3

Arai woke with start and settled back into bed. For a while she simply stared at the canvass ceiling above her, pondering her dream. She’d been having the dream for the past week. Every time it played over in her head, she could barely contain the nausea that came over her. Arai couldn’t get the picture of her crucified companions out of her head.

      “Arai,” came a whisper.

      “What?”

      “Can you sleep?

      “No,” she replied.

Her twin Takil turned over in the bed next to her, and sat on the edge of the bed.

“You want to talk about it?”

      “No,” said Arai resolutely.

Takil lay down beside her and stared at the ceiling. She knew what Arai was going through, she was going through the same thing. Arai sighed, she could hear the muster call.

      “C’mon, let’s go,” Takil said as she got up.

Arai swung her legs out of the bed and tousled her hair; she needed a hair cut. She quickly gathered her things and went outside.

      Outside the squadrons were already forming their ranks. It was a gray morning, and no one was in the mood for talking. Arai and Takil walked to the left side where the Black Squadron lined up.

      “Privates Rylt and Tass you are to report to the Colonel for reassignment,” barked the drill sergeant. They saluted and left. The entire force watched them go. Arai nervously entered the command tent and looked around. The Colonel was nowhere to be seen.

      “If this is some sort of joke…” muttered Takil.

      “This is no joke private,” came a voice from behind.

Surprised both women jumped and saluted hastily.

      “At ease,” commanded Colonel Taj as he walked behind his desk. They relaxed, a little.

      “As you have no doubt heard you are being reassigned,” he began. When they did not respond he continued, “You are being reassigned to Podar, to recruit and train new members of the Black Squadron, you will be the co-commanders of the new squad.”

      Takil and Arai stared at him in silence. Podar, a chance to start over. “But sir we’re in disgrace,” protested Takil being the more vocal of the two.

            “You are the two surviving members of the Black Squadron, you’re not in disgrace, you two are heroes,” he smiled and added “you’ll probably be approached by quite a few young nobles.” Takil snorted and Arai rolled her eyes. Taj new their views on men.

            “If you two are ready you leave today,” he told them soberly.

            “We’re ready sir,” replied Arai. He nodded, stood and saluted. They saluted in turn.

            “When you have everything packed, there are two of the King’s Guard waiting to escort you to the capital,” he informed them. “Don’t worry about your tent, we’ll give it to a Green.” He grinned, he had been Black.

            “Thank you sir,” Arai said. They left the tent walked towards their own. She hoped that Silvia got their tent.

            “Are you excited?” asked Takil.

            “Are you kidding, I’m scared shitless,” replied her twin. Takil nodded in agreement. When they got to their tent they found two soldiers squatting outside.

            “Can we help you?” asked Takil.

            One of the two looked up, she was a woman in her middle thirties with unnaturally white hair cut short in a boyish style. As she stood Arai noticed that she was a full head taller than Takil who was five foot seven inches, and the taller of the two twins. The other soldier was a man, the one who didn’t bother with them at all. He had short red hair and brown eyes that dismissed them at a glance. Arai decided that she didn’t like him.

            “We’re here to pick up Privates Rylt and Tass,” the woman replied.

            “You the soldiers from the King’s Guard?” asked Takil skeptically, sizing the woman up.

            “We are,” she replied returning the stare with ice blue eyes. “I am Dras and this is Tristan”

            “Arai and Takil,” said Takil pointing to indicate who was who.

            “We’ll wait for you to pack,” said Dras sitting again.

            “Be right out,” replied Takil entering the tent. There wasn’t much to pack. They already had all their equipment packed, so it was just a few personal items. For Takil it was a painting of a valley in summer that she had painted on the back of a piece of wood. For Arai it was a small statuette of the god of trickery, Tass. You got your last name from the god that you were born under. There were ten months, so ten gods. Takil was born under the god Rylt; the god of war.

            In a few minutes they were completely packed. When Arai left the tent she saw that one of the two Guards had gone to get the wolves. Arai’s was a timber wolf with two white socks named Two-Foot, as was Takil’s. Except hers was named Two-Paw. Foot and Paw for short. No one knew where they came from. Everyone is bonded to a wolf, even surfs. Well except those in the city, they usually bonded with something smaller, or not at all. No one used horses anymore. Wolves were just as big, but more intelligent. They mounted up and left the encampment at a fast trot, and after the wolves warmed up a bit they quickened to a canter for a few miles. Arai felt like she was leaving home all over again.

