The Shattered Path

Chapter 17 - The Captain

Aerham gazed at the hundreds of tiny lights that spread across the city to the harbor, where the moon hung low, silhouetting the furled sails of great ships. His father had often described the capital cities as a sea of stars on a clear night. Sylvestyr was one of those cities, though the night was hardly clear. To the north, lightning flickered fiercely, obscured by the distant mountains. That storm would likely move further east before coming far enough south to be of any trouble, but he would order the supply wagons covered in canvas by morning just to be safe.

The small campfire crackled next to Aerham. He wasn't sure how he had come to sit there on that stump. He had not started the fire and he couldn't recall if anyone else had been there when he had sat. He was exhausted. He was the only Initiate who organized training or supervised the camp. He took his responsibility seriously and there was not enough time in the day.

Uth Garenthil had left Aerham on the hill to stare down at the comfort of the city. His entourage had undoubtedly found one of the better inns and set themselves up quite comfortably. Aerham didn't even know where to find them if something happened. He had supervised the construction of the camp and that had kept him busy until well after nightfall.

Heavy footsteps caused Aerham to turn.

Captain Meagus walked up to fire and put his hands on his hips before releasing a long sigh. He still wore his leather jerkin with metal studs that he had worn during the march. His gray hair was trimmed short, hairline receded at the temples. His beard had become unkempt over the course of the journey, though he was among those of highest discipline among the soldiers. He had been around long enough to have a military campaign or two under his belt, having the wrinkled and leathery face to prove it. His dark eyes always looked tired, as if fatigued from holding up his gray brows for so long. A sword hung from his side, with a hilt as battered and scratched as he was. There were seven notches cut into the belt, which Aerham thought inappropriate for a captain. He had never asked, but assumed they meant the man had killed seven men. It was not a proper question to ask of an officer, so Aerham had avoided the subject and overlooked the belt as best he could.

"So, my lord," the captain began. "Another night among us foot soldiers." He sat opposite Aerham on a log next to the fire, turning his head to scan the tents and fires surrounding them. A small group of soldiers sat nearby at a larger fire and several others passed on their way to perform their assigned duties.

"When we go to war, I assure you I will not be joining any parties held by the senators of Saroken." Aerham frowned. "Until the battle is won." He made a feeble effort to smile.

The captain returned the smile but with better effort. "I hope I do not speak above my station when I say this, my lord. You are separating yourself from your peers and your superiors."

Aerham nodded. "I cannot fault you for speaking the truth, captain." It was true. He was completely at odds with everyone in a position of authority, except the captain.

"You should join them in their festivities. Things may not be what you thought they were, but they are what they are. You have to adjust. If you want to change things, you will have to work at it once you are a respected equal. That will never happen like this. Not out here."

Aerham agreed, but he couldn't compromise his principles in order to be accepted. His father had raised him to be a true Brother of the Sun. He refused to fail.

"These wretches here," the captain gestured to his own countrymen. "They will always lack the discipline you expect. No offense, but they are not the cream of the crop, as they say. There are some good men here though. Those men respect you. Some of them anyway."

"They all hate me because I am too hard on them," Aerham admitted. Perhaps if he were a common soldier, he would resent his demanding authority as well. He knew he was doing what must be done, however. The soldiers defending the Wall of Light must be disciplined and ready. The Wall must stand. It stood before any of these had been born and it would stand long after they had been forgotten.

"No, I overhear the men. It's true that many of them say bad things about you when they think no one can hear. And some say bad things when they know others can hear. But there is a growing level of respect for you. It would surprise you, I think. The fight at the breakfast line this morning was because one man called you a coward and another man made him eat those words. And some horse dung." He licked his lips distastefully. "I think I should have broken that fight up sooner."

Aerham had seen the fighting while readying his horse early that morning. He had not considered what had been the cause. These men were always fighting one another. He grinned as he considered that a soldier had stood up for his honor. That was indeed a surprise. It was encouraging to think that he had earned respect by enforcing the teachings of Ravyneira. However, it was disgusting to think that a man had made another eat horse dung. And it was a bit disturbing that everyone else had stood by and watched.

"Well, I just came over to say this to you. I think you are going to be a great Brother. You may even live up to the stories that Uth Garenthil likes to craft and embellish." The captain chuckled as he stood. His chuckles stopped abruptly as he grunted at his old knees.

"Captain, Uth Garenthil is a Brother of the Sun. It isn't proper for you to mock him." Aerham didn't feel right correcting the captain. It was as awkward as trying to tell his father what to do. "Even if he is a liar and worse."

Captain Meagus raised an eyebrow and smiled. He took a deep breath to say something, but changed his mind and released a long sigh before nodding. He looked north for a moment.

"That storm is on the wrong side of the mountains. What do you make of that?"

Aerham studied the flickering clouds once more. It was true. The frontier was a dry place. Rain clouds usually gathered over the Greatwaters or Shimmersea and released their moisture long before reaching the frontier. It was a peculiar storm.

"I don't know much about the weather, beyond guessing where a storm might go. My father always taught that it was important for a leader to know what the weather would be, if he can know. It's always difficult to predict."

Captain Meagus nodded solemnly. "Most people just see omens in the weather."

Aerham didn't put much superstition into the weather. If that storm did mean anything, however, it wasn't anything good.

"Captain," Aerham said in a softer tone. "Thank you."

Captain Meagus smiled, but it did not reach his tired eyes. "I just told you what was there, my lord." He took a couple steps and turned. "Don't peek in my tent, my lord. I don't want you to catch me getting drunk." And then he disappeared into the maze of tents.

Aerham started to smile, but he was unsure if the captain had joked. Regardless, the conversation had been refreshing. He had felt alone among the soldiers. Now, he felt as if he were making progress on the march. He had put great effort into earning the respect of the soldiers. He had worked hard at not coming across as arrogant, even trying to compromise on certain issues. He had allowed them to have their campfires by explaining it was necessary for the army to know how to forage for firewood and properly tend to their fires before continuing on.

Even if Uth Garenthil and his cohorts did nothing but appease their own desires for the duration of the month, Aerham would see to it that the men received the training that they were supposed to receive. And one day soon, he would be a full Brother. He could return to this father's estate in glory and marry Deivean. He would show everyone what a true Brother of the Sun was supposed to be.