Alucius fingered his clean-shaven chin, then walked toward the library. The room in the center of the barracks was termed the library, for it held several hundred volumes, but only a handful of troopers ever entered it, and usually only squad leaders. Most of the books were on matters of arms and geography, but there were a few books on history. There was also an entire rack of maps, mostly on Madrien and the adjoining lands. But he had found nothing on wood-spirits, legends or otherwise. Since no one had ever mentioned them, Alucius wasn't about to ask.
Alucius had begun to draw his own maps, earlier, but now he would need to concentrate more. Before he began on the maps, though, he took down one of the histories that went all the way back to the Cataclysm, just to see if he could find anything which mentioned wood-spirits. He seated himself at a stool behind one of the two narrow tables and began to leaf through the history. The early pages mentioned pter-idons and sandoxes, and there were even references to sanders near the Aerial Plateau—but the historian dismissed them as "herders' mirages." Alucius snorted to himself. Mirages indeed! There was no mention of any other creatures.
He frowned momentarily as he turned the page and found a folded and yellowed slip of paper tucked there, pressed into the inside of the binding where the pages joined. After easing it out, he unfolded it and read the two lines—just two lines—written there.
The collar, weaker than velvet or rope, strangles souls by suffocating men's hope.
'Weaker than velvet or rope?" he murmured the words to himself. Why the word velvet? He refolded the paper and slipped it back into the book. He could recall the words if he wished, and there was little point in carrying the paper with him. In a way, the words reinforced what the wood-spirit had said, but she could not have known about the ancient slip of paper.
He glanced up as he heard voices in the corridor outside, even through the door.
'… better get over there before someone does…"
'… early yet…"
Alucius frowned. The two troopers had not even passed the library door. While he had always had especially keen hearing, he had the feeling that his ability to overhear others had improved even more. Because of the wood-spirit? Or the looser tie of the torque. Or because the wood-spirit's appearance had pushed him into becoming more alert. Do not wait until it is too late… Those words had echoed in his thoughts. Had he become too complacent, telling himself that he needed to learn more and more, rather than acting?
Part of the problem was that the library was one of the few places where he learned anything beyond skills at arms. Most troopers knew less than he did, and anyone he could meet, usually in the marketplace, was cautious in going beyond pleasantries, or the evils of adjoining lands. While he knew that he needed to act, he had no idea what act to take. With his herder's skills and his Talent, he could probably make his way back to the Iron Valleys. Probably, but that was far from certain, and would take months on horseback, and far longer on foot. And then what?
Would anyone believe him, without his demonstrating his Talent?
Even if they did, that would either leave him back in the militia, being asked to do more dangerous missions, or worse. He wanted to get back to his family—and to Wendra—but not in a way that destroyed all hope for the future.
And then… there was the implication of the wood-spirit's words… that there was something else to do. She had showed him how to escape the torque. Did he owe her? What?
Still pondering that and the words of the couplet, Alucius skimmed through the next fifty pages of the history. Of course, there was no mention of anything like wood-spirits.
Undercaptain Kryll stepped into the library. Alucius immediately stood. "Sir?"
'I was told I'd find you here, trooper. Please sit down." Kryll held several sheets of paper and an officer's grease markstick. She gestured to the table behind which Alucius stood.
Alucius eased back onto the stool.
The undercaptain pulled up another stool and sat on the far side of the table, then looked straight at Alucius. "I'd like you to write down what I say, trooper. You can do that, can't you?"
'Yes, sir." Alucius wondered why, but questioning officers was never a good idea.
The undercaptain handed the paper and markstick to Alucius.
He checked the markstick, then eased out his belt knife, sharpened the point, and waited.
Kryll cleared her throat, then spoke slowly. "Squads two, four, and five will patrol south of the high road. They will use the sheep station on Bare Ridge as their base and quarters. One squad will remain on guard status at all times. Troopers will carry double cartridge belts…
Alucius wrote what the undercaptain dictated, hoping his Madrien spelling was adequate.
Kryll stopped talking and waited until Alucius finished. "Let's see what you wrote."
'Yes, sir." Alucius handed the sheet to the undercaptain.
Her eyes slipped over his words. Alucius could sense she was pleased, in a way, yet vaguely disturbed. Should he have deliberately made mistakes?
Abruptly, the undercaptain stood.
So did Alucius, stiffening into attention.
'That's all."
'Yes, sir."
Alucius did not sit back down until the library door closed, and he was alone once more.
After considering what the undercaptain had wanted, he stood once more and walked to the shelf where he replaced the history. Then he went to the map rack.
One way or another, he needed to know more about the roads and towns of Madrien.
The late spring sun had dried up the morning rain and shone brightly on the rain-washed streets of Zalt, and a light wind out of the south carried a fresh scent of damp fields. Alucius walked briskly through the early afternoon toward the market. He still wondered about his encounter with Undercaptain Taniti. Clearly, it had been an examination, but for what? To make sure he could write? Was Brekka right about Alucius's being considered for promotion? Alucius wasn't so sure he wanted anyone to examine him too closely, especially not a Talent-officer.
