Reclaiming Honor

by Marc Alan Edelheit

  “After this,” Logath said, “shouldn’t we be headed back to the warband?”

  “Agreed,” Gamok said and glanced over at some of those from Third Section. “They look done in, sir.”

  “They will recover,” Benthok said, with a glance to the nearest members of Third Section.

  “And if the goblins are not from an isolated tribe?” Logath asked. “They could be advance scouts for an enemy force.”

  “Then the captain will soon learn the truth and send us word,” Benthok said. “Until that eventuality, we have a job to do. We stay. Those are the captain’s orders.”

  “Yes, sir,” Logath said.

  “The warband did not march today and is right where we left them.” Benthok held up a hand. “Before you ask, I don’t know why. With the wounded, the captain sent a report of what occurred to headquarters. His orders are to scavenge as much as we can, and then, as a company, we will head back tomorrow afternoon. He expects the warband to resume marching at dawn.”

  Tovak, like everyone else, just listened. The lieutenant did not seem to mind. Tovak realized Benthok was telling them what they needed to know so that there was no confusion or misunderstanding.

  “Who gets my squad?” Thegdol asked.

  Benthok paused for just a moment as he glanced down at the dispatch in his hand, then looked up.

  “Jodin,” Benthok said, “front and center.”

  Jodin detached himself from the crowd. He stepped up to the lieutenant, coming to a position of attention.

  “The captain has promoted you to corporal of First Squad.”

  Tovak’s stomach clenched at the news.

  “Thank you, sir,” Jodin said, with no hint of pleasure at his promotion. Then again, Jodin’s face was badly bruised and he was sporting two black eyes. His nose was also swollen. He looked frightful, and for a heartbeat, Tovak had difficulty believing he’d done all that damage himself.

  “The captain does not yet know about the Circle. If he did, I seriously doubt he would have promoted you. That aside, I expect you to comport yourself professionally,” Benthok said, “and make sure there are no more challenges. Violate the faith the captain has placed in you and I promise I will personally break you back to the ranks.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jodin said. “There will be no issues and no more challenges. You and the captain will have no cause to regret my promotion, sir. On my Legend, I swear it.”

  Benthok gave a reluctant nod, then looked over at Logath. “You are now senior corporal.”

  Could it get any worse? Tovak felt his heart sinking into his chest.

  “Yes, sir,” Logath said.

  Jodin his squad leader and Logath senior corporal. All Tovak could do was stand there and stare at Benthok, utterly dumbstruck. The lieutenant did not seem to notice. Instead, Benthok swung his gaze around First Section. His face hardened.

  “Those eight,” Benthok said and pointed in the direction of the bodies, “are why we need to stay vigilant, alert, and on our toes. There are scattered tribes of goblins and orcs living in these hills. We are trespassing on their land and they don’t bloody like it. You stay alert and on guard when out beyond the perimeter or you could end up like them.” The lieutenant paused and glanced up at the sky. “There is a good deal of light left. We will continue the hunt. Third Section, along with the archers, will remain guarding the camp. Grab some grub from your haversacks and make sure your waterskins are full. Just as soon as I am done with the corporals, you will be heading back out to hunt. Now, get going.”

  Tovak, not feeling hungry, made his way with most of the rest of the section towards the stream. Only a few went for their packs.

  “Logath’s right,” Morda said as he filed his skin. “We should be heading back to camp. It’s a risk, us just being out here now, especially if the goblins are from an enemy force somewhere in these hills.”

  “Right or not,” Staggen said, “we have our orders. We stay. There’s no changing that and no sense in debating it.”

  “What do you think, Lok?” Morda asked, ignoring Staggen.

  Lok grunted, filled his waterskin, and then stopped it shut. He glanced back towards the bodies. “I think we lost mates, and whenever that happens, it’s a bad day.”

  Their eyes shifted to the dead of Third Section.

  “Poor bastards,” Staggen said.

  “It doesn’t seem quite real,” Gorabor breathed.

  “It is,” Lok said. “Out here, it’s either kill or be killed. This is our profession and it ain’t always roses.”

