“She made Ruprek happy about it to boot!”
Dax smiled. “He’s happy now, but I’m told a peewit mouse is happy to run into the mouth of a prairie serpent, thinking it’s found shelter.”
“A prairie serpent? From what we’ve seen, Aylssandra has claws as well as fangs.”
“Carmodi was lucky.” Dax frowned with anger as he thought about the man’s near miss with poison. “There was enough fenugek in that flask to kill six men. It wasn’t very subtle.” He thought for another minute. “If it did come from her.”
“Oh, come on. We’ve been over that before. It has to be her. She’s working for Thara, and Thara doesn’t want the two Landlys back together.”
“Is it only her?” Dax looked at Scarlet pointedly.
Scarlet was quiet until they reached the far end of the bridge. “Okay. Who else?”
Dax shrugged. “I have no idea, but maybe she has help. If I were planning to cause problems for East Landly, I would have at least one more person in play. Maybe even a third, and not tell Aylssandra.”
“So maybe there are other prairie serpents in the weeds around here? “ Scarlet sighed again. “Yeah, I can see that, but serpents don’t always work well together.” They walked on for a while before Scarlet asked, “So how far out of town is the Ugori camp? Are we going to find it before it’s full dark?”
“The distance to their camp is a reflection of the dilemma King Kankasi faces with the Ugori.” Dax gestured to the city behind them. “He wants them close enough to keep them under his thumb, yet”—he pointed to the road ahead—“he wants them far enough away so their pain to his backside is as small as possible.” Dax smiled at Scarlet’s frown and pointed forward. “The camp is just ahead.”
“Why does he even bother to keep them around? They seem to be mainly troublemakers.”
Dax nodded. “They are troublemakers, but they are also a symbol of East Landly’s might and dominance.” He shrugged. “They serve the king to honor their treaty.”
“Seems like it would be less bother to station a few battalions up in Ugor.”
“East Landly has more than a few battalions up there, and the area is still restless.” Dax chuckled. “What I hear from the North is that they keep things under control by drafting all the Ugori troublemakers and sending them south to serve in the king’s brigade.”
“Cute.” Scarlet nodded. “So you’ve got, what, four thousand rascals under your command?”
“Closer to five thousand with all the families.”
Scarlet was silent for a time. “So, what? Two thousand effective?”
“With the Ugori, everybody fights.” Dax smiled. “We would go into battle with over four thousand mounted.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened. “Well, this will be interesting.”
Dax stopped and pointed to a small rise ahead. At the top, a long black pennant scrolled out languidly in the dying breeze against a darkening sky. “I believe that is our destination.” Describing the Ugori troops in his new command was one thing, but now the reality manifested before them. The Ugori camp had two sections. On the southeast side of the encampment stood several large, empty shelters facing a paved center court—their winter camp. The Ugori, preferring the outdoor ways of their native hill country, lived in an untidy sprawl of tents, piles of equipment, and stabling yards on the side facing away from the city.
Just outside the camp, a kilt-clad warrior rose to his feet from the stone where he had been sitting. He held up a hand for them to halt. “Let’s be stoppin’ right there. What business do ye have with the Dark Horse Rangers?” Dax stopped, but did not reply. Instead he unbuckled his sword belt and handed it to Scarlet. He pulled a knife from his boot and gave it to his friend as well. The guard watched perplexed until Dax stepped closer. At that point the guard reached for his sword resting against the stone. “I said stop right—”
He never finished the command, because Dax struck him squarely on the side of his face and knocked him to the ground. In a firm voice that carried into the camp, Dax announced, “I’m Commander Gard Daxdendraig, new commanding officer of the Dark Horse Rangers.”
Dax’s eyes twinkled as he turned back to Scarlet. “Close your mouth,” he said quietly, a smile playing over his lips. “Now it gets interesting. Stay behind me, don’t talk, and no matter what happens, don’t interfere. Got it?”
