The weight of the axe felt good in his hands as he ran a gloved finger over the edge of its blade. The iron dug a narrow cut into the leather without the slightest drag. Damn thing had an edge sharp enough to make an executioner cry in envy. Grim placed the weapon across his knees and leaned back against the castle wall, letting his weight sink into the wooden bench beneath him. The sun had just begun to peek above the horizon, firing brilliant rays of light against the seaward face of the castle.
Grim turned his eyes to the large double doors of the barracks set into the outer wall. With the predictability and punctuality of daylight itself, the door to the barracks thudded open, announcing the change of watch duty and the start of a new day.
A new fucking day.
Grim let out a slow breath, taking the time to appreciate his last few moments of solitude. The metallic clink of armor already grew louder as the soldiers dispersed. In a few moments, Grim would find out who his father assigned to his command.
He rose to his feet and walked near the gate leading into town as iron clad men drifted past him, over a hundred spreading in all directions. Slowly, a small knot of men formed before him. As the crowd thinned about him, Grim prepared to give his first order. It felt wrong and the words seemed to stick in his throat. What if they just ignored him? “Form ranks!” he called.
An irrational wave of relief washed over him as the jumble of soldiers smoothed into two even rows of men at attention. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, covering the exhalation with a fake cough. Then he saw Edgar standing front and center with a barely repressed look of annoyance on his face. Grim grinned. Actually, this might be fun.
“Captains!” he called, waving for them to approach. Edgar broke ranks along with the ugliest man Grim had ever seen. His left eye seemed to bounce as he walked, completely at odds with its twin. His hair could only be described as sparsely stringy and the smile he wore revealed teeth so broken, they almost resembled fangs.
Grim returned the fractured smile with all the exuberance he could muster. “You’re fucking with me, right? Get back in line Billy.”
Billy barked a laugh. “No Sir. Wish I was. Got the assignment and promotion delivered to me last night. Yer father lose his damned mind or somthin?” He clasped Grim’s arm and pulled him into an embrace. “I’ve been a sergeant longer then Edgar here’s been pissing standing up. And now he’s goin and makin me a Captain. Ripe old bastard has a sense of humor after all. Eh?”
“Let’s not give him too much credit,” Grim said. “And I’d say it’s been a long time coming.”
“Like hell,” Billy muttered. “Had a damned fine job training the new boys up and now he wants me to go trampin around the city hunting ghosts for only an extra fifth of liquor a week. A damned travesty this is.”
Grim raised an eyebrow. “You get paid in booze?”
“Shite. I wish. I just convert it naturally after all these years. A killer with a retirement plan is only kiddin himself. Ye reap what ye sow. Any soldier worth his salt is gonna die drowning. Booze or blood. Take yer pick. Me? I’m a lightweight when it comes to blood these days.”
Edgar cleared his throat. “Do you two need a minute alone or can we get to work?”
Billy raised an eyebrow at Edgar then looked back at Grim. “Methinks somebody is jealous boyo- Er, Sir.”
“I’m not-”
Grim cut Edgar off as he rested a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Rest assured captain I firmly believe in leaving no man behind,” he said with a wink.
Edgar opened his mouth to retort but Grim cut him off once more. “Attention!”
All the men in front of him stood straight and shut up while Edgar shot him a petulant look. Divines, that was fun. Grim smirked and raised his voice to address the company of gathered soldiers. “Form ranks on the captains. We have a schedule to keep.”
Two columns of men formed up behind Billy and Edgar with Grim at the forefront. Grim turned to face the open portcullis and raised his hand in the air with two fingers raised to indicate the two columns. Before he could wave his hand forward to signal the advance a voice called out.
“Hoy Bastard! You weren’t going to leave without us, were you?”
Grim shuddered as he recognized the voice. He turned to see Harren Barrington at the forefront of a large group of southern noblemen. Harren was a man near Grim’s own age with bronzed skin that matched his armor and a mean streak that Grim had the childhood scars to prove. Grim unconsciously flexed his fingers along the haft of the axe at his side.