۞

            The group reached a small copse of trees around midday, and Dras steered them towards it. There was a stream running through the center with a small clearing for grazing that had the look of frequent use. Poor Quants, for some reason the Wolves had never bonded to them. Probably because the Quants came two hundred years after the first bonding.

            “We’ll stop here for lunch, but let’s make it quick. Don’t want any Quants showing up” Dras told them. Takil and Arai nodded, Tristan said nothing.

            “What about the wolves, can they hunt?” asked Arai.

Dras looked at her in surprise. “It speaks,” she said in mock wonder.

            “Answer her question,” demanded Takil angrily. You did not want an angry Takil on your hands. She went berserk in a battle once and took out nearly a quarter of the enemy. Granted there were only a hundred. Dras seemed to get that.

            “No don’t hunt,” she says directly to the Wolves. They nod in response and lay down in the shade by the stream. After a quick lunch of dried venison, goat cheese and bread they mounted up and set off again. At night they ate a cold dinner. Arai and Tristan saw to the Wolves, while the other two talked. Takil suggested that Tristan care for Dras’ and his while Arai did the same for hers and Takil’s. It made sense. So after the Wolves hunted and fed they groomed them and looked for ticks and the like. When everything taken care of the foursome collapsed into their bed rolls. It was a cold night, so Takil squirmed closer to Arai. The two of them lay between Foot and Paw.

            “I think she’s kinda cute,” Takil whispered in her ear. Arai turned to face her twin.

            “I think he’s kinda cute,” she replied. Her twin snorted.

            “He hasn’t said a word,” Takil said scathingly. “You’ve said more than he has.”

            “He’s the strong silent type,” Arai said grinning. Takil snorted again.

              ۞

            Several days later they reached the gushing river that formed the border between the Quants and the Podars around mid morning. The river was never named for some reason. When you say The River, people just know which one you’re talking about.

            “We’ll go downriver several miles, there’s a crossing there,” Dras told them.

            “But if we go up river there’s a better crossing there,” Takil argued.

            “It’s controlled by the Quants,” said Dras. Takil and Arai looked at each other, that was not good news. So they set off down river, with Takil grumbling about Quants and river crossings. Arai could see the far bank, home, she thought. She looked and Takil and saw her gazing at Dras. Arai nudged Foot closer and elbowed her twin.

            “You’re staring,” she teased.

            “So were you,” replied her sister.

            “Two different types of scenery I believe,” Arai retorted. Takil just grinned wolfishly. Arai rolled her eyes, it was hopeless.

            She turned to study Dras’ counterpart, Tristan. Like she had said three days ago, he was quite cute. That is if you like the arrogant type. She didn’t. In fact she didn’t have a type. She didn’t get why people had relationships. Most of the time they ended anyway, so what was the point? A few good years, maybe? She shook her head, it was ridiculous. Of course there were those few who found true love, but they were few.

            Arai gave up trying to figure out the impossible and returned to studying the opposite bank. Movement caught her eye. Ridding along the far bank was a squadron of Quants. At about the same time one of the Quants caught sight of them and started shouting. Arrows skimmed the surface of the water, coming dangerously close.

            “Damn,” muttered Dras. “Come on they’ll send some one back to their crossing to come after us.” She spurred her wolf, Hunter, forward, setting of along the bank at a dead gallop. The rest of the group wasn’t far behind her. They had a slim chance of making their crossing. They were about eight miles away and the Quants were only about one behind them, with fresh horses. Oh, damn Arai thought and spurred her Foot faster.  Hunter veered too close to a tree and Dras went hurtling off. Immediately both Tristan and Takil stopped with Arai only a step behind. No matter how intelligent the Wolf, if Dras’ leg was broken she wouldn’t be able to ride.

            “Go on,” shouted Dras.

            “No way,” replied Takil.

            “We’ve got to go,” said Tristan. Arai started at his voice. It talks, she muttered in her head sarcastically.

            “No way,” repeated Takil.

