"Az-ca survives because of our warriors and their escorts. Our enemies in the lands of Ny-nes have the ability to build their machines of war—we have the power to defeat them."
"Where do our vehicles come from?" Ura raised her hand. Another planted question by the Bulldog, who was all but glowing in her corner.
"They come from the enemy," Commander Kerok walked into our classroom.
"Yes—that's right," Geb sounded flustered at the Commander's sudden appearance. "We take them when we defeat the war machines in battle." I imagined Geb wanted to wipe moisture from his brow as he answered Ura's question, but refused to allow the Commander to see it.
In her corner, the Bulldog glowered at the Commander's back as he strode to the head of the class. Geb stepped aside, his map still hanging in midair beside him.
"That's why I'm here," the Commander said. "We've taken vehicles recently, but we don't have enough warriors and escorts available to leave the battlefield and get the machines taken to the King's City. I am enlisting the escorts-in-training with the best shielding ability to do this task with many of my unassigned warriors." A few gasps were heard around the room.
"You will not be assigned to a warrior," he held up a hand immediately to quell the reaction. "You will be providing your best shields to get the vehicles back to F'nexscot—the King's City."
Ura and Veri, seated on the front row, turned and smiled at one another. I waited to see what Commander Kerok had to say about those chosen to go.
"I have selected four from this class," the Commander announced. "Those four will pack for a few days' journey and meet my warriors on the parade grounds. Ura," he said her name first.
"Jae," he said next. I blinked—Jae had certainly improved her skills and was better than Ura in my opinion, but she'd had a poor showing on the first day and had wept.
Jae, whose eyes were round with a mixture of terror and happiness, blinked at me before rising to join Ura at the back of the classroom.
"Wend," the Commander announced next. Her reaction was very similar to Jae's as she rose from her chair and left our row. I fully expected to hear Veri's name next—if the Bulldog had made her choices known, she'd selected this way to punish me—if punishment it was.
"Sherra," the Commander said.
Veri yelped and turned immediately toward the Bulldog, whose frown was so deep it cratered her face.
"You four," the Commander ignored Veri's outburst to address those of us who now stood at the back of the classroom, "You will join six more trainees chosen from other classes. Meet on the parade grounds in half an hour. Be prompt, or you will receive demerits."
"I never thought I'd use this until we were done with training," Wend set her duffel next to mine on the parade grounds. Jae had almost reached us; Ura and four others hadn't arrived, yet.
Nearby were two trainees—strangers who stood together and spoke softly to one another. They hadn't approached us, although Wend had greeted them politely when we arrived.
I figured the Bulldog was busy giving Ura last minute advice on how to make herself stand out to the warriors, so she'd get a better selection when the time came. So far, the warriors hadn't arrived, with or without the Commander.
"We're sending four out of the ten," Jae whispered as her duffel joined Wend's and mine. "From six cohorts."
"Two cohorts aren't sending anyone," one of the strangers stepped toward us and held out a hand. "I'm Neka, from First Cohort."
"I'm Wend," Wend took Neka's hand with a smile. "This is Jae, and this is Sherra, all from Sixth Cohort. Ura hasn't arrived yet, but she's also from Sixth."
"I heard you didn't have any washouts in Sixth," the other woman came forward. "Caral," she introduced herself. "From Fourth. Second and Fifth had none strong enough to send."
"I'm Ura," Ura shoved her way past us to extend a hand to Caral. "The Bulldog says I'm in charge of those from Sixth."
"I think the Commander is in charge," Caral said, refusing to take Ura's hand. "My instructor said to follow his lead and obey his commands. I assume that should go for all of us."
Ura's eyes narrowed, but her cheeks flushed from the slight Caral offered. I wanted to warn Caral, but I expected that she'd learn soon enough how special Ura thought herself to be.
Two more women ran up to join us just before the Commander and his warriors appeared—from nothing.
