UNSHEATHED

Chapter Fifty Five

The morning broke damp and chill, with the air smelling of snow. Winter was coming, and they were travelling north. It would come sooner than it did in the south, and would be harder to bear.

Once again, Elena had not slept after she had returned from being attacked, though Carsini brought her a bucket of warm water to sponge herself with. She switched jackets too, leaving the wrinkled, bloodied one to be laundered on the next possible day by the most capable Carsini.

She sat at a table in front of her tent with Alkema beside her. All night a steady stream of officers came to report on personnel issues. Many soldiers were out of sorts. Fights had broken out all over the camp, often between soldiers of the two armies, and often between Trillas and Hilliri.

"Yes, Captain." Alkema spoke to the next man in a blue Castillonian uniform. Elena remembered him as a council member in Lord Odvar's town. He was in command of a unit that was assigned to police the camp. He looked hesitant.

"Field Marshall, First Commander, I have spent the night dealing with fighting among the soldiers."

Alkema nodded.

"So we have heard. Do you have any insight into what is troubling them?"

"They are worried they will be singled out by the children."

Alkma shook his head.

"We are done searching." Though it was likely not entirely true.

Elena looked into the man's concerned eyes.

"Tell them that those detained will be released once it is safe. We don't want anyone to come to harm. You know, it wouldn't hurt to remind them that we are here to fight in defence of their homes and families."

The man nodded, but there was still doubt in his gaze. Elena continued.

"All is at risk, Commander. Korr seeks to undermine not only the Empire, but all the people of the world. He won't stop until he has everyone under his rule."

The Commander appeared more convinced, however, worry had also crept into his features.

Elena hardly blamed him or any of the soldiers for their fears. She had just used children to sort out traitors of thought. These were people who hadn't yet done anything. They were a liability at the moment.

There must be a way to protect oneself from his interference, though. She had not been subjected to any of the twisted dreams that were the cause of so many soldiers' conversions, nor had any of her senior officers, nor Liran, Alkema or Maranus.

She tried to determine what all of these people might possess in the way of defences against such a barrage. Status, wealth, education? There had been plenty among those detained who possessed these. Someone who loved them? Alkema had a wife and family back in Kalad, but Maranus was unattached. Liran's wife had abandoned him years ago. Elena was also unmarried.

They dismissed the captain. Alkema turned to Elena and leaned nearer to her to speak under his breath.

"You might want to have someone see to your injuries, Field Marshall." Elena shrugged.

"I've already looked after them myself, and we have business to attend to."

"A Marulan would think it only a trifle. It would only require a few minutes of your time. I'm sure I could keep things going while you..." he cut off his words as he spotted Adina approaching.

Unlike the enigmatic Galira, Adina did not wear the traditional silver of the Marulan, though she had been trained at the same college. She wore ordinary work clothes, and apron and only a scrap of silver cloth wrapped around her upper arm. Many of the Castillonian Marulan did this. Elena presumed it was part of their differing philosophies but also many were not college trained, and therefore probably not entitled to wear the silver garb. Even Liran only wore a few silver accouterments to indicate his abilities. He had not been trained at the college, but partly by his mother, and partly, as she recalled, but the Guardian Namilda, Korr's mate.

How oddly cyclical.

"Good evening, Field Marshall, First Commander." Adina nodded to both. Elena sighed. She knew why the woman was here.

"I guess I'm not going to get any peace until I have this scratch looked after."

"I guess not," Alkema said, smiling.

Elena rose and waved Adina into the tent. She wasn't about to give a show for everyone milling about.

Inside, they sat together on Elena's cot. Adina waited for a cue that she could start.

"It's really nothing. I don't know why everyone makes such a fuss."

"Elena..." As a civilian, she was not obliged to use her title. "You are in command of over four thousand soldiers. The Prince is depending on you, the Emperor is depending on you, and we all are depending on you to prevail with this army. We cannot afford to have you distracted by a festering wound."

Elena sighed. "It's not festering. I just got it a few hours ago. Besides, I cleaned it up myself." She looked at Adina, but the woman waited patiently. She shrugged. "Go ahead, you may deal with it."

Adina smiled, and then she lifted a hand to Elena's face and placed her fingers around the site of the open gash Elena had received over by Alkema's tent. It tingled slightly. Adina removed her hand after a brief moment and exhaled.

"See, nothing to it. Now you should get some rest, Elena. You look as if you haven't slept in days."

Elena tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I haven't."

Adina's pale blue eyes regarded her without judgement. "You have a difficult job in normal times, Elena, but fighting Guardians..."

She shook her head. "I don't pretend to understand what kind of pressure you're under. Just please try to take care of yourself." She laid her hand on top of Elena's and made to rise.

"Don't you want to look at the other wounds?" Elena asked.

"There are others?" Adina sat back down. "Where?"

Elena removed her jacket and loosened her shirt, raising the hem to show the bandaged spot on her side where the assailant had grazed her ribs with a sword. Adina removed the bandage and tilted her head to get a better view.

"This one will take a little longer. Don't be foolish, Elena, this is serious. You're just as bad as the men."

Elena laughed.

Adina placed a warm hand to one side of the cut, not touching the wound. The area had begun to bleed again, and although Elena didn't like to admit it, it gave off sharp stabs of pain. She sat patiently as Adina ministered her healing power. The tingle was more of an itch this time, and it took several minutes before the woman released her and lowered her shirt.

"I've followed an army through three wars before this one, Elena. I know what to expect. Heed my advice and get some rest." She rose and left the tent, not looking back.

For a moment Elena sat wondering. Three wars? The last war had ended before Liran was born, and the one before that had been within the Empire, not in Kalad. She wondered how old Adina really was.

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Cheers!

Rebecca