Captain's Fury ca-4

by Jim Butcher

  "I will speak to him all the same."

  Kitai frowned, but nodded. "I understand." Then she left.

  She returned with Tavi a few minutes later, and the tall young man immediately enfolded Isana in an embrace.

  "Thank the great furies you're both all right," Tavi said.

  Isana hugged her son back. "And you."

  The tent opened and Ehren appeared, carrying a scribe's writing case. He plunked himself down, opened the case, and took out a pen, inkpot, and several sheets of paper.

  Tavi released Isana with a smile, and asked, "Well?"

  "It looked like the testimony of six different truthfinders wasn't going to be enough," Ehren said. "Until I showed Nalus the affidavits from the witnesses to the attacks on the steadholts. He's thrown his support behind the validity of the charges and the challenge."

  "Meaning?" Isana asked quietly.

  Ehren bared his teeth in a wolf's smile. "Meaning that if Arnos doesn't accept, he can kiss all his efforts good-bye. He'll have to stand down from his command, just like Tavi had to step down, and wait for a trial." He inhaled and let out a satisfied breath. "I love the symmetry."

  "What are you writing?" Tavi asked.

  "A declaration of identity and intent," Ehren said. "Retroactively giving yourself permission to release yourself on your own recognizance in order to defend the honor of the Realm. It's going to block Arnos's next move, to claim that you are a prisoner under suspicion and that your presence, and therefore your challenge, is illegal."

  "I can do that?"

  "Unless someone overrules you, and the only one who can do that has been out of touch for a while."

  "Good."

  Ehren nodded. "I'm just glad Arnos forced us to brush up on the pertinent laws when this mess started. Give me about ten minutes. Then we'll need the signet dagger."

  A slender, older gentleman in the tunic of an officer's valet entered the tent, lugging a heavy leather sack. "Ah, there you are, sir," he said. He dropped the sack near Tavi's feet with a sigh of relief. "Your reserve lorica, sir."

  Tavi dumped out the sack without preamble, revealing a much-newer-looking set of armor than the one he currently wore. "Excellent. The Free Aler-ans have decent gear, all things considered, but this set has seen better days. Give me a hand here, Magnus?"

  "Of course, Captain," the valet said. "Or is it 'Your Highness,' now?"

  Tavi arched an eyebrow at the man. "You don't believe me?"

  "That isn't the issue," the valet replied. He glanced aside at the others.

  "I'm not keeping secrets from anyone here," Tavi said. He glanced at Isana, and she felt a little knife of resentment accompanying the words. He pushed it down at once, but it had still been there.

  Isana winced. However well-intentioned she had been, some mistakes took time to correct. She would have to live with that.

  Magnus sighed. "Very well. May I have your permission to speak candidly, Your Highness?"

  Tavi's frown deepened. "Of course."

  Magnus nodded. "This stunt is idiocy on the grandest and most irresponsible scale in the history of mankind."

  Tavi's eyebrows shot up.

  "Entirely setting aside the fact that this is the worst possible time and place for you to go public, there are other considerations. The Princeps of the Realm is not someone who engages in duels. He does not put his person at risk. He does not take such chances. He is far too valuable to do so."

  "The Realm has had a Princeps again for about twenty minutes, Magnus," Tavi said. "The only people who know about it are within these walls. Even if I lose, the Realm won't-or not much, at any rate."

  "Tavi," Isana said, stepping forward. "Listen to him, please. Magnus is right."

  Tavi glanced aside at her, and a frown with a trace of uncertainty to it formed a small line between his brows. He nodded slowly and gestured for the valet to continue.

  "With all due respect to Princeps Septimus," Magnus continued, "your father made this choice as well." His voice hardened. "And he was wrong to do it. He died. And as a result, Alera has known twenty years of plotting and betrayal and conflict. It has all but shattered as High Lords maneuver for power, inflicting hardship and suffering, and triggering disputes and wars that have resulted in the deaths of thousands-to say nothing of those lost when our enemies sensed that we were becoming increasingly divided and acted upon it."

  "Tavi," Isana said quietly. "There must be some other solution to this problem."

  Tavi chewed on his lower lip, his eyes unreadable.

