I looked down at the drab of my uniform and realized that the feather had to have glowed against it. I raised my head again as the aroma of stables engulfed me.
“Border freak,” Ryson said, crowding close. “What the hell did you do?” The rest of the troop gathered around, listening hard.
“Back off, Ryson,” I said, bringing my arms up to shove him away.
“What’s going on here?” Lieutenant Groskin growled from behind us.
My arms dropped and my spine popped again as we jumped to attention.
“Sir! We were just wondering if Trooper Rabbit had anything to do with our canceled leave, sir!” I heaved a mental sigh. Ryson had less sense than a defective sheep.
“Oh, so you think Trooper Rabbit tells the commander what to do?” Groskin asked. My spine stiffened even more at his smile.
“Sir, no, sir! But maybe he had something to do with us getting lost in the first place, sir!” Ryson replied.
Groskin’s smile widened and his eyeteeth seemed to lengthen. “How, trooper?”
“Uhm, he’s from the Border, sir?”
“And?”
“Maybe he knows some, uh … I mean, he’s always praying, sir!”
“So that got us lost?”
I was praying hard that Groskin’s response to Ryson’s stupidity wouldn’t spill onto me. “He has a feather, sir. From the magical,” Jeffen said.
I felt as if I had been slugged in the gut.
“You think that we don’t know this?”
It was quiet enough to hear the flags gently flapping in the breeze outside on the commongrounds. Inside, we all stood so straight that we could be used as straightedges, our faces as impassive as stone. I could hear the lieutenant purr as he looked us over and I realized that we had reached his ideal—completely cowed.
“Ryson, you smell like manure.” Groskin walked over to a water barrel and thumped the side to see how much water was in it. “You will launder yourself, your bedding, uniform, and anything else you’ve touched before we leave. Is that clear, trooper?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I can’t hear you.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“The rest of you, pack!”
We packed.
After breakfast I went back to my locker for one last check to make sure that I hadn’t forgotten anything. I saw the feather, red against the white of my smalls. I picked it up and, after a moment, took a pin from my kit and fastened it to my tabard. I turned and saw I had everyone’s attention, so I grinned, showing all my teeth.
“A Border custom.”
We assembled in the horse yard prior to departure, the sun just peeking over the garrison’s walls. Commander Ebner was there, his mustache stiff against his cheeks. All of our faces were on the haggard side, with the exceptions of Lieutenant Groskin, who was still purring, and Captain Suiden, who was his usual self. His brown eyes rested on my pinned feather for a moment, then moved on, scanning the rest of the troop.
Satisfied, the captain told Lieutenant Groskin to relay the order to move out. He waited until we were all in motion, saluted Commander Ebner, and joined us. The commander didn’t say anything as we passed. I supposed it was for drama’s sake that he stood there. I could hear future bards sing of our mission:
The sun shone bright that fateful morn,
As the brave young lads rode out to war,
O, mustache, waving us on in the gentle breeze—
The melancholy broke and I fought not to laugh, just in case Suiden did have a third eye in the back of his head. I had grown up with Faena and I knew that one Faena does not a war make. Unless war was declared first, and Commander Ebner said we weren’t going do that. I hoped not—I didn’t want to fight trees either.
Chapter Four
We reached the mountain lea as the sun hovered a handsbreadth above the horizon. I looked around, feeling as though it was a lifetime since we were last there instead of just yesterday. At the lieutenant’s order, I dismounted and walked over to where Laurel and I shared honeycakes and covenants. I wasn’t surprised to see no sign of him now.
I caught a faint whiff of the stables and saw Ryson ignore me as he walked by, his tabard still damp. All his uniform changes had been dirty and he had to wear one wet after Groskin’s command to clean up. I shivered in sympathy.
“Listen up, men,” Groskin called out. “The captain requires your attention.” He saw me and waved me over to him. “Rabbit, the captain wants you with him.” I followed the lieutenant to Captain Suiden and stood next to him, Groskin on the other side of me. The captain waited until everyone had gathered around and I frowned as I noticed how his brown eyes seemed bright green in his dark face. I then figured that they were probably reflecting the last rays of the sun.
“We have been charged by Commander Ebner to discover the reasons behind our recent adventures,” Suiden said, “including the appearance of the magical. To this end, we will search for and make contact with said magical, ascertain why it’s here, if it had anything to do with us being lost, and what, if any, threat it may pose.” The captain nodded his head at me. “Trooper Rabbit, due to his Border experience, is promoted to lieutenant for the duration of this mission.” I forgot the captain’s eyes as my own widened. What the bloody hell?
“But he’s a just a farm boy from the Border,” Ryson blurted out.
“Lieutenant Rabbit’s father is ibn Chause and his mother’s eso Flavan.” The captain waited a beat as the troop stared back, stunned. “Any other questions?” It was a rhetorical question but we all answered “No, sir!”
“You are dismissed.”
The breeze played with the pinned feather as I went to help set up camp, but as soon as I touched a bundle it was picked up by a trooper. I stared at him but he didn’t make eye contact.
“You’re an officer now, Rabbit,” Lieutenant Groskin said as he stood beside me.
“A pox on that. Sir.” I turned back to grab another bundle but they had all been taken. I walked over to where the tents were being put up and was ignored by the working men. I waited a few moments to see if anyone would acknowledge me, but I was thoroughly snubbed and I felt my face flush. A picture rose up of my da when the Weald council became more impossible than usual, and I drew myself up and looked down my nose.
“Lieutenant Rabbit,” Captain Suiden said.
My head snapped around and I stared down my nose at him.
“You need to get your tent up before the light goes,” he said. The sun was just sliding beneath the horizon and the wind picked up.
“Sir, as stated in the regulations and procedures, troopers will set up camp, sir!” Ryson said.
Sheep-biting weasel.
“Lieutenant Rabbit will have the same duties and responsibilities he’s always had unless and until I say otherwise,” Captain Suiden replied. “Have I made myself clear, Trooper Ryson?”
There was silence as we all digested this.
“Have I made myself clear, Trooper Ryson.” The captain’s voice rose just a little.
“Sir, yes, sir!” Everyone, including myself, Lieutenant Groskin and maybe a few of the horses, shouted.
The captain turned away and we all let out a silent breath. I went to get my tent and found it with Jeff.
“I guess we’ll be sharing still as they didn’t bring an extra one,” he said.
“Yeah.” I looked over my shoulder at the captain silhouetted against the last rays of the sun. “Uh, Jeff, did you notice how the captain’s eyes—” I broke off at Jeff’s blank stare and shrugged. “Never mind.” When we finished setting up the tent, we went to the campfire where Trooper Basel led the duty cooks in fixing dinner. There were rabbits roasting over the fire and I felt my gorge rise as the smell washed over me. I went back to my tent where I had dumped my saddlebags and got bread, cheese and fruit. As I walked back to where the men were, Basel waved me over.