Chapter 26
No Rest for the Weary
Night had fallen over the Lanoirian camp on the banks of the Chi River, and General Somma sighed wearily as he turned away from the sight of the last prisoner wagon leaving the banks. It had been a long and harrowing day for the Spinoan general, and he was ready for some sleep. He made his way to the command tent of Colonel Wu-sang. He opened the flap and paused as he glanced around the room. Colonel Rotti sat at a large table with Colonel Wu-sang. Both men were eating the evening meal, and the general crossed the room and sat down. Colonel Rotti rose immediately and dashed off to get food for his general.
“You look tired, General,” Colonel Wu-sang said sympathetically. “You should have gotten some sleep hours ago.”
“It was my duty to make sure that all of my men were treated well as they were sent off to the prison camps,” answered the Federation general.
The Lanoirian colonel nodded in understanding. He could have retorted that the Alceans had no intention of harming the prisoners, but he knew that the Spinoan general was aware of that. General Somma was merely trying to fulfill his obligation as a general, and Wu-sang admired him for that.
“They will be safe,” the colonel said reassuringly. “I have had mats set up in this tent for you and Colonel Rotti. If you need anything, you only have to ask. My men have been instructed to extend to you every courtesy possible.”
“You have been a most gracious victor,” General Somma replied as Colonel Rotti entered the tent and placed a plate of food before the general. “I know that my men will be cared for properly.”
Colonel Rotti sat down, and the room lapsed into silence as the general ate his meal. Several minutes later, the flap moved again and Rut-ki entered the tent carrying two sheathed swords. She handed one to Colonel Rotti and placed the other on the table near General Somma. The general nodded his thanks wordlessly and continued eating, but Colonel Rotti stared at the sword suspiciously and then glanced at Rut-ki questioningly.
“Why are you giving this to me?” the Spinoan colonel asked.
“An officer without a sword will be seen as a prisoner,” answered Rut-ki. “I want your comrades to understand that you have volunteered to work alongside the Alceans. It will better help them to understand that you are truly trying to save their lives.”
“She is right,” mumbled the general as he pushed his plate away, the strain of fatigue evident in his face. “Appearances will be important tomorrow.”
“As will having your wits about you,” frowned Colonel Rotti. “You need to get some sleep, General. Morning will come all too quickly.”
“We will be leaving within the hour,” declared Rut-ki as she placed a belt knife on the table. “I found this knife embedded in the body of General Franz. I believe it belongs to one of you?”
Colonel Rotti’s eyes widened nervously. He reflexively glanced at the general and immediately tore his eyes away. He reached for the knife and claimed it.
“It is my knife,” he admitted. “Thank you for its return.”
“I killed Franz,” confessed General Somma. “Do not let this young pup suffer on my account. Whatever crime that death constitutes, I will stand for its punishment after we manage to get the other Federation armies to surrender. Rotti had no hand in the slaying. How did you know it belonged to one of us?”
“Several of your men witnessed the attack,” answered Rut-ki. She did not add that those men thought more highly of Somma for having done the deed.
Anxious to change the subject, Colonel Rotti asked, “Why are we leaving tonight? The general is in great need of rest.”
“It is best if we travel at night,” Rut-ki answered. “The general can sleep along the way, but we have a great distance to cover before morning. I will wait outside for you. We will leave as soon as both of you are ready.”
Rut-ki turned and left the tent. Colonel Rotti picked up his sword and pulled the sheath over his head. He frowned as he looked around the big tent. Colonel Wu-sang appeared quite at ease with two enemy officers in his midst, and the delivery of the swords did not even raise an objection from him. There were no other Lanoirian soldiers in sight. He shook his head in confusion.
“It is obvious that you do not expect us to use these swords,” Rotti said as his confusion built to an unbearable level. “I can imagine that our escort will be quite numerous tonight, but you do not even seem concerned about being alone with us. Why is that? What am I missing?”
“Perhaps you have not yet learned to trust us,” Colonel Wu-sang said with a laconic smile. “Having survived a harrowing day, would you foolishly endanger your lives now merely to kill one insignificant Lanoirian colonel? As for your escort tonight, you and the general will be traveling with just Rut-ki. A Knight of Alcea needs no further escort.”
“I have heard that phrase before,” commented General Somma. “What exactly is a Knight of Alcea?”
“A Knight of Alcea is one of the most dangerous people in the world,” answered Colonel Wu-sang. “The Knights of Alcea are the world’s best warriors and magicians. There are only about a dozen of them, and they report only to King Arik and no one else. Rut-ki is one of them.”
“That little slip of a woman?” gasped Colonel Rotti. “You can’t be serious?”
All traces of humor fled from Wu-sang’s face. “You once again are underestimating your opponent, Colonel. Rut-ki was an instructor of martial arts in the Imperial Palace of Lanoir before she became a Knight of Alcea. She would need no weapon at all to dispatch the three of us if it became necessary. Cling to your sword and knife if they give you comfort, but do not even think of raising either one with malicious intent. You would not live long enough to use it.”
The Lanoirian colonel rose and stiffly exited the tent. Rotti looked at Somma questioningly.
“He seemed offended,” the colonel remarked.
“He was offended,” sighed General Somma as he slung his sheath over his head. “I imagine that Rut-ki is a provincial hero to the Lanoirians, and you have discounted her worth. The Alceans have been extremely gracious to us. Why do you keep testing them?”
“I do not know,” admitted the colonel. “I met Rut-ki last fall, General. She portrayed herself as a blushing bride, her new husband a poor fisherman. I can see now that it was just an act to get close to Kerk and me, but it was very convincing. It is just hard to think of her as some kind of great warrior.”
“Was the fisherman called Bin-lu?” asked the general.
“Yes,” nodded Rotti. “How did you know?”
“Bin-lu is also a Knight of Alcea,” answered General Somma. “He and Rut-ki designed the trap that snared our armies. I had the chance to talk with Wu-sang this afternoon, and I asked him about the dam. The Lanoirians had thousands of men working on it all winter, and all of this was done just because Bin-lu and Rut-ki demanded it. That proves to me that the Lanoirians take these Knights of Alcea very seriously. I suggest that we do the same. Now, I am really in need of sleep, so the sooner we get started on this journey, the sooner I can get some sleep. If you are ready, I would like to leave now.”
Colonel Rotti immediately stood and sheathed his knife. When General Somma rose to his feet, the two officers exited the tent to find Rut-ki standing with three saddled horses. She handed reins to each of the men and then mounted her horse.
“This is silly,” Colonel Rotti thought as he mounted the horse. “No matter how great a fighter Rut-ki might be, she can’t possible stop both Spinoans from merely riding away from her during the night’s journey.”
You have much to learn, Zaran. You are not in control.
The words had sounded inside the colonel’s head, and he glanced around in alarm. The voice had been feminine, but the only female in the area was Rut-ki, and she was not even paying any attention to the colonel. Rotti gazed upward in search of one of the fairy people, but the voice had been too full-bodied to be a fairy. He pulled on the reins to turn the horse around so he could get a better view behind him, but the horse refused to obey his commands.