He stepped to one side, out into the street, bowing his head slightly, to avoid a woman and her daughter, careful not to look directly at either. Neither looked at him.
His eyes ran across the blue-painted shutters of the house he passed, shutters that matched the door, and the window hangings, and even the woven mat on the front stoop. The neat stone-walled houses past which he walked were as closed to him as if they had iron gates, as were the walled courtyards behind them.
A few yards farther north, as he neared an older woman with a cane, he smiled and nodded. "Good day."
'Good day, trooper." The woman returned the smile and continued onward.
That was how it always was. He smiled, more faintly, as he neared the marketplace, thinking about how, even after a year, the only people he really knew in Zalt were troopers and a handful of vendors and shopkeepers. And in the only tavern, it was clear troopers weren't welcome. Alucius had never gone back.
His first stop was at the cooper's, but Elhya, the wife of the owner and perhaps the first person who was not a trooper that he had spoken to in Zalt, was not there, and the stall was being tended by an apprentice. So Alucius merely made a cursory inspection of the smaller barrels and then slipped away toward the weaver's.
A white-haired woman was haggling with Hassai over the price of a thick blue blanket, and Alucius stepped away and looked over the wares of the coppersmith, well made, but not exactly of much use to a Matrite trooper.
Alucius waited until the white-haired woman had left the weaver's stall and until it appeared that no one else was nearby, before slipping in and looking at the scarves—some of which he liked and could have afforded. Then he looked up. "Hello, Hassai."
'Alucius, my curious trooper friend, how are you this fine day?" The darker-skinned weaver smiled, showing even white teeth.
'I'm doing well."
'You always look, and you never buy."
'You have fine scarves,
and some I could afford." Alucius shrugged. "But how would I ever be able to send one to my family?"
'You still pine for someone in the Iron Valleys?"
'You know that." Alucius bantered easily.
'You will never return there."
'You always tell me that. Tell me something new—of a trader who will carry a message there, or of a courier between large traders who could be persuaded—"
The weaver raised her hand. "My trooper friend…"
Alucius laughed. "I know. It is not possible."
'It has never been possible. You wish to send a message hundreds of vingts. In fifteen years, I have yet to find one wool merchant, one of the many traders who come here to sell their wares, who would carry a message less than two hundred vingts to my sister in Southgate. Sooner or later, you will understand." Hassai smiled. "I know a girl here who watches you. She finds you most handsome and kind."
'Not yet, Hassai," Alucius said, looking down at the green scarf, a color that would certainly bring out Wendra's eyes. "How much is this one?"
'Surely you do not intend to buy… not after teasing me for so long?"
'I might." Alucius grinned.
'For you, a mere two silvers."
Alucius slipped the coins from his wallet. "Two, it is." He handed the Madrien silvers to the weaver.
'You are too easy. You do not bargain." Hassai took the coins, shaking her head.
'I've bargained with you for a year, but never bought. How could I bargain about such a little thing?" Alucius grinned.
'You are kind." The weaver woman shook her head once more. "Once you have a stipend, women will come from all over Zalt."
'That's a long time," Alucius observed, carefully folding the scarf and slipping it inside his tunic. "A very long time."
'Time passes, more quickly than you know." Hassai looked to Alucius's right.
Alucius nodded and slipped away to leave the weaver with the pregnant woman who stood before the smaller blankets on one side of the stall.
Hassai flashed a smile at the trooper before stepping toward the woman.
After deciding against spending any more time in the marketplace, Alucius walked out into the spring sunshine, sunshine that somehow did not feel quite so warm and welcoming as it had earlier.
Had he bought the scarf to remind himself that he needed to find a way to escape and return to Iron Stem? And to Wendra?
Except, he knew all too well, escape was not enough. That thought bothered him. For while his grandsire had warned him to trust his feelings, why did he feel that escape was less than enough?
He shook his head as he walked back toward Zenob Post. To the west, another line of clouds was gathering, promising evening rain.
After sitting down at the mess tame, across from Oryn, Alucius looked at the golden brown fried fish on his platter. Well cooked as it was, after more than a year of batter-fried breakfast cod, he wasn't certain that he wouldn't have preferred even honeyed prickle slices.
'Gets to you after a while, doesn't it?" Oryn asked dryly.
'The cod?" Alucius nodded.
'Got to me a long time ago. Hard to raise anything in Northport, except winter deer, and the does only come in season every other year. We ate a lot of fish. Didn't mind the clams, but when all we could catch was herring…" Oryn shook his head.
Alucius had never eaten herring, but he could sense that Oryn felt about herring the way Alucius did about prickle.
The two shared a laugh. Then Alucius took a bite of the slightly elastic eggs. The ale helped, and he slowly finished off the breakfast, saving the dried apple slices, also elastic, but tasty, for last. Then he carried the platter to the messboy, and turned toward the archway from the mess, followed by Oryn.
'What are you going to do today?" asked the other trooper. "Last day before we go back on duty."
'Might go to the market later, if it clears." The rain of the previous night had stopped, although the sky remained gray, and seventh squad was due to ride out on the following morning, back to the logging camp post to watch for and prevent more Lanachronan raids.
