazed around the interior of the fort.
“Good to see that you made it,” the colonel finally said. “It looks like things were somewhat involved here, eh?”
“Yes, sir, just a little,” Stiger said. “A lot of good boys were lost holding the fort, and had the enemy not left when they did, we all would have died.”
“Did Prefect Merritt survive?”
“Yes, sir, he did,” Stiger said. “The prefect was wounded. The surgeon feels that he will recover as long as infection does not set in.”
“Well,” Aetius said, “that’s a good thing. We need more men like him.”
“He’s a fighter, sir,” Stiger said.
“What about Tribune Declin?” Aetius asked. “I understand he remained after he was relieved.”
“He went down fighting, sir,” Stiger said.
“No more can be asked of a gentleman,” Aetius said, “even one in disgrace.”
Stiger did not reply to that.
“I would see the prefect,” Aetius said, “and hear his report.”
“Sergeant,” Stiger said, “would you escort the colonel?”
“This way, sir,” Tiro said and left Carbo with Stiger.
Carbo silently surveyed the neatly stacked bodies within the fort. Stiger had ordered that the enemy be separated from their own. He glanced back over at Stiger.
“It appears that you held on by only the skin of your teeth,” Carbo said.
Stiger simply nodded, but did not trust himself to say anything.
“You did a good thing here,” Carbo said, patting Stiger on the shoulder. “It made all the difference.”
“What do you mean?”
“Around twenty miles from Fort Covenant, the general made a hard decision,” Carbo admitted. “He took the opportunity to maneuver around and get behind the enemy instead of coming straight here.”
“That explains why we were not relieved,” Stiger said, feeling somewhat betrayed by a man he respected. “We were left here to die then?”
“Oh, no,” Carbo said. “The general used Fort Covenant as a diversion. By holding and forcing the enemy to attack, you fixed their attention. It allowed the general to take much of his infantry and swing around behind the enemy a few miles south of Cora’Tol. There was this old road that was on none of the maps. Our enemy didn’t even know. It was no more than a path really and mostly overgrown, but it was enough. Can you believe it? A local farmer told the general of it and he took the man at his word. It was a brilliant move and forced the enemy to react.”
“Well,” Stiger said, still feeling wretched, “I guess it worked. The enemy pulled out something quick.”
“There was a battle yesterday in the forest a few miles to the north of here. The general chose good ground around Fort Ida and dug in. The enemy couldn’t even deploy their entire army as they came up to our lines. With the trees and us sitting right smack across the road, there just wasn’t enough room. Still, they came on confident-like and determined. There was some hard fighting and a few desperate moments.” Carbo sucked in a breath. “But in the end, we gave them a real drubbing before they called it quits.” Carbo slapped his thigh. “Several thousand prisoners were taken, mostly camp followers and such. Unfortunately, much of their infantry escaped into the forest.” Carbo smiled and then chuckled. “They abandoned their baggage and supply train. I bet there will be more than a few hungry bellies tonight.”
Stiger thought about what Carbo had said. He had been so sure that the Third was coming to their relief. It was a shock to learn that the general had had other plans. Stiger had unwittingly played his part and contributed to the victory, but that made him still feel somewhat unhappy. He had brought his men to this place and spent their lives in what he had thought was the right thing to do. In a way, the general had done the same. It was certainly something to think on.
“Without your warning,” Carbo continued, “we would have never known until it was too late that the enemy was flanking the legions. You made this all possible.”
Stiger glanced down to his new boots. He had taken them from Lieutenant Crief. They were made of good-quality material and surprisingly fit quite well. He had also stripped Declin’s fine cloak from the tribune’s corpse. Neither man now needed them. Stiger’s meager funds would not take the hit he had thought they would. He looked back up at Carbo and felt a lightening of his mood.
“Do you smoke?”
“I do,” Carbo admitted. “I hope you have some tobacco, for we’re so far from civilization that sadly I’ve long since run out.”
“The thing is,” Stiger said, “we liberated a bag of what Tiro calls really good stuff.”
***
Stiger and Carbo stood as the colonel walked up to them. Carbo held the pipe. They had been sitting for some time while the colonel spoke with the prefect. Nightfall was coming on quickly.
