Chapter 5

A Brief Respite

Neyra sat with ladylike grace on the floor of her tent; well, as much as one could sit ladylike on the dirty floor of a standard issue army tent. Her humble furniture was gone, taken back by the army for redistribution. All that remained was her trunk and her bedroll. That, and a year’s worth of notes and journals that now laid in an organized disaster on the ground. She knew she should have supervised the soldiers who moved it all out. Don’t people know you should leave precariously piled stacks of books just as they are??

She was just about to get started on re-cataloging when she heard a soft knock on one of the poles of her tent.

“Um, hello?”

Zarl’s voice was gentle and timid, different from his normally expressive manner of speaking. Neyra wondered if something was the matter. She hurriedly stood and wiped her hands on her robes.

“Yes, Zarl? Come in! Just be careful of the mess.”

Soon, the tent flap parted, and Zarl carefully ducked inside. He was in his uniform, the large golden sunburst of the army’s tabard splayed proudly over his leather armor. He already had his travel cloak on, and his favorite scarf was wound loosely around his neck. Zarl smiled at her and cleared his throat. He ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit of his.

“So, um…you coming out with us, Miss Neyra?”

“Oh, no. I think I’ve lost my taste for ale.” Neyra’s cheeks reddened as she tried to banish memories of that night. Well, what little memories she even had of that night. That next morning's hangover was enough to tell her how poorly it must’ve gone.

“Oh! Um—right. Yeah, actually I totally feel the same!” He chuckled as he scratched the side of his head, “Drinkings overrated…I might just hit the range one more time, you know...work on my arms a bit. Maybe you’d…want to come with me?”

“Oh no no no, I couldn’t possibly intrude! Besides, I have to finish getting these properly sorted and stored.” She gestured to the piles of notebooks and scrolls around her.

“Oh,” his face looked a bit odd as he said it, and his ears drooped. If she didn’t know any better she’d say he was disappointed. But why would he be disappointed? He continued, “Well…could you use any help?” his voice tinged with a bit of hope.

“Oh I couldn’t possibly ask that of you, Zarl! My cataloging system is a bit tedious. First by language, then subject, then…”

“Language?” Zarl asked. His eyes finally left her face, taking in the sight around him, “How many languages do you speak, exactly?”

Neyra’s face lit up at the mention of languages. It was one subject that she would never tire of,

“Well there’s common and halfling, of course. Also gnomish, dwarven, and orcish. Orcish was a fun one to learn. I think I’ve finally convinced Arv to let me give him some lessons. And! I’ve even learned a bit of elvish! Took an eternity to find the proper books for it too, and that was even with Master Irene’s help! I just read it, though. I’m not so confident that I could speak it very well, should the need arise.”

She shook her head and paused. She was rambling a bit, wasn’t she? But Zarl didn’t seem to mind. He just kept smiling at her,

“Well, um…if there’s ever anything I can do to help you just—“ he rubbed the back of his neck with a clawed hand, “you know where to find me. Except I guess I won’t be there after today. I’ll be on the road. But you’ll still be with…me. On the road, that is. Because…same squad. An…and anyway I’m just gonna…”

“Hit the range?”

“Yeah.”

“Enjoy your target practice, Zarl.”

“And you enjoy your books, Miss Neyra.”

He sighed, and left her to her work.

***

“I’m just gonna hit the range?!” Shamil hissed at Zarl, who jumped out of his skin as he left the tent. She was holding her side, trying desperately to keep quiet. Her body shook with the contained laughter.

“Gods damn it all, Shamil!” Zarl hissed back, brows knitted together in rage, “Are you spying on me now?!”

“Eh,” Shamil shrugged, falling into step beside him. They were trying to get some distance from Neyra’s tent, “I wouldn’t call it spyin’ as much as I would call it keepin’ an eye out for Neyra. Besides,” she grinned at him, “Arv refused to leave with the others unless I did. And that boy needs a drink.”

“Well there’s no need for any of that,” he growled, his pointed teeth grinding, “I don’t know what idea Arv’s got in that head of his, but I’ve got nothin but the utmost respect for the Specialist. Just…wanted to check in on her is all. I—I like talking to her. She’s nice.”

