Technically she was already an ex-Legionnaire, they just hadn’t given her the papers because she was pregnant from ‘adverse circumstances while serving’. The least the Legion would do is take care of her until her term was up.

That was fine. It was time to go, and she would have no regrets going. The men and women she actually knew and was somewhat friends with were sitting on a battle line trying to take the lands of other species from them, for the glory of the Empire. Those people had all gone cold and distant when she decided to keep her child, so she had nothing to keep her here.

She had been very punctual at getting her pay during these last few months, downright terrorizing the paymaster if he didn’t cough up on time. There were things she’d had to buy, things she’d had to make, and things she’d had to trade.

Her son had told her a lot of what had to be done, even in the womb, and it wasn’t all that different from what she remembered in her family, so she did it. In any event, she knew he had magic, that he was a Caster, and so money in the long-term was not going to be an issue. The way he talked about money as some necessary thing that just came in and flowed out in massive quantities, as if a goldweight was spare change, was really damn impressive.

Then again, her baby was so awesome he could Cast spells before he was even born, so it shouldn’t have surprised her at all.

Now that he was out, his ability to Cast had increased, because he wasn’t limited to giving her some magical ‘Buffs’ from inside her. She really appreciated those, right, but he had threatened to actually kill one of those treacherous midwife aides! That meant he could do real Caster stuff already, and she knew he was looking out for her.

She wrapped Deuce up in one of the warm blankets, helping herself out of her bed and going for the clothes she’d left in the corner nearby. Actually, she’d brought in her entire travel pack, unwilling to trust others not to go through her stuff while she was gone, and it had been conveniently forgotten about under a blanket in the corner.

She tore off the soiled gown, threw it on the bed, and proceeded to get herself dressed.

There was no need for metal armor behind the lines, especially for a pregnant woman, so her breastplate and metal greaves had been turned in long ago, leaving only the under-leathers for her to wear, something issued to all those who signed in and basically considered their property.

She had oiled and stored them carefully, taking them out frequently to treat them and make sure they stayed supple. The cotton undergarments and padding went on first, and her relief when they fit without any problems would have made her sigh loudly in relief and cheer, were she not trying to stay silent.

Her axe was still there. It was the standard Lunar design used by the Legions: a bearded killing arc suitable for cracking heads or chopping logs, a hammer backer to crack bones and pound in armor, and a piercing spike if she needed to brace or work it into a vulnerable spot.

The only shield she could conceal in here was a buckler, a far cry from the kite or box designs widely used by the Legion, but better than nothing. She hooked it on her belt as she checked the jerked sausage, dried fruit and nuts, and hard bread that would be rations for a while.

There was a spearhead there, but not spear. Also something hard to conceal in a pack. It would stay there until she could find a shaft for it. She would have loved a crossbow as well, not having the time or patience to develop the strength to use a true longbow, but Deuce said he’d take care of that eventually, too.

She pulled on her second boot and stretched out despite herself, feeling so wonderful now that she could do so. She loved her baby, but it was true that carrying one around made her feel like a fat cow. Feeling her stomach all hard again was extremely gratifying.

-Breathe. Circulate.-

Oh, the breathing exercises were wonderful. The core of smooth power in her belly, which had been right next to his head, swirled alone now. Tiya inhaled deeply, let the sensation of breathing steal down from her diaphragm, into her gut, and then slowly pulse through her blood, carrying to the tips of her fingers and toes in no time, a silent thrum going through all her muscles.

This ki stuff was awesome! She wanted more of it, to do more with it, and Deuce had agreed that it would be a great thing for her to have it.

He was propped up on her pillow, barely able to keep his eyes open enough to watch her. Still, the gleam of silver was very hard to disguise against his dark lashes. She sat down next to him, making the final adjustment to her pack, the stitchwork long and laborious and very irritating, but done right and true, with straps and the pocket and supports and everything.

She gently took the blanket and rewrapped him. He had told her that the heat and cold wouldn’t matter, but it was about the jostling and comfort more than anything. That was quite wonderful to hear, and a great relief about how she was supposed to keep him warm.

Equally carefully, she lifted his tiny body up and fit him inside the papoose inside her pack, tightening the straps down, especially with his tiny head, so he wouldn’t bounce around.

“Is that good?” she whispered to him, touching him all over again to make sure he was packed in there very snug, indeed.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

His silver eyes opened slightly, the only part of him that was visible. He would just be able to peer over her shoulder with the design. -I think so. No hard running or jumping, please!- He had lots of padding around him, so he couldn’t move even if he wanted to, which was the whole idea here.

Slowly and carefully, she slung the pack on, gratified that she was able to carry it. Really, it didn’t seem any heavier than her campaign pack with all the metal armor in it.

-Finger.-

She reached her right hand back over her shoulder, traced the edge of the papoose, and found the hole. She put her finger in, and tiny fingers touched her own.

Again, silent power pulsed, but this was more like a quiet mist, gathering around her. The darkening world seemed to fall out of color, hues of black and white, and when she looked down, the light seemed to bend and flow around her fingers. She could make out where they were, but if she didn’t move, she could see right through them.

