General Eloquin gazed at them through icy blue eyes that spoke of northern ancestry, contrasting with the light bronze complexion of southern tribes. Their armsmaster appeared grim and ageless as always, an ancient god of battle and wisdom who Jess silently worshiped, finding no greater satisfaction than to be the recipient of praise from those lips.
His hawklike stare settled upon Jess.
He did not look pleased.
“Calenbry. You were distracted. It matters not if Knight Commander Hyve or one of his students has joined us. Your mind must be ever focused on the task at hand. Unless you sense an enemy at our doorstep, you focus should be upon the threat before you. Protect the men counting on you.”
Jess felt herself flush even as Mord smirked. “Yes, Commander.”
A curt nod. “What was the second mistake you made today? One that almost cost you a fellow Squire's life?”
Jess cringed. “Erica. She was too far away for me to protect.”
Eloquin nodded, before turning to gaze at a shamefaced Erica. "You are a Squire because you are a brilliant tactician, Erica. But your melee prowess still leave much to be desired. You took too long to disengage from the pikemen. In a real battle that could have spelled your death, unseen arrows or no."
Erica, normally of such sprightly temperament with the most beautiful green eyes, now looked on the verge of tears. She was remarkably strong for her size, yet was the smallest student to join their ranks. Though a more than competent swordsman, as a Squire she just barely made the cut. “Yes, Commander.”
Eloquin turned to Jess once more. “She was under your care, Calenbry. As are all the Squires, when you take the vanguard. And what is the one precept you are to always follow?”
“To lead the charge, and stay at the heart of any rally or withdraw.”
Eloquin nodded. “Your skills allow you to excel where no one else would. But upon the rally, if the troops under your care are split up? I don't think I have to tell you the folly this invites.”
“No, sir,” Jess softly said.
Eloquin spent a timeless moment gazing at all of them before giving what appeared to be a nod of quiet satisfaction. “Some of you fools still need to master the techniques of slicing through linen and leather, but you're a damned sight better at it than you were when first you answered my call.” Some quiet chuckles at this, for what he spoke of so casually was a skill few outside blademasters and Squires tended to acquire. Even an expert duelist, well versed in the arts of parry, cut, and thrust, rarely thought to train or had access to masters who taught the tricks of getting past armor. “Fortunately, you all know how to hold a lance and estoc, and the proper ways of fighting with mace and shield, on foot or horse.”
A long moment of weighty silence.
“It will do. For it is once again time for you to prove yourselves, Squires. King and Crown once more need your blackened daggers.”
Murmurs and whispers picked up through the small elite crowd of students. Jess felt her stomach twist in knots equal parts excitement and dread.
“Hear that, shieldsister? It's that time again.”
Jess turned and smiled back at her brother-in-arms. Compact, powerfully built, gentle brown eyes gazing at her from a face she had long ago fallen in love with, now relegated to the closest of friends.
“It is indeed, Malek. Do you feel ready?”
A glib reply seemed on the tip of his tongue. Instead he gazed thoughtfully at her a moment before giving a slow nod. “If slavers have once more been found slithering upon our lands, then they must be stomped out. No matter if the king refuses even to acknowledge that slavery exists, no matter that our hands and souls will be stained with the blood of those we kill. It is a price I'm more than willing to pay, to spare some child the nightmare of being stolen away to a life of misery and horror.”
Jess nodded, feeling much the same. It made sense, after all. They had done their best to come to terms with it during the year just past, a year both bitter and sweet that had seemed to stretch without end, much like the very first night Jess had been forced to endure a dying man's screams.
Lord Hyve coolly looked them over, mustaches carefully oiled, with a tad bit more paunch than would be ideal in a perfect fighting specimen, but so was the case with most lords who took up the blade with a bountiful table to break their fast when the training was done for the day. Still, where Jess had once felt a deep admiration for one of Erovering's premier knights, it had waned as she had gotten to know the man behind the reputation, just as her fierce love for her general had only grown.
