The Matriarch's Daughter

Chapter Two: The Second Female Lieutenant

Thepa set down her quill when a knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she said, sitting up in her chair.

As the door opened, Thepa fixed her green beret signifying her rank while pulling down her jacket. For as long as she could remember, she had always been fixing her appearance. Her foster's house might have been small, but between Rory and Draco, it was constantly chaotic. Maintaining even a semblance of order became a daily ritual for Thepa.

"Morning, Captain," came the cheerful voice of her newest lieutenant, Aldermoon.

Aldermoon, like many in Goldale, was a Youngling of the Stars: majestic, elegant, and timeless. Thepa did not know the woman personally. But she bet her second female lieutenant had slayed many a male suitor with a simple batting of her long lashes and a flip of her long black hair, before finishing him off with a sharp tongue.

"Morning, Lieutenant. What do you have for me today?"

The lieutenant reached into her bag and pulled out a few letters. "Mail call and the morning report."

"Alright," Thepa said, taking the letters before setting them on the desk. The top one bore the Archduke's seal, but she figured it could wait. "Break it down for me."

"Two out of formation this morning," Aldermoon said, reading from a list. "One corporal reported sick; one private MIA. Comrades report seeing the private drinking the night before."

"Most likely in a ditch or an inn, then. When the private turns up, put him on fire watch for the next week as punishment."

"Right," Aldermoon continued. "Night watch reports no activities, other than the normal array of drunks straying off the main streets."

"Hmm. Perhaps we should start giving out maps or recruitment forms if they're so eager to find placement among the ranks."

Aldermoon smiled, joining Thepa in her revelry. A few completions ago, Thepa wouldn't have dared to make such a comment. Now, she didn't know if she should be thankful or mortified that Rory had brought a more carefree part of her to the foreground.

"As long as you assign them to other lieutenants, I'm all ears."

"Like Rhihorn?" Thepa mused.

"Well, I wouldn't be that mean. But speaking of Lieutenant Rhihorn..."

Thepa rolled her eyes, almost spitting contempt. "For El's sake, what did he do now?"

Rhihorn was the most senior of her lieutenants and, unfortunately, her least favorite. Even among his command, he was about as popular as an orc raiding party at an innocent farmhouse. It was no secret that the lower ranks disliked him.

"Maybe nothing," Aldermoon squirmed uneasily. "As far as I can tell, it's a case of he said, she said. But you know... Rhihorn."

Thepa could feel the tension in the air changing. The fact that the woman before her shifted uneasily on her feet made Thepa a little nervous.

"Do you know a Sergeant Lura under Lieutenant Theodre's command?" Aldermoon asked.

"Sure do. Excellent soldier. Wish I had fifty more like her."

"I agree, though you should have seen her five completions ago. Everyone was so sure she'd wash out of training. Privilege rarely does well with the training."

"Right..." trailed Thepa, hoping to steer back the conversation. It might have been true, but the city couldn't afford to be picky.

"Anyway, Lieutenant Theodre wanted my opinion on a delicate situation. It seems Sergeant Lura came to him with a report of harassment against Rhihorn."