Page 9 of The Study of Magic
Janco’s sleepy expression dropped when he spotted the horses. “Ooohhh, she’s a beaut!” He went over to the liver-colored chestnut horse with big brown eyes and a glossy black mane. She cocked a long ear as he ran his hand down her neck, withers, and legs, checking for hot spots. “What’s her name?”
“Lovey,” the Stable Master said, joining them. “And this one is Hugh.”
Hugh was a big and sturdy dappled gray. His mane and long tail were charcoal colored. Even his eyes were a dark gray.
“The other is Clover the Clever, she’s the smartest in the stable and has the smoothest gait. We call her Clover for short. Are they dark enough for you?”
Clover the Clever was a bay with a reddish-brown coat. Her mane and tail had been braided.
“Yes, thanks,” Valek said.
“Why does their color matter?” Janco asked.
Ari answered. “We’re riding north where everything is still in the grips of the cold weather. A light-colored horse will not blend in as well. And I’m guessing we want to blend in.”
“We do. Well, as much as we can riding horses in Ixia,” Valek said.
“Clover will be best for our new general to ride. She’ll demonstrate the quality of MD-5’s breeding and training program,” the Stable Master said with a smirk.
Ari and Janco glanced at Valek. “New general?”
It never ceased to amaze Valek how quickly gossip traveled through the staff. If only his spy network was as efficient. Hopefully the rumors only mentioned the reason for his trip and not their destination. “I’ll brief you on the way. Secure your gear. We don’t have time to waste.”
The captains filled the saddlebags with their supplies and strapped their swords onto the saddles for quick and easy access. Each also had a backpack with a bedroll attached. The spartan travel shelters along the route were uncomfortable, and the thin mats would be welcome after a full day of riding.
Ari mounted Hugh, while Janco hopped onto Lovey’s back. Clover’s reins were tied to Onyx’s saddle. With Valek in the lead, they headed north. General Franis’s manor house was in the south-eastern section of MD-3, and close to the border with MD-4. It was near the foothills of the Soul Mountains, close to the various entrances of the diamond mines that crisscrossed the long mountain chain. Mines that Franis oversaw, ensuring the onsite supervisors followed the Commander’s safety protocols. Mine collapses, gas explosions, and workers getting lost and dying in the tunnels were a thing of the past. The chain still produced diamonds, although not as many as in the past, and they were all shipped to the Commander who either gifted them to hard workers or sold them.
The trip would take approximately five and a half days on horseback. The route Valek decided to take would, thankfully, be far to the east of General Tesso’s manor house and near the rolling foothills.
Valek briefed Ari and Janco about the mission during their first stop to rest and feed the horses around noon. A blanket of clouds sealed the sky, transforming the landscape into a stark world filled with hues of gray. Water rushed from a nearby spring and snaked through the still frozen ground. Ice crunched on the stream’s banks, but the horses didn’t seem to mind the brisk temperature as they ducked their heads to drink.
“Why would the generals expect to be consulted?” Ari asked. He chewed on a stick, claiming it was beef jerky. “We’re never asked about our colleagues before they’re promoted.”
“Many of the generals have been with the Commander since he made the decision to takeover Ixia. They worked with him and his family in the diamond mines and trained him how to fight and strategize. They didn’t work their way up through the ranks like you and Janco, so they have a different relationship.”
“I’m not sure you can say Jancoworked,” Ari teased.
“Hey!” Janco glowered at his partner. “Every one of my promotions was earned with blood, sweat, and tears.” He smirked. “The tears of myopponents, that is!”
Ari groaned. Before they could start bickering, Valek told them to mount up.
They were still within the borders of MD-5 when the light began to fade and they reached the first travel shelter. The small rectangular shaped building’s roof extended over the stalls for the horses. The ad-hoc stable had some bales of straw and buckets.
After they rubbed down the horses and filled the buckets with water and grain, they trod inside as darkness settled. The horses had excellent night vision, but Valek didn’t want to exhaust them by riding more than eight hours each day. Better for them to save their energy for the trip back. The one-room shelter contained two rows of four wooden bunk beds and a hearth. The place was empty.
Ari piled firewood on the stones and set it alight. They boiled some water for tea.
Janco gnawed on a stick of jerky. “Pah,” he spat. “I’m already sick of travel rations. Will we have time for a hot meal at the general’s house?”
“I expect that we’ll be there for a few days to give the Colonel time to pack and say goodbye. The general will probably have a congratulatory dinner for her,” Valek said. “Unless he’s not happy about the promotion.”
“And then?”
“We won’t linger over the goodbyes.”
Janco laughed. “In that case, there won’t be agoodin goodbye.”
He certainly had a unique way of looking at life. And it struck Valek that he didn’t know much about either man’s past. “How did you and Ari meet?”
