From Ashes and Snow

Tea and the Hard Heel.

Unedited.

Chapter 16:  Tea and the Hard Heel.

"We will not get aid from the Paladins." Fyr said, her brows pinched. "Can we afford to wait for them, or the Empire?"

"No." Gruff and unyielding, the Captain planted broad hands on the table and for a moment, he looked as if the weight of the world had been placed on those thick, corded shoulders. Sharp eyes scanned the map in front of him and though I had not known him for very long, I could sense an idea brewing behind that thick-skull of his.

Kohen let out a keening noise, and his tail flicked sharply behind him. "I can feel the darkness coming. We cannot wait."

"Until the Empire answers, and the Paladins choose a Commander, we are it." Mahon Bryant loosed a breath, but his expression did not waver. "We are it."

For the first time, I felt a stirring of respect for the man. Of course, I had a reputation to uphold, so I masked this with a scowl. "We are it? How do we proceed then, Captain?"

He met my eye unwaveringly. "The four of us took on something in Dratlan valley when we decided that you were not a mass killer. It was a promise together that we would avenge the lives lost, and the lives that are going to be lost." Lashes flitted against his cheekbones, grief flashing for a moment. "We know you are connected to the Abyss through those marks on your hand. We cannot wait for them to pick a Commander, or for the Emperor to deem this a problem when that thing sends more of those unholy creatures across our lands to kill children."

"Would you be a contender for the Commander's position?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I would be considered out of mere courtesy. The Paladins can be very traditional, and I have an uncertain parentage. They would nominate a man with a strong and rich bloodline with ties in Naredan."

I wondered why Magister Fyr didn't mention the Magins. They held Orders across Cadelith and despite their human training, they would be formidable.

"We need time, men, coin and supplies. We have a small number of soldiers here and the supplies to keep them going. Money can always be made, but there is never enough time."

Surveying the map, I thought about it. There was so much of the Empire to consider and so much land for devastation to sweep across. "People need a reason to pledge to us."

"A reason?" Fyr asked.

Kohen's ears slicked back, and he was thoughtful. "A movement is more than an army. It is a combination of peoples working together for one aim, believing wholeheartedly in that goal. An army can fight for a goal they do not care about, but we need people who believe. That is something that could cripple nations and rulers."

"So, we need to give the people a symbol to rally behind. Something bigger than themselves." Captain Bryant turned his gaze to me.

"Symbols do not fall from the sky, Captain." I stifled a yawn. "We do not have time to wait for one to appear."

Irritation flickered as they continued to watch me. I could only think of the warm bed, and empty room waiting for me where I could sink into wonderful nothing for a few hours.

"Captain, I thought you hated wasting time. Staring at me, and hoping I read your mind is a waste of time." I snapped.

"Aviana..."

That irritation filtered away, shock replacing it at the sound of my name falling from the Captain's mouth. Miss Birchwood sounded cold, informal but his accent forming the name 'Aviana' made it sound slow and smooth.