Dynasty of Rogues

by Jane Fletcher

  The captain however, was not tongue-tied. “You’re an officer in the Rangers, not a child in the playground. If you can’t control yourself, you stand no chance of controlling anyone else. Regardless of provocation, officers do not strike their subordinates. Brawling is not the way to enforce patrol discipline. Because of the circumstances, I’ll let you off this one time, but if anything like this happens again, you will be joining Sadiq with the rank of private. Due to the fire, 2B Patrol will not be leaving Westernfort for another three days. Until you leave, while off duty, you are confined to barracks. Dismissed.”

  Tanya turned to go. As she reached the door the captain spoke again. “I’m very disappointed in you.”

  Tanya again closed her eyes, this time to hold back the tears. Up until then, it had been Captain Coppelli speaking. That last line had been from her mother, and it cut like nothing else could have. Tanya left the office and stood for a while outside, gathering her composure and thinking about just how much she hated Rikako Sadiq.

  *

  Riki lay on her back, staring at the slats of the bunk above. If she rolled her head to one side, she would be able to see Tanya, who was over on her own bed—not that she had any wish to do this. If it was not bad enough being confined to barracks, Riki had to endure her company. Of course, they were not talking, but just knowing she was there was an ordeal.

  Riki raised her hand to gently prod the sore spot on her face, a reminder of where Tanya had punched her. So far, she had received only the most grudging of apologies for the assault and none for the accusations that underlay it. On top of this, Captain Coppelli had fined her for not trimming her horse’s hooves when Sergeant Baptiste ordered the gear preparation. Added to her demotion, it meant that she was now in a state of negative salary. Riki suspected that the only reason she had not been thrown out of the Rangers, as previously threatened, was because of Tanya’s involvement in the affair.

  When she thought about it all, Riki’s main regret was for the insufficient words at her disposal to express just how much she hated Tanya Coppelli.

  Chapter Four—On Patrol

  The air smelled clean with the warmth of wet earth and the acidic tang of yellow cedar. The ground between the massive tree trunks was soft and red from the remains of last year’s fall of leaves, with coils of lemon vine bursting through wherever the sun’s light pierced the canopy. The only sound other than the chattering of birds and the rush of the nearby river was the dull thump of the horses’ hooves.

  The land rolled in gentle folds, cut with streams. On the left it fell away more sharply toward the river. The four Rangers rode in single file through the forest. Tanya was in front, leading half of the patrol. The remaining members were farther up the hillside with Gerry Baptiste.

  After the trek across the wilderness, the patrol had reached the region twelve days before. Now they were on their circuit, watching for signs of Guards invading the wilderness and checking the secret rendezvous sites for heretics who had fled the Homelands and needed an escort to the safety of Westernfort.

  Patrolling the wilderness was what Tanya loved about being a Ranger, and she felt at peace with the world, or as much at peace as she could be with Rikako Sadiq riding two places behind her.

  Tanya’s mouth pulled down at the corners. She would like to forget about the disruptive private and enjoy the bright spring morning, but Rikako was hard to ignore. Even her smile was irritating, although fortunately there had been no more direct confrontations between them since leaving Westernfort.

  “Wait. Stop your horses.” As if in answer to Tanya’s thoughts, Rikako broke the silence.

  One of the other Rangers spoke up. “What’s—”

  “Hush.” Rikako held up her hand assertively while looking down toward the river.

  Tanya felt a flicker of anger even as she reined in her horse. She was the corporal. A private should not be the one issuing orders. Against this, the previous month had shown that Rikako had a seemingly supernatural ability to read the Wildlands. She would have been a great asset to the patrol if she were not such a pain in the ass. Regardless, it would be stupid to ignore what she said. Tanya waited patiently until Private Sadiq would consent to share with them whatever it was that she had noticed.

  Rikako turned to face her. “Something’s upsetting the skirrales on the other side of the river. That’s the third troop to sound off.”