Lord Hyve cleared his throat before addressing them all with a powerful baritone voice, excellent for carrying over the battlefield. “I know well your reputation, the dark tools you are all being forged into, don't think I don't. Still, you serve king and Crown well enough, which is all a man can ask for in the end. If one is not equipped to ride to the heights of glory as a Knight of the Crown, upholding the honor and dignity of chivalry, then it is a more than worthy pursuit to master all the aspects of war below the knightly calling, to soften our foes and pave the way so that we may charge forth in triumph, our foes vanquished by the might of our lances and the allies who smoothed the path to our victory.”
The knight commander dipped his head, his version of paying them a compliment, and all the Squires bowed in unison, as if they had been esteemed beyond all measure. Just as Eloquin had instructed them to do, both as a test of their discipline and the guile they might one day need. All elements of an army had their purpose, after all, and diplomacy was but one more tool of battle.
The fact that Lord Hyve smiled as if pleased by their deference was reward all on its own, Jess and her peers having managed yet again to hide from the man how utterly offensive his comments truly were. Either that or he knew all too well, and was playing them as they tried to play him. If nothing else, it was an entertaining practice and allowed the man's words to wash over them like the silly drivel they were.
Lord Hyve's gaze then turned grave, even as Mord smirked by his side, his mocking smile making it clear that he, at least, was quite aware and pleased to hear Squires relegated to the role of garrote men whose sole purpose was to do the dirty work while the hands and reputations of Knight Aspirants remained spotless.
“As you all know, at the end of the day our purpose is equal in serving our nation humbly and faithfully. And there are certain crimes that are so heinous, such black stains they are upon Erovering's glory, that it would be blasphemous even to sully our beloved king's ears with the news. And that, my young Squires of War, is where you come in.”
Jess blinked, gazing at General Eloquin, noting the hard line of his jaw even as he said nothing. Rare was it for Hyve to be the one to direct their assignment. “Yet it is important, I think, for Knight Aspirants to learn the hard lessons that maintaining peace in our kingdom actually entail. Further, many of my students, bright and skilled youths that they are, have never before seen battle, and I fear the tragedy of first blood: The din and cry of their initial engagement being of such intensity that they stand there thunderstruck, prey to any foul miscreant, when all they need are some moments and a gentle guide to ease them through that first terrible, glorious battle, so they may forever after perform their roles in exemplary fashion, as the peerless knights all my charges are destined to be.”
Hyve gazed solemnly at them all for some moments. “That is why I am entrusting you Squires, favored proteges of my worthy associate Lord Eloquin, with the task of keeping watch over my Aspirants, making sure they survive the challenge to come unmarked, unscathed, and able to perform the duties that will be expected of them in future engagements.”
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General Eloquin gave a cool nod as Lord Hyve stepped back. “You are all to protect your brethren and each other in the campaign to come. Hyve's Aspirants will serve as the main thrust of any direct assault, and I expect you all to provide appropriate auxiliary wing support. But above all, I expect you to protect yourselves and your fellow Squires at all times. Only by protecting yourselves can we deign to protect our fellow Aspirants.”
Hyve gave the slightest frown then shook it away, before nodding to the Squires he had addressed. Jess and her fellows Squires bowed in turn, leaning their hips back as they did so in a practiced maneuver that prevented the weight of their armor from setting them off balance, paying Lord Hyve the respect Eloquin expected of them.
As Lord Hyve and a still smirking Mord made their way back to the school proper, Jess and her compatriots waited for Eloquin's relaxing of stance before daring to murmur what was on their minds. Jess smiled, feeling the sudden weight of a creature of shadow and darkest night leaping to her shoulder.
“My, yet another secret little mission for king and Crown. Not only do we get to cleanup some noble's carelessness, we also get to babysit Mord and his ilk. What fun.”
