Wayward Soldiers

by Joshua P. Simon

  An image flashed before my eyes. Jareb and Lasha lying naked with limbs intertwined. Lasha’s face changed into that of Myra as Jareb’s declarations of her value echoed in my mind. Anger washed over me.

  “I don’t think I could bring myself to help him.”

  Ava squeezed my arm. “No one with half a mind would question you for that.”

  “Would Lasha?”

  “Maybe. But Lasha wasn’t perfect.”

  I shook my head as more shouts grabbed my attention. A small hand rose out of a pile of wood where the blacksmith’s shop once stood.

  I took advantage of the distraction, not wanting to continue talking about Lasha. I knew my wife had her faults. Everyone did. But I’d take them all and more to have her with me for just one more day.

  “C’mon,” I croaked before sprinting over to the blacksmith.

  CHAPTER 3

  Our emergence from the Hemlock Inn led to a steady stream of back-breaking work as we dug through piles of wood, dirt, and ash. Luckily, we weren’t alone in our efforts. Others made it through the storm relatively unscathed. Upon hearing the commotion we made, they came out into the world. Thankfully, my friend Nason and his family were among them. Everyone was sick, weak, or both due to residual effects from the artifact. My kids and I took turns drawing sorcery out of everyone.

  “You know, I’m beginning to wonder if the others don’t have it right and you truly are blessed by the gods,” said Mayor Rezub. “Thank you.”

  He looked stronger after several minutes in contact with me.

  I helped him to his feet while shaking my head. I was getting tired of hearing from those who still clung to their crazy story of a connection between me and the gods. “Look around, Mayor, I don’t think there’s a whole lot of blessing going on around here. Plenty of cursing though.”

  He frowned as if not sure what to say to that.

  “If you’re feeling up to it now, why don’t you help Dekar and my daughter down the road,” I said pointing.

  He hurried off.

  Ira whispered in my ear. “You know, I was thinking we should really start charging people for using your resistance. We’d make a fortune.”

  “Don’t you have something important to do?”

  Redirecting the conversation was often the best way to handle one of Ira’s lapses in morality. Not that I didn’t occasionally have my own.

  He gave me a defeated look, sighed, and muttered under his breath while walking away, “Same old, Ty.”

  Though we worked with zeal, it quickly became apparent that we’d not be able to reach very many people by the end of the first day. We needed a new approach. Survivors screamed for help from more than two dozen locations.

  “This isn’t working,” I said to Ava as I tossed aside a loose board from the pile of wreckage that used to be the smithy.

  “What isn’t?”

  “All of our efforts. Look around at everyone. We’ve all got eagerness, but no direction. How many have we saved so far? Two?”

  “Three, I think.”

  “It’s not good enough. We’re spread too thin and wasting time and effort.”

  She dropped the board she was trying to work loose, straightened and gave me a look. “And?”

  “And I’m going to fix it. Go start calling people over to the Hemlock Inn. We’ll meet there. It isn’t centrally located, but it is in decent enough shape to act as our base of operations.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Sered, trapped inside. “You’re not leaving us down here?”

  I leaned over and shouted into a small hole. “Just for a little while. Don’t worry, we’ll get back to you with more help. Hang tight.”

  “Hang tight? Are you crazy? We could . . .”

  His voice faded as I walked away, working the other side of Main Street to call people over. I was sure Sered would be pretty upset at me whenever we did finally make it back over to him.

  I was also sure he’d get over it.

  A couple of minutes later, everyone had gathered. Twenty-three in total, including Nason’s children. Those three might be young, but I had learned never to undervalue a resource.

  “What’s going on Tyrus?” asked Nason.

  “We’re wearing ourselves down without getting enough accomplished. We’ve got to focus our efforts on where it makes the most sense. I’m not sure where that is yet though.” I knelt and drew a thick line in the dirt. “This is Main Street.” I added squares of varying sizes on either side of the street. “These are the buildings before the second eruption. Between all of us, we probably have a good idea of the condition of each place, the number of people trapped inside, and knowledge about how dire the circumstances are for them, correct?”

  Heads nodded.

  “Good. When I point to you, I need you tell me everything you know about the buildings you were working on or near. Anyone has any information that’s different, they can speak up afterward. We’ll reorganize our efforts based on what we learn. Nason, since you and your family were farthest out, you go first.”

  He cleared his throat. “Nothing dire that I’m aware of. At least nothing that could cause a death in the next day or so.”

  “Good. What else? Just numbers, and try to be quick. We can’t waste time here either.”

  He pointed to the last three buildings on the east side of town, which included his tannery. “No one’s inside any of those now. We were about to start on Calev’s place when you called us over. He and his wife are inside, but the basement seems pretty secure, and they’ve got food and water.”

  “All right. Ira?”

  The process went pretty quickly as I cut off anyone wanting to interject opinion.

  Dekar was last, scribbling his own notes on the dirt without talking.

  “No one mentioned Sivan or Damaris,” I said. “Anyone heard from them?”