I 'd thought that part of the book was near-myth. Stepping had been outlined and explained, although I'd never thought to attempt it, as it carried the individual from one place to another, as long as that person was familiar with the place he wished to travel.
If not, it was dangerous in the extreme and The Rose Mark warned against it.
"All here?" The Commander's second-in-command—Captain Merrin, stepped forward to ask.
"Yes, sir," Ura said immediately.
"No, sir—two haven't arrived," Caral corrected Ura.
"Can't count, eh?" the Captain grinned and lifted an eyebrow at Ura, whose face turned a deep red. Only eight of the ten had arrived and she'd have known that if she'd bothered to count heads.
"They're coming," Neka said, as both latecomers were spotted across the field.
"Good. Barely on time, but good enough," the Captain said.
He waited until the last two, breathless and one holding her side, dropped their duffels in the pile and stood at attention.
"We'll be stepping to a designated rendezvous point from here," the Captain announced. "I'm Captain Merrin, by the way, and there are ten warriors here who can step others. The rest can only take themselves, understood?"
"Yes, Captain," we replied.
"Good. When we arrive at the rendezvous point, trucks will take us to the vehicles. I warn you, there may be battles going on nearby. Do your job and close your mind to that. The warriors will be driving vehicles and providing firepower if needed. As you've likely guessed, vehicles cannot be stepped, so they must be brought back under ordinary means. That requires a driver, guards and a shield escort. Some of you may be asked to shield more than one vehicle. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Good. Formation," he barked at his warriors. They separated into ten groups swiftly. One group was short a man—I assumed that was the Commander's group. "Ura," he continued, "you're with my group."
Ura, pleased at being selected first to join a group of four warriors, hurried to take her place with them.
Commander Kerok appeared, then, gave a nod to Captain Merrin and took charge of us. Swiftly he placed the other women with this group or that, until only I was left. "Sherra, you're with me," Commander Kerok snapped. I followed him, his wide shoulders my focus as he strode toward his group. Arms linked within the group—I found one of my arms linked with Kerok's, the other with a man I didn't know.
"Step," Kerok commanded the moment we were in place.
Everything went dark.
Some of the women were on their knees when my vision cleared; I struggled to draw air in, just as they did.
"It's best to take a big gulp of air before you step," the warrior I didn't know grinned at me as he disengaged his arm from mine.
I realized then that he'd kept me on my feet; Kerok had dropped my arm and walked away the moment we'd arrived. "I'm Levi," he introduced himself with a wry smile. His skin was the color of dark, polished wood, and his smile was engaging.
"Sherra," I nodded to Levi. "Thank you for not letting me fall."
"No trouble." His smile turned into a grin. "Now, our vehicles are waiting just over that ridge," he pointed. "Everybody has time to get their breath back while we walk there."
"Come," Kerok raised his hand from feet away. The warriors snapped to attention. I did likewise, as it appeared to be expected. I marched beside Levi as we took first position behind Kerok and followed him toward the gentle rise over sandy, dry ground, sparsely littered with desert plants.
K erok
I wanted to growl at Merrin—he was paying too much attention to Ura and not enoug
h to his men. I should have been more reluctant to grant his request to take Ura; she would have stayed behind if I'd followed my own advice.
For the thousandth time, I wished he could speak mind-to-mind, but that would never be and was a waste of a wish. Perhaps it was just as well; lately, all I wanted to do was chastise him, when I'd been very like him not that long ago.
Nevertheless, I growled at him mentally, just to soothe my temper.
Don't get her killed, I snapped. She was needed on the battlefield, not in his bed. I topped the rise first, the others right behind me. Three transport trucks waited there for us.
"Come; every moment we dally could be a moment to save lives," I said and made my descent toward the vehicles.
Sherra
"He always says that," Levi breathed as we made our way down the sharp slope toward three waiting trucks. "Commander doesn't like losing lives, on or off the battlefield. We'll take these three trucks to the others," he added. "Stepping past this point can be risky, so we don't do it. War changes the landscape too often to make it safe, and the Commander doesn't take foolish risks."
