A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

The week passed in relative peace. Life in the camp settled into a routine familiar to military personnel: daily training, maintenance of weapons and equipment, camp chores, hunting and trading with the nearby villages for food. The enemy hadn’t shown their faces yet, leaving the river valley to its picturesque calm. Sevei and Yanek actually had done some fishing.

The two Generals called an uneasy truce which took the form of a rigidly businesslike formality whenever they must interact. One would think they were speaking before the King’s throne when they were seen together, but it got the necessary jobs done. On the other hand, Sevei and Kahan had struck up an amicable rapport, with Kahan running interference between the two antagonists.

It was getting on towards dinner time, the troops beginning to clear the training grounds, when Sevei caught sight of Urskatha and Kahan across the lists exchanging sword moves with one another in slow motion. Urskatha motioned for a halt, demonstrated a stance to Kahan, then corrected her posture, guiding her sword arm into a sweeping arc. He stepped back, and they squared off again, resuming the carefully choreographed practice. Sevei’s eyes narrowed as he watched closely, then his gaze swept across the field to where the Sekkha were packing up their gear for the day.

“Yan!” he called. “Go get Commander Bhari.”

Yanek froze and looked askance at him.

“I... why me?” he asked nervously.

Sevei cocked his head to the side. “Yanek, you are the Second-in-Command of this unit. You needn’t fear telling the Sekkha Commander that I’d like to see her.”

“If you say so,” Yanek replied skeptically. “I come back minus a few fingers, I’m blaming you.”

Sevei chuckled as his Second jogged away. Yanek was joking, mostly. The Sekkha warriors did have a rather fierce reputation, but both Sevei and Yanek knew that they were damned lucky to have them on their side.

The tribe they came from was secretive and reclusive, and only begrudgingly loyal to Valesk ever since the country had conquered their territory several generations back. Sevei had met Commander Bhari while rooting out bandits in the East, and they had bonded somewhat over that common goal. When the King had demanded military tribute in support of this war, she had volunteered her troop on the condition that she would only serve with Sevei’s unit.

As Bhari and Yanek approached, Sevei turned and strolled casually over to Urskatha and Kahan, beckoning the others to follow. They watched the practice before them for a moment longer, then Sevei turned to Bhari.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” the woman replied, her scarlet veil inflating with her breath, “this will not do at all.”

Kahan faltered on her next move, her eyes widening as she saw the Sekkha warrior among them, her expression enraptured. Urskatha dropped his sword to his side and turned to them, visibly annoyed.

“Is there something we can do for you?” he asked shortly.

“General Urskatha, Sergeant Kahan,” Sevei said solemnly, “I’d like you to meet Commander Shura Bhari of the Sekkha.”

“General,” Bhari said with an almost dismissive nod in his direction. Then she turned to Kahan, folded both hands over her breast, and lowered her head. “My Lady,” she said quietly.

Kahan was startled out of her transfixion. “It’s... Sergeant is my only title,” she said, with no small amount of anxiety.

Bhari’s dark, black-rimmed eyes narrowed, her brows knitting together into a frown. She sighed, then turned to Urskatha.

“The way you’re teaching won’t be useful to her,” she said with absolute authority.

Sevei thought he detected a tiny flinch pass through Urskatha’s eyes. This woman was shorter than all of them, including Kahan, but when she spoke, her presence seemed to tower over them all. Sevei pressed his lips together to suppress a smile, and took a step back to give Bhari the floor. When she spoke again, it was directed to Kahan.

“You have learned the basics well from him,” she continued, “but you won’t progress under his instruction. He doesn’t know how to teach you. No fault of his. Women’s bodies are built differently than men’s. We carry our weight differently, we move differently.” She eyed Urskatha with suspicion. “Do you wish for her to make progress?”

“Of course,” Urskatha answered, his tone wary and a bit bemused as he countered Bhari’s dark glare.

“Do you think you’ll have the time, Commander?” Sevei asked, still keeping his amusement in check.