Scarlet nodded and followed Dax a few more steps toward the camp. An absolute mountain of a man stepped forward out of a gathering group. He wore a warrior’s kilt, but his hairy chest was bare to the evening air. “You’re kind of a pale little runt of a fellow to be leader of the Ugori, aren’t you?” His deep voice rumbled up out of his cavernous torso. He took a mighty swing at Dax, but Dax ducked, and the man’s monstrously large fist passed well over his head. With a huff the man swung his other fist. Dax ducked that blow as well. The man swung three more times, trying to anticipate where Dax would be, but he never connected. “Stand still, you damned jackanapes,” the warrior puffed between swings. “I can’t hit you if you don’t stand still.”
“Friend.” Dax smiled. “If I let you hit me, I’d be a dead man.”
“Aye, that you would,” the giant agreed. With another huff of effort, he took a mighty swing at Dax’s head.
Dax ducked under the man’s fist, but this time Dax came up behind him. Dax kicked the back of warrior’s left knee. The man’s legs buckled under him, and he dropped down to his knees. Dax swung his elbow with the full weight of his body behind it and caught the giant behind his ear. The Ugori crashed forward face-first to the ground.
Before he could turn back toward the gathered men, Dax was struck from behind. He rolled with the force of the blow and came to his feet, facing the new man who had hit him. His new opponent was not as big as the man Dax had just felled, but this Ugori carried himself like a fighter. Dax raised his hands to the ready to match the other. From the gathering crowd came the cheer, “Take ’em, Enny!”
Dax’s new opponent smiled grimly. “Try those tricks on me, you soft little excuse for a fighting man, and I’ll lay you out nice and pretty beside old Harm there.” He nodded at the man on the ground. The two men circled each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Finally Dax’s attacker grew impatient. “Come on, you gutless—”
Enny never finished the insult, because Dax stepped in and hit him with his right hand as he blocked the man’s reflexive swing with his left. Dax danced back out of the way again. The man followed him and threw a punch with his left hand. Dax slipped the blow with his right arm and punched Enny solidly in the stomach with his left.
Wary now, the man backed away and looked for another opening. Dax shifted, feinted, and bluffed until Enny growled and stepped forward to throw another punch. Dax dodged aside and threw a short, sharp blow into the man’s kidney. Enny dropped his hand involuntarily because of the pain. Dax went over the top and hit him on the side of his head. Dazed, the man staggered a step but got his hands up and took a defensive crouch.
“Hey now, Enny. You’re doin’ just fine, but why don’t you step back and let me have a go.”
Dax flicked his eyes to the voice. It was Markadamous. Dax turned away from Enny, who had stepped back. He looked at Markadamous. “Well.” Dax smiled. “I was wondering when I would get to see you again.”
Markadamous smiled and raised his fists. “And it’s good to see you as well. You were traveling in pretty dangerous company when I last saw you. Did Lady Aylssandra get her claws into you yet?”
The two men circled each other, both at the ready. Dax kept the smile on his face. “I’m pretty sure she was behind my new assignment to you and your fine lads.”
“Somebody said there was a new Landy-dandy ordered to put a bridle on the Dark Horse Rangers. Pity it had to be you.” Markadamous threw an exploratory punch, which Dax deflected easily.
They shuffled some more in the dirt. Dax said, “I think your display at the parade offended the good King Kankasi.” He threw a left to
ward the man’s head, but Markadamous turned it easily and threw a counter, which Dax blocked.
Markadamous laughed. “All this time they bellyache because we never do anything showing ‘rigorous discipline.’ We show them one good Ugori precision maneuver, and they make a fuss about it.” He chuckled. “There’s no pleasing the bastards.” He chuckled again and threw a fast right-left combination that Dax blocked.
Dax tried a right to the body, which Markadamous deflected. Once he had resumed his guard position, Dax said, “Not that I want to give you and yours too much credit, but I think Lady Aylssandra used your little show to get us taken off the negotiating team and reassigned to you.”
“Sounds like we need to have a little talk once we finish this.”
Markadamous came at Dax with a flurry of punches. He was serious now. Dax fended off two of his tries, but a third hit him on the side of his face, making him stumble backward. The man was just as strong as he looked. Dax got back on his feet and approached Markadamous carefully. As Dax thought he would, the man tried to press his advantage. Dax slipped to the right and let Markadamous’s first blow graze his chest and slide under his left arm. Before the man could recover, Dax clamped the man’s arm down with his own and rolled away from the punch, dragging Markadamous across his left leg.