There were about twenty Venaran nobles arrayed behind Harren. Each was dressed in heavy bronze armor. Wide square plates were riveted into the thick gambesons they wore, giving them an extra layer of protection. Each plate was shined to a gleaming perfection and Grim could see his reflection in Harren’s chest as the man approached.
The brilliant shine of the southerners stood in sharp contrast to the dull grey iron worn by Grim and his men. He should have expected this. “I wasn’t told the Marshall approached the court at large.”
“Only a Venaran is fit to lead the Regulars. Even a mutt like you should know that,” he said, brushing past Grim as he walked toward the gate. “Best to leave people of your breeding in charge of the auxiliaries.” He waved a dismissive hand towards the Rillish troops. “Come along then.”
Grim could only stare after the man in a silent rage. He had to either follow or be willfully late. Grim failed to swallow his anger and was about to dismiss his troops for the day when he heard the clacking of hooves on the cobblestones. He turned his head to see his sister Ilyena riding a horse towards the gate. What. The. Hell.
She tried to ride past him without so much as a glance, but Grim grabbed her horse by the reins and yanked the beast to a halt. The horse whinnied in protest but was well-trained and didn’t make a fuss. “Where the hell do you think, you’re going?” he demanded.
Ilyenna sighed and rolled her eyes. “I thought I’d shack up with some Outwallers for the fortnight in one of their spice dens. Then maybe I’d go bar hopping through the city brothels. Or were you planning on doing that again tonight? I’d hate to intrude.”
Grim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Divines he wanted to throttle the teenager right out of her. The day that girl turned thirteen, she became unbearable. The past three years only exacerbated the problem. And the fact that the Earl often made him her chaperone only made dealing with her worse.
Grim opened his eyes and spoke levelly. “Cut the crap. Father wouldn’t let you leave without an escort. Either he said you could come with me, or not at all. I’m happy to make us all wait while I personally find out.”
Ilyenna pursed her lips at him, but before she could respond Grim was roughly shoved away from her. Grim stumbled back from her and Harren stepped between them. Grim caught his balance and bared his teeth at Harren. The nobleman snorted and crossed his arms. “I’ll not see you put your hands on a lady.”
“This is a family matter.”
Harren looked Grim up and down “Please.” Harren turned his head to the assembled nobles. “Brian back me up.”
A younger man sharing Harren’s features stepped forward and drew his sword. The other men behind him followed suit and stared Grim down.
Grim felt his restraint fraying at the edges. He could see the contempt in the eyes of the Rillish soldiers and he was sorely tempted to sick them on the nobles. But he knew the repercussions would be severe to say the least. He swallowed his pride. “She doesn’t leave my sight.”
Harren shrugged and turned away from Grim, returning to the throng of nobles. They wore smug grins as they sheathed their swords and patted each other on the back as if they’d won some great victory. Ilyenna winked at Grim before kicking her horse into a canter and joining the group of young men.
Grim seethed as Billy walked up next to him. “A ripe bunch of assholes if I ever seen one.”
Grim could only manage a curt nod. Edgar spoke up. “Could say the same about us.”
Billy snorted.
Grim sighed as he finally mastered his anger. “Do you guys ever wonder if you’re on the wrong side?” Neither man answered, their faces carefully impassive. Grim shook his head. He expected nothing less. He raised his fist in the air with two fingers raised to indicate two columns. “Fall in!”
***
The soldiers marched behind Grim, following the captains in two equal lines. Their steps followed Grim's in a perfect cadence as they followed the group of nobles through the streets. Ilyena rode in the middle of the Venarans, the sound of her laughter ringing out across the eerily quiet streets. When people caught sight of the nobles, they scattered like mice before a pack of cats.
