Stiger’s Tigers (Chronicles of An Imperial Legionary Officer Book 1) (9 page)

Handi turned back to face Stiger, flashing another very false smile. Stiger had already tired of the man’s game, though he was careful not to let it show. He had little interest in useless people. Still, he had to permit this charade to play out. There was a reason Captain Handi had come out, and it was not for pleasure.

“Captain Stiger, I must say I am deeply impressed,” Handi said, gesturing around expansively at the camp. “You have been busy, haven’t you?”

“The men have worked hard,” Stiger responded neutrally. He was not sure why the staff captain was paying him a visit.

“Well … if you must play at war,” Captain Handi responded, “then I don’t see why your men should not bend their backs and make it look good for you.”

“I can assure you, sir,” Stiger bristled, taking umbrage at Handi’s implication, “I do not play at war.”

“A jest poorly delivered,” Captain Handi soothed, laying a calming hand briefly on Stiger’s shoulder. “I offer apology for any perceived insult.”

Stiger frowned. He fairly itched to rearrange those perfect teeth. The supposed jest was only cover, of which Captain Handi had not actually apologized. He had only offered apology on a perceived insult, not the actual insult that had been delivered.

Technically Stiger could seek satisfaction. Though dueling was rare among legionary officers, it was not an unknown occurrence. The problem with dueling was that the commanding generals typically frowned very aggressively upon the practice. Stiger suspected that Captain Handi was counting on this to effectively tie Stiger’s hands. Frustrated, Stiger looked beyond the staff captain, who turned to see where the infantry captain was looking.

Handi had brought a troop of cavalry as a personal escort, which was clattering across the makeshift bridge and into the camp. Stiger recognized the cavalry lieutenant as the one who had been escorting the wagon train out of the main legionary encampment on the day of his arrival.

Captain Handi was his enemy, of that Stiger was confident. What he wasn’t sure of was the cavalry lieutenant. Was he an ally of Handi’s? Or had he had been brought along as a simple escort for the pompous fool? The lieutenant dismounted and handed his reigns to one of his men, who remained mounted. Stiger noticed the lieutenant was looking around with ill-feigned interest at the camp. Though fairly young, he carried himself erect and proud. He did not seem the type of man to lick anyone’s boots to curry favor. But how one looked did not determine how one behaved, Stiger knew.

“Lieutenant,” Stiger directed himself toward the cavalry officer, stepping around Handi. Stiger’s intention was to provoke a response from the staff captain. What would Handi do when he was no longer the center of attention? He extended a hand. “Lieutenant Lan, isn’t it?”

“Why yes, sir.” The lieutenant shook Stiger’s hand, which was firmer than that of the man he had been sent to escort. He seemed surprised that Stiger had remembered him. “Yes … we met outside of the encampment.”

“Lieutenant,” Captain Handi interjected himself. He shot an irritated look at Lan. “Please see to your men. Captain Stiger and I have important matters to discuss.”

“Yes sir,” Lieutenant Lan said stiffly. He turned away from Stiger with a slight frown of irritation. It seemed the lieutenant was no friend of the staff captain’s.

“Sergeant,” Stiger directed to Ranl, who was still holding the reigns of Handi’s horse. “After you attend to the captain’s horse, please see that the lieutenant and his men get some grub. It seems Captain Handi and I have pressing matters to attend to.”

“Yes sir,” Ranl said sharply, saluting with fist clenched to chest.

“Captain,” Stiger gestured toward the farmhouse. “This way, if you please.”

Both walked quickly toward the farmhouse. The men had constructed a roughhewn table and two chairs. Removing his riding gloves slowly, Handi glanced around the interior of the farmhouse with ill-disguised disgust. Stiger took a chair and offered Handi the other. Tucking his riding gloves into his sash, Handi sat. The table separated the two.

“A bit rustic,” Handi commented.

“We are in the field, after all. Though there is no reason we cannot be a bit civilized. Would you care for some refreshment?” Stiger asked, pouring himself a mug of wine from a pitcher on the table. Without waiting for an answer, he poured Handi one as well.

“Thank you,” Handi replied, accepting the mug and offering a silent toast to his host. “I agree … a little civilization can go a long way.”

