UNSHEATHED

Chapter Forty Seven

"We'll set camp here," Elena said, looking around the open plain. Happily the hilly lands had levelled out to a long stretch of flat grassland with few trees. One could see for great distances on this terrain. There would be no ambushes here.

Carsini had located the wagon that held the tent and other supplies for Elena's work and sleep arrangements and was busy ordering the driver to bring it over to the bit of slightly higher ground. Those who rode near her dismounted as well and began to put up their own tents. Others were still arriving. It might take several hours for the camp to be fully settled.

Elena dismounted and released her horse's girth strap. He didn't usually let anyone else look after his needs, so Elena obliged him. She lifted off his saddle and removed the blanket underneath. He shivered and shook for a minute, as was his habit. She took out a brush from her bag and began to stroke his hide with it. He liked brushing--what horse didn't? He loved to be lavished with long smooth strokes from one end to the other.

Despite the ambush, they still made good time that day, but Elena wanted to measure their pace. If they arrived in the middle of a battle fatigued from marching too far and too fast, they wouldn't be at their best when they joined the battle.

Carsini tramped back and forth from the wagon to the spot she had chosen, staring each time he passed her as if she had a plague. Elena wondered what his problem was, but figured it could wait to be addressed. Her horse nickered each time she paused.

"Okay, I promise not to stop." He bent his head and attacked the field grass.

Carsini had enlisted the aid of four soldiers to set up her tent. The monstrosity was an extravagance, but it was large enough to shelter her entire rank of senior officers, and would serve as their meeting place and an office. It was likely she wouldn't been sleeping too much on this trip. Once the tent, or more correctly, the pavilion was erected, the soldiers unloaded the rest of the gear.

Maranus was settling on spot not far away. The dun mare she lent him was unsaddled and brushed, and now stood hobbled a short way off, nibbling happily on the tall field grass. She had supplied him with a tent and other necessities for travel from her own purse. Since his tent was only a small one, with just enough room for a bedroll and his saddlebags, he finished the task in moments.

"That was some show you gave back there, Elena." He had left his little spot to join her as she brushed. She looked up to see wonder in his eyes. She had been seeing that look on everyone whose eyes she met ever since the ambush.

"I told you what I am, Maranus, though others have not been informed."

Her horse began to nibble by Maranus' boots. He stepped back out of the stallion's way. Elena smiled.

"Please tell your horse I am not his next meal."

"He's rather protective of me, especially around men." Elena grinned at the stallion as he came up for air.

"Must be a busy job for him, seeing as the army's comprised mostly of men."

Maranus searched Elena's bag and drew out a carrot. The horse sucked it in as soon as it was near enough to reach. Maranus shook his head. Elena smiled as she watched.

"I think he likes you. There aren't too many people he likes."

"That's good." He rubbed the horse's nose. "But seriously, Elena, what exactly did you do during that ambush? I saw a rain of arrows, and then they all seemed to hit something high above and stop. You had your hand up and looked like you were deep in concentration. What were you doing?"

"I made a shield out of maru. I wasn't the only one doing it. The Hilliri who noticed the attack put up their own shields."

"Yes, but yours was big enough to protect the forward quarter of the column. And then you shot arrows at the enemy and they went right through it." His mouth fell open, unable to find further words.

"I don't have the best control yet, but I'm learning. The shield was too big, and making it drained me. I can't afford to do that for very long."

"That's too bad, you could save a lot of lives with that trick."

"The Hilliri still depend on traditional methods of battle, since maru has so many limitations. Still, it can give them an edge when things are precarious."

Maranus stared at her for a long moment, until Elena looked away. She gave the stallion a final pat and knocked the brushes together to let the dust loosen and fall out along with any horse hair that collected. Maranus shook his head.

"All those years I thought you were just an ordinary woman. No wonder you refused to marry me. I scarcely deserved you when you were just a princess." The last came out hoarse and strained.

Heat rose in her cheeks as Elena listened to Maranus. She turned to face the man, not troubling to check her ire.

"We've been over this too many times. Why do you refuse to understand? It was never about status, or whether I cared enough. I couldn't leave my work, and you know that I would have been required to. It would have destroyed me, yet, even knowing this, you insisted that I choose. You have only yourself to blame." She tucked her curry brushes into their spot in her saddle bags and slung them over her shoulder.

For a moment, Elena saw Maranus' expression changed to barefaced longing before he managed to reign in his emotions.

"I miss you, Elena. Everyday I wish I could go back and change what I did."

His demeanour had completely changed. The earlier anger had disappeared, leaving only sadness.

Elena reached over and placed a hand on his and squeezed it.

"Don't be bitter, Maranus. We had a long time together. We shared our days and nights for more than ten years. But things are different now." At this, her horse lowered his head and rubbed his muzzle against her hand. Maranus stared at his little tent. He sighed.

"I was wrong when I said you hadn't changed. You have." He waved a hand toward the lines of tents set up before them. "You lead the army that may change the outcome of this war. I never really thought of you that way."

"I never thought of myself that way either, but when the opportunity came to me, I knew this was my place."

"And me," he shook his head, "I'm just an old man now."

"But you're the Emperor's special envoy. There are few he trusts more than you. And you are...as you should be. I'm the one who doesn't belong."

It was an old argument they had talked over too many times. There were no conclusive answers. Maranus looked as if he were about to reach for her, but she turned and headed up the slope to her pavilion.

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I hope you enjoyed this instalment of Unsheathed. If you did, please consider voting so that it has a chance to receive some more attention by rising up the ranks in the Fantasy category. I also enjoy comments, so please feel free to let me know what you thought.

Cheers!

Rebecca