Part 18

Greza stood in formation in the early morning and watched as the sky turned from dark purple to a dull red.  The mornings were still bitterly cold and frost covered everything that had been left outside. 

All units except for the ones staying for garrison were lined up in their order of march.  All around her soldiers, horses and carts were crammed in a spiral that would uncoil as the Company marched out of the courtyard. 

They were waiting for the Duke. 

“Taking his time with his breakfast?”  Someone said behind her. 

“Making sure the padding on his saddle is comfortable enough,” another soldier said. 

“Quiet, you two,” Greza said without turning her head. 

The Lieutenant was prowling around and would snap at anyone that broke discipline. 

Her retort was answered with snickering.  Half these men still acted like children.  Maybe because they had been allowed to be children.  Her childhood was serving her masters: running around delivering things, sweeping, cleaning and feeding animals.  The only time she had had to herself was at nighttime when she went to bed.  Then she’d look out the window and wonder what was beyond the woods. 

Finally the Duke rode out on his horse.  He was in full armor and held his helmet in his lap. 

“Company!” The captains shouted in unison.

“Platoon!” The Lieutenants shouted in near unison.

“Attention!” The Duke called out.  He didn’t shout like the other officers, but his voice was still loud and clear. 

He rode to the front where the gate was.  He took a moment to look over his army. 

“Today we leave the comfort of our fort and march many miles over strange roads,” Duke Verin said.  “Our march will take us south and east.  The numerous kingdoms there are engaging in a vicious war between themselves and the pirates that plague their shores.  King Emeron has invited us to assist him in bringing order and peace to the area and we will be doing that.  Soldiers, you’re the best out there.  Don’t forget that.  We will kill and tread under our boots anyone that opposes us.”

This got a cheer from the army and even she couldn’t resist throwing her armored fist in the air.

“Men, women, when the time comes that we face our enemy across the field of battle, I know you will not hesitate.  Kill them before they kill you.  Stay alert at all times.  Watch each other’s back.  Remember that you are all Chimera Company.  Maintain our honor and maintain the fear they have for us.”

With that, Duke Verin turned his horse and rode out the gate.  The officers and sergeants shouted out orders and the army was on the move.

She had to admit that it was thrilling to finally be leaving.  She was on her way with the Company around her.  They’d be going to lands she’d never seen and gain victories. 

Greza didn’t care about the glory, but she did like the honor.  They would end a war between several countries so that people could get back to their normal lives.

Also, this was her chance to see what she could really do.  She knew she could win almost any fair fight, but this would be different.  There was so much to being a soldier than a gladiator.  Before she just had to focus on the one thing, defeating the person in front of her.  Now she had to worry about everyone behind and beside her, the numerous enemy in front of her, her water, her ammunition, the commands of her officers and the ground at her feet. 

She was going to be the best.  She would rise through the ranks and prove to everyone that she wasn’t an idiotic, brutish slave. 

As they marched the sun rose up over the flat, marshy land.  No wonder the king gave Verin this land for payment.  No one else wanted it.  It did have a stark kind of beauty that she actually enjoyed, but there was little anyone could do with it.

At first there was singing and conversation, but after the first few hours it was just silent marching.  She looked around and tried to read the expressions on her fellow soldiers’ faces.  Most were unreadable.  Some were smiling and others didn’t look happy at all.  She wondered if they were nervous or afraid.  Some were probably excited to finally be on the march. 

But then her readings came back to her.  She remembered ancient poets lamenting about the horrors and uselessness of war.  They spoke of friend’s dying cruel death and innocents being caught up in battles.  They spoke of worse things that she didn’t want to think about. 

In any war, horrible things happened to innocents and she knew some of the soldiers in the Chimera Company would also do these horrible things.  She would do all she could to stop them from looting and raping.  She would guard their souls. 

She couldn’t imagine what such a barbaric thing was like.  Erinad had saved her from the cruel hands of her masters and for that, if nothing else, she’d be eternally grateful.  She’d watch as it happened to other slaves and every time she knew it could have been her. 

No, she would not allow that to happen with her people.

It was amazing how different her life would have been if Erinad hadn’t stepped in and saved her.  She hoped his spirit was watching her from Paradise.  She wanted him to know that she was doing well. 

They stopped around mid-day for lunch and a brief rest.  She rested up against a wagon that was carrying some sort of siege machine.  Burana sat down beside her with her hard bread and dried pork. 

“This isn’t so bad,” Burana said. 

“This is just the first day and we have nice weather,” Greza said.

“Strength through suffering,” she said and shrugged.

She must have had a gift for prophecy because the next day it started raining.  The roads turned to mud which slowed the entire army down and everyone was drenched head to toe.

Now instead of faces she saw hooded rain coats.  When a breeze kicked up, their oiled rain coats would flutter and flap.  That, coupled with the slogging of their feet in the mud were the only sounds she heard.  The sound of rain faded out into the background and she would have to listen for it to bring it back into her consciousness. 

She liked the feel of the rain on her face.  The rain wasn’t so cold and one she accepted that everything was wet, it stopped bothering her.  The Humans had a harder time because of blisters and rashes.  How did the Humans manage to conquer an empire?

If they had leaders like Duke Verin, they could have done it easily. 

At night they built many fires and circled the tents around the fires.  No one really dried off, but if they couldn’t be warm and dry at least they could be warm. 

She lay in her tent reading her scriptures.  This all wasn’t so bad.  The food wasn’t good and even her feet were starting to get tired of marching, but as a whole, she was safe, she was fed, she was relatively warm, and she was free. 

Burana was carving on a large stick while whistling a tune. 

“You have any boyfriends back home?”  Burana asked.

“No.  Don’t want any.”

“Why not.”

“None of them interested me.”

Burana stopped whistling.

“What?  You don’t like boys then?”

“Never thought about them.”

“But they must have approached you.”

She hadn’t been popular back home.  The other slaves didn’t like her for her slightly more pampered status as a gladiator and she guessed none of them thought half Orks were attractive. 

“Nope,” Greza said.

“What about Ox.  You like him, right?”

“Of course I like him.”

“No, I mean, you like him…in a ‘special way’ as my mam used to say.”

“Romantically?”

“Yeah.”

“No.” 

“Well…”

Murana thought for a moment but then rolled back over and continued carving. 

On the third day they crossed the border and left Ekonia.  The land changed from wet marshes to dry prairie and what few trees there were, were tall and thin with most of the leaves up top. 

“Isn’t this an invasion?  How come no one’s here to stop us?”  Burana asked as they trudged through the mud.

“They make deals with the countries they pass through,” Greza said.

“They just let them?”

“They all rely on mercenaries so they all agree to it…unless they’re the country they fighting.”

“Odd.”

The rain finally stopped a few hours before sundown and everyone cheered.  She didn’t because she liked the rain.  Duke Verin decided to stop early for the day and everyone celebrated as they dried out. 

Greza hung her raincoat up and walked over to sit beside the fire next to Ox.  Someone had brought a lute and was playing while others sang along. 

“These are the night you’re going to look back one,” Ox said in a hushed voice. “Most of them don’t realize it and wont remember this night, but I will.”

“I will.”

“See that you do.  They won’t come often.  I think that’s why we stopped.”

“Why we stopped?”

“Because I think Duke Verin knows we have to celebrate every little thing.  Because once we get into war, little sister, there won’t be much smiling.”