Grim watched every alleyway and each person they passed. What the Marshall had told Grim last night made him nervous. It was rare that the Sons were so forward in their attacks. An entire tavern of soldiers massacred. Grim’s eyes locked on Ilyena and a spike of worry ran through his spine. Grim reached inside the coat over his mail and pulled the flask out of its pocket. He took a long draw before capping it and putting it away. Today was going to be a long day.
He never thought he would be relieved to see the squat stone fortifications from which the Greencloaks operated. The fort occupied an entire city block. Its thick, unadorned, grey walls were an eyesore that never ceased to irk Grim. Dozens of sentries lined its parapets, their distinctive green cloaks fluttering in the wind while they observed their approach.
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“Open the gates!” a voice called out as they neared the compound. Ahead, two thick wooden doors were dragged open and the nobles started to filter through the wall. Grim reluctantly followed, leading his men through the gate.
As he emerged into the compound, he was surprised by what he found. A palatial estate greeted him which seemed more at home at a country vineyard than in the center of a military facility. The rough cobblestones of the city gave way to smooth stone blocks, marking the path to the estate. All along the fine road were endless rows of tents. It looked as if an army were besieging the mansion. Grimy faces peeked from the flaps of the tents, eyes full of curiosity. Conversations paused as the soldiers bowed to the nobles when they passed.
The bows gave way to sneers as the Rillish soldiers crossed their view. To his men’s credit, they kept their eyes firmly locked ahead, but Grim doubted he was the only one with a hand on his weapon.
They soon passed the small army and reached the wrought iron fence surrounding the mansion. Beyond the gate, the tents ended and gave way to a large cultivated garden filled with plants Grim didn’t recognize. It was like looking at a rainbow and the sheer extravagance almost made him halt in wonderment. Two Greencloaks opened the iron gates of the fence and beckoned them inside.
The path through the garden was winding, giving it the appearance of being much larger than it really was. Grim narrowed his eyes as Harren picked a flower from the side of the trail and held it up to Ilyena. The girl plucked it from his fingers and tucked it behind her ear, shooting him a winning smile. Harren caught Grim’s eye and winked at him. Grim grumbled under his breath.
Marshall Longreen was waiting for them in the estate courtyard at the end of the path near a large fountain. A compliment of Greencloaks, almost as well-armed as the nobles, stood at attention behind him. Grim assumed they must be what was left of the officers. Harren broke ranks with his comrades and strode forward to meet the Marshall. “Lord Longreen,” he greeted shaking hands with the commander and then backing a respectful distance from him.
“Harren Barrington,” The Marshall said, “Thank you for coming. You do your people proud.”
“The honor is mine sir,” Harren said, falling into a deep bow.
The marshal walked past him and greeted the rest of the young noblemen in a similar fashion while Grim waited impatiently for them to finish. Ilyena dismounted and handed the horse off to one of the Greencloaks before greeting the Marshall with a deep curtsy. The man only gave her a curt nod as he brushed past her on his way to Grim. Ilyena frowned after him.
Grim bowed his head as the man approached. “You’re late.”
Grim blinked in surprise and raised his head. “Sorry your eminence. We ran into some- complications." He looked over the man’s shoulder at the nobles. He noticed his sister wringing her hands and looking at the ground.
“Look at me boy,” Longreen snapped. Grim looked. “Excuses are the tools of cowards. Never give me one again.”
“It won’t happen again.”
The Marshal nodded and turned away from Grim. “Listen up, each and every one of you. You’ve all heard what these Sons have done. Some of the finest men in our kingdom were slaughtered while they ate at peace. Our enemy has shown themselves incapable of mercy and by the Divines we will act in kind.”
The Marshall paused a moment, his brow furrowed, casting his eyes in shadow. “I know that what I have asked of you is not easy, but the king honors those who serve. If you distinguish yourselves he may even take notice of you,” he said, staring each noble in the eyes as if implying that person could be them.