  When no one said anything, I examined the map, resigned to hope they were all right and we’d discover their whereabouts during the rescue efforts. After a minute of considering the notes, the conclusion was clear. “Everyone to the stables. We’ll start there.”

  “The stables?” asked Dinah. “But there are more people trapped in other locations. What about the—”

  “There may be more people in other locations, but they can hold out longer than Berel and the men with him. Berel also has horses, oxen, and a bunch of other animals trapped in those stables. The animals can help lift wreckage off of other buildings.”

  “It makes sense, but it still doesn’t seem right how we’re weighing people’s lives,” said Nason’s wife.

  “I never said it was. But we have to do what’s best for everyone.”

  I was talking to myself as much as anyone else. I was worried about Sivan and Damaris. I wanted to go check on them personally. But if I singled them out, then I’d be going against what I was trying to get others to buy into. We needed to increase our workforce as quickly as possible, and I could not make two people a priority over eight.

  “Enough talking,” I said while walking toward the stables. “Let’s get back to work.”

  * * *

  I slipped into an old, familiar personality as I ordered people to the task I thought best suited their skill set. It just wasn’t possible to forget ten years of military experience in a matter of months. I doubted it would ever be something I’d forget. Even if I managed to leave those memories behind during the waking hours, my dreams continued to remind me of that time, for better or worse. Usually worse.

  The work was hard, and I got aggravated, but by evening we got the stables cleared. Unfortunately, we didn’t accomplish much else on the first day. I think a lot of that had to do with the drain the second eruption had on everyone. We were all tired from the physical work. Some hadn’t taken in much food or water since the second eruption. Plus, the hazy air was just harder to breathe.

  I could tell the physical exertion of our efforts took a greater toll on Ava than she cared to admit. Her natural connection
to sorcery caused her to suffer more greatly from the changed world brought on by the artifact. That night I placed her in charge of organizing work shifts and areas of focus for the next day. Putting her in a supervisory role would allow her to contribute without overexerting herself.

  She stood next to me at the edge of a small circle of people who congregated by an open fire in front of the Hemlock Inn. Boaz, Dinah, and Abigail passed around food they had managed to prepare in spite of our circumstances.

  “What do you think?” she asked, unable to hide her exhaustion.

  Ava had just assigned duties to those in town who still had the strength to work by torchlight. Somehow I managed to get twice as many tasks as everyone else. I didn’t feel twice as energetic, but understood how things went. Those in charge had a tendency to lean on those they could trust to get the job done, even if it meant an unequal distribution of work.

  “I think I should have put Ira in charge.”

  She teased. “It’s not that much, Big Brother. Besides, you know good and well, any list from Ira would be twice as long out of spite.”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t a little bit of spite now. You seem to be enjoying this too much.”

  “It isn’t every day I get to boss you around.” She gestured to the opposite edge of the circle. There, Myra and Zadok sat together. Each wore faraway looks that spoke of more than exhaustion. “How are they doing?”

  “Holding up, I guess. I haven’t been able to really talk to them much since we left the cellar. I’ve been too busy. You mind if I put your list on hold to see how they’re doing first?”

  “Of course, Sergeant. Just don’t make putting off my orders a habit.” She winked.

  As I neared my kids, Zadok looked up and gave me a smile. His eyes brightened with life. Talk about warming my heart. Myra didn’t follow her brother’s lead, but at least she didn’t seem bothered by me coming over. It wasn’t much of an improvement, but it was something, and I’d take it.

  I sat beside Myra purposefully. When Lasha was first pregnant with Zadok, people told us we had to be careful never to show favoritism. This situation called for it, though. I had gaps to bridge.

  “How are you two holding up?”

  As expected, Zadok spoke first. “Tired. Really tired.”

  “I meant mentally and emotionally too. A lot has happened in the last few days. Do you need to talk about any of it?”

  He tilted his head back as if thinking. “I don’t think so.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprised at the casual nature of his response.

  “Yeah. I mean, a lot of bad stuff has happened, but as far as I’m concerned, you and Aunt Ava coming home is about the best thing I could have ever hoped for since Ma died. Anytime I get too upset, I just think about you both and I’m all right. You know what I mean?”

  Molak-be-damned that kid could pull at my heartstrings. Definitely his mother’s son.

  I reached over and gave his arm a squeeze. “Yeah, I do. I feel the same way about you and your sister.”

  And that was true. I kept thinking that no matter what I went through and how hard things got, I’d make it through somehow so long as my kids were safe beside me.

  He smiled wider, and I pulled my hand away. I looked to Myra, hoping against hope that she might have the inkling of a grin working its way through her stone-faced visage.

  My hope was futile.

  I met those blank eyes and saw little except ice in return. Definitely her father’s daughter. I thought, though, that I was more forgiving and a bit more loving.

  “And you?” I asked her.

  She shrugged. “I’ve been through worse. I at least know where my next meal is coming from, and I don’t have to worry about someone trying to take advantage of me.”

  Comments like that definitely put things into perspective.