            “Takil’s right,” said Arai. “We’ll stay with you.”

            “Your loyalty is appreciated, but…” started Dras. Arai cut her off “We can hide in the trees and send the Wolves ahead.” Takil nodded in agreement.

            “We’d then be stuck with no way back, and her leg is broken,” argued Tristan.

            “We’re only about a mile from the crossing,” insisted Takil.

            “Fine,” he acquiesced and picked up Dras. Takil immediately went a few yards of the path and found a tree.

            “Here,” she called and scrambled up. Tristan hoisted Dras up and Takil grasped her biceps, heaving. Dras grasped the branch using it to help lever herself up. Takil fell back gasping, “I need to work on my arm strength,” she said. Tristan went back to help Arai with the saddle bags. She had already gotten them all off, so he grabbed two and hauled himself into a tree. Told the Wolves of their plan and asked them to stay at the fort. Tristan’s Wolf, Blue-Fur, nodded and sprinted down the trail, the others close behind. It seemed that Blue-Fur had become the alpha male. This new information irked Arai greatly.

            She heard approaching hoof beats in the distance and grabbed the two remaining saddle bags. She sprinted into the brush and scrambled into a tree herself. Riders galloped past them, not even looking up. She waited; there was always one last one. He trotted up slowly scanning the trees; he seemed to stare at Tristan’s tree for a while. Tristan stared right back. He was a Quant knight, probably high ranking from his armor. This did not look good.

            He reached back and took something out of his pack. It looked like a small rock, in fact it was a rock. Now Arai was really confused. He took out a few more and took careful aim at the trees. With an impressive heave, even more so because of his armor, he threw them at the trees. One hit Tristan in the chest, but he didn’t flinch. A few others hit neighboring trees, but one hit Dras’ broken leg.

            Takil had anticipated this and had already put her hand over the woman’s mouth. Hearing nothing the knight moved on. Arai waited a few minutes before climbing slowly down her tree. Tristan was already down and helping Dras. Takil jumped down after, and walked over.

            “Good thinking,” Arai told her.

            “Thanks, I am well acquainted with Murphy’s Law,” she said. They walked over to where Dras lay. Arai looked down, Takil’s hand was bleeding. Takil saw her looking and held it up. There were bite marks on her palm. They reached the spot where Dras lay propped against a tree.

            “Good thinking,” she said. “And thank you I owe my life to your stupid plan.”

            “It was Arai’s plan,” Takil corrected.

            “Yes it was, a bad one,” put in Tristan.

            “Oh how’s that?” asked Arai piqued.    She really did not like this guy.

            “You risked the entire group for one person,” he replied calmly.

            “ Every life is worth something,” she snapped. She was beginning to loose her temper.

            “I obviously will not convince you, it is pointless to argue with a romantic,” he said with that same annoying calmness. Takil choked, trying to picture Arai as a romantic. It was hard. Really hard.

            “You think wanting to save some one makes me a romantic.” Arai was really beginning to get mad at this prick.

            “Will you two give up?” exclaimed Dras.

            “Not my fault he’s a prick,” muttered Arai. Dras just rolled her eyes, and Takil snickered.

            “Let’s get to work on a stretcher,” suggested Takil.

            “Good idea,” said Dras. “Tristan you set my leg,” she turned to look at the twins, “you two start on the stretcher.”  Takil pulled an axe out of the saddle bags and set off to find suitable branches. Arai meanwhile pulled out the  sleeping roll that they would use for the stretcher and began to loosely stitch the packs together to form a harness. Two straps would go over the stretcher bearer’s shoulder, while the poles could rest on the packs themselves. Takil came back with the poles and they assembled the whole contraption. After a few minutes they managed to get Dras on the stretcher. It was decided that Takil and Arai would carry Dras. Tristan would scout ahead for a clear route the three women would then follow. Arai and Takil picked up the stretcher and set off along the route that Tristan had set.