Jess couldn't help grinning as the purring feline making himself comfortable upon his favorite perch, much like a falcon would. Jess gazed into sapphire orbs that glittered like dying stars impossibly far away, even as she stroked glossy fur of midnight hue that shimmered even on a cloudless night.
“Jess?” A single word, tightly said.
Jess blushed. Her commander shouldn't have had to say anything at all.
Twilight solemnly shook his head. “Hyve, and our always lovely Mord are long gone, my mistress, as are the archers. I sense no spy left behind, nor does any mage scry upon us.” He sighed then. “Not that they have in ages, but I know how you hope.”
Jess gazed up at Lord Eloquin, giving a solemn shake of her head. “They are gone, sir. No one gazes our way.”
Several of her peers gave her curious looks, a few shaking their heads.
“How does she know that?” asked the newest member of their elite band.
“Her arcane feline senses these things, supposedly,” explained a fellow Squire.
“Why don't I see her in any of the Wizards Wing courses?”
“She can't cast a single spell. You must have heard how spectacularly she failed at that.”
“But she has a talking cat?”
“It's a delusion.”
“Delusion or no, we just saw scores of pike and a storm of arrows warp away from us.”
Lucas, one of the more powerfully built Squires, frowned at Jess before turning back to the newest member of their band. "Our master just accepted you into our ranks, Liam, so you wouldn't know. Jess is one of those warped mages with but a single odd talent, and her knack is wood. That's why Eloquin puts up with her eccentricities and lets her lead the vanguard. But there are no such things as talking cats."
Liam flashed Jess an approving grin. “A gift so strong we can charge into a forest of pike unscathed? That's a damned useful knack, I'd say.”
Jess exchanged glances with her supposed delusion who winked back at her. “Shall we tell all of our friends about the naughty little affairs Lucas has been having with not one, but two of the chambermaids, all the while playing one against the other? I'm sure any number of our friends would find that bit of gossip from your favorite delusion quite delicious, don't you think so, my mistress?”
Jess grinned at that. “Behave,” she murmured before turning to gaze back at Lucas, who for some reason paled and looked away. Jess frowned. Lucas was a prickly sort and was happy to disparage anyone when his dander was up, yet normally they got on quite well. She would hate for that to change now.
“The hell with all that, are we really to be babysitters for those damned arrogant Aspirants?” Yet another of their number voiced the frustration they all felt. Immediately the Squires' murmurs took on a brooding tone, her fellows less than pleased with Lord Hyve's offhanded attempts to commandeer their role and function, as if they were little more house servitors, and he their master. Nothing further was said about talking cats, the rest of them having known Jess for years.
“Silence.” At Eloquin's command, all the muttering stopped. “It matters not the style of presentation. All that matters is that there is a blight upon our nation, a smear upon the king's honor, and it is for us to burn out every last trace of the vermin that dare to think they can make our nation their cesspool!” His gaze turned fierce, his students paling before him.
He took a measured breath. “Diplomacy is but one of the skills you must master. For future tacticians, you are fools to allow a rough tongue to deny you the opportunity of doubling the units at your disposal, potentially tripling your effectiveness, if you deploy your men appropriately.”
Eloquin's icy blue eyes hardened. “You know this. All of you do. If you didn't, I would have dismissed you long ago.”
More than one student swallowed, gazing at their armored feet.
"Now, let us look to the heart of what has been said. Lord Hyve is extending his men to us, as he has more than once before, though always informally. This time he wishes his own men to retain command, and our own to provide auxiliary support. In turn, he is committing the entirety of his force to this endeavor, unorthodox as it is, at a time when absolute stealth, discretion, and the grimmest of intentions are needed. Now can anyone tell me why this would be?"
All the Squires spent some moments gazing at one another.
“Bloody hells, Jess, what game is Hyve playing at, do you think?”
Jess gazed at Malek, a cold chill coming over her. She could only think of one possibility.
Malek frowned. “Jess?”
Jess blanched and looked away. For some reason, she didn't want to say a thing.
“Jess?”