  “What about what Zadok said?” I asked.

  “If he’s happy, that’s all that matters to me.”

  I pressed my lips together, suppressing a frustrated sigh.

  I wondered if she blamed me for every bad thing that had ever happened to her. It sure seemed that way. Though guilt ate at me for the many things out of my control she and Zadok had experienced, I wouldn’t accept responsibility for everything that made her miserable.

  I couldn’t. I already carried enough guilt. Much more would consume me.

  Myra stared at me with those dark-brown eyes, waiting for me to decide where the conversation would go. I could see she wanted to rage and lash out against me. She likely had a speech all prepared that she’d been working on for years.

  I knew this because in her shoes, I’d have had one ready myself.

  She needed to say what was bothering her, and I needed to hear it, regardless of if I agreed. However, that was a conversation I needed to be in the right frame of mind to have. The exhaustion, stress, and grief I felt would do me no good against a well-prepared teenager. I looked around at how close we were to others in town. I didn’t want our conversation to be public either.

  We would talk. Just not tonight.

  I rose to my feet and squeezed her shoulder. I ignored her uncomfortable tensing as I told them both good night. I headed off to start on Ava’s many tasks.

  Perhaps the work would clear my head.

  * * *

  Everything started off good the next morning. No one had any objections to Ava’s decisions as she organized work crews based on the six horses, two mules, and three oxen rescued from the stables the day before.

  At least not until she suggested we shift focus to excavating the Soiled Dove.

  The Soiled Dove. Just the name itself put me on edge, mind wandering to places I didn’t want it to go.

  “Tyrus? You all right?” she asked.

  I blinked away images of Lasha doing things I thought she’d only ever do with me.

  “I’m fine.”

  She and I had stepped away from the others to discuss her priority of the rescue efforts. Many of the townspeople didn’t understand why they should bother saving prostitutes, drunks, and so on, when good, upstanding citizens were still trapped in other parts of Denu Creek.

  Though I disagreed that everyone else in town was of higher moral fiber and therefore worth more than those at the Soiled Dove, I still wanted to know Ava’s reasoning.

  She sighed. “You can be such a bad liar. Is this about what happened to Lasha?”

  “In part,” I admitted. “The owner, Omri, didn’t do anything to make her life easier. Or help Zadok and Myra after Lasha died.”

  “I know.”

  I tried to stay calm, but could feel the rage rising in the back of my throat. I took a deep breath. “Then why the Soiled Dove?”

  “You already know why.”

  I worked my jaw. I did. It was the best use of our resources, but because of what the place meant to me, I just didn’t want to put my efforts in there.

  I grimaced. “You’re right.”

  “Of course I am.”

  “People still aren’t going to like it.”

  “Just like you still don’t like it, you mean?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  An image of a man pounding his fists against Lasha assaulted me. I thought of Zadok getting flung across the room as he tried to save his mother. People downstairs laughed and had a good time, oblivious or uncaring to what was going on above them. Upstairs the love of my life suffered and died while my son watched helpless.

  Obviously, the images were imagined, my mind creating things based on Zadok’s story. Still, they felt real.

  By the gods, I wanted to find that man and rip him apart. But the chances of that ever happening were beyond slim.

  I closed my eyes and took two deep breaths, opening the fists that had formed on their own. “I’ll get over it. It’s the right decision.”

  “You want me to talk to the townspeople again.”

  “No. I’ll handle it. I think they expect me to
be the bearer of bad news at this point.”

  “Speaking of bad news, Nason’s wife told me she saw one of Jareb’s men lurking around the edge of town about ten minutes ago.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Don’t know. She said that he heeled and toed it back toward Jareb’s when he saw her looking his way. Looked like he was just trying to see what we were up to. Probably so he can report back to his boss, which of course means that mule is probably alive and kicking.”

  “And continuing to be as big of a mule as ever in not coming to help.”

  “Not surprising. You think I should send someone like Ira out to Jareb’s place in order to see what he’s up to.”

  “It’d be nice if we had the manpower, but no. Too many people are trapped here. And to be honest, I’m not all that worried if he comes back into town.”

  “Something to think about though.”

  “Yeah, one more thing for the list. C’mon, let’s rejoin the others. We’re burning daylight.”

  People grumbled and hated that I sided with Ava, but thankfully, everyone did as they were told, attacking the task with surprising enthusiasm. Maybe they just wanted to get the job over with so they could move on more quickly to the people they really cared about.

  Those trapped in other parts of town were not as enthusiastic with our choice, shouting curses and pleas at us while we worked. After half an hour of trying to ignore them, Ira took it upon himself to visit each location personally. I wasn’t sure what he told them all, but we didn’t hear another word of complaint from anyone else for quite some time.

  Few people could make a point better than Ira.

  We made steady progress on the Soiled Dove and after a couple of hours of work, one of the muffled voices we worked toward became clearer. I moved another plank aside and a feminine hand attached to a thin arm shot into the air, opening and closing in the hopes it might find another to grab.