Part 26 (1/2)

'Snow's stopped, it's a bright morning,' Gallan said. 'But the scouts have returned, and it's snowing even heavier to the north.'

'How far to the north?'

'Twenty miles.'

'Huh.' Sol continued strapping on his weapon belt and leather harnesses a primed pistol, knife, sword, throwing stars, a hand-sized folded crossbow and a rack of bolts a automatically checking his insignia as he went. 'It doesn't feel cold enough.'

'It isn't, here.' Gallan picked up Sol's boots and nodded at the upended equipment box. Sol sat, and his Side helped strap on his boots. It was purely an act of friends.h.i.+p. He had known Gallan for a long time, they had their tensions, but there was nothing of superiority in private. Outside in the sight of others, the barrier of rank would be between them again.

'And nothing from Leki,' Sol said.

'No. Sol ... it doesn't mean anything's happened.'

'Any word from the generals?'

'Not this morning.'

Sol nodded, then flexed his toes inside the boots. They were a perfect fit. He'd had them specially manufactured in New Kotrugam by a shoemaker, each boot cut very particularly around the knotted wounds he'd received as a young boy on his ankles. The spit snake had clung on hard, and it had taken his father and brother half a day to cut it away.

'And no contact with any hostiles?'

'Nothing. You'd have been woken, you know that.'

Sol nodded his thanks, smiled. But he was still far away. Leki ... what might have happened to you in this forsaken land?

'Then let's get things moving,' Sol said. Gallan exited the tent first, and Sol followed him out onto the Skythian beach, ready to give his Blade their orders for the day.

But the orders for that day would come from elsewhere.

Even this early, the beach was already quietly bustling. Many soldiers were still asleep in their tents, and other troops had ventured inland to form a protective front curving around the entire stretch of the landing zone. But those who had been a.s.signed to dig in and protect the Engines were alert in their boarded trenches, weapons caches within easy reach, heavy rifles resting on wooden blocks. Others moved to and fro, unloading supplies from small boats that ferried them from the fleet, and there was a kitchen set up further along the beach, three huge cooking fires already ablaze to prepare breakfast. The activity had trodden most of the settled snow into the sand.

If everything went well today, two out of three Engines would be packed and moving by noon.

Sol received several salutes as he and Gallan walked along the beach. They pa.s.sed the rackers' tent to their left, glancing nervously that way but seeing no sign of the two women. The guards there had set themselves as far away from the tent as possible. They looked glum with their a.s.signment, but did nothing to complain.

'A long time since the troops had foreign sand between their toes,' Gallan said, and Sol smiled. It had been years, the last time an a.s.sault on a troublesome Outer stronghold a thousand miles across the Western Sea. That had been a b.l.o.o.d.y success. As would this be.

He did his best to a.s.sure himself of that. A success! But Leki's disappearance did not allow him to be completely convinced.

'And long enough since their blades were bloodied,' Sol said. 'So, fill me in on troop deployment while we walk.'

'Er ...' Gallan said. 'Sol. General Cove.' Cove was striding along the beach towards them, his long beard rubbing against his chest. Long beards were not allowed on the common soldier, and Sol did not wear one either. The general's was an affectation. Sol didn't like it, and had decided long ago that, though he respected the man, he did not like him. There was too much ego at play for him to be a proper general to his men. He was what Sol had always thought: a politician.

'Blader Merry!' Cove said, and Sol and Gallan saluted. Cove looked at Gallan. 'You may leave us. Fetch ... breakfast. Your Blader and I have words to cross.'

'I have no cross words with you, General,' Sol said.

'Perhaps I have with you.' Cove stared at Sol, and Sol heard Gallan retreat quietly towards the kitchens. I've done nothing, Sol thought, convinced, quickly going over in his mind his method of landing and the dispersion of his troops and equipment. The rackers sat quiet and mysterious within their tent. The Fader priests squatted beside the covered Engines. Guards were posted. All was well.

'General,' Sol said, 'I'm not sure I understand.'

'Your f.u.c.king floater wife,' Cove said. He smiled slightly when he saw Sol's reaction, but it did not touch his eyes. 'You choose to take a floater b.i.t.c.h into your bed, and now that Arcanum witch is letting us down.'

Sol had a sudden, shocking image of pulling his short sword and plunging it through the general's breastplate, just at the point where he knew the leather armour to be hinged, and slicing it back and forth between his ribs.

'General ... I must object to-'

'You must do as you're f.u.c.king ordered,' Cove said. He paused then, falling quiet. Silence was Cove's favoured tactic for disarming his underlings.

'I have done as ordered, General. This beach is secure, the Engines and rackers are well guarded. My soldiers have made contact with other Blades, and we're well protected. It's a successful landing. Perfect.'

The general simply stared at him.

'And your language when referring to our Arcanum spy is inappropriate. General.'

'You think so?'

'Yes. She has sent us several rackings over the past few days, keeping us informed of progress. She told us that Aeon-'

'And nothing since.'

'Perhaps something prevented her from doing so. Perhaps she was injured, taken prisoner, or killed.'

'If she was killed, she should have told us.'

Sol sighed, and immediately Cove bristled. 'Am I boring you, Blader Merry?'

'No, General. Frustration with your att.i.tude to what our Arcanum contact has already achieved. She's no witch. And-'

'And, Blader?' Cove took a step closer, almost inviting Sol's imagined sword attack.

'And my marriage to Lechmy Borle is nothing to do with this operation or this landing. And is nothing to do with you.'

The general raised an eyebrow, seemed about to counter, and then stepped back, stroking his beard. He glanced away from the sea and inland, as if seeing further than the first hillside.

'We have no idea what awaits us!' he said sharply. 'If only she had told us more.'

'If she's alive, she will find a way,' Sol said.

The general nodded. It was his turn to sigh. 'I ... apologise for calling her a floater. That was unfair of me, Blader. My great-grandmother was an amphy.' He smiled softly. 'And my relations.h.i.+p with that old b.i.t.c.h should be no reflection on your wife.'

'General,' Sol said, noncommittal.

'We're blind here, Merry. We have the seeing-doves flying sorties, but there's nothing like a soldier's view on things. These Skythians are lower than Outers, but that doesn't mean they might not be gathering against us. Therefore, myself and the other generals have decided to send a reconnaissance Blade deep inland to see how the land lies, and we think it should be yours.'

'Yes, General,' Sol said. He was frowning, and Cove tilted his head, inviting comment. 'Is it because she's my wife?' Sol asked.

'Partly,' Cove said. 'But also because you've spent the sea journey with the Engines on your s.h.i.+p, and with those ...' He nodded along the beach behind Sol at the rackers' tent. 'I think your troops could use something more constructive to do, don't you?'

'As a matter of fact, yes, General,' Sol said. 'If only you'd been more constructive in how you gave the order.' It was a daring rebuke, but once spoken it could not be taken back. Sol did not avert his eyes as the general's gentle smile fell.