Grim rolled his eyes. He cast his gaze around the courtyard, taking in the wandering servants, glittering stained glass windows, manicured shrubs and the large stable attached to the edge of the mansion. He compared that to the tents and shabby equipment of the average Greencloak. Grim shook his head.
He turned his attention back to the Marshal as the man beckoned them inside. Grim signaled for his men to follow.
“Leave the dogs outside Thorne,” the Marshal said.
Grim frowned but turned back to his men. “Make sure nobody pisses in the fountain,” Grim told his captains.
“Always ruin’n my fun,” Billy said.
Edgar looked at Billy. “If he tries, I’ll push him in.”
Grim smirked, then dismissed the soldiers. He had to hustle to catch up to the nobles who neglected to wait for him. An irritable looking butler in green livery shot Grim a peeved look while he held the ornate doors of the estate open for him. Grim fished a silver lion from his coin pouch and pressed it into the man’s hand as he walked by. It always paid to be good to servants. You never knew what they might put in your food or do to your clothes.
Grim’s eyes widened as he came into the entry hall. Everything was made of white marble and swirling designs of inlaid gold were liberally scrawled across the floor. A grand staircase dominated the far end of the hall, leading to the second floor. Golden chandeliers draped with pearls hung in two parallel rows leading towards the stairs and from the high ceiling above the staircase a grand tapestry draped across the far wall, utterly dominating the room. The golden sun emblazoned upon the green fabric shined in the candle light, seeming to have a luminescence of its own.
The sight took Grim’s breath away. A dozen Greencloaks stood in neat rows on either side of the hall, their spears gleaming and armor seeming to sparkle. A young woman stood between them in the center of the hall and curtsied as they entered. She was dressed to impress, the elegance of her garb rivaling the room in beauty. Grim managed to catch her dark eyes as he entered, and she quickly lowered her gaze to the floor. Her hands were tightly clenched before her and her posture was rigidly stiff.
Longreen halted their procession inside the hall and turned back to the nobles. “For those of you who have not met her, this is Carys Longreen, my daughter.”
Ilyena brushed past the Marshal and embraced Carys in a hug, kissing her once on each cheek in the Venaran greeting between close friends. “My dear it’s been entirely too long since our last visit. I missed you while you visited your brother in the capital.”
Carys opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as Harren fell into a deep bow, taking Carys by the hand and kissing it’s back. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Welcome back my lady.”
She gave Harren what Grim interpreted as a very polite smile as she pulled her hand away a little too quickly. “It’s lovely to see you too Harren. I was-”
She was cut off again as the next nobleman repeated Harren’s gesture and expressed how happy he was to see her. Grim tapped his foot impatiently as the pleasantries extended into the tens of minutes. The Marshal watched the scene with a smug look on his face, doubtless contemplating which young man would pay the best price for his prize.
Grim commiserated with the girl as she kept a fake smile plastered to her face. But that didn’t make him any less annoyed that the Marshal berated him for being late only to then parade his daughter before potential suitors for half the damn morning. Asshole. Eventually each noble managed to get a word in edgewise to the lady and Grim felt the Marshal staring at him expectantly.
Grim raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself bastard? Even dogs are required to have manners in my house.”
Grim gritted his teeth but didn’t rise to the insult. He walked toward Carys. The girl couldn’t have been more than a year older than his sister and a hint of fear entered her eyes as he approached. Grim smiled to try and put her at ease but that only seemed to make her more nervous. He clasped her by the forearm. “Grim Thorne,” he said, “I would say it’s a pleasure, but you hardly seem pleased to see me.”
An awkward silence hung in the air after he released her arm. Carys stared at her forearm in confusion and looked back up to Grim. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered quietly in his ear. “I can think of more pleasing positions to see you in.”
Grim gagged on his own spit as he took a step backward. That girl was more dangerous than any weapon he had ever encountered. No wonder Ilyena seemed to like her. His sister took Carys by the arm as the girl shot him the slyest of smiles. “Come darling, let’s leave the men to their little war games and speak of important matters.”