۞

            It was dusk before they reached the crossing controlled by the Podars. Dras was rushed off to the healers building immediately, it turned out that the fort had a resident mystic. A squire escorted them to the building that the Knight-Commander used as her central headquarters. After giving their report they headed off to the mess hall and ate a supper of hot venison with barley bread and beer. The same squire showed them to their quarters. When they reached the cabin they found all four Wolves waiting outside. Arai felt her shoulders relax. Foot walked up and butted her chest with her huge shaggy head. Feeling tears in her eyes she buried her face in Foot’s fur. Finally she let go, only to find that the other two were still hugging their Wolves. The squire had already unlocked the door. Arai climbed up the steps, through the door, and gratefully on to the bed. The others entered a few minutes later, Takil with tears still wet on her face.

            “I’m off to check on Dras,” Takil said sitting on her bed. Arai sat up and looked at her, “You really are a hopeless romantic.” Takil smiled wanly.

            “You two are alike that way,” said Tristan. Both women jumped, they had forgotten he was there.

            “Just how am I a romantic,” asked Arai. Takil rolled her eyes and threw up her hands as if to say ‘Here they go again’.

            “The only reason you stayed behind to help Dras was because your sister is in love with her,” he stated in that same annoyingly calm and reasonable voice.

            “I did not,” exclaimed Arai, but even to her it sounded hollow.

            “I’ll just leave now,” Takil told them. Neither seemed to hear her. She shook her head and left.

            “Yes you did and you know it,” Tristan said in response to Arai’s claim.

            “Just because you’re a heartless b*****d doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”         

            “My suggestion was purely in our best interests. I calculated our chance of survival in either situation and found that ridding on greatly increased those chances. If that makes me a heartless b*****d than fine.” Arai couldn’t help but stare.

            “I think that is the most syllables I heard from you at once,” she breathed in mock wonder. He glared at her and left to check on the Wolves. She grinned and got ready for bed.

              ۞

            The next morning when she woke Takil was nowhere in sight. She groaned and got up, looking about for her clothes.

            “Good morning,” said Tristan. He was sitting at the table in the middle of the room, sipping coffee. He was already fully dressed. This reminded Arai of her situation.

            “Where are my clothes?”

            “They taken out by the squire, there are new on the chest at the foot of your bed,” he informed her.

            “Turn around,” she told him.

            “Actually I was just on my way out,” he gulped down the rest of his coffee and left. Arai got up and went to the foot of her bed. Sure enough, there on the chest were a pair of loose, black pants; a white shirt that was laced halfway up the front, and a long black tabard with a silver Wolf head across the back. It was the uniform for the Black Squadron. Looking down Arai saw her old pair of boots, at least those were still here. She quickly put the assembly on and fastened her belt across the tabard. There was no uniform for Takil, strange. Arai left the cabin and saw Tristan conferring with the squire from yesterday. Seeing her he sent the boy away. She watched him go; he didn’t look PodArain. Strange, but not unheard of. Quants were making raids all the time and rape was one of their favorite pastimes.

            “He says that your sister never left the healers building.”

            “Let’s go get her,” Arai replied.

            “Apparently she and Dras are already in the mess hall,” he added.

            “So Dras is better,” she prompted.

            “Yes the mystic healed her, but apparently she now has the appetite of a bear,” he chuckled. That was the first laugh she’d heard out of him. Foot and Blue-Fur had walked up during the exchange, and were now listening intently.

            “Let’s go make sure she doesn’t eat the legs off the tables,” she returned in kind. He smiled. Wow today was full of wonders she thought. They reached the mess hall to find that most of the troops had already left. This made finding the other two members of their group easier.

            “You got a new tabard too,” observed Takil. “Here are your commander bars,” she tossed them to Arai.

            “Thanks,” she said sitting down. For breakfast they got eggs with toast and tomatoes. They ate in silence, and when the plates were finally cleared Dras got down to business.

            “We were thinking about leaving in an hour,” she informed Tristan and Arai. They both nodded consent. The journey would take about two weeks so it would be good to start right away.

            “Tell me did you two actually talk while we were away,” she asked with a grin.

            “Probably not,” said Takil with the same grin. “They probably  just pointed and grunted.”  Arai glared, Tristan just shrugged. This got a chuckle out of Takil.

            “Well let’s get packed, all our stuff is in the cabin,” Dras said to break the silence.

            “I’m going to get some more coffee,” Arai told them.

            “Okay see you in an hour,” Takil threw back over her shoulder. Arai watched them go. She hoped that this didn’t end badly.