A normal person wouldn’t be able to see her at all.

Tiya grinned in appreciation. Scouts in the Legions used this trick, and the elves certainly did. Now she had it working for her, in a camp already slowing down in the darkness.

Quietly, she moved over to the hanging privacy screen, the noises beyond those of quiet conversations. The birthing tents were in use basically every day given the number of women serving, so she wouldn’t have been able to stay in them more than a day or two, but the women who had difficult deliveries still needed bed rest if they couldn’t get some magic to speed their recovery along.

The light in her room was out, so only darkness here. She drew the curtain in, instead of out, crouching and sliding out into the larger tent with minimal motion, letting it fall back behind her, as if caught by a stray breeze.

Nobody was expecting someone to be invisible in a recovery camp so far behind the lines. She fluttered the curtain at the entry, the dim magical Light catching the motion, and an evening breeze carrying the smells of horses, people, sweat, and blood swirled in and past as she stepped outside.

She was nearly run into by a Healer returning there, but simply stepped aside and froze as the woman stepped past. She waited until the white-robed woman was five steps away before starting to move quietly herself. As she had been practicing for months, she circulated her ki around the soles of her feet, and more skated than purely walked along the ground. Disguising the Wave-Skating Step she had been taught had been hard to do, as the gleeful feeling of being able to slide and coast, or plant and root at will, was a wonderful feeling for a fighter.

She could feel Deuce’s irritation and hostility towards the White Robes. Given the things he had told her, and the women’s intentions to kill him, she had a good idea where it came from.

Invisible now, she could move as she liked, and so every stride covered almost half again the normal distance as she moved.

It was a strange feeling, like her soul was caressing the ground, feeling the earth and mud, the stones and grass and sticks. It was also very nice, as the pits and twists and little hollows had no chance to catch her heel or toe or ankle at all, so her footwork was perfect and stable and there’d be no surprises despite a pace which was almost a trot.

She was heading towards the corral.

-Finger- her son said, and she obliged him again.

More silent magic gathered to her, this time around her eyes.

The darkness lit right up, suddenly no longer there. She blinked as she looked around sharply. She could see that the darkness was there, like a dim film over everything, but there was no range restriction on her vision at all, and she could even see colors clearly, despite it being a relatively moonless night.

Devilsight. He had shown it to her before. It didn’t really come from devils, of course, but all devils had the power, so it was named after them.

Now well able to see people ahead of time, she glided through the muck and dirt, avoiding pure puddles but barely sinking at all in the mud, more coasting across it to drier land that could hold her and her son.

She had to avoid anyone she saw carefully, making sure they sensed no sign of her passage on the ground, or her breathing. Being able to coast past them was certainly useful in that regard, or she could simply stand still on firmer ground and wait for groups to pass, moving behind ropes or obstructions as cover against being touched.

She wasn’t in a big hurry, and again, there was no heightened alertness or those looking for her. If they checked on her and found her missing, they’d just chalk it up to her having been moved out somewhere and be glad to be rid of her, most likely.

And there it was, the brown gelding sitting by the post.

Forging the orders had been fun. Her handwriting was not that good, but it had sufficed to slip simple orders into the stablemaster’s queue, pressing in her lieutenant’s seal, ordering that a horse be prepared for a messenger to deliver a priority message scheduled for tonight. The dutiful stablemaster had picked a decent horse and had it ready for when said messenger arrived.

Well, she had!

She was still invisible as she walked up, and felt some magic swirl past her and paint an image floating in front of the eye of the horse. It had heard her coming, and the illusion filled in what the invisibility took away.

The stablemaster was right over there, keeping an eye on the horse and waiting for said messenger.

More quiet magic dribbled past her, and she saw the wiry man’s eyelids droop. Without missing a beat, she unhitched the horse and swung smoothly into the saddle, turning and riding away smartly in the night.

Behind her, the stablemaster would have a clear memory of an official messenger in cloak and everything coming up to report, and taking the horse all proper-like.

Tiya knew a riderless horse was going to receive more attention than one being ridden, and it was time to get away. She took a deep breath as the gelding trotted along the edges of the stable, a couple of the stablehands coming up...

Something like a black door popped up just ahead of their horse’s nose, not even seen, and swept past them. There was a moment of disorientation, a darkness deeper than the night, and then the horse froze beneath her in confusion.

They were hundreds of yards out past the camp, in the open fields nearby, away from the roads and anyone who might see them.

Tiya looked back at the bright Lights of the camp shining in the darkness, and patted the gelding reassuringly. The animal huffed, dipping its head to smell the tall wildflowers, and nibbled off a couple opportunistically.

“That was pretty sweet, Deuce!” she told him, grinning at the display of stronger magic. Males weren’t supposed to be able to use the stronger magic, which only supported how good her decision actually was!

“Any idea where to, Deuce?” she asked. She only knew the route from her ancestral lands to the Imperial recruiting center in the regional capital, marching to the training camp, and then marching out here. She literally knew nothing else of the ground.

-Nothing at all, Mother,- he admitted honestly. -I leave the next move to your judgement.-