The hushed murmurs silenced once more, and Jess felt her eyes pulled by Eloquin's gaze. Somehow, he knew that she knew.
“Speak.”
“It's just a guess, sir.”
His cold gaze speared her. Jess blushed.
“I think, sir, I think that there is only one explanation. The slaver camp. It somehow puts Hyve or someone he is close to in jeopardy. Guilt by proxy, if not actual involvement. If I had to guess, I would have to say that the camp was sighted on his grounds.” Jess swallowed, her peers deathly silent.
“Well, go on.”
Jess shrugged. “If we had received word by regular channels, it would have looked bad for him. Why did he allow it to happen? Slothfulness? Involvement? This way, he himself seems proactive. He sets the tone of being willing to clean up his own mess. Nay, more so, a wronged man who will do all he can to smash the vile affront to his dignity with all haste and fury. And, of course, he wants the honor of leading his men to justice and glory, expunging this vile threat upon his land, we but auxiliaries to his little campaign. But valued auxiliaries, I suppose. He did go to the trouble of addressing us, seeking rapport and striving to motivate and commend us... in his own way.”
Jess ignored the few quiet snickers this comment inspired.
“Frankly, if he could get away with just using his Knight Aspirants, I think he would. So that it almost seems to be his own force that he would be using to clean house. But for all that he is a bit arrogant, if you will forgive my tactical observation, he is no fool. Why wouldn't he make use of the resources at his disposal? For when it comes to taking out a fortified encampment, why not make use of the students who have been training for such since their first days at this school?”
Eloquin gave a cool nod. “Well done, Calenbry. Well done.”
Malek nodded. “It only makes sense. Save for flowery words that mean nothing, he has never bothered taking a personal interest in our missions before. Not like this. So really, what else could it be, save trouble close to home?”
The most reviled and hated general on the continent flashed his Squires a bleak smile. “You all know how this works. First preparations shall be made, and you all will do and say absolutely nothing to anyone about what is to come. Those of you truly ready to embrace what it means to be a Squire of War and serve your country, I will see back here two nights from now, at sunset. In the meantime, you will ignore all other courses, seeking only to master Veltsor's treatise on how best to take out a heavily fortified encampment. You will train vigorously, but not arduously. If any of you have any sores or injuries, you will see the healers at once, without delay. They will treat you without a single question asked. You will imbibe no mead or wine, and get all the sleep you can stand.”
“As for those of you who will not blacken your daggers for me?” Cold eyes gazed intently at a number of pale-faced youths, none of whom could meet their beloved commander's stare. Youths who Jess loved dearly as fellow students, who would graduate from Highrock with honors one day, and perhaps lead troops with distinction when war was eventually declared. They would benefit immensely from their training under the deadliest tactician to lead Erovering's forces in decades. But they would not lead as Squires of War. Jess sensed this already.
"The rest of you will train beside your brothers-in-arms, as always. Lock stares with them as you test their mettle, and they test yours. See the fire that burns within them. Then look into your own mirror and ask yourself if you truly have what it takes to be a Squire of War." His voice turned cold as a winter gale. "Those who have hesitated up to now, if you wish to redeem yourselves in my eyes, this will be your last chance."
Eloquin then flashed the bleakest of smiles. “Upon your oath, upon your life, you keep the faith. Should anyone, even your lover, seek to entice a confession as to what you are preparing for, particularly the name of your target... you know exactly what you must do.”
All of them paled and swallowed at that. Visors raised, their expressions were a mixture of fear, exhilaration, and grim resolve. Jess felt a moment's fierce exultation. Cheers and boasting once the deed was done was one thing, but no Squire would reveal specific names or places, no matter how they otherwise flaunted their kills. Jess knew Lord Hyve's plight would be one rumor never to circulate through Highrock. Not from their mouths, at least.
Though not all of her fellows had the heart or temperament to accept the Crown's ugliest missions, Jess knew that none of them would betray their cause.