Page 7 of The Study of Magic
“You will leave in the morning, and, by the time the rumors circulate, you’ll be in MD-3.” The Commander paused. “Take an extra horse for Ute just in case Franis refuses to give her one. He’ll probably send a message to Tesso. Be careful on the way back. Even though you outrank the generals, they’re unhappy with you at the moment.”
“They’ve never been happy with me.”
“That’s on me. Since you tried to assassinate me before the takeover, they’ve never fully trusted you. They campaigned long and hard for you to be ranked below them. I refused.”
“That’s a long time to hold a grudge.”
“It is. And they all have an army of loyal soldiers, so you should prepare for some trouble.”
“I always do.”
“Good. Stop by to collect the paperwork before you leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
Valek downed the rest of his drink and left. Since he was already soaked and it was still raining, he headed to the barracks to recruit a couple soldiers. The Commander considered, in the morningto bedawn.And Valek desperately needed a good night’s sleep.
* * *
The rain drummed on the roof of the wooden barracks. The flames flickered inside the lanterns as the cold wind blew through the gaps in the walls. The soldiers not on duty either huddled around burn barrels or were wrapped in heavy cloaks and playing cards. A few slept on the bunks.
Valek hoped Captain Ari wasn’t on duty. While the Commander’s elite unit was filled with top-notched individuals, Valek preferred to travel with a familiar person. Plus, Ari had proven to be intelligent, dependable, and more than qualified, and Ari would know who else would be right for the mission.
He found Ari playing cards in the farthest building. Valek was surprised to see his partner, Janco, sitting next to him. Janco had been skewered by a sword about a month ago while fighting to save the Commander. Valek thought the man would still be off the duty roster. However, Janco was wrapped up in a blanket and looked pale. Perhaps he remained on bed rest.
Ari jumped to attention when he spotted Valek. He scowled at the others until they surged to their feet.
“At ease,” Valek said. “Captains, a word?”
The three of them found a quiet corner.
“Yelena?” Ari asked immediately. A worried crinkle rose between his pale-blue eyes. Ari had been the one to discover Tam wasn’t a member of Brazell’s army and had figured out when the assassin left, giving Valek enough time to catch up.
“Safe,” Valek said.
Both men relaxed. They were beyond friends with Yelena. Probably in the realm of family.
“Phew,” Janco said. “That was an agonizing two weeks.”
“And Tam?” Ari asked.
“Dead.”
“Good.”
“Ari, I’ve been assigned another mission and need some backup. Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know anyone who is qualified to go with us?”
“Me!” Janco raised his hand.
“Aren’t you still recovering?”
“No. I’m healed. One hundred percent good to go. And I was practically raised on a horse.”