  At that, Lok left them. Staggen followed, with Morda a few moments later.

  Tovak took the opportunity to splash water on his face and arms.

  Gorabor waited a moment for the others to get out of earshot. He let out a worried breath, which caused Tovak to look over.

  “What about Jodin?” Gorabor asked in a whisper. “Do you think he’s gonna hold a grudge?”

  “It is what it is, I guess,” Tovak said. “There is nothing I can do about it, is there?”

  “It’s not quite fair,” Gorabor said. “You just beat him in the Circle. He acted with dishonor and still gets promoted. It’s not fair, I tell you.”

  “Life’s not fair,” Tovak said, feeling intense frustration. He stood and saw Jodin emerging from camp, along with the other squad leaders from First Section. “That’s been the story of my life.”

  “First Squad,” Jodin called, “form on me.”

  Gorabor and Tovak moved over. Logath was forming up his squad a few feet away. He knelt down before them and began speaking intently. Tovak could not hear what was being said.

  Jodin motioned for his squad to close around him.

  “All right.” Jodin locked eyes with Tovak for only a moment, a curious expression on his face, and then he looked at the other members of his squad. “Logath’s squad and a pair of Corporal Hilla’s archers are going to be joining us momentarily. Thegdol will be coming too. We are heading up that way”—he pointed to the north, up towards rugged terrain in a vague sort of way—“to see if we can track down something big.”

  “Big?” Morda asked, eyes narrowing. “What’s up there? What have they found?”

  “Logath thinks a murinok has staked out its territory about a mile from here.” He paused and glanced over at Tovak. “From the tracks they saw, it may be full-grown.”

  “Thulla’s bones . . . .” Morda said, turning his gaze to Tovak. A good-natured grin split his face a heartbeat later. “Can we leave Tovak behind? People say Pariahs are bad luck.”

  Tovak stiffened, but then realized Morda was jesting when his grin grew wider.

  “Shut it, Morda,” Jodin snapped, sounding genuinely irritated. Staggen threw a shocked look to Jodin. Lok stood up straight. Tovak almost didn’t believe what had just happened. Jodin kept his eyes fixed on Morda. “You heard Benthok. Playtime is over. Tovak is a member of this squad and that’s the end of it. No more harassment or jokes about him being a Pariah. If there is, you and I will have words. Am I understood?”

  Morda blinked a few times and then finally got his mouth to work. “Yeah . . . yeah, we’re clear, Corporal.”

  “Good,” Jodin said, and there was no mistaking a tone that wouldn’t tolerate misunderstanding. “Thegdol has put First Squad on lead for this hunt.” He turned to Tovak. “You tracked that murinok down, right?”

  “Uhhh . . . .” Tovak started, surprised by the question, but then decided honesty was in order. He would mislead no more. As the lieutenant had said, there was no Legend in that. “Not exactly. Once I realized it was an adult, I tried to avoid it. That did not work out so well.”

  “From where I was watching, it looked like you were hunting it.” Jodin scowled for a moment. “But you learned to track at the Academy, right? Like a pioneer?”

  “Yes,” Tovak said. “I received high marks.”

  “Good,” Jodin said. “The lieutenant said you have skills and I should use you. So, I am going to use you.”
<
br />   Tovak was once again surprised, but he did not reply. He remained silent and waited for Jodin to continue.

  “You will have point for this hunt,” Jodin said.

  Tovak gave a nod. This he had not expected, nor the lieutenant’s faith. Then, he realized what they were going after, a fully grown murinok. He went cold at that thought.

  “I want you all to know something,” Jodin said, locking his eyes with Tovak. His gaze then passed over the entire squad. “I am putting my personal feelings aside, and if you are harboring any, you will too. Is that understood?”

  There was a slight hesitation as the four of them glanced at each other.

  “Yes, Corporal,” Morda, Staggen, Lok, and Gorabor said in unison.

  Jodin was silent for a long moment before turning to Tovak.

  “I expect you to show me those skills you learned at the Academy.”

