Being chased by an enemy army was never easy, even if it was on purpose.
Ruhak hadn't ridden hard, but the army was getting up and breaking camp earlier and setting up camp later. All things considered, his position was a rather nice one compared to the soldiers who had to march on foot.
The Shedim Masters stayed with Legate Iustinianus and another Legate, whose work for the Empire had gone unnoticed by Ruhak. He was a middle-aged man who had apparently gotten his position through personal ties, according to Iustinianus. To appoint someone a Legate on personal connections was to spit in the face of the great conquerors of Konelia.
Ruhak sat on a log situated around one of the thousands of campfires as Seang handed him a cup of tea. It was nice to just sit down with his friends and allies and relax.
Well, it would've been if there weren't another ten soldiers from their Centuria mingling about like this was some kind of gala.
Ruhak just sipped his tea in silence, blocking the conversation between the soldiers and the Masters out of his head.
If he eavesdropped, he'd start assigning them identities. That was dangerous territory.
"Well...you're a sorry sight."
Ruhak looked up, ready to rebuke whoever said that, but quickly shut his mouth as his eyes landed on Iustinianus.
"L-Legate. Can I help you?"
"You can stop looking as though you're trying to blend in among a women's bathhouse." Iustinianus dropped next to him, his armor clanging onto the wood.
Ruhak tried to relax himself, his shoulders dropping slightly.
"What's your deal, Ruhak?" Iustinianus asked.
"My...deal?" he asked.
"You said you used to be a captain. I can tell by the way you are on the battlefield. Very commanding. Very authoritative. Decisive. Outstanding traits to have. But once you're not looking to defeat an enemy, all that seems to just vanish. I would say you're acting like a civilian, but even that artist of yours knows your own soldiers better than you do."
"I'm a leader off the battlefield too." Ruhak said, "But I can't have those qualities if I get...involved. Don't tell me you can still command your men if you get attached."
"It's because I befriend my soldiers that I can command them so effectively."
"What if they die?" Ruhak asked, "What about their families? That grief is on you as their leader."
"What if? Ruhak, this is war. War shows no mercy. No one involved in it has control over their circumstances. Each and every man under me knows that. I know that. If a man who is my friend dies, I don't pity myself and call myself a failure. I grieve with his widow and help raise his son." Iustinianus said, "My own father died in battle, but his commanding officer raised me to become one of the most accomplished soldiers of this nation."
"But how do you deal with all that pain? Men die all the time. Surely you can't have the time or the tranquility to console everyone."
"I don't. But the pain is a trade-off for camaraderie." Iustinianus said, "When you know your soldiers, you know who you can trust with what. And because you took the time to know them, your soldiers know you truly care for them. Stop worrying about the future so much. Those who dwell in any time other than the present are easily manipulated."
"Akropolites..." Ruhak muttered.
"Why don't you get to know some of my men? I'll introduce you." Iustinianus said.
YOU ARE READING
The Call of Crows
FantasiaBjorn Stormtamer's world has been turned upside down in more ways than one. His shipmates have left him for dead on an island for quarantining victims of a disease that he now has. His partner in battle despises him, his family thinks he's dead and...