I didn't say it, but my opinion of the Commander rose slightly. I hoped his sentiments included the women who fought beside the warriors, but I'd wait to see that for myself.
I didn't miss the looks Wend and Jae sent me as they were loaded onto a separate truck; the one I was pointed toward held Caral and Neka. Each of us stayed with our assigned pod and were placed in the middle on hard benches in the back of the truck. I imagined it was to allow for full effect of an escort's shield for the men.
Levi sat on one side; another man who nodded at me sat on the other. "That's Armon," Levi nodded toward the other man, while a hidden dimple appeared in his cheek. Armon's skin was paler, although it had darkened with exposure to the sun.
I'd already suspected, too, but this solidified my opinion. Those two—Levi and Armon—were together. It happened sometimes and bothered me not at all. The women assigned to either would remain virgin. It was the way things worked.
"Pleased to meet you," I nodded to Armon, who grinned suddenly. I think he was waiting to see how he'd be treated. If anything, it made me like him more.
"It'll take an hour to get to the location," Levi informed me. "You'll probably hear sounds of battle when we get there."
I drew in a breath at his words—he'd seen and heard this before. I had never been exposed to it. So many questions crowded my mind—questions I wanted to ask him but was afraid to do so.
"Go ahead; I see you're curious," Armon spoke.
"What's it like when they die?" I turned to him and asked. The truck lurched forward, then. We were on our way.
K erok
I didn't miss hearing her first question, and it was the one I didn't want any of my pod to answer.
"I can't really answer that," Armon said, causing my shoulders to sag in relief. I'd instructed all the warriors on that question—do not answer it. I should have known Sherra would ask it first. "What else would you like to know?" Armon filled the silence that came immediately after as Sherra blinked at him.
"How do you assemble for battle? Does the escort stand beside you?" she asked. It was an excellent question and the one I'd have asked myself, if I were in her place. The instructors hadn't gotten that far in the training schedule yet, and it was a very good thing to ask a warrior, as he'd have first-hand experience on the field.
"The escort stands six paces behind—close enough to shield," Armon replied. "It leaves them far enough away that they don't interfere with our work, while keeping us safe."
"It's a two-step process," Levi broke in. "You shield while the enemy fires at us; we give you a signal to drop the shield long enough to level a blast against the enemy's war machines, then you replace the shield. It's hard work, turning it on and off like that."
"So we have to be fast," Sherra nodded.
"Yes. That period of your training will come soon, and you'll be paired with different warriors who'll work beside you, leveling very weak blasts, in case you don't lower your shield properly when the signal is given. You don't want to know what happens when a full blast is fired and the shield doesn't drop in time to release it."
"Messy," Armon sighed. "Two deaths, instead of one."
"Unless the blast destroys the escort's shield," I broke in. Sherra's head jerked in my direction. I sat behind the cab of the vehicle, not far from my pod, and could listen easily to their conversation.
"What," she hesitated, as if she wasn't sure she should speak to me. I gave her a nod to continue.
"What happens to the escort?"
"If the initial blowback doesn't kill her and her warrior, she is emptied and sentenced to drudgery, for miscalculating." I gave her the hard answer—she may as well know the truth of it.
"Commander?" Caral, who sat on the other side of the truck with her pod, raised a hand.
"Yes, Caral?" I turned toward her, although I hadn't missed the brief glimpse of concern in Sherra's eyes.
"How long are the escorts and their warriors expected to fight?"
"Good question. How long can a battle last?" I asked. Caral bit her lip and pressed her back against the side of the truck, as if she were attempting to retreat from my answer.
Sherra turned her head away from me, then. I'd been callous in my answer. A part of me wanted to say get used to it. Another part wanted to calm her fears. That would be a false hope, and I was sick to death of false hope.
Every escort who ever traveled to the battlefield imagined they'd be the one to survive.