  Skirrales were active, tree-living nut eaters, about thirty centimeters in length and black in color except for the distinctive white stripe down their backs. They lived in large family troops. Their high-pitched yips were a common sound throughout both Wildlands and Homelands.

  “Could it be a tree rat?”

  Rikako shook her head. “Nope. Whatever’s upsetting them isn’t keeping pace with us, but still moving at a fair rate. When I heard the first troop, they were a short way ahead, and we’ve just overtaken them. A tree rat won’t travel that fast for more than fifty meters.”

  “So what do you think it is?”

  “Something with enough sense of purpose to travel in a straight line for two kilometers.”

  Tanya frowned. Only one candidate met that criterion, leaving just the question “friend or foe?” She raised her fingers to her mouth and gave the birdsong code signal meaning Halt investigating to the other half of the patrol.

  Down the hillside, water glinted between the tree trunks some way off, but nothing of the other bank could be seen. Tanya slipped from her saddle and stole cautiously down to the river. Soon, the ground became squelchy underfoot. Heavy reed beds lined the bank, obscuring her vision. The barrier was too wide for parting it to be possible, quite aside from the risk that such an action would be visible on the other bank.

  Tanya looked up. The trees growing here were smaller and lighter than those farther up the hillside. She grabbed a branch just above head height and pulled herself up. From that position she was high enough to have a clear view across the river.

  The opposite bank was identical to the one she was on. Nothing was moving. Then suddenly a flash of red between the trees caught Tanya’s eye, a bright brilliant red that belonged to no animal or plant. Tanya recognized it immediately. It was the color of a Guard’s uniform. She concentrated on the spot where she had caught the brief sighting.

  Just to the right was a break in the trees. A second later, women dressed in red and gold appeared there on horseback. Tanya caught a glimpse before the rider disappeared again, but behind came a line of her comrades. Two abreast, the Guards rode through the forest. The column had to contain at least fifty of the pious warriors.

  Tanya remained motionless until the last had passed, grateful that her own green and gray uniform would not be so conspicuous—not that the Guards were showing any sign of being on the lookout for danger—then she dropped to the ground and trotted back to where the other Rangers were waiting.

  Tanya hopped up into her saddle and looked at the expectant faces. “We’ve got company.”

  *

  Both moons were in the sky. Their cool blue radiance contrasted with the red flickering of the campfire. Tanya sat beside the burning logs, grateful for the warmth against the night chill. Four other members of the patrol were with her, sitting around in a circle. The remaining three were on sentry and scouting duties. Some way off, the horses were grazing.

  The camp was set amid the rocky upland. The poor soil would not support the towering yellow cedars. Consequently, long grass and ferns covered the open ground, and brushwood filled the hollows. The Rangers’ camp was in a clear spot at the bottom of one such dip. The upland location had three advantages over the forest. There was grazing for the horses, the lookouts had good visibility to spot danger, and the bushes shielded the campfire that would otherwise have shone out like a beacon.

  A whistled signal from one of the lookouts announced the scout’s return. Tanya turned toward the sound. At the edge of the firelight, the line of bushes was silent and motionless, except for a slight waveri
ng in the breeze. And then Rikako stepped through them into the open.

  Tanya shook her head, with more than a touch of admiration. As a Ranger, Tanya thought she had pretty good wilderness skills, but she had not heard Rikako’s approach nor seen anything that would have alerted her. Rikako might have dropped from the sky for all the disturbance she had made passing through the dense brushwood—which was why Gerry Baptiste had picked her to be the scout, regardless of what doubts might be held about Rikako’s general fitness as a Ranger.

  Rikako joined the group around the fire.

  “Are they settled?” Gerry asked.

  “Yup. They’re not going anywhere.”

  “Any sign they’ll be sending out patrols?”

  “No, they’ve got a ring of sentries, but that’s it.”

