It was bitterly cold in Imruk. Maybe that was why they had so many words to describe being cold. Aleci was glad he wasn’t stuck there in winter, no doubt Praefect Damon would have to dodge daggers and poisons. Two winters had been enough for Aleci. The Imrukians made it clear that their presence was unwelcome, and he wouldn’t blame them. He had silenced talks among his men of the frigidity of the Imrukian women. Praefect Damon did no such thing, as it was his personal thought that violence upon the populance was an effective strategy in war. It was a politer way of sanatizing what he meant, and Aleci knew this because Damon himself told Aleci in great detail.

“Maybe you’d even get a son on one of them,” said Damon. “They have carriers a plenty here, did you know?”

Aleci did know. His father had said as much, hinted that perhaps Aleci would find a bride there. But he wasn’t interested in establishing a family. If his father wanted grandchildren he would simply have to wait for his sister’s children. Some would call it childish rebellion, but it was more complicated than that, at least, what Aleci had confessed to his friend one night. The wine had loosened his tongue, and he had declared there was no point in having children so that one can send them off to die in the Empire’s endless wars. He didn’t remember what Kaeso’s reaction had been to that particular line of treasonous thought, his friend never brought up the topic. Kaeso himself never married, which was a shame, to the women at least, because Aleci had heard plenty coo and seen them flutter their eyelashes at Kaeso’s handsome face.

Aleci supposed he too could be called handsome. The emphasis was on could. Kaeso had claimed that there was something irresistible about Aleci's blue-grey eyes and the perpetual sad frown on his face. He'd then laughed himself silly when Aleci tried and failed to dunk him in a tub. But both of them knew it wasn’t women Aleci was interested in, no matter how beautiful or interested they were in winning a Praefect's hand. He sighed deeply, rubbing his hands together to warm them. Even in the heated tent it was cold, how did the Imrukians even survive their winters?

“Praefect!”

Aleci looked up from where he was pouring over the maps. It was Domerc, the best of Aleci’s scouts. There was a sheen of sweat on his face that suggested he ran to Aleci’s tent.

“What is it?” said Aleci.

“Found a thief,” said Domerc. “A little thief. I thought he was a spy so I tailed him my men,” he rubbed at his neck. “He’s not but ah… I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“What do you mean?” said Aleci, getting up and pulling a cloak around himself.

“It’s not everyday one finds a little family trailing a legion,” said Domerc.

Aleci raised an eyebrow, “How many did you find?”

“Four,” said Domerc.

“I suppose they were trying to leave Llandy,” said Aleci, motioning for Domerc to show him to where the ‘little family’ was. “Were they on foot?”

“One horse between them,” said Domerc.

“When you say little family... you mean orphaned children?”

It was an inevitably when a power struggle happened. Imruk didn't care for the families of the losing side when their patriarch lost his seat. Perhaps they could find work for them in the Capital.

“No,” said Domerc. “A carrier and his children. I don’t think they’re the commonfolk here.”

“Really?” said Aleci, intrigued. “A noble?” The nobles of Llandy had been forced to give tributes, if they didn't have the coin, and perhaps this was one that didn’t agree with giving up his children, “How old are they?”

“Begging your pardon, Praefect, but I can’t tell children’s ages. The carrier could be your age. Could be mine. The boy I caught… maybe ten? He has a mouth on him, that one.” Domerc sounded amused, “I didn’t realize there were that many curses one can say at ten.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Aleci’s men had gathered around to watch. Domerc had his scouts point their swords at the captives, though it didn’t seem to scare the boy who, even with his hands tied, was cursing them. Very creative, thought Aleci, he didn’t know that his men deserved to have their entrails eaten by cats. He could see why Domerc had forgone rope, the carrier had a baby in a sling and was carrying another child, maybe four or five in his arms. The two younger children were very quiet. Too quiet, thought Aleci.

Seeing him walk forward, the carrier bowed his head, “Please forgive us, Praefect, my son, he is only-”

His words were cut out by the young boy trying to kick Aleci in the shin.

“Edon!” said the man, trying and failing to pull him back. “Edon, please,” he jostled the younger child in his arms and even then there was no reaction, “please Praefect, you can take our horse, please let us go.”

The carrier didn’t meet Aleci’s eyes, his head was still bowed in submission. If he were to let them go now no doubt the two younger ones would freeze to death.

“Go where?” said Aleci, he signaled towards Domerc. “Prepare a hot bath, Domerc.”

“Of course, Praefect.”

He ignored Edon still trying to kick him, “ Where are you headed?” To the boy he said, “ If I untie you will you stop kicking?”

The glare he was given was defiant, “No,” said Edon.

Mytea help him, must one really extend a hand to stubborn boys? But the younger ones certainly, it wouldn’t sit well on his conscience for him to send babies off to freeze to death.