It always turned out the opposite. They wearied and died in protracted battles, after spending all their strength to protect and aid the warriors. Some lasted for years, but every subsequent season wore them down, until there was little left and they became brittle.
Fragile.
I wondered if the untalented women from every village ever wondered what sort of strength was required from the escorts to protect them from the enemy. Not only did they hold the shields, but supplied extra strength for the warriors to send their blasts against the invaders.
I couldn't imagine being nearly emptied that way, time after time, until there was nothing left and they died.
There must be a better way. Sherra's tentative, mental voice stunned me.
Find one and I'll listen, I barked back. I wasn't intending to sound so harsh, and she didn't reply. I didn't miss the hunching of her shoulders as she turned farther away from me, though.
Only fifteen minutes had passed and none spoke, now. The trip would seem longer than it was as a result, and it was my fault.
Sherra
I stayed silent the rest of the trip. A few spoke in hushed tones now and then, but there'd been no mistake that Commander Kerok had become unyielding and cold, shutting off the questions and the majority of conversation inside the truck.
Asking Levi or Armon for an explanation later sounded like prying, so I kept my fears and worries to myself and waited to be told what to do and when to do it.
"This is a blast bowl," Levi informed me as the truck dipped over the edge of the rough road we traveled. I could only see out the back of the truck, past the other pods who rode with us.
We'd certainly taken a steep dip—the angle of our descent was troubling. Glancing back, I saw the fear in Caral's and Neka's eyes, although their lips were pressed tightly shut.
The warriors appeared to be used to it, however, so I forced myself to lean back and attempt to control my unruly heart and ragged breathing.
A blast bowl.
A warrior created this crater, I reminded myself as I forced my breaths to even out. No wonder none of them had second thoughts about it.
At the bottom of the blast bowl, fourteen vehicles waited for us. I blinked—some had been manufactured recently, I could tell. There were few dents in the metal and the paint hadn't peeled or turned a paler color of its original hue from being in the desert sun for months or years.
Still, th
ey were an ugly shade of yellowish-brown—camouflage for the areas where they'd be employed in the ongoing war.
When I climbed from the back of the truck to stand at the bottom of the bowl, I saw how high and steep its sides were and marveled that we hadn't turned over while going down it.
"We have to drive up it, too," Levi chuckled next to me. He'd read my thoughts as I stared at the crater in alarm.
"You could have saved that for later," I said before slapping a hand over my mouth. My words were disrespectful to a higher-ranking warrior, especially when spoken aloud while surrounded by others, including Commander Kerok. Levi and Armon laughed, though, which caused me to breath a relieved sigh.
Another truck descended into the bowl and Ura, Merrin and two other women spilled out of it, laughing and teasing with Merrin and a few warriors. Commander Kerok wore a frown as he strode toward Captain Merrin, who left Ura and the others behind to meet Kerok halfway.
I didn't miss the look on Ura's face, however. Her eyes followed Captain Merrin closely, as if she already had her sights set that high. I didn't care, actually—I found Merrin lacking in something I couldn't define, and wished her well with the death awaiting at his hands.
A boom startled us as it sounded, shaking the ground with its intensity as the third truck rolled cautiously down the side of the bowl. Jae, Wend and two other women were inside it, and I hoped they wouldn't be frightened by the descent and the sound of battle that had finally reached us.
Commander Kerok whirled and shouted at the rest of us. "Pod leaders, load up—the battle is headed this way."
"Follow me," Levi snapped. I followed him at a run, while Armon raced beside me and four other warriors came behind. Armon flung the driver's door open and climbed into the seat before strapping himself in.
More booms sounded—closer, this time.
"Into the back, and put up your best shield around this vehicle and the one behind it," Levi told me. I nodded and immediately ran to the rear of the vehicle. I watched as three of our warriors ran to the truck behind ours. Two climbed into the front seat, while one trotted toward the back to act as a guard.
The Rose Mark: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 1 Page 4