  “I’ll do my best, Corporal,” Tovak said.

  “Losers do their best,” Jodin said curtly. “Winners get the job done.”

  “Corporal Jodin, is your squad ready?” Thegdol asked as he walked up.

  “Yes, Cor—I mean Sergeant,” Jodin replied. “We’re good to go.”

  “Excellent,” Thegdol said. “Then let’s get moving.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  They traveled more than a mile up and over a series of hills, into a thoroughly forested landscape that climbed steadily towards the mountain slopes. The canopy overhead was so thick, it kept the forest floor in a sort of perpetual dusk. There was very little undergrowth, which made the climb fairly easy. The ground was covered over in thick carpets of moss and the previous season’s leaves, which rustled as they were trod over. Between the hardwood trunks, lichen-covered boulders seemed to haphazardly sprout up from the ground.

  Tovak thought the forest ominous and primeval. The chill temperature reminded him of the underground back home. The forest was also silent as a tomb. It was as if it had never known the tread of a boot.

  Tovak glanced back. Spread out behind him in loose lines that angled away were both squads. They were at the area Logath had identified as murinok ground. Tovak returned his attention to his front and continued moving forward. He kept an eye out for tracks, droppings, and the remains of kills. The forest floor was thick with leaves and pine needles.

  As they gained in elevation, Tovak found himself moving from one large outcropping of boulders to the next. Snaking his way along the forest floor as quietly as possible, he checked carefully behind each boulder for the murinok and every time felt an intense relief at not finding it lying in wait.

  Tovak came to a break in the trees. A boulder field stretched out before him, at least two hundred yards long. He judged it to be at least three hundred yards wide. He paused and discovered a familiar scent on the air. It was dank, slightly foul, and smelled strongly of decay. His eyes raked the boulder field and saw nothing.

  He turned slightly and signed to Thegdol that he’d smelled something. The sergeant gave him a nod and then stepped near Jodin and informed him before doing the same to Logath. The news was quickly passed through the two squads.

  Gripping his spear tightly, Tovak stepped out into the field of stone and felt the light of the two suns warm his face. He moved around the first of the boulders. On the far side, he saw what he’d been looking for—really, in a way, what he’d been dreading to find. Murinok droppings. Tovak knelt and ran a finger through it, rubbing it between his fingers.

  It was old and dry, crusty even.

  Tovak stepped away from the outcropping and held up his fist so that those following a few feet behind could see. He glanced back. Both squads dropped to a knee.

  He pointed to Thegdol, Jodin, and Logath, then made the sign for them to come to him.

  Both Logath and Jodin motioned for their squads to hold position and then, with Thegdol, moved forward.

  “What did you find, lad?” Thegdol asked in a low whisper.

  Tovak pointed to the long, thick black streak that marred the side of the boulder. The sight of it made him a bit uneasy, because the animal that produced it had to be twice the size of the one he’d killed. Thegdol looked at the streak and became very still. Logath sucked in a hissing breath and then let it out slowly.

  Tovak scanned the ground for tracks. At first, he didn’t see them, but as his eyes moved farther out from the droppings, he found a pattern of tracks more than twice the width of the one he’d faced. The scale of it caught him off guard.

  “We may have a problem,” he whispered and pointed at the tracks. “This is a very large beast.”

  He read genuine concern in Thegdol as comprehension dawned.

  “Based on the size of those tracks, that’s bigger than any murinok I’ve ever even heard of,” Jodin said.

  “Maybe too big,” Logath said.

  Thegdol gave a grunt, eyes scanning the boulder field. “Perhaps.”

  “The question, as I see it,” Jodin said, “is do we continue with the hunt or pull back and look for easier game?”

  “Something this big will be difficult to kill,” Tovak warned. “We’re talking about a real monster, much larger than the one I faced.”

  “That was a big bug,” Logath said.

  “We have two squads and a pair of archers,” Jodin said. “It’s not like we’re dealing with a dragon. So, the question remains . . . do we continue or pull back and look for easier game? Me, I am leaning towards going after it.”

