“Where will you be going?”
“The port detachment at Summerdock. My consort-to-be will be joining me there, as my consort, then, of course.”
“You must be nearing sub-majer.”
“A mere formality.” Meisyl refills his goblet and glances at Lorn.
“No, thank you.” Lorn smiles, knowing he must be scrupulously polite all the while Meisyl remains. “Tell me about how you came to Jakaafra, if you would.”
“There’s little enough to say. I grew up in Fyrad, and went to the Lancer Academy, as had my sire, and his sire ….”
Lorn smiles and nods, taking another sip of Alafraan, one so small that the wine never really passes his lips.
LXVII
MEISYL AND LORN stand in the rear study by the desk table. Outside the single window the morning is gray, and fat drops of rain splat against the ancient glass panes. Meisyl reads the single sheet of paper drafted by Olisenn, then smiles, and affixes his signature before handing it to Lorn, who reads it himself.
… certifies that Meisyl, Lancer captain commanding the Second Forest Patrol Company, hereby relinquishes that command to Lorn, Lancer captain, and that upon signature this fourday of the ninth eightday of winter, in the year one hundred ninety-seven of the founding of Cyad, Captain Lorn assumes command of the SecondCompany, with all duties and privileges associated thereto ….
Lorn signs the bottom of the document, below Meisyl, with scripted characters far less flamboyant than those of the dark-haired captain who is departing.
“You have it all, Lorn, and I wish you well.” Meisyl’s smile is clearly one of relief. He fumbles two bronze keys from his belt wallet and extends them to Lorn. “The first key here is the key to the records’ chests. The second one is to the door locks for the officers’ rooms. If you have any questions, I won’t be leaving until late this afternoon or tomorrow, depending on the engineers.”
“Thank you. I’ll find you, if I do.”
After Meisyl departs, Lorn looks over his study closely, for it is the first individual study he has had in his duties with the Mirror Lancers. The room is small, seven cubits by seven, with only a narrow table-desk set against the wall, and a single chair pulled up to the desk, and a window with a chest-high sill behind the chair. The sole lamp is fixed in a bronze bracket on the wall over the desk. Set on the granite floor tiles, just in front of the desk, there is a foot chest, two cubits broad, one cubit high and one deep. A single armless chair completes the study’s furnishings. With the exception of the lamp, every item in the room is formed of white oak, and all hold the gold of age.
Lorn nods and then steps out through the open door into the outer study where Olisenn is seated at a larger table, an open foot chest on the floor to his right.
“Yes, ser?”
“Captain Meisyl mentioned that you maintain two sets of records, Olisenn ….”
Olisenn smiles. “Just one, ser. There are two sets of records.” He points to the foot trunk beside his work table. “The ones I keep are the individual personnel records. There is one sheet on each lancer … the lancer’s name and rank, a simple physical description, place and date of birth, his closest family, when the lancer joined, his term of service, andpast duty stations, and expected date of rotation. The reverse side is used for remarks, either for commendations or disciplinary actions.” Olisenn lifts his ample shoulders. “Now … I have to make a sheet on each new lancer.”
“The ones who arrived yesterday?”
“Yes, ser. I’ll start each sheet, and Kusyl will be here shortly to finish them. They all go here in this chest.” His hand drops to indicate the foot chest to his right.
“And the other set?”
“Those are the patrol records in the chest in your study, ser. Those are the only records we keep. The bronze key Captain Meisyl gave you … it opens the lock on either chest.”
“He mentioned that.” Lorn nods. “Later today, or perhaps after the first patrol, I’d like to read through your records.”
“Whenever you wish, ser. It would be better after we update the records.”
“I’ll try not to impede your work.” Lorn turns and re-enters the smaller rear study. He closes the door, and then lifts the records’ chest onto his desk. The key slides smoothly into the lock and turns easily.
As Olisenn has said, the trunk holds the patrol records, a report on each patrol, written and signed by the company’s captain. Leafing through the most recent of these, Lorn notes that most of the time a number of patrols have been reported on a single sheet, with little more than the notation “Patrol on schedule. No Forest activity,” followed by “Meisyl, Captain, Second Forest Patrol Company.”
Others have more description:
… ward cube crushed by limb, north 45 east. Killed small stun lizard, seared seedlings, found giant cat tracks, but no cat. Sent messenger to First Engineer Company at Eastend. Held station on fallen limb until Engineers arrived. No casualties …
… two ward cubes destroyed by double limb, north 323 and 324 east. One giant cat attacked second squad.Cat killed. Two other cats fled as Second Company arrived. Stun lizard tracks noted. Sent messenger to First Engineer Company Eastend. Held station until Engineers arrived. Casualties: 2. Kyscyt killed by cat at ward-wall. Onymt slashed, will probably lose right arm …
Lorn leafs through the reports more quickly, more trying to get a feel for the pattern of what has happened with the Accursed Forest than deeply analyzing the reports. Roughly three years earlier, patrol reports for nearly three eightdays have been signed by Olisenn, as senior squad leader. Lorn picks up the report just before the first one signed by Olisenn, but, like so many of the others, it merely states, “Patrol on schedule.” It is signed, “Dymytri, Captain, Second Forest Patrol Company.”
After studying Dymytri’s last report, Lorn flips through the papers more rapidly until he reaches Dymytri’s first report-only three seasons before his last. Then he looks at the reports before that-four eightdays’ worth, all signed by a senior squad leader named Fyondr. The previous head of Second company had been Undercaptain Zylynt, who had been in command only a few eightdays more than a year. Zylynt’s demise, unlike Dymytri’s, is listed in the first report signed by Fyondr: “ … Casualties: 2. Undercaptain Zylynt, killed by giant stun lizard when firelance failed. Lancer Hyun, killed by lizard while supporting Undercaptain …”
Abruptly, Lorn comes to the end of the Patrol reports. After a moment, he nods and replaces the files in the small foot trunk and closes it. “Olisenn?”
After a moment, the heavy squad leader opens the door and lumbers into the rear study. “Yes, ser?” He bows slightly following his words.
“The Patrol reports only go back about five years,” Lorn observes.
“Yes, ser. We just keep five years here, sometimes almost six, but since you were scheduled in, Captain Meisyl sent off the older ones last eightday. They’re all in Majer Maran’sfiles in Geliendra.” Olisenn nods. “It keeps matters easier here.”
“I can see that.” Lorn smiles. “Thank you,”
“That’s not a problem, ser. It’s what I’m here for.” Olisenn nods and waits for a moment before asking, “Is there anything else, ser?”
“No, thank you.” Lorn stands. “I’m going to inspect the compound, Olisenn. I’ll be gone for a while.”
Olisenn’s eyes lift to take in Lorn. “Would you prefer me to accompany you?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. If I have questions, I’ll ask you when I get back. You and Kusyl have more than a few records to update with all the replacement lancers that arrived.”