“Poor southern stuff,” Stiger apologized. “I am afraid it is all we have.”

“I think I might be able to help you there,” Handi said with a false smile. “I will have a small barrel of Orkland sent over. We received a supply a few months back.”

“Orkland?” Stiger asked with a raised eyebrow. Orkland was from the heart of the empire and a staple for the common nobility.

“Just because we are on campaign does not mean we have to live like savages,” Handi replied, taking a sip, which elicited a sour look. “You were not kidding about this being poor. Though poor or not, riding builds up thirst.” Handi took another pull.

“How can I help you, Captain?” Stiger asked pleasantly after several moments of silence.

The staff captain carefully placed his mug on the table, having drained it. “General Mammot requested that I inform you of a certain situation,” Captain Handi said theatrically, leaning back in his chair, which creaked.

“Oh?” Stiger asked, without displaying any emotion. General Mammot had likely asked nothing of the staff captain, but had instead given an order. Mammot did not seem the type to ask.

“General Kromen has taken a turn for the worse,” Captain Handi explained, a look of exaggerated sadness crossing his face. “You know the dear man was like a father to me.”

“Was?” Stiger asked, wondering if it was wishful thinking on Handi’s part, or perhaps General Kromen was already dead. He poured the man another mug of wine.

“I misspoke,” Handi admitted hastily, with an annoyed frown. “He has been like a father to me.”

“I am relieved to hear that the general has not passed from the realm of the living,” Stiger said carefully. “I can only imagine how upsetting this must be for you.”

“The physicians feel there is a chance he will recover,” Handi said. “I can only pray he does.”

“I will offer a prayer to the High Father,” Stiger said, playing along, though he was tiring rapidly of this game. He wished Handi would get to the point.

“I assure you such prayers are more than welcome,” Handi said softly, with an embellished sigh. The staff captain took another long pull of his wine and then set the mug down on the table. He locked eyes with Stiger. With the fighting season nearly upon us, General Mammot felt that keeping General Kromen’s illness from the men was of critical importance.”

Stiger said nothing, but offered a nod in agreement. He had no idea whether General Kromen was popular with the men or not. If he was, Kromen’s death could seriously affect morale, what little of it was left. General Mammot could simply be exercising prudence by keeping this information confidential.

“General Mammot has assumed command, then?” Stiger asked simply, though the more he thought about it the more alarmed he became. There was no possible way that Mammot could keep such news from the men. Gossip traveled fast in legionary encampments. There was much more to this visit than was readily apparent.

“With General Kromen being incapacitated due to illness and unable to maintain his, shall we say, responsibilities,” Handi oozed, “General Mammot felt it the only reasonable course of action.”

“Of course,” Stiger responded neutrally. Mammot was working to consolidate his powerbase. It was clear now that Captain Handi had come to see if Stiger would follow General Mammot. Stiger had no doubt that if he responded negatively to the news, Captain Handi would likely produce an order relieving him of command. That was the last thing Stiger wanted to happen at the moment.

Perhaps Kromen had indeed taken a true turn for the worse, and Mammot was simply filling in, as was proper for a second-in-command. However, the presence of Captain Handi seemed to indicate something far more sinister was at play. It was possible General Mammot had decided to advance himself to commander of the army.

When Kromen passed beyond the realm of the living, Mammot would undoubtedly be terribly saddened at the general’s demise. His duty and honor would require him to assume command, which he hoped would be confirmed by the senate and emperor. Such things were nothing new to imperial politics. Though he could use more time training his men, Stiger itched to be on the road and well away from these political games.

“General Mammot felt it important that a personal envoy accompany such news,” Captain Handi said, flashing a smile, which rapidly slid from his face as he waited to hear what Captain Stiger had to say.

“I stand to serve the empire,” Stiger said simply, repeating part of the legionary motto. “What does General Mammot require of me?”

Captain Handi smiled so thinly, it was almost a frown. Stiger realized that the bastard had been hoping to relieve him. Having recently arrived, Stiger had no personal loyalty to either General Kromen or General Mammot.

“As is to be expected,” Captain Handi responded, recovering from his disappointment quickly. “General Mammot expects only that you continue to follow your orders, as issued by General Kromen.”

