Firebrand

Chapter 606: The Embrace of the Forest

The Embrace of the Forest

After their training, Martel went to the river again. Besides washing himself, he also spent a while looking for herbs along the riverbed. Although he had done plenty of this in the marshes north of Esmouth, winter had yielded little, and he would not mind having more of certain ingredients. Given that battle was inevitable, he could imagine he would need it sooner or later.

As he walked back to camp, the soldiers at the gate saluted seeing a prefect walked by. He gave a brief nod in response; strictly speaking, he did not have to acknowledge them, but it felt weird as if pretending they did not exist while they in turn had to salute him. When his eyes glanced over them, he recognised the optio on duty, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Petrus of Aquila," Martel said after a moment searching his memory. "Third centuria, sixth cohort." The same optio who had been drunk outside The Salty Mug and insulted Martel, spending a night in the stockade for his troubles.

"Sir." The optio stared straight ahead with a blank expression.

"As you were." Martel continued onwards. He saw no reason to dig up old troubles, especially not in front of the common soldiers. But he did want the optio to know that Martel remembered him, just in case he needed a reminder about their previous encounter.

The legionaries all looked at Petrus. "Optio, the Firebrand knows your name?"

"Back to your posts," came his growling response while Martel walked away, smiling to himself.

***

Making the most of his time, Martel began enchanting the orbs that Henry had given him long ago. He was making both into a lightstone, one for Avery, the other for Valerius. They had lamps, of course, but a lightstone was easier and simpler, and he dared say it provided better illumination. And it made Martel feel useful, giving him something to do.

He was working on the second when Eleanor's voice reached him through his focus. "Martel. Martel? Sorry to interrupt you. Martel?" He blinked repeatedly, looking around until he remembered where he was. "Forgive me, I know you were at work, but the other prefects have asked for us."

Martel looked at the glowing rock on his hand. "It's fine. It'll last for a while, anyway." He could always start over; a new enchantment would replace the old. "Let's go." He got on his feet. "Do you know what it's about?"

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"A courier arrived. News from the legion, presumably."

Together they walked through the camp, this time going to the decurion's tent. Inside, apart from the other prefects, a messenger stood as well at attention. In his hand, Dominic held a scrap of parchment. He looked up as his last two visitors arrived. "Our wayward herbalist and company." He waved the missive in his hand about. "The legate sends word. We should expect the legion within a fiveday. No reason to make waves before then. Only orders are to hold this hill and surrounding area until their arrival."

"What of the supply train?" asked Avery.

"No mention of it, but why would that be? They left before the legion did," Dominic remarked.

"I was asking the courier." She looked at the man in question. "You must have passed them on your way."

"Oh, yes, sir. I did so yesterday. They were still deep in the forest, but they should reach open land today," the messenger explained. "I estimate they'll arrive tomorrow."

"Satisfied?" the decurion asked of Avery. He looked at the legionary. "Dismissed." With a salute, the soldier left.

"Sir Dominic," spoke Avery, "did you hear the reports from your scouts today?"

"I left that responsibility with you, so why would I have?"

"Right. Well, both the northern and the southern patrol saw signs of Khivans today," she related.

"Did they engage?" asked Valerius. He had hitherto been so quiet, Martel almost forgot about his presence, though the same could be said for himself. He knew it would probably be an insult if he were left out of these meetings, but at the same time, he almost preferred to be.

"No. They saw the signs of movement inside the treeline, but approaching from open ground would make for an easy ambush. I told all patrols to never come that close," Avery explained.

"That seems a missed opportunity, but I shall not complain if you keep my men alive," Dominic chortled. "We will have plenty of fighting ahead, anyway."

"I mention it because it could be a sign of an attempted encirclement," she continued.

"You think that is a reasonable concern?" Eleanor chimed in. "It might simply be that they are trying different angles, hoping to catch our patrols unaware in one place or the other."

"Of course. I simply do not want us to underestimate our enemy's presence."

"Does it matter?" Dominic interjected. "We have a thousand men holding this hill. The legate is bringing another nearly four, and the Thirteenth will eventually double our numbers. They cannot possibly have troops to encircle us."

"No, but they may cause trouble otherwise. I should like to send a centuria of your riders to meet the supply train. They must be in open terrain by now. It is a simple task for your men to escort them here," Avery suggested.

The decurion did not suppress a sigh. "Fine, if it will ease your concerns. You may give them the order."

"Thank you, sir." With a blank expression, Avery stalked out of the tent.

Dominic looked at the other prefects. "Well? Meeting is at an end. Dismissed."

Thinking about how easy it would be to set the tent on fire with the decurion inside, Martel walked out, accompanied by the others.

***

A centuria of the mounted cohort rode out in the afternoon, going straight west. One of them returned late at night, almost before dawn. Stirring from sleep, Avery got up and received his report. The riders had found no sign of the supply train; from what they could tell, it had never left the forest.

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