Markadamous tumbled to the ground but sprang right back up. He slapped the dirt from his hands. “Keep that up and I’m going to have to hurt you.”
“I hope your little stumble doesn’t affect your opinion of me. You are too good a man to let it happen again.” Dax smiled.
There was more than a little fire in Markadamous’s eyes now. He pressed in and tried the same combination that had scored before. This time Dax brushed the second punch in the opposite direction and tagged Markadamous with his right hand coming in over the top of Markadamous’s follow-through. Markadamous ducked away, but Dax used his foot to hook the man’s leg at the ankle. Markadamous sprawled on the ground again.
Instead of getting all the way to his feet, Markadamous lunged out of his crouch, trying to grasp Dax around his middle. Dax stepped away from the rush and battered the back of the man’s head as he rushed by. Markadamous went to the ground again. He rolled over with a groan. Dax approached and offered a hand up. Markadamous reached up and took his hand, but as he did, he kicked his foot up into Dax’s stomach. He pulled Dax’s hand using his extended leg to lever Dax up and over his head in a throw. Dax tumbled head over heels and crashed to the ground on his back. Lights danced behind his eyes for a moment.
Both men were breathing heavily as they got to their feet. Markadamous met Dax’s eyes, and he smiled. “Bootsa love it, I haven’t had this much fun since we came down out of the hills.” He stayed in a crouch and tried a grappler’s hold on Dax, but Dax tagged him with a chop to both sides of his neck. Markadamous backed off and rolled his head from side to side.
“Neck still work?” Dax taunted. Markadamous growled and rushed at Dax again. Dax stepped aside and caught the oncoming man’s left arm as he passed. Dax twisted Markadamous’s arm up behind his back, turning the big man around. Markadamous struggled, trying to turn out of the hold and free his arm, but Dax rounded up behind him and wrapped Markadamous’s neck in the crook of his other arm.
“Yield.” Dax commanded.
“In your dreams, fancy boy,” the other man spat. Markadamous gave an inarticulate grunt as Dax forced his arm farther upward. He went up on his tiptoes.
“Yield,” Dax said, “or I’ll take this arm off and hand it to you.”
“Got . . . another . . .” Markadamous choked as he struggled to free himself from Dax’s relentless grip. “It will take more . . .”—he gasped again as Dax pressed harder—“. . . than pain to win.”
“I don’t doubt your word for a moment. We’ll talk when you wake up.” Dax tightened his arm around Markadamous’s neck. The man’s complexion reddened. Suddenly he went limp. Dax carefully lowered him to the ground.
Dax looked up. Scarlet stood watching. Dax wiped a little blood at the corner of his mouth and smiled sheepishly. He gestured at Markadamous. “Change of command ceremony—Ugori style.”
#
When Markadamous regained consciousness, he sat up. Dax and a number of Ugori sat around him in a circle. He looked around at the faces, then nodded to Dax. “Commander Gard Daxdendraig of the Dark Horse Rangers, what are your orders?”
Dax smiled, stood up, and offered a hand up to the man. “I say, tonight, we celebrate the fighting skills of the Ugori.”
Markadamous looked a little cowed. “After you beat us?”
“After I joined you,” Dax corrected him, and he gave Markadamous a small bow and extended his hand again.
“That you did. You know our ways then?” Markadamous asked. He took Dax’s hand and let him help him to his feet.
“Aye.” Dax smiled. “I like to know my men.”
A slow smile spread across Markadamous’s face. “Well then, let’s get started.” He turned away from Dax. “Harm!” he shouted to the large man who stood nearby. “Did you leave any eau de mare in the barrel, or do we have to tap a new one?” The men gave a lusty cheer, and they headed for a nearby wagon where several large barrels filled the bed. The first ones to arrive started passing out mugs full of brew with a frothy head.
Dax took Markadamous aside for a moment. “Markadamous, do you know I’m dragon-bound? I will share your drink, but I cannot drink very much.”
“Dragon-bound, is it? Well, that explains some rumors I’ve heard about you. And yes”—he nodded—“I have heard the dragon-bound can’t hold their liquor.”