'You won't spend much. You've got more saved than some ten-year troopers, I'd wager."
'Probably not," Alucius replied, not quite truthfully, since he knew more than a few troopers who spent every coin they received. He also had to wonder about his uncharacteristic impulsiveness in buying the green scarf. But it did remind him of Wendra.
The older trooper laughed.
Alucius shrugged helplessly.
'When you come to the market," Oryn said, "you can find me at Cherafina's."
'The perfumer's?"
Oryn nodded.
Since he wouldn't go to the market until later, Alucius turned and headed toward the library. Once there, he took out the rack of maps that held those for the midsection of Madrien—where the midroad ran from Arwyn eastward and toward Iron Stem. He was more interested in what the maps showed in the way of back roads and towns. He had the feeling he'd need to know them far better than he did, which was not at all.
'Trooper Alucius!"
'Yes, sir." Alucius snapped to his feet as Tymal entered the library.
The senior squad leader shook his head. "One of my deadliest troopers… and he spends his free time reading and studying."
'I can only spend so much time in the market, sir, and I have much to learn about Madrien."
'You've learned a great deal, and you're on your way to learning more." Tymal smiled. "The captain wants to see you."
'Me?" Alucius wished he hadn't blurted that out.
'It's nothing to worry about." Tymal turned.
Hoping Tymal was right, Alucius hurried after the senior squad leader.
The captain's room wasn't as large as Alucius would have expected, a space five yards by four, but it had two large windows looking out on the courtyard. Captain Hyrlui stood behind a table desk, with Un-dercaptain Kryll to her left.
'Trooper Alucius, sir. As you requested," Tymal said.
'Thank you, Tymal. If you would stand by."
'Yes, sir." Tymal offered a nod of respect, then stepped back out of the room and closed the door.
'Alucius," began the captain, remaining on her feet. "You've been here something like a year and two months."
'Yes, sir."
'Last year, when your squad leader was killed in an ambush, you led the squad to a successful counterattack before turning the squad over to the next senior trooper. Is that correct?"
'Yes, sir. I didn't know if Brekka could see what had happened, and we were under heavy fire, sir." Alucius could sense a slight wave of Talent from both the captain and the undercaptain, but so little that either would not even have made a marginal herder.
'You have also operated independently and successfully routed small Lanachronan raider forces with few or no casualties to the men you led. Is that not true?"
'Yes, sir."
'You understand that forces smaller than a squad are frowned upon?"
'I understood that we were not supposed to range far from the rest of the squad, and in those cases we were not that far away. It was hard covering that territory with only a squad, sir, and I'd thought that was why more squads were sent on patrol."
Hyrlui smiled wryly. "I'd appreciate it, trooper, if you did not guess at the reasons for actions."
'Yes, sir." Alucius waited.
'Undercaptain Kryll has verified that you write acceptably." The captain paused and looked at Alucius again. "In fact, you write and speak better than most, and yet Madrien is not your native tongue."
'My mother said I had a gift for words, sir. Also, I haven't been around that many who spoke my tongue for almost a year and a half."
'You've spent many glasses in the market and the library."
'Yes, sir."
'Why?"
'I'm here, sir. I have to do the best I can. In the market, I talk to those who will tell me things. The library is to help me learn more. I
figured tha
t if I read more and learned more, it couldn't hurt, and it might help."
Hyrlui glanced toward the undercaptain, who nodded.
'You were a captive, and yet you work harder than most born here.
Why?"
'I didn't see that I have any choice, sir. My best shot is to be good enough to get promoted. I figured that meant being as good as I could be. In everything." All of what Alucius said was true.
'What do you plan to do next?"
'Keep learning, sir. Do the best I can."
'Have you thought about the future beyond that?"
'No, sir. I mean, not in terms of making plans or anything. I thought I'd be a trooper for some years to come." Alucius was shading things slightly, but not much.
The two officers exchanged glances.
Then the captain spoke. "If you'd stand by outside, trooper."
'Yes, sir." Alucius nodded, then stepped back. The two had begun to talk even before he finished closing the door, slowly and deliberately.
'… darker gray, like his hair… but still gray…"
'… you think…"
'… better by far than anyone else… and with the new assault… then we'll see…"
Alucius stepped away, toward Tymal, not really wanting to be too familiar, but also not wanting to give the impression of avoiding the senior squad leader.
'You'll do fine," Tymal said. "They go through this with every new junior squad leader."
Alucius blotted his forehead with the back of his hand.
'It can be a little rough," Tymal added. "They ask you a lot?"
'They asked me about the time I took over the squad when Alben was killed."
'I told them you handled that better than most junior squad leaders."
'Thank you."
Tymal offered a rueful smile. "I need men who can think when they're moving and under attack. It's going to get worse."
'The Lanachronans, sir?"
'I'd wager on it, but we'll have to see."
The wait seemed interminable, but far less than a quarter of a glass had passed before Undercaptain Kryll opened the door. "If you would both come in."
'You first," Tymal said.
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