  Gerry nodded and signaled for the two lookouts to join them for the briefing. Once everyone was together, she gestured to Rikako. “Okay. What’s the score?”

  “There’s sixty-two of them. Looks like a major in command, though I couldn’t get close enough to check her badge. They have ten packhorses, so unless they’ve worked out what plants they can eat out here, they won’t have enough supplies for more than another twenty days, especially seeing as how two horses were carrying just the major’s tent. Added to some bits of conversation I overheard, I think it’s a routine training hike.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “Nothing of note. Two of them were going for a piss. They exchanged confidences that it was their first time in the wilderness. One said she wasn’t afraid because Celaeno would look after them. The other agreed and said if the impious could live here without aid from the Goddess, then it would be a piece of cake for them.” Rikako grinned. “I’m paraphrasing a bit there.”

  Gerry frowned. “You must have been inside their sentry cordon to hear that.”

  “Oh yes. If you can call it a cordon. They seem to think sentry duty means standing so still that they’re always staring at the same spot. They don’t even move their eyeballs.”

  “I told you not to take unnecessary risks.”

  Rikako shrugged. “No risk. You’d have to dance naked through the camp to alert their sentries.”

  Tanya bit her lip to conceal her smile. Rikako clearly had been taking unnecessary risks, but Tanya could not help being impressed, despite herself.

  Gerry’s frown grew, but she apparently decided to let it go. Her expression became thoughtful. “I agree, a wilderness training expedition would be the most likely reason for them being here. They don’t have the numbers or supplies to cause any trouble. We’ll keep a loose tail on them. If others show up, or they join with a baggage train, we’ll send word to the captain. And if a small group go off on their own, maybe we’ll get the chance to see how much protection the Goddess really gives to her faithful. We don’t want them to start thinking they can wander through our territory at will.”

  The sergeant’s eyes ran around the ring of faces. “We need them under constant surveillance. We’ll run the patrol in shifts, half on duty, half off. Two Rangers on foot will keep within sight of the Guards. With the speed they move, that shouldn’t be a problem. Two more will hang back about a kilometer. Close enough to exchange signals. They’ll have the horses and will provide rotation support and messengers, if needed. The half of the patrol that’s off duty will keep well away. If it’s training, they most likely won’t be going in a straight line.”

  “With the Guards’ sense of direction, they couldn’t if they wanted to,” someone interjected.

  “Maybe. But it’ll mean there won’t be much catching up to do at shift changeover. At night we can go down to a pair of lookouts.” Gerry looked across to Tanya. “Do you want to take first or second shift?”

  “Either.”

  “Right. Second shift. You’ll have Loke, Sasha, and Rikako with you. My half will do the first overnight watch. You’re on at dawn.”

  The Rangers dispersed; those designated to watch the Guards headed off, while the rest went to their bedrolls. As she lay down, Tanya’s attention was caught briefly by Rikako on the other side of the campfire, also getting ready to sleep. The woman had unquestionable talents that could be so useful to the patrol. She could also be a liability, taking risks for the fun of it. She was undisciplined, unfriendly, and overconfident.

  Tanya rolled over and closed her eyes. As she did so, the thought came to her that maybe the charge of overconfidence was unfair. She could not deny that Rikako Sadiq was very good at what she did.

  *

  Five days later, the weather had turned and rain clouds replaced the sunshine. Riki took satisfaction from knowing that the Guards were enjoying it far less than she was. Quite apart from their inexperience in living out of doors, their uniforms had been designed to look impressive when standing duty in the temples, rather than for survival in the wilds. Presumably someone had decided that the Goddess would be offended if they changed to anything more practical.

  Judging by the increasing desperation of the shouted commands, the major was just as unhappy as her troops and would probably call the entire exercise to an early halt. Riki hoped so, and not just because the excitement of tracking the Guards had worn off. When she was on duty, Riki found that she was spending far more time than she liked paired with Loke Stevenson.

