Sithis shrugged. “Somehow I’d expected it to be a bit more luxurious.”
“We have a soldier Emperor now, Sithis. Darius is not the same as Quintus, Basianus or Corus. They were all born to the purple and never had to really fight for it. Darius had proved himself a number of times before the throne was ever put before him. That’s why he’s the man we need. That’s why I’ll put myself through the grinder to put him in control.”
The swordsman smiled. “I wasn’t putting him down, sir. Just a little surprised that’s all. After all, I remember the old days like you.”
“Yes, well. This is a new world,” Kiva replied, “and don’t call me sir when we’re alone. I’ve been fighting alongside you at the same rank on and off for twenty years. Wish you’d been around when all this shit first started hitting us instead of gallivanting off in the west making huge piles of coin.”
“Kiva, if I’d know all this was going on, I’d have been back like a shot and you know it. So would Filus, Sorianus, Belto and a whole load of others. At least you had Tythias. Belto heard about it but never managed to reach us at the meeting point. I heard they met Velutio’s army head-on and totally by surprise. We’ve never even found Sorianus. He could be up in the barbarian lands for all we know. Problem is: everything happened too fast. If you’d given us another month before starting all this, every unit worth their salt would have been waiting for you at Munda.”
Kiva nodded. “I know. I just can’t help thinking about might-have-beens. Entirely off the record, Sithis, I’m positive as hell out there in front of everyone, but I don’t really see how we can win this. We’ve got a sizeable force and they’re well trained and in high spirits and all that, but that’s only worth so much when you’re facing odds of four or five to one or more. And I have a horrible feeling that’s the odds we’re looking at.”
Sithis shrugged and collapsed into one of the chairs around the edge of the room.
“We can only try our best. Our cause is right and the gods should be with us.”
“Ha!” Kiva dropped into the chair opposite and drew a flask from his tunic. Taking a heavy swig, he stoppered it and let it drop into his lap. For a moment his jaw set hard and Sithis noticed a slight twitch and then a shudder run through the general. Then Kiva breathed out heavily. “The gods won’t give me any help, Sithis. I abandoned them a long time ago, and they damn well abandoned me too.”
Sithis leaned forward in his chair.
“They never abandoned you, Caerdin. You northerners were always so damned superstitious. Those of us born here is the south believe in the gods as long as it’s convenient, but if they ever seem to be turning against us we just refuse to acknowledge their existence. It’s all quite convenient really.”
Kiva laughed out loud for a moment and then winced. Sithis folded his arms. “You’re not a well man, Kiva. I was going to suggest you get some sword practice in so I can see how well you’re coming along, but I see the answer without going through all that. How long have you been on the mare’s mead now? Two decades? Even the most idiotic doctors’ll only prescribe it on a month’s course.”
“You know why I take it and you know I was injured a little recently, so I’ve justifiably upped my intake a little.”
Sithis shook his head. “You’ve upped your intake dangerously. I’ve been watching you this morning while you were wandering round keeping an eye on things. Four times in two hours you’ve hit that and you’re not even sipping it; you’re swigging it. I know damn well that Mercurias isn’t giving you it and that doctor from the island seems to be far too above board for that. I’d be interested to know where you’re getting it all.”
“Never you mind. And don’t even think of telling anyone about this. Without doing this I’d still be hobbling around on sticks and I’d be no use to man nor beast. At least for the next month or so I’m going to have to be fully active and on top of things. Maybe then I can lay off and back down a little.”
Sithis shut his eyes and lowered his head. “You keep going like this for a month more and the only thing you’re going to be on top of is a pyre!”
Kiva growled. “It has to be done. I can’t stop now. Darius needs to be the Emperor in front of every man, woman and child in Hadrus and I need to be every inch the general. Appearances are half the battle here. And I’ve still too much of a part to play yet to dodder around on sticks.”
Sithis stood and wandered over to where the general sat. Reaching down, he prodded Kiva gently in the side. The general grunted and winced.
“Thought so,” grumbled the swordsman. “Don’t know what’s doing you more harm: that shard in your side or the medication you take. I used to have to punch you there for it to hurt like that. I hardly touched you this time. You’ve got some of the world’s best medics here in Hadrus. Let them have a look at you and maybe try and remove it.”
Kiva shook his head. “That’d kill me for sure and even if, by some miracle, I lived through the operation, I’d be completely out of commission throughout this whole thing.”
He sat up and glared into Sithis’ face.
“Promise me now you’ll not breathe a word of this to anyone else in the camp. I think we’ve got the slimmest chance of coming out of this on top anyway, but if word gets out that I’m dancing around the edge of a grave and trying not to fall in, we’ll really be in the shit. As I said, appearances are half the game.”
Sithis nodded. “Fair enough, but make sure Tythias and Athas know about it. If you get too bad you’re going to have to take a back seat and let your second in command do more of the work.”
He stood and flexed his muscles. “I’m here as an officer and a trainer. I don’t make decisions above unit level and I sure as hell don’t have the brain for strategy. I don’t know whether we can win or not, but if there was ever a man who could come up with a way to do it, that’s you. That’s why I’m captain Sithis and you’re general Caerdin. Use that brain of yours and find a way to turn it round. That’s what you’re known for.”
Kiva’s face remained largely blank and expressionless as Sithis stood and walked over to the table. He looked down a grabbed the first book he saw.
“See this?” the captain said, some strain showing in his voice. “Rastus’ battles book? I read this a few years back and half the battles in it are yours. The Emperor’s reading about your victories, Kiva. The book’s open at the Mivor plains debacle. Less than two hundred men against over a thousand? Ridiculous! But what happened? Well, it’s a bit embellished here, but I remember that battle. Athas came back from Mivor and got drunk for three days and all he could talk about was your solution. What was it you did again, Kiva?”
“I just repositioned some of my men. Any commander could have done it.”
Sithis grinned. “No commander would have though. They wouldn’t have thought of it. You ‘repositioned’ enough men between their two lines and caused enough panic and havoc that the enemy started shooting each other. Athas reckoned he and the others got out of the middle as it all really started and they lost just four men. Four! That barbarian psychopath you were up against lost three hundred before they even realised they were killing each other and not you. It’s clever little ideas like that make the history books.”
Kiva nodded. “I suppose so, but I’m older and slower and a lot more tired these days. Still, something’ll turn up I expect. And whatever happens I damn well have to try.”