  "Navaris is one of the best I have ever seen," Araris said, speaking for the first time. "In my judgment, if I fought her, even in a controlled duel, it could go either way. You've got talent and training, but you're still learning. Your chances are not good."

  "Agreed," Magnus said. "Risking yourself in a battle is one thing. Throwing your life away in a fight only a fool would place money upon is something else altogether."

  Tavi looked at each of them, his expression serious. Then he glanced at Kitai.

  "I would be displeased should you be killed, ckala." She shrugged. "You will do as you think best."

  Tavi nodded slowly. Then he took a deep breath, and pointed his finger at the wall of the tent. "Out there," he said, "are tens of thousands of frightened, angry Canim. And thousands more frightened, angry, vengeful ex-slaves. They've got all three of our Legions dead to rights, and in a few hours, they're going to kill us.

  "Unless," he said, "I can show them a reason to believe that we're more than a bunch of murdering, crowbegotten bastards who deserve to be killed. Unless I can give them the men responsible for those massacres and get these Legions to stand down and stop threatening the Canim's only means of going home."

  "But Tavi," Isana said. "There must be some other way to-"

  "While Arnos is in command, there isn't," Tavi said, his voice certain. "He can't back down and leave the Canim in peace now. He'll continue the fight and kill every man in the Legions if that's what it takes to get his victory, and I'm not willing to let that happen."

  "Then arrest him," Isana said.

  "I don't have the grounds to do so yet," Tavi said. "And if I tried to arrest him illegally, his own people would fight to protect him. We'd do the Canim's work for them. And then they'd wipe out whoever was left standing. After that, the war would continue. More will suffer. More will die.

  "The juris macto gets us around all of that, and it's the only way I can strip him of his legal authority without taking it to a courtroom."

  "But-" Magnus began.

  Tavi turned to the old valet, scowling. "It's this simple, Magnus: The Canim are coming. Either I give them Arnos, or they kill us all and take him. The duel is my only way to get at Arnos." He looked at each of them singly and separately. "Does anyone here see another way? Anyone?"

  No one spoke.

  Tavi nodded slowly. "I'm going through with this. Support me or get out of the May."

  He swept his gaze around the room again, and Isana stared, fascinated. She had never seen him like this before. She had never seen anyone speak with that much authority and strength. Not since Septimus died.

  "I can't," said Araris, his voice very quiet. "I can't let you do this. I'm not going to fail again."

  Tavi met Araris's gaze steadily and spoke in a very quiet voice. "This is my fight. My responsibility. Or did you plan on pushing me in front of a wagon to stop me."

  Araris's face went pale, and he averted his eyes.

  Ehren blew gently on the sheet of paper, then fanned the air with it slowly, to help the ink dry. "Ready for your signature and that seal."

  Tavi nodded and turned to Isana.

  "I don't have the dagger," she told him quietly. "It was in my bag. I haven't seen it since we were captured."

  Kitai stepped past Isana quietly, shrugging her pack off of her shoulders. She reached into it and retrieved a dagger, the steel of its blade and its hilt both showing traceries of scarlet and blue. The dagger's
pommel was engraved with the signet of the House of Gaius, an eagle in flight. Kitai passed it to Tavi.

  Isana took a slow breath. Then she said, "You took it from my pack."

  "I thought I might need it," Tavi said quietly.

  "You didn't trust me."

  Tavi looked down, turning the dagger over in his hand. "You've had a lot of… reservations, about this part of my life. I didn't want to see them get the better of you at a bad moment."

  "You didn't trust me," Isana repeated. She shook her head. It was not as though she had given him a great deal of reason to do so, but all the same, it stung.

  Tavi signed the document and marked it with the pommel of his signet dagger. He folded it and sealed it closed the same way. "Three hours from now," Tavi said. "On the walls. I want everyone to see this."

  "Got it," Ehren said. He took the sealed letter and hurried out.

  "If you don't mind," Tavi said to the tent, "I'd like a few minutes alone to change."

  Everyone murmured their farewells and left-but Isana paused at the entrance to the tent, and turned to face Tavi.

  "Can you win?" she whispered.