  In the late afternoon they were working together again, keeping the column of Guards in sight. They were close enough to hear when the order to stop was called for the third time since lunch.

  “Do you reckon the major wants a break to wring out her cloak again?” Riki asked.

  Loke did no more than grunt in reply. She raised her hand to her mouth and sent the birdsong whistle for Halt to Tanya and Sasha, who were providing backup a kilometer to the rear.

  Riki looked at her companion. Of all the patrol, Loke was the most consistently hostile. Even Tanya acted in a coolly professional manner. Loke, though, refused to make any sort of concession in the interests of patrol unity. However, Riki had noticed the way she watched Tanya, and suspected it was because Leading Ranger Stevenson was interested in a rather non-military form of unity with the corporal. Maybe Loke was hoping that a conspicuous display of ignoring anyone who had slighted Tanya would win some reciprocal attention.

  The Guards had been following a river along the bottom of a valley. Riki and Loke’s path had shadowed them farther up the hillside. Without horses, the trees presented no obstacle, and the firm ground meant they had not even needed to jog to keep up. They found a good vantage point and settled down to watch what the Guards would do next.

  The drizzle had finally stopped, although the wind knocked drips off the branches overhead. The Guards dismounted and formed up in an open space in the loop of the river. Riki sneered. The Guards spent a quite astounding amount of time standing in straight lines. The major addressed them for a short while before they dispersed and began pulling packs off their horses.

  “Looks like they’re stopping for the day,” Loke said.

  Riki considered the gray sky. Even with the sun obscured she could make a fair guess of the time. “It’s a bit early, even for them.”

  “The major must be really pissed off.” Loke’s tone implied that she was too.

  After a few minutes, a dozen Guards left the camp in a group and started to climb the hillside on foot.

  “I wonder where they’re off to,” Riki said.

  “Don’t know. I’ll follow them and see.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better if I did that?”

  Loke gave Riki a surly look and said, “No. You stay here and watch the main group.”

  “But—”

  “No. I’m the leading ranger. I’ve got the experience. You stay here.”

  Without more debate, Loke slipped off through the forest. Riki watched her go. Leading ranger outranked private, but not by much. On past experience, neither the sergeant nor the corporal would have pretended that their rank made them better suited to tracking and scouting. Both had s
hown trust in Riki’s abilities.

  The thought struck Riki that the real benefit of having Loke Stevenson in the patrol was she made Tanya Coppelli look good.

  *

  “It’s not too slippery here.”

  “Do we need to bear left more?”

  “This gully’s going in the right direction.”

  Loke could not restrain her expression of contempt. As if the Guards were not making enough noise by their passage, they were giving a running commentary as they went. A blind idiot could have tailed them. Yet Rikako-fucking-Sadiq acted like she was the only woman in the patrol who could follow a track.

  The lower reaches of the valley were largely free of undergrowth, and the bright Guards’ uniforms made them easy to spot between the huge trunks of the yellow cedars. Loke kept well to the side of the flashes of red and gold. She did not want to risk running into the backs of stragglers.

  As they got higher, the character of the trees changed and hagwood firs started to appear. The undergrowth also thickened, which caused the Guards yet more trouble. Loke moved in a little closer.

  “We’re blocked in here.”

  “I think there’s a way through on the left.”

  The Guards were moving away from her. Loke followed after, keeping ducked beneath the height of the bushes. Suddenly she realized that the voices were getting nearer again. The Guards were doubling back. Furthermore, a couple had looped around downhill, trapping her. A knotted mass of border weed formed a solid hedge at her back, cutting off any quick escape route. Loke dropped to the ground and rolled underneath it, wrapping her green cloak around her. Her clothes acquired a fair coating of mud and dead leaves—unpleasant, even though it would aid her camouflage.

  Through the web of stems she saw the red and gold uniforms get closer. The Guards stopped fifteen meters from where she lay.