Page 46 of The Warrior's Oath
“And that’s fine, but the humans are mine, okay? We search for everyone. They’re my only link to home.”
“But you said yourself that you barely knew them. They are not your friends. Your comrades.”
“That’s not the point. Sure, I may not have known them all that long, but they’re still my friends in a way. The others in my holding cell? We supported each other during our captivity, and I owe it to them to do what I can to help if I can.”
Korvin stopped in his tracks, turning an annoyed glare at the little human woman. His jaw flexed slightly, but he kept his tone level. “The general is a great man as well as my friend and leader. Compared to civilians? And non-Dotharian subjects at that? He is the clear priority.”
“And I’m going after the humans,” she shot back, fearlessly staring up at the massive man. “And if I recall correctly, you’re supposed to be protecting me, right?”
“It is my duty,” he grumbled, knowing where this was heading and grudgingly respecting the power over him she was now flexing.
“Then we look for the humans too. I’m not saying we aren’t trying to find your friend as well, buteveryoneis a priority.”
Korvin took a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders as he slowly exhaled. “Of course,” he said. “I will do as you ask.”
“Thank you.”
“But we are deep in Dohrag territory, and with Raxxians likely in the area as well. I will abide your request, but you must also do as I say. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I say run, you run. Do not hesitate, and do not ask questions. Are we in agreement?”
“Sure. You’re the expert in all that sort of thing. So long as we’re on the same page I’m all good.”
“Very well.”
“So, which way do we go?” she asked, peering at the holographic map displayed as a small projection from the pocket-sized device the magistrate had provided them.
Korvin studied it a long while, adjusting the angle of the image, zooming in as close as possible on several of the locations marked by the scouting party. A few of the sites appeared to be burned up crash downs. Those would be ignored for now as anyone aboard them would have perished either during the fiery re-entry into the atmosphere, or upon impact. The remaining ones, however, all held the possibility of survivors.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Do we pick one based on proximity?”
He spun the image assessing their options a moment longer before shutting off the projection and tucking the device back into his pocket.
“No. There are signs that the closest has already been picked over.”
“You saw that? I didn’t—”
“It is subtle, but I have spent many years learning to identify these things. A smaller ship hovered, likely sending a scouting party down to the surface. Treetops were slightly bent, but not from the downed ship.”
“You could tell?”
“The angle was different from that caused when the segment landed. A careless mistake, but one I am not surprised a Dohrag would make.”
“You really don’t like those guys, do you?”
“They are thugs,” he sneered. “Brutish, aggressive, without tact or nuance. Yes, a formidable adversary in numbers, but one that lacks the refinement of a proper foe.”
“You sound like a samurai with all that ‘worthy adversary’ talk.”
“What is a samurai?”
“It’s an old Earth thing. An aristocratic warrior class who served under feudal rulers in a place called Japan. They were often attributed with a sense of honor, justice, and that sort of thing.”
“They indeed sound like their morals aligned with those of the Bohdzee.”
“Well, yes and no. A lot of that stuff was exaggerated, and from what my ex told me, they were often pretty brutal.”
“War is brutality, there is not always a means to avoid that.”
“Sure, but he was really into that stuff. Made me watch a ton of old sword fighting movies when we were together.”