“You can come with us,” Aleci said, he glanced at the children in the carrier’s arms. “How do you expect to travel with such young children?” He thought it sounded reassuring, but the carrier cringed away from him and clutched the children closer to his chest. Aleci sighed deeply, “I’m Aleci.” he bowed, like an Imrukian, not a Capital salute.

“Finne, Praefect Aleci,” said Finne, now meeting Aleci’s eyes.

Up close he could see that they were a very striking green. Domerc had said that Finne was Aleci’s age, but he could see the spider thin lines of exhaustion around them. Perhaps there was even grey in the curly brown hair as well, falling out its braid. Now he could see the resemblance between the older boy and Finne. They both shared the same curly brown hair and delicate face, though Edon's had a touch of red in his own.

Aleci raised an eyebrow at the lack of a surname, “ Just Finne?”

“Finne,” said Finne, and when Aleci glanced at the children in his arms, swallowed. “Ethain,” he said to the older boy in his arms, “Ediann.”

“Come, Finne,” said Aleci, “I suppose you want a decent meal,”

“We don’t want them from you!” said Edon furiously, and louder. “WE DON’T WANT-” he yelped when Finne shifted Ethain onto one arm to grab his shoulder.

“Edon, please behave. For me, please.”

That was not Imrukian, Aleci thought, startled at the words. It sounded Imrukian, but he didn't understand the words. But Imruk had many tribes, perhaps this was one of their dialects, a mountain dialect.

Edon crossed his arms, angrily stomping his feet, “We should have taken another horse. Now look where we are!”

“You’re a very stubborn boy, aren’t you?” said Aleci, amused at the boy’s stubbornness even if he didn’t understand the words, "Come on, aren’t you hungry?”

“No!” said Edon, even as his stomach growled.

“Come, Finne,” said Aleci.

He would have reached out to take Ediann from Finne’s arms, in any other circumstance, but he doubted it would be welcomed. The soldiers gathered around them had all wandered off, curiosity sated. Aleci made to undo the ties around the boy’s arms. Edon growled and slapped his hands away when the rope was barely untied. They were lucky not to run into Damon’s legion, thought Aleci. No doubt Damon would have the boy’s hand cut off for such insolence. Edon, for all his bravado earlier, stuck close to Finne the entire way to Aleci’s tent, until he saw the horse tied there.

“Stygian!” said Edon, running towards the black horse who huffed a friendly greeting. There were two saddlebags on the horse’s back.

What an unusual name, thought Aleci, how did the boy even come to know the word?

“Do you want me to carry the bags?” said Aleci.

Edon responded by pulling down the bags himself and hefting both over his shoulders.

“Come,” said Aleci.

Domerc had managed to somehow fill the tub in the short time it took them to walk back to Aleci’s tent. The water was even hot, Aleci suspected he’d commandeered the water from other tents that were for brewing tea and cooking. There were even two camp cots set up on the opposite side, and Domerc had thought of putting a screen around the tub. Finne glanced at Aleci hesitantly before gently shaking at Ediann. The younger boy mumbled sleepily, batting Finne’s hand away, but at least he seemed strong enough to stand when Finne placed him on the tent floor. Edon had gone over to the tub, and touched the water wonderingly.

“It’s hot,” he said to Finne, again in that odd tongue. “Maybe it’ll help him feel less cold?”

“I’ll pull a screen around you,” said Aleci.

Ediann’s clothes were lovingly embroidered, and it was the same for the blanket that Ethain was swaddled in. It was in sharp contrast with the clothes Finne and Edon were dressed in. They looked worn and old, like what stablehands would wear. How odd, thought Aleci. Unswaddled, Ediann opened his mouth and began to weakly wail.

“Can you hold him for a moment?” said Finne to Edon, sounding exhausted, his hands went to the clasp on his cloak, undoing it. Finne glanced hesitantly at Aleci, “I can leave the tent, your tent. I need to feed him.”

“You want to feed him outside?” said Aleci, in disbelief raising an eyebrow, “In the cold?”

“It’s your tent.” said Finne, “I’m-”

“ I’m going to eat,” said Aleci, “I will bring back food. Go and-” he glanced at the baby in Finne’s arms. “Feed him, clean up,” to Edon he said, “I suppose you’ve taken enough food?”

Edon scowled angrily, “Yes.”

He was stubbornly endearing, thought Aleci.

“I’ll be back,” he said, pulling his cloak closer to himself as he walked out of the tent.

Kaeso was waiting by the fire when he went to fetch his dinner.

“You’re sharing a tent now?” said Kaeso, amused.

“You are thinking to much,” said Aleci, “it means nothing.”

“Ah, of course. Nothing,” Kaeso sing-songed, “you’re only doing as Mytea bids you.”