“Hm…and it has nothing to do with wanting to see her dance again?” Shamil leered at him as they continued to walk, their feet leading them subconsciously to the range.

“What? I—no! I know she had a rough go of it that night. I don’t want her to get like that again! Even if…”

He trailed off, face turning pink.

“Even if you really want to hold her some more? Bleh,” Shamil gagged, “Zarl, it’s no use trying to deny it to me. It’s about as obvious as a bolt to the head,” Shamil unslung her crossbow and loaded a bolt. They were at the shooting range, after all. And there was no use just standing there talking when you could stand there talking and shooting.

“But I would go ahead and keep on denyin’ it if Arv asks ya. You might actually get to keep your ears that way.”

Zarl muttered under his breath as he drew his bow. His face was still burning. He loosed an arrow and nearly missed the target entirely.

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“You know, Neyra never really got on well with the other kids in our village. She was a bit…odd. Well, odd to them. There were a few older lads who thought it was fun to snatch her books. They’d throw it back ‘n forth just tryin’ to get her all worked up.”

As she spoke, Zarl nocked another arrow. His wide eyes weren’t looking down the range, but were on her instead. He hung on to every word.

“Lookin back, it’s pretty obvious they were just flirting with her. But you know what Arv did to them one day?” Zarl just stared at her as she spoke, his arrow forgotten.

“What?” He asked with some hesitation in his voice.

“Threw all three of ‘em off the ocean cliff!” Shamil chuckled as she sent her bolt flying through the air. It landed dead center of the target. “Didn’t say a single word, either. Just picked them all up at once and just tossed them! They lived, of course. Though one fella broke his leg pretty bad. Arv got in a right heap of trouble for that. Had to scrape barnacles for a week.” She shook her head.

“But my Da always said that was all just for show. He knew the Masters Tallfellow better than anyone. And he knew they were proud. You know what he said to me?”

“What?”

“He said, ‘Tallfellows will always look after their own, and don’t you forget it,’” Shamil turned and looked Zarl in the eye as she loaded her next bolt.

“The point I’m gettin’ at is this: Neyra is my best friend. If anyone hurts her, or takes advantage of her, I’d kill em. But Elivera…and Arv? What they would do?? It’s so much worse.”

Her second bolt sank directly into the target next to the first. She shouldered her crossbow once again. She turned to see Zarl staring right at her, his face finally drained of a bit of its redness.

“Enjoy the rest of your target practice, Zarl. See ya at noon.”

***

The army tavern was beginning to grow on Arv. It was no Greybeard’s, of course, but it wasn’t half bad. The company helped.

They had only been a squad for a few days now, and already they felt like real friends to him. Facing death together had a funny way of doing that to folk, he supposed. He grinned as Cretin set another mug in front of him.

“So tell me again, boy. You nearly drowned your sisters and Shamil while they were on your back??”

“I was tryin’ to mask our scent is what I was doin’!” He laughed, taking a drink from his mug, “Those riders were on our trail, ‘n as soon as we found a creek, I figured we’d take advantage of the opportunity!”

Hilda and Riza were both laughing alongside Cretin as he continued, “Just went and forgot I was still carryin’ them is all. I’d been carryin’ them a lot that night…”

Arv’s face fell by just the slightest measure, and it must have showed because his squad mates abruptly stopped laughing. Hilda reached out and gave him a firm pat on the arm”

“It must’ve been bad,” she looked at him with discerning eyes, “You don’t even have to tell us everythin’ that happened to ya that night. We know the look.”

Riza and Cretin nodded gravely, each of them giving Arv their own versions of a reassuring smile.

“Facing an enemy again after many years, especially when that enemy has once laid waste to your tribe…it is difficult indeed. You did very well, Arv.” Riza shook her head and lapped at her drink.

“Indeed. You sent some of those bastards back to the hells, boy. You should be proud.” Cretin clapped Arv on the back and gave him a squeeze, “We’ll make a soldier of you yet.”

“Aye, that we will!” Hilda turned into the corner of the booth, rummaging around for her bag. There was clinking and clattering and a fair bit of cursing before she turned back to Arv again, a finely crafted tankard in her hand. Her grin was wide as she handed the cup to Arv.

