The Crimson Campaign

Taniel locked eyes with the major. “That’s not going to happen today.”

The major retreated for a moment and held a quiet conference with the colonel. A few moments later the colonel nodded and the major and the soldiers were dismissed.

Taniel returned to his lunch, only to find the colonel still sitting on his horse not ten feet away. The man rode a little closer. Taniel looked up. He wasn’t in the mood for this.

The colonel’s expression was still disapproving. “Captain, I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. We’ve met before, but it was years ago. Your father was a great man.”

Taniel swallowed a mouthful of food. How was he supposed to answer that? “Yes, he was.”

“Captain, I should warn you. The field marshal was quite lenient with all his soldiers, especially his mages. With his death there’s been a shift in policy in that regard. I doubt the General Staff will make an exception for you, even with your reputation. Point a pistol at a ranking officer again and you’ll be — ”

“Shot?” Taniel asked, not able to keep the smirk from his face.

The colonel scowled. “Hanged.”

“Thank you for the warning. Sir.”

The colonel nodded. “I’m glad to hear you’re on your feet again, Captain. We need you on the front.” He paused for a moment, as if waiting for Taniel to stand and salute him. He could have waited all day for that, as far as Taniel was concerned. After nearly a minute he turned his horse and was off at a canter.

Taniel couldn’t help but wonder why the colonel wasn’t on the front with the rest of the army.

“Pole,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to come with me.”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m serious, Pole. It’s a war zone. I know you’ve been in war before.” Pit, she’d been with him facing down the same Kez Grand Army just a couple months ago. He’d watched her butcher half the Kez royal cabal up on South Pike. “But I’ve felt… strange since you brought me back. I don’t know what I’ll do. I’d rather not get you killed.”

Taniel again remembered the blood on her hands when he awoke from the coma. He had seen dead soldiers, and a man he felt he should recognize lying on the ground unconscious. Ka-poel had tried to explain it with hand gestures. Taniel had surmised that she’d traded a life for his. Whose, he didn’t know, but the thought made him sick.

Ka-poel took the piece of cheese from his hand and tossed it in her mouth. That seemed like all the answer that Taniel was going to get.

“Oh well,” he said. “I had to try. It’ll be good to have you at my side.”

Ka-poel pursed her lips in a sly smile.

“My side, Ka-poel. I don’t — ”

She put her finger to his lips, her smile widening.

“They won’t like you being with me,” Taniel said. “There are some women soldiers, and fraternization is strictly prohibited. It happens all the time, of course, but the officers like to keep up appearances. They might try to make you sleep in a different tent.”

Ka-poel spread her hands, questioning.

“What? Fraternization? You know. Men and women being… together. Intimately.”

She pointed between them, then made a flat, chopping motion with her hand. But we aren’t. The grin on her face made the motion appear mocking, like a child denying that they’d done something wrong when they’d been caught doing it.

It made Taniel’s heart beat faster, and he could feel his face go red. “All right, girl, we’re going now. Just after I piss.”

When he got back to the horse, he found her sitting in the saddle already, but toward the front, as if she expected him to sit behind her.

“Move back,” he said.

She ignored him. He pulled himself up into the saddle behind her, and to take the reins, he had to wrap his arms around her waist. She snuggled up against his chest and he flicked the reins with a sigh.

The number of people along the road increased as they got closer and closer to the front. In the last ten miles there were so many tents that they filled the entire valley from one side to the other. It seemed like a sea of people — soldiers, smiths, whores, cooks, laundresses, and merchants. He saw soldiers with the stripes of just about every brigade in Adro, including all of the Wings of Adom, Lady Winceslav’s mercenaries. By now she’d know that Tamas was dead. Taniel wondered if she’d pull her mercenaries out of the war.

The road seemed to disappear beneath the crowd, and Taniel knew they were just one good rainstorm away from it becoming a shit hole of mud. The Addown River cut through the whole thing, a dirty mess clogged with the waste of hundreds of thousands of people. There were barges moored here and there along the river — supply ships from Adopest, no doubt bringing food, weapons, and fresh recruits.

The tents gained some order as he finally reached the army proper. He didn’t think he’d ever look forward to straight lines and discipline again, but after having to push his way through the final few miles he was glad to leave the reserves and hangers-on behind him.