  He smiled crookedly. "I've never lost a duel to the death. Not one."

  "Tavi."

  The smile faded, but his eyes didn't waver. "I've got to. For all of us." He glanced down again, and said, "I have a favor to ask of you."

  Isana nodded. "Of course."

  "My friend is hurt," Tavi said. "Max. And a lot of my men. Do you think…"

  Isana bowed her head to him. 'Til go to the hospital now."

  Tavi closed his eyes. "Thank you." He licked his lips, then suddenly his reserve shattered, and his emotions came pouring through to her. They were achingly familiar to Isana-the fear and insecurity that had greeted her whenever Tavi, as a child, had woken from a nightmare in the darkest hours of night.

  She went to him at once and hugged him as tightly as she could. She felt him lean some of his weight against her.

  "I'm frightened," he whispered.

  "I know," she said.

  "Don't tell anyone. They mustn't see."

  "I know," she said. "I love you, Mother."

  Isana could feel it as he spoke it, and she held him even tighter. "And I love you, my son."

  Chapter 53

  Marcus paused in the shadows outside of Senator Arnos's well-lit command tent, and listened, watching through the half-open flap.

  "Well?" Arnos demanded of one of his cadre of flunkies. "You're my legal advisor. Advise me."

  "I'm sorry, Senator," the plump little man said, from the midst of a stack of thick books. "All the legal precedents would seem to be on the Princep-"

  "Scipio," Arnos snarled. "His name is Scipio."

  "-Scipio's," the man corrected seamlessly, "side. He has… technically, of course… satisfied the legal requirements to establish his identity, and in the case of a threat of treason or dishonor to the Realm, Citizens of the rank of Lord and above have the right to issue a challenge to any Citizen of the Realm."

  "I know that," Arnos snarled. "What do I do about it?"

  The man tried to smile, and his voice came out in a squeak. "You could always renounce your Citizenship, sir."

  Arnos slapped him. "Idiot. Get out before I have you flogged."

  The little man went scrambling from the tent, and Marcus stepped back to let him pass.

  "You could take his advice, you know," said a woman's voice. Marcus recognized Lady Aquitaine's disguise at once.

  "Bloody crows and furies," snarled Arnos, his throat tight. "How long have you been there?"

  "Long enough to see that you are in a spot, Arnos."

  The Senator let out a fairly uncivilized growl. "I'm not backing away now. I'd lose everything I've worked years to build. In my professional opinion, it is time for you to intervene."

  "And?" she asked.

  "And make it go away," he said, his voice coming through clenched teeth.

  "I believe I've made a mistake in you, Arnos. I knew you were a pompous egotist with delusions of grandeur, but I did believe you were at least competent."

  Arnos stared in silence for a few seconds, then accused, "We had a deal."

  "We had an understanding," Lady Aquitaine said. "But you've broken faith with me. You told me that you hadn't acquired any of your troops as mercenaries. But your extremely well-supplied and well-armed and well-paid cavalry seem to have taken it upon themselves to loot and pillage every human habitation they come across."

  "Their Tribunes are acting independently of my orders," Arnos said.

  "You're the commander of these Legions, dear. You're responsible for what they do. That's rather why one is able to attain glory and respect after a victory. Or don't they teach that at the Collegia."

  "How dare you lecture me on-"

  Lady Aquitaine's voice, though still quiet, turned cold. "Don't make me raise my hand, Arnos. When I slap someone, he doesn't scurry away after."

  Arnos jerked up straight, and his face turned red. "You were willing enough to spill Aleran blood six weeks ago."

  "I'm willing to make sacrifices in pursuit of a greater goal," Lady Aquitaine said. "That's not the same as condoning the rape and murder of entire stead-holts. There was no profit to those actions. No purpose. It's unprofessional. Idiotic. And I have difficulty tolerating idiots."

  "Then you should agree that this conversation is unprofitable, given the circumstances. We need to focus on the matter at hand."

  "Oh?"

  "We're probably worried about nothing. Navaris is going to introduce our young captain to the crows, and that will solve the problems at hand."

  "Will it?" she said in a flat voice. "I've made a decision about the problems at hand, Arnos."