“Of course,” Stiger responded gravely. Something was afoot. Stiger rapidly thought it through. On one hand, had he been removed from command, he could have been shipped home, where he would spend several months traveling, effectively out of the way while Mammot consolidated his hold and bought loyalties in the senate to secure his confirmation. On the other hand, sending Stiger to Vrell achieved nearly the same result. It was more likely that the path Mammot wished him to follow was the one that led to Vrell. Though Stiger was no spy, marching into hostile territory would keep a potential spy for the senate isolated, unable to communicate with his masters. The plan had been to isolate him from the moment he arrived. Stiger suppressed a sigh of resignation. “I will follow General Mammot’s orders as if they were General Kromen’s.”

“The general expects nothing less from one of your, ah … venerated lineage,” Captain Handi said.

Stiger could not decide if he meant this as a calculated insult. After a moment, he decided it had been intended as one. The urge to reach over the table and throttle the pampered fool before him was nearly overpowering. With great effort, he restrained himself, vowing that one day he would make the man pay for such ungentlemanly insults. On that day, Handi would know with whom he was toying.

“Duty,” Stiger said by way of reply, forcing a smile, which the scar on his cheek turned into sneer. “Duty to the empire is our responsibility.”

“I could not agree more with such honest sentiments,” Captain Handi breathed rather dramatically. He pulled an envelope out of his coat jacket and handed it over to Stiger. “Confirmation of your orders … from General Mammot.”

Stiger took several minutes to read through his orders while Captain Handi waited patiently. The staff captain pulled out a pipe and filled it with tobacco, then went to the fireplace to light it.

Stiger found the orders nearly identical to the set he had previously been given. It was very clear Mammot wanted him on his way to Vrell. He set the orders down on the table after he had read them twice over. Captain Handi, seeing that the infantry captain had finished, returned to the table and sat, taking a deep puff of his pipe as he did so.

“Do you have any questions concerning your orders?” the staff captain asked.

“None,” Stiger responded firmly.

“Excellent,” Handi replied. “General Mammot will be pleased to hear that.”

“Has there been an update on the supply train?” Stiger asked. He had heard nothing for several days on its progress. He had been using the extra time to push his men hard.

“As a matter of fact, there has been news,” Captain Handi said. “The supply convoy from Aeda will arrive within the next five days.”

“That is encouraging news,” Stiger responded, thinking that the sooner it arrived, the quicker he would be away. Mammot might be the type to use assassins to cement his control. It was quite possible that it would be healthier for Stiger to be on the road and away until the dust settled.

“Yes it is, isn’t it,” Captain Handi said, standing with his pipe tightly clamped between his teeth. He gave Stiger an odd look before he pulled on his riding gloves. “It will be good to reopen communications with Castle Vrell.”

The two officers left the farmhouse, Stiger following slightly behind Captain Handi. They found the cavalry escort sitting on the ground, with their backs against the entrenchment walls near the entrance. They were downing a fresh bowl of stew. The men looked to be enjoying themselves. Captain Handi gave them a sour look and called for his horse.

Lieutenant Lan jumped up, setting his bowl aside. He called his men to their feet. Their mounts were easily at hand, having been tethered along the inside of the barricade. They stood, while at the same time shoveling the rest of the stew into their mouths as fast as they could. Cook, with an assistant, took the wooden bowls from the cavalrymen. Stiger was pleased to see the lieutenant’s men thank Cook before turning to their horses. It wasn’t every day a cook received thanks from a group of young noblemen, even if they were only unimportant second and third sons.

“A pleasure seeing you once again, Captain,” Lieutenant Handi said, not bothering to offer Stiger a handshake. It was another calculated insult. Stiger felt dirty enough from the man’s visit and was far from disappointed at not having to take the man’s hand.

Sergeant Ranl led Captain Handi’s horse forward and Handi mounted up.

“Likewise,” Stiger responded, struggling to keep the distaste from his voice. “Please inform General Mammot I am at his convenience.”

“I will,” Captain Handi said, wheeling his mount around and kicking it forward out through the gate. His cavalry escort scrambled to mount and catch up.