Bhari again folded her hands and bowed towards Kahan. “My Lady, I would be honored to instruct you, if you’ll have me as your teacher. I will make the time.”

Kahan blushed and she became visibly flustered, reaching her hands toward the woman but retracting them before touching her. “The honor would be mine,” she insisted, “but, please, don’t be like this. I’m... not a Lady.”

Bhari peered up at her with sorrowful eyes. “You will accept me, though?” she asked softly.

“Yeresym?” Kahan said, turning to glance at Urskatha.

“Must she have your permission, Lord Urskatha?” Bhari said, emphasizing his family name with a cold disdain.

“No,” he answered. “Meira, this is a good opportunity.” For a moment, he looked thoughtfully at Sevei, then gave him a short nod.

A broad smile lit across Kahan’s face, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“First thing,” Bhari said, her businesslike demeanor returning, “this sword is not right for you.” She plucked the object in question out of Kahan’s hand and passed it over to Urskatha. “Try this one,” she continued, drawing her own sword and handing it to Kahan, who sucked in a breath and examined it with amazement. “Our swords are designed for us. They are lighter, and the curvature of the blade will flow with your body.”

The men all stood aside as Bhari moved around Kahan and closed in on her back.

“My teaching methods are rather hands-on,” she said lowly. “May I touch you?”

Kahan’s face turned sharply to the side, her attention drawn to the woman behind her. Her face registered momentary surprise, her lips parting silently, the color rising in her cheeks again, but despite her hesitant expression, she nodded. Bhari took Kahan’s right hand along with the sword and swept it outward. Her left hand crept around Kahan’s waist and slid down her hip.

“Bend your knees slightly, and tilt your hips this way,” she said into Kahan’s ear.

Kahan’s face went entirely red, and she turned further over her shoulder.

“Pay attention to the sword,” Bhari murmured, her voice tinged with mirth. “Now go through the form the General taught you, but let me show you how the sword can move with more fluidity.”

On the sidelines, Yanek sighed heavily. Sevei gave him a sharp look and jabbed him with an elbow. Looking around, he found that General Urskatha had quietly left at some point. He cleared his throat loudly.

“I think it’s time we were getting back,” he announced.

“Yes,” Bhari agreed, stepping away from Kahan. “If you don’t mind, I’ll walk back with the Sergeant. We have matters to discuss. Privately.”

Sevei nodded, then pulled Yanek along with him. They set out across the empty training grounds to check for anything that may have been left behind. The light was beginning to fade, the trees along the river casting long shadows across the field. A chorus of frogs and crickets began to sing from the riverside.

“Did you have to ogle them like that?” Sevei complained as they walked along.

“I did no such thing!” Yanek protested. “What are you thinking of? They are both my colleagues.” He looked back the way they’d come from briefly. “Our Sergeant did seem to be enjoying herself quite thoroughly, though.”

Sevei turned to glare at him. “Is that something to joke about?”

Yanek returned a serious and contemplative gaze. “Who’s joking?” he said softly. “You’ve done a really good thing for her today. Maybe more than one good thing. It’s probably hard for someone in her position to have anything of her own. Of course, if they did get together, it could only last as long as we’re here, and she’d have to hide it from Urskatha, but a bit of forbidden romance could be exciting for her, don’t you think?”

Sevei gave Yanek an incredulous glare, wondering if the man had completely lost his mind.

“What nonsense are you spouting...?” he began.

At that moment, all of the creatures in the underbrush fell silent, and the darkness of the riverside erupted in a spectacular display of crackling, blue-white lightning. Sevei and Yanek almost jumped out of their skins.

“Alchemists?!” Yanek said, peering into the gloom of the trees. “What is going on over there?”

Something whooshed through the air near Sevei’s face and thudded into the ground nearby.

“Arrows!” he hissed. “Yanek, go alert the camp. I think we’ve got company.” He drew his sword, then crouched low and began to move toward the river.

“Where are you going?” Yanek objected, pulling him back.

“Some of our own are in there, or there wouldn’t be fighting yet,” Sevei said. “I’ll be careful, just go get backup. Now!”