Maybe such thoughts were crazy, an artifact of walking the altar. Maybe Lord Radas's poison was corrupting his mind. Maybe he was just exhausted after two days without sleep. 'I need to talk to you privately. After your council. For now, I'd welcome a chance to rest.'
'Sengel will show you to where the reeves are camping,' said Anji.
Sengel smiled that easy Qin smile and walked away with Joss as if they were old comrades accustomed to walking out in company.
'You did well in Nessumara,' said Joss.
'I did what needed doing,' remarked Sengel.
'There are three chests under the awning. Wasn't one already taken to Olossi?'
'Toughid died in High Haldia getting the cloak off a demon calling himself Lord Bevard.'
Toughid!' It was impossible to grasp that Toughid, with whom he'd so recently argued — as much as you could argue with the Qin, who receded before disagreement until you realized you had nothing to push against — was dead.
Sengel's stride betrayed no weakness. His expression betrayed no sentiment. 'The chest arrived midday soon after our victory. Here are your reeves, including the ones who brought the chest.' He gestured toward an encampment set up within the boundary of a shallow ditch and berm, dug in haste by Lord Radas's soldiers. 'I'll return to Captain Anji.'
'One question, Chief Sengel.'
'What's that?'
'Whyever would you think Tohon could be your enemy?'
The man blinked, taken by surprise. 'Tohon?'
'Just because a man expresses a desire to look in on a badly injured comrade before he gives a report doesn't mean he's not a loyal soldier.'
Sengel brushed a hand over his creased brow, and Joss realized the man was likely exhausted, held under a taut rein. 'Commander Joss, with all respect, you do not understand the factions within the Qin. Nor are we likely to explain them. For we're not in Qin lands anymore, are we?'
'Are we?' Joss asked sharply.
At once, he was sorry he had spoken so recklessly. Sengel smiled with a grace and speed that was frightening. How could you tell if a man was sincere when he could smile like that no matter what you said to him?
'I'll leave you with your reeves,' Sengel said. 'Commander Anji will come by later to offer thanks for their good work. And to let you know what needs doing tomorrow.'
With that, he walked away.
Lord Bevard, wearing the cloak of Leaf. That still only made five.
Joss scrambled down to a makeshift encampment where about forty off-duty reeves had set up awnings. They were a mix of people he knew and others he did not, mingling with the comfortable familiarity of folk who did the same work and knew the man or woman standing beside them would understand their complaints.
'Joss! The hells! What happened to you?' Peddonon strode forward with a big grin. 'You look like a gods-rotted lilu come
to lure us to our deaths, although in a most pleasurable manner, I am sure. Die with a smile on your face, that's what I say.'
Reeves slapped him on the back or embraced him, as they chose. Even sharp-tongued Nallo looked not displeased to see him. She might even have looked startled.
'Cordial for the man who killed that gods-rotted lilu, Lord Radas,' called Peddonon.
Cheers and whoops rose. Reeves he didn't know grasped his arm. One attractive young woman offered a juicy kiss, which made everyone shout with laughter.
'The hells!' laughed Joss, pulling away as he felt the stirring of an all too familiar arousal. 'Cordial for everyone.'
But as they filled their cups from a barrel, he frowned. Looking around, he discovered a small chest — not one bound with chains but simply a chest in which a man or woman might store coin or jewelry or spices — cast aside in one of the ditches. Spoils of war. He hoisted it up and slapped it down on the ground under the shade of one of the awnings.
'Heya, all of you! Sit down!'
They weren't as disciplined as Anji's troops. They grabbed cordial and passed around a basket of whiteheart, whose ripe shells could be pried apart for the fragrant, sweet flesh within. Sucking down the juice and licking grimy fingers, they shouldered aside their friends with jokes and roughhousing and settled cross-legged on shared blankets or slapped hindquarters straight on the churned-up dirt. They were all dusty, stained, sweaty, and smelling of days without a decent bath. They were reeves, and that was a reeve's life.
'You lot have a reek about you,' he said, to general laughter, 'which means you've been out serving justice again. I've got a nose for it.'
'How did you get to be so cursed handsome?' shouted one wag, a male.
A woman called, 'Sleep with me tonight, eh? I've a friend in Copper Hall might join us.'
Joss grinned. 'I'll tell you my secret if you'll quiet down a moment and listen. For listen you must. We all must listen.'
His tone caught them. They were weary, but feeling their victory in their bones, and the combination opened a path from their ears into their hearts.
'We are fortunate, jessed as we are. It's a hard life, truly. In a
way, you leave your family behind, even if you can always drop in on them. I won't tell you that the reeves become your new clan, for it's a tired old saying, isn't it? Yet here we are. We're camping together, eating together, drinking together. We know who we are, whether we're from Clan Hall, Horn Hall, Copper Hall.'
'I'm up from Naya Hall,' called the attractive young woman who had kissed him. 'Don't you recall me, Commander Joss? I saw you bathing that one time, naked but for the kilt and with it being wet and all, it didn't hide much. As I recall, you had quite an audience.'
Peddonon whistled; folk would laugh, and yet he was used to the admiration; he knew how to throw it in his favor.
'I'd happily toss a bucketful of cold water over my head again if I can just get people to quiet down and listen.' They were finally settling, the heat and the sure knowledge of a hard-fought fight that had ended in victory relaxing them as the sun sank toward the horizon. Soon dusk would come and, exhausted, they would sleep. Strike while the chance is upon you.
'The reeves have served the Hundred, as we always have. Today we've been part of a victory over an army whose cruelties have scarred the north. But let's not lose sight of what happens after victory.'
'We haven't won yet!' called one of the Copper Hall reeves. 'Commander Anji says as long as the enemy poses a threat, we must keep pursuing them! We must keep fighting!'
Joss shook his head. 'Are we meant to be just another cohort in the army? Or to be reeves?'
'What does that matter as long as there are remnants of the army running and hiding?' objected the young man as his companions nodded to support him. 'There are cohorts still training in this place called Wedrewe, up in Herelia. I saw them.'
'Wedrewe must be dealt with,' Joss agreed, 'but I want you to think a moment about the remnants of the Star of Life army. Who are they, really? Yesterday I fought hand-to-hand a sergeant in Lord Radas's army.'
'Who won?' called the Naya Hall lass.
'Do you even need to ask?' They laughed, and he waved them to silence. 'He reminded me of certain men in the village where I grew up. It's easy for a man to set a foot on the wrong path, to walk crooked out of anger or grief or greed. Those men are like
dogs lost in the woods. But they aren't our enemy. They're our brothers and cousins. In different circumstances, they might have been ourselves. We made them because we didn't pay attention while the world fell apart around us. Some can be lured back and make restitution, rebuild a life, and some just can't. But those who can't are criminals. They should be treated as the criminals they are. They should be arrested and brought before the assizes to answer for their crimes. The assizes is the rightful place for these matters, not a single cpmmander. For think of what a powerfully dangerous thing it would be if one man can pass judgment according to the strength of his will? Isn't that exactly what Lord Radas was doing? Isn't that exactly what the corrupted cloaks did, who hammered stars out of tin and gave them to their followers to wear? Do we want to become like them? Or do we want to restore justice? Maybe to make some changes — yes-' He nodded at the Copper Hall reeves who seemed about to object again. 'Yes, we need a new halls council-'