  The Senator's voice sounded wary. "What's that?"

  "They're your problems," Lady Aquitaine said, her tone pitiless. "Solve them by yourself. If you manage to survive them, I may be willing to renegotiate our relationship. But until then, you're on your own."

  Arnos's mouth opened and closed several times.

  Lady Aquitaine appeared in the tent's doorway and faced Marcus. She gave him a small smile, then it vanished. She turned, and hissed to Arnos, "Someone is coming."

  Marcus took that as his cue and briskly strode to the mouth of the tent. "Senator?" He held up a roll of paper. "I've brought the First Aleran's casualty list for you to look over."

  Lady Aquitaine's simple gown was spotted with blood, doubtless from the wounded men to whom she had been carrying water. She took the paper with a little curtsey and passed it over to Arnos.

  Arnos unrolled it and glanced at it. "Thank you, centurion. Dismissed."

  Marcus saluted and withdrew from the tent. He found Lady Aquitaine walking beside him.

  "Sloppy," he said quietly. "Speaking that openly. Someone could overhear."

  She made a tsking sound. "I extended the windcrafting to include you."

  Marcus grunted.

  "The duel is to be held on the south wall of the fortifications," Lady Aquitaine said. "This is the time for the balest, I suppose."

  Marcus nodded. "Which?"

  She shook her head. "There's something to be had on all fronts of this debacle. If Arnos is vindicated, our would-be Princeps has been dealt with. If Oc-tavian wins, he gets rid of a useless retainer who might well return to stab me in the back when I'm not looking."

  Marcus understood the cold-blooded logic of it. "Wait until it's over. Shoot the winner."

  "Problems solved," Lady Aquitaine said.

  "There might be some problems you aren't considering," Marcus said. "About sixty thousand of them."

  The mourning howls of the Canim army drifted through the night air.

  She frowned, and rubbed her hands on her arms as if cold. "It's unfavorable. I'd rather not lose the Legions, but the odds would seem to be against it."

  "You could improve them."

  Lady Aquitaine stopped in her tracks and stared. "You can't be seri
ous."

  "Consider the advantages should we succeed," Marcus said. "Between this and the Vord attack in the citadel, you'll be establishing yourself as a true hero of the Realm. You'll gain even more allies."

  "Assuming I'm not killed in the fighting, of course," she said. "No. That's not a chance I'm willing to take. Should the battle go ill, I'll take us both safely away."

  No you won't, Marcus thought. I know you, Your Grace. Why remove two liabilities when it's as easy to manage three?

  Marcus brooded for a moment, and when the privacy aircrafting Lady Aquitaine had been holding suddenly collapsed, he all but collided with the captain.

  "Ah, there you are," the captain said. "I've been looking for you. Where did you get off to, First Spear?"

  Tavi's eyes traveled to the disguised Lady Aquitaine, and his eyebrows rose in time with the corners of his mouth. "Ah-hah."

  Lady Aquitaine dropped another curtsey, her eyes on the ground, and her cheeks turned pink.

  Marcus coughed gruffly as he saluted. "Captain." He turned to Lady Aquitaine. "I must attend to my duties."

  She nodded silently, still blushing-or pretending to be-and kissed Marcus on the cheek, curtseyed again to the captain, and hurried away.

  "I didn't know you had a woman," Tavi said, grinning. "Ready to work?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Good. I-" The captain frowned suddenly, studying Lady Aquitaine as she left.

  Marcus watched him frown pensively. "Sir?"

  "Mmmm?" The captain shook his head. "Oh, nothing. She just seemed familiar to me for a moment."

  "You may have seen her around the camp, sir."

  "That's probably it." The young man rolled his shoulders beneath his armor. "The show starts in an hour. I'd like you to make sure the south wall is cleared of debris and ready."

  Marcus saluted. "Will do, Captain."

  The captain thumped a fist down on one of Marcus's armored shoulders. "What would I do without you, centurion? Carry on."

  Marcus strode away to the wall, rounded up two spears' worth of legionares, and proceeded to clear it. Then he hurried back toward the wagons to get his gear. He'd already picked a likely spot from which to shoot. There should be just time enough to collect the balest and reach his position.