“Now,” she began, and as she did, she waved for a barmaid to come over, “This is a gift I wanna give ya on one condition!”

“What’s that?”

“You sample every single variety of Dwarven ale they have on tap in this blasted tavern! And pay attention too! We’re gonna figure out what ya like!”

***

Elivera released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. The sun was almost at its zenith in the clear, blue sky. And her squadron was finally trickling back in. She was relieved to see that all members were still steady on their feet. Elle had no worries for Hilda. She knew it would take much, much more than an hour of daytime drinking to get her even the tiniest bit inebriated.

But Elivera wasn’t rightly sure if she could put the same alcoholic trust into the other two fighters; Riza and Cretin. Elle actually had had quite a bit of contact with them in her months of training. Yet they were still a bit of a mystery to her. In just a few days, Arv had gotten to know them better than she had in an entire year! She felt proud, and perhaps a tad bit annoyed. She had a duty to these people, and she knew good relationships were essential for good leadership. She just wished that she was better at it!

Her head was still a mess of thoughts as she made her way to her own tent. It was nearly cleared out. All that remained was her bedroll and the travel cloak that was neatly folded atop of it. She knelt down and tenderly picked up the garment, testing its weight in her hands. Elle sighed and unfurled the cloak in one swift motion, swinging it around her neck. It fell heavily on her shoulders, and Elle took a deep breath as she fastened the Ensign knots to her right shoulder. She could do this. She really could. Couldn’t she?

Elivera bent down and secured her bedroll, and as she did, she hummed. It began as a soft tune, low in the back of her throat. But before she knew it, the words were leaving her lips, gently carried on the soft tone of her voice.

Close your eyes, dear child small

And listen to the waves that call

Her tone gently warbled as she strained to make the higher notes without singing any louder. Before long, there came the all familiar sound of a timid voice drifting from somewhere near her tent.

Dreams on cliffs, where great gulls fly

’Neath a vast and starlit sky

Neyra’s voice fell into harmony with her own, melding effortlessly into their mother’s song. Smiling, Elle stood up with a now-fastened bedroll in hand and made her way over to Neyra’s tent.

Her sister was sitting on a small trunk, a trunk that Elivera knew contained the most important portions of Neyra’s extensive academic collection. It was surely an ordeal for her poor Ney, havin’ to pick which would come with her and which would stay safe at Greybeard’s. She looked forlorn and exhausted as she sat there, but her lips curled in a gentle smile as she continued to sing.

Hush my little one, drift away

To where the gentle waters sway

Here in my arms, no need of fear

Ne’er to leave, my darling dear

She finished with a small sniffle and stood up to embrace Elle.

“Thank you. I–I needed that.”

“Me too,” Elivera muttered, “Me too.”

She pulled back, and gave Neyra a bright smile.

“You ready to go?”

“Bout as ready as I’ll ever be,”

“I don’t think Arv will let that in the Howdah, sis,” Elle said, nodding her head toward the trunk.

Neyra scowled and gave her a little punch on the arm.

“This is for the cart. And it’s not that heavy!! I need these for Valdora’s assignment. I have no idea what we’ll come across, and I have to have some resources ready!”

The box was small enough for Neyra to manage on her own, but Elivera still grabbed one end and helped her carry it over to the wagon. The moment they passed the threshold of the tent all eyes turned to them.

“Ah! Finally done packing that thing?” Riza chuckled. Her long reptilian legs carried her to them in only a few strides, and she took the trunk with just one clawed hand.

“Thank you, Riza.”

“Of course, my small, warm friends,” she hissed, “This is the last of it. I believe we are ready to go now.”

“Yes, we are.” Valdora declared from his seat on the wagon. Kaida sat beside him, and she held a large map with careful hands.

“Oi! All aboard!” Arv called from the other side, patting the Howdah with a large hand, “Took you long enough!”

Elivera shook her head and smiled as she clambered up to her spot in the center of the Howdah. She let her gaze fall to the North, studying the faint outline of the mountain range. Gods preserve them. This was going to be quite the journey.