“I wish it was as simple as that. When we have enough drink to start to get a bit tipsy, we get a blinding headache.” Dax shrugged. “I’ll join you for the first pint, but I can’t go beyond that.”
“More’s the pity then.” Markadamous smiled broadly. “You’ll miss a glorious excuse to get pissed. Since I don’t have to worry about this surly group of renegade misfits anymore, I plan to be toes up by midnight.” He leered and jiggled his eyebrows. “And maybe you’ll be the better for keeping a clear head this evening anyway.” Markadamous clapped him heartily on the back.
The remark puzzled Dax, but he joined in with a half dozen of the men as they pulled a wagon with two large casks though the maze of tents toward the center of camp. A large fire burned in the open central space, and a number of women were there as well.
Markadamous waved his hand to the camp around him and bowed with a flourish. “Welcome to our home away from home. It’s not the Gemmick hill country, but we do the best we can.” He looked questioningly at Dax. “Have you supped yet?” He waved to one of the women. “Pulchra! Some food for the commander.”
The woman looked back at Markadamous. “If it’s important to you, get it yourself. I’m helping the girls clean up.”
Markadamous approached the woman and caught her in an embrace. He nuzzled her neck, then pulled her over to where Dax and Scarlet were standing. He gestured to the woman. “I would like you both to meet Pulchra, my wife.” Markadamous beamed happily. “Pulchra, this is our new commander, Gard Daxdendraig. And this is Major Scarlet.”
Both Dax and Scarlet greeted the woman formally. She was strikingly handsome, and almost as tall as Dax. Her long auburn hair was tied in a loose fall down her back. She looked challengingly at Dax. “New commander fair and square, eh?” She looked back at Markadamous. “Well then, I guess I’d better go get prepared.” She turned and walked away after saying something to one of the other women.
“Prepared?” Dax asked mildly. “Prepared for what?”
“You, of course,” snorted Markadamous. “I thought you said you studied our ways.”
Now Dax was perplexed. “I did, but I’m confused. After combat, there’s a party, then . . .” He shrugged.
“So maybe no one told you the battle ’tisn’t over?” Markadamous smiled mischievously. “We Ugori share our burdens with our women. They travel with us, a
nd they fight with us—needs be.” Markadamous nodded in the direction Pulchra had gone. “You’ve bested our men to take command, but now you need to take care of our women as well.”
“The women?” The implication of the man’s statement made him a little light-headed. “What do you mean? I have to fight your wife?”
Now Markadamous’s smile threatened to split his face in two. “Ha!” he crowed. “You might stand a better chance with her if you used your fists, but tonight you have to use your short sword.” He pointed between Dax’s legs.
Dax fought down a surge of panic. Surely the man did not mean what Dax thought he meant? “You mean”—he looked around, then leaned closer to Markadamous and whispered—“I have to bed your wife?”
“No, lad. You have to bed and satisfy her. That’s our way.” Markadamous announced to the group. “You best our men, then you best our women.” The men raised their mugs with a cheer. “Since you vanquished four Ugori men, you will have to subdue their four women.” He paused a moment. “Now technically Enny’s not married yet, but you take his intended, and we call it square.” He snickered. “She’s a right handful herself.”
He clapped Dax on the back and pressed a mug into Dax’s hand. “Have a drink with your men, then go see to the women.” Markadamous hoisted his mug in a toast, and the men joined him in raucous catcalls.
Helplessly Dax looked toward Scarlet. “Don’t look at me.” The younger man lifted his hands defensively. “You’re the one who is assuming command here. I’m just an advisor.” He thought a moment and grinned lopsidedly. “As this is an area in which I am somewhat more experienced than you, my advice to you is, early and often.”
Dax was dumbfounded at the situation he was in, and Scarlet’s smile was irritating. “Is that a quote from some general?” he snapped.
Scarlet’s smile widened into a toothy grin. He took a mug offered to him and hoisted it in salute. “Nope. That’s Orrysa’s basic business plan,” he said, referring to the owner of the bawdy house where he and Dax had lived for a time when they were both young boys. He winked at Dax and took a long pull from his drink.
King's Dragon: Chronicles of the Dragon-Bound: Book 2 Page 10