One sight lifted his heart slightly as he moved out of the shadows of the warehouses into the square behind the harbour; a company of his legionnaires stood in solid ranks waiting for his return. His father had been blunt in his advice, and had told Urikh that no matter what else his first priority was to keep the legions equipped, fed and paid; without them, his tenuous rule was worthless.
Urikh had done just that, and for the moment the officers and soldiers of the Seventeenth seemed content enough. Everything else was falling apart around the governor, but his legion was still at full strength and loyal.
The First Captain, Harrakil, was stood to one side of the troop, in animated conversation with another man. Urikh recognised him as one of the chief Gerian merchants, a man called Liitum; he waved his hands expressively and pointed hotwards while Harrakil continually shook his head in disagreement. The two of them broke off their talking at Urikh's approach.
"Why are you haranguing my First Captain, Liitum?" Urikh said. "I thought you were bound for Cosuan?"
It irked Urikh that his father had seen fit to name the new town at the mouth of the Greenwater after his dead mentor, but he had been wise enough not to argue the point. A large part of the task he faced as governor was sending men and supplies to the fledgling territory over two thousand miles to hotwards.
"I was due to leave this morning, governor," said Liitum. "Have you not heard the news?"
Urikh answered this with a hard stare.
"Three ships have been lost heading to Cosuan," the merchant explained. "Hotwards of Daasia, they were attacked."
"How do you know this?" asked Urikh.
"My nephew was one of the survivors. He arrived on a galley from Daasia last night and found me as I was readying to leave. He says that rumour has it two more ships were lost only five days earlier."
"Rumour can have all it wants, what has this to do with me? Besides, the Mekhani have no ships, so just make sure you don't put in on that stretch."
"That's the thing, governor," said Liitum. "My nephew says that the Mekhani did have ships, and they were further coldward than he's ever known."
Urikh looked at Harrakil.
"Have you heard anything about this Mekhani activity?" said the governor.
"Nothing like this," Harrakil replied. "A few accounts of bands moving out of the desert to raid the odd caravan, but they have never attacked on the river before."
"You have to give us protection," said Liitum, grabbing Urikh's sleeve.
The governor looked down at the man's hand until he slowly peeled his fingers away and mumbled an apology.
"Protection?" said Urikh. "You mean my legionnaires?"
"Yes, governor, yes," said Liitum. "Just a company on my ship would be all I need. I won't sail without them."
"If that is the case, perhaps I should give the contract to a man with more spine?"
"If you must," said Liitum. "I will happily sell you back the timber, ore and salted meat I have aboard."
Urikh looked at the merchant with narrowed eyes, trying to work out what advantage Liitum was hoping to gain. It made no sense for him to give back the goods at cost after paying for the berth and labour to load it. There was only one conclusion; Liitum was genuinely scared of sailing to Cosuan.
And if Liitum was scared — one of the greediest men Urikh had met — it would not be long before other traders and captains refused to travel hotwards. With winter coming it was vital that the settlement on the coast had enough stores to last out the season.
"Do we have any spare companies?" Urikh asked his First Captain.
"That depends on what you mean by 'spare'," said Harrakil. "I've got half the legion patrolling the border with Near-Mekha to protect against Mekhani brigands. The rest, well, they're here and spread out as garrisons along the river."
"How many?"
"Allowing for messengers and march time, I could have two thousand in Geria in ten days' time. What is it that you want to do, governor?"
"We have to make sure Cosuan is supplied for the winter," said Urikh, glancing between the two men. "It is impractical to send off a company here and there as needed, especially as there is no certainty that the Mekhani will attack again. I think we need to assemble a flotilla of ships and galleys and move everything Cosuan needs in one journey. A show of force to the Mekhani, and far easier to protect."
Harrakil nodded obediently while Liitum rubbed his chin, his expression one of calculation.
"Ten days is not a lot of time to organise such a thing," said the merchant. "And not with the docks working as poorly as they are. You could send out word to some of the ships meant to be unloading in the towns to coldwards and have them carry on here with their cargoes. Yes, it could be done, but it won't be easy and it won't be cheap."
"It will have to be done," said Urikh. "The king would never forgive us if we allowed Cosuan to fail. We will sail hotwards in ten days' time, bolster the settlers and garrison, drop off all the supplies they need for the winter, and then we can worry about the Mekhani in the spring."
Liitum and Harrakil signalled their agreement but to Urikh's annoyance, they continued to loiter, perhaps expecting further instruction.
"Why are you still here?" Urikh snapped at the two of them. He shooed them away with a flick of the hand. "We all have lots of work to do."
II
Vapour swirled, moisture dappling the marble walls and pillars. Somewhere in the haze a servant splashed more water on hot coals to send a fresh cloud of steam billowing across the sunken bath. Black hair wetly plastered across her flushed face, Luia lay with her arms along the side, panting.
The water thrashed with bubbles and Huurit surfaced, gasping for breath. Muscles taut from years of wrestling, he paddled across to lounge beside Luia. With one hand he absently caressed her breast, massaging himself with the other. Luia glanced at him a flash of annoyance and took his hand from her chest.
"I'm not finished," she said.
"I'm a man, not a fish," Huurit protested.
"Prove it," said Luia, grabbing his hair to force him back down into the water. She lifted up her legs and thrust him beneath her, trapping his head between her thighs. Huurit flailed for a moment before dragging himself free, emerging with a splash at the other side of the pool.
"Trying to drown me," he spluttered, answered by Luia's laugh. The wrestler pulled himself out of the water while Luia ran an appreciative eye over his short, wiry body.
"Do not go too far!" she called out as Huurit stalked into the steam, bare feet slapping on the tiles.
She lounged for a while longer, eyes closed, until she heard someone entering the bath room.
"Back for more?" she said.
"Hardly, mother."
Luia opened her eyes to see Urikh pacing through the vapour, a thick robe wrapped around him. He pulled off the robe and used it to make a cushion on the bench alongside the bath. He lay down, arms behind his head.
"I will be leaving Geria in ten days," he said. "I trust you can keep the city from destroying itself while I am away."
Servants came forward with towels and a robe as Luia pulled herself from the pool. She stood with arms outstretched while they dried her.
"Why this sudden departure?" she asked.
Urikh sighed and rolled over to his side, head propped up on one hand.
"Something has happened with the Mekhani," he said. "They have been attacking ships between here and Cosuan. I am assembling a fleet and taking the legion to teach them a lesson."
"Surely you have officers for that sort of thing," said Luia. A stool was put before her and she sat down, allowing one of her maids to comb her hair. "There is no need for you to leave."
"Not on the face of it, but I have to be seen to be a leader. You know, I am the only heir of the Blood who has never been a general? That sort of thing can be damaging. No, if I want to ensure the loyalty of the legions, I have to establish myself as a competent commander."