Aetius waved the two of them back down. The colonel pulled up the third stool and motioned for Carbo to hand over the pipe. Aetius took a long pull and exhaled a stream of smoke.
“This is quite good. I wonder, have you been holding out on us?” Aetius asked Stiger and gestured at the bag of tobacco by his feet.
“No, sir,” Stiger said. “Compliments of our enemy, I’m afraid. We liberated it after destroying an enemy company in the Cora’Tol Valley.”
“You took out an entire company with eighty-some men?” Colonel Aetius raised an eyebrow and took another pull on the pipe.
“I did, sir,” Stiger said.
“I don’t have time now,” Aetius said, “but when you return to the legion, I want to hear your report on everything that’s happened.”
“Yes, sir,” Stiger said.
“Our enemy has good taste,” Aetius said, taking another pull before handing the pipe back to Carbo.
“As I am new to smoking,” Stiger said, “I will take your word for it.”
“Prefect Merritt thinks highly of you,” Aetius said. “He told me you are a fine officer, but I already knew that, Captain, didn’t I?”
Stiger felt uncomfortable with the praise, but then what the colonel said registered. “Captain? Sir, I am a lieutenant, acting captain only.”
“No, you are now a captain, and it’s well-deserved,” Aetius said, leaning forward and offering his hand. The colonel grinned. “Congratulations, Captain Stiger.”
Still a little shocked, Stiger took the colonel’s hand and shook. “Thank you, sir.”
“I’m giving you the Twelfth,” Aetius said. “They lost their commanding officer in the action this morning.”
“What of the Seventh?” Stiger asked, suddenly alarmed. “I don’t want to lose them, sir.”
“There’s not much left of your company, is there?” Aetius asked plainly.
“No, sir,” Stiger said. “I’ve got thirteen effectives, not to mention the two that I sent to the Third with word of the enemy’s intentions.”
“Your company is essentially ineffective,” Aetius said. “It will be disbanded until such time as the legion receives fresh recruits. Your men will be broken up and sent to other companies as replacements. We have a great need for them right now.”
“Sir,” Stiger said, “I don’t want to see the Seventh broken up.”
The colonel frowned. “Stiger, there are not enough men available to bring the Seventh back up to strength or anywhere even close to it. The Twelfth is in need of a new commanding officer and you are it. I can’t think of a better man for the job.”
“I’d like to request that the Seventh remain active, sir,” Stiger said. “I’ve become attached to my men and the company, sir.”
Aetius held Stiger’s gaze for a long moment. Stiger knew he was going to refuse his request, but then the colonel gave a shrug and stood. Carbo and Stiger got to their feet also.
“Very well,” Aetius said. “After this, I think you and your boys have more than earned it. I will see that you get a few men to fill out your ranks
so that the Seventh is the equivalent of a light company. I should think that sufficient.”
“Thank you, sir,” Stiger said, elated that he could keep his company, his home. More important, he would have the chance to rebuild her.
“With the ranger attached to your command,” Aetius said, “I am sure that we will find work for you and your boys.”
“Ranger? What ranger?”
“The elf,” Aetius said. “Seems you impressed him, Captain. That is not an easy thing to do. He requested permission to join your company as an official volunteer from the elven nations. Since the elves have wanted no part of the empire for some time, I have of course accepted his offer of service. Make sure that no harm comes to him, will you?”
Stiger did not know what to say to that.
“An auxiliary cohort is being dispatched to man this fort,” Aetius continued. “They will arrive sometime tomorrow morning.” Aetius paused and glanced at the dead. “See to your fallen. I expect you to march sometime tomorrow. Meet the legion in the Cora’Tol Valley. I will see you there in two days’ time.”
“Yes, sir,” Stiger said. “I will be there, sir.”
Aetius motioned for Carbo to join him and started to turn away.
“Sir, one more request please?” Stiger asked.
“Captain,” Aetius said, “I think perhaps you’ve pushed your luck a bit, don’t you?”
“If I’m to command my company,” Stiger said, “I need an executive officer.”
“We will find you one,” Aetius assured him.
“There’s one available, sir,” Stiger said. “I know he’s injured, but I would like to request Lieutenant Hollux for my second.”
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