  “Have you ever fought a dragon?” Logath hissed back.

  “No,” Jodin admitted, becoming heated. “Have you?”

  “I’ve never faced a dragon either,” Thegdol spoke before Logath could answer, “but this isn’t likely to be what I would call an easy undertaking, Jodin.”

  “The sergeant is right,” Tovak agreed. “Even for fourteen of us, I have a feeling this will be difficult.”

  “What do you know about difficult, boy?” Logath said. “Your opinion should not even matter here. You shouldn’t even have a place with us. Keep quiet and let your betters hash this out.”

  Tovak stiffened, feeling a sudden return of his anger.

  “You may have forgotten,” Thegdol said to Logath, “he killed a murinok by himself. Have you ever taken down a murinok?”

  Cheeks coloring, Logath shook his head.

  “HaI would consider him our resident expert,” Thegdol said, “since there is no one else that I know of in the company with any murinok experience.”

  “It’s not experience. It was all luck,” Logath said. “The lieutenant said so himself.”

  “Do you think we should turn back?” Thegdol asked Tovak, ignoring Logath. There was a seriousness in his voice. Tovak paused for a moment and licked his lips as he considered his answer.

  “Yeah,” Jodin said, with an expectant look. “What do you think?”

  “You are going to listen to him now?” Logath said. “Between the three of us we’ve got years of experience behind us.”

  “Yes,” Thegdol said, shooting Logath a meaningful look. “I want to hear his opinion before I make my decision as to whether we proceed or not.”

  Logath’s lips drew together into a thin line.

  Thegdol turned his attention back to Tovak and he arched an eyebrow.

  Tovak’s guts churned as he mulled over his response. He thought about his fight with an eight-foot murinok. While it hadn’t been easy, he had done it single-handedly. He’d been able to find a soft spot, get his spear in, and in the end kill the thing. That was all they would have to do here. The only difference was scale, and there was plenty of help.

  “As I see it,” Tovak said slowly, “we have one of three choices. We can go back to camp and forget about this venture, we can go back to camp and get more help, or we can just go after it.”

  “I say we go for it,” Jodin said.

  “I say we go back,” Logath said. “When I suggested we come out here, I had no idea the thing was such a monster. There is no sense in taking the ris
k.”

  “Come on, Thegdol, we can do this,” Jodin said.

  “I still did not hear your opinion,” Thegdol said to Tovak. “I should like to hear it.”

  Tovak glanced to Jodin, who gave him an encouraging nod.

  “Let’s go find it,” Tovak said, not quite believing his own voice.

  “Ha.” Jodin slapped his thigh lightly. “What do you say, Thegdol?”

  “All right,” Thegdol replied. “But if this thing is too much for us, we pull back.”

  Jodin patted Tovak on the shoulder, while Logath shot him an unhappy scowl.

  “Tovak will continue to lead,” Thegdol said.

  Tovak let out a slow breath. “I want Gorabor to watch my back as I move forward. Murinok are ambush predators. I need someone to watch my back.”

  “Done,” Thegdol said, turned slightly, and beckoned to Gorabor.

  Gorabor came forward, a curious look on his face. He was clearly wondering why he’d been called.

  “Congratulations,” Jodin said. “Tovak just volunteered you for an important duty.”

  “What duty?” Gorabor asked, looking to Tovak with suspicion.

  “I am so pleased you asked,” Jodin said. “You will watch his back as we move forward and hunt the murinok. You got that?”

  Gorabor paled slightly. “Yes, Corporal.”

  “So, since you are on point and will be taking most of the risk, how do we want to do this?” Jodin asked, turning to Tovak.

  “You both are gonna end up a nice snack for the beast,” Logath said. “Thegdol, this venture is madness.”

  “I’ve made my decision, Corporal,” Thegdol snapped quietly. “That is the end of it.”

  Logath gave a nod.

  Thegdol turned his attention to Tovak. “I normally tell people how to do their job, but Jodin asked the correct question. Since it is your ass hanging out in the open, how would you like to proceed?”