Carys curtsied once more to the assembled men. “It was a pleasure to see you all and I hope to again soon.”
“Very soon,” the marshal interjected, giving his daughter a pointed look.
“Very soon,” she echoed.
Grim could feel her eyes on him and he shifted uneasily.
“Come.” the Marshal commanded as the two girls turned and began to walk up the stairs.
Grim followed the gaggle of nobles through the great hall as the marshal led them to a side corridor. The marble floor gave way to hardwood. Grim recognized the wood from its distinct reddish tinge. Wood from far away Boreal was hard to come by. Bowyers and shipwrights in the city paid fortunes to have it imported due to its combination of flexibility and strength. And this man used it to line his floors. Grim inwardly sighed as they turned into a nearby room.
Grim entered last and found himself in a lounge of sorts. Large, plush couches sat in a semi-circle around a table in the center of the room. Servants lurked in the corners bearing trays filled with, what appeared to be, miniature pies and glasses of wine. Grim was immediately intrigued.
While the nobles took their seats, Grim grabbed a glass of wine and a handful of pastries. He took a bite and gagged. They were filled with caviar. He placed the food back on the serving tray as he forced the bite down his throat, wrinkling his nose in disgust. The serving girl regarded him with a similar expression as she looked between him and the half-eaten pastry she now held. Grim smiled at her and shrugged apologetically. Then he turned his attention to the marshal.
Longreen stood behind the central table. He regarded the room with solemn eyes while the nobles sat and Grim leaned against the far wall, trying to fade into the background. “It has become clear to me that I have been too lenient in my handling of this city. If you take the muzzle off a rabid dog, you can hardly expect it to do anything other than bite. I take full responsibility for what happened to my men, and boys I’m going to make damn sure the same doesn’t happen to you.”
The Marshall looked down at a sheaf of papers lying on the table before continuing. “Punishment needs to be administered. We need to make a strong statement to the people that the aid and abetting of criminals will not be tolerated. Providing comfort to the enemy is now a capital offense. From this point on the man sharpening the blade be treated with the same severity as the one wielding it. Order must prevail and to this end I am giving you all extensive discretion in your enforcement.
He paused, rising to his full height and clasped his hands behind his back. “Gentlemen, the king's law is now under your purview. Be strong, be bold and above all leave your mercy behind because animals will neither bestow nor understand it. It’s time we show them that while they bite the hand that feeds them, the other holds a knife."
Longreen paused his speech, looking each man in the eye and lingering a few seconds longer on Grim. A chill ran down Grim’s spine. There was blood in the man’s eyes. Grim ran a gloved finger over the spike of his axe as the marshal cleared his throat.
“My first step in this new policy is to make it known in a way even Rillmen can understand. We have many Sons sympathizers held captive whom we’ve already put to questioning. I was going to send them to the northern labor camps along with all the other petty criminals, but the Sons have forced my hand. The time for mercy is over.”
Longreen locked eyes with Grim. “We will administer their punishment in the traditional Rillish fashion to be respectful of the culture." His eyes flashed to Grim. “Grim, you and your men would know how to conduct this far better than any of my soldiers, so you will serve as the Justicar.”
Grim fought a grimace as the chill in his spine turned to ice. “You want me to be your executioner?”
“Is that a problem?”
“You’re damn right that’s a problem. The Earl didn’t send me here to do your dirty work.”
Longreen raised an eyebrow. “Actually, that is precisely why you are here. Are you refusing to carry out this order? To do so would be akin to giving succor to our enemy Grim. You know my view on that.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
A scowl contorted Longreen’s face. “You will support me or be my first example Bastard. I disgraced myself by bringing one of your kind into these hallowed ranks because I wanted a show of your father’s support. But if you won’t give me that, I’m just as happy to remind everyone who is really in charge of this city.”
Grim swallowed the lump forming in his throat. All eyes were on him and he noted that every hand rested on their weapons. He felt ill. “What are my orders?”