First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera 6)

"What is this?" Varg said.

"It is what it is," Tavi replied. "Two Canim just attempted to kill me in my command post. They entered posing as your messengers. One wore the armor of a Narashan warrior. The other wore the equipment of Nasaug's militia."

Varg's ears swiveled forward and locked into position. For a Cane, it was an expression of polite interest, but the stillness of the rest of Varg's body amounted to the equivalent of an expressionless mask, meant to give nothing of his thoughts away.

"Where are they?" Varg asked.

Tavi felt himself tense at the question but forced his body to remain confident, calm. "Dead."

Varg's throat rumbled with a low growl.

"I cannot let such a thing pass unchallenged," Tavi replied.

"No," Varg said. "You cannot."

"I would face the Cane responsible."

Varg's eyes narrowed. Several seconds of silence passed before he spoke. "Then you would face me. I lead my people. I am responsible for them."

Tavi nodded slowly. "I thought you'd say that."

Nasaug let out a low, rumbling growl.

"Peace," Varg rumbled, glancing over his shoulder.

Nasaug subsided.

Varg turned back to Tavi. "Where and when."

"Our forces must leave in two days," Tavi said. "Is that time enough to prepare such a thing?"

"In addition to what is already under way?" Varg asked. "No."

"Then we will meet as soon as you have made preparations. Single blade, open field, until one falls."

"Agreed," Varg said.

The two exchanged another barely detectable bow. Tavi took several slow steps back, never turning his eyes from Varg. Then he turned, made a gesture with one hand to his companions, and started back the way he had come.

Rumors were already flying among the Canim. Hundreds, if not thousands, of them came to stare at the Alerans as they returned. Though the mutter of basso voices speaking Canish was never a friendly, soothing sound, Tavi imagined that their general tone was considerably uglier than any he had heard before. He walked through the crowd of towering wolf-folk, his eyes focused ahead of him, his expression set in a clenched-jaw snarl. He was peripherally aware of Kitai at his side, of Max, Crassus, and Schultz at his back. They were all walking in time with him, boots striking the ground at the same time - even Kitai, for once.

The Canim did not try to stop them although Tavi spotted a large mob coming their way as they reached the edge of the camp, led by half a dozen ritualists in their mantles of pale human leather. He tracked it from the corner of his eye but did not alter their pace. If the Aleran party appeared to the Canim around them to be fleeing, it could trigger an attack - and no matter how powerful the individuals with him might be, they were only a handful of people, and there were hundreds of Canim around them. They would be torn to pieces.

Tavi went back through the broken gates and past the two guards there, both of whom were on their feet again and looking surly. Neither met Tavi's gaze or attempted to challenge him, though, and the ritualist-led mob was still a hundred yards off when Tavi went through and started back up the hill. It wasn't until they were out of range of a Canim-thrown stone or spear that he allowed himself to begin to relax.

"Bloody crows," breathed Schultz, from behind him.

"Crows and bloody furies," agreed Max. "Did you see that group with the ritualists? They'd have jumped on us in a heartbeat."

"Aye," Crassus said. "That would have gotten ugly."

"Which is why the captain broke the gates on the way in," Kitai said. "Obviously."

"I've never regretted making sure I had a quick way out," Tavi said. "Centurion."

"Sir," Schultz said.

Tavi nodded to the legionares on duty at the gate to the First Aleran's camp as they passed through. "I want you to speak to your Tribune. Let him know that I want the Battlecrows for detached duty. That's all he needs to know."

"Sir," Schultz acknowledged.

"Pack them up for a mounted march and take them up to the engineering cohort's position. It's on a beach north of Antillus. Secure the engineers and keep an eye out for any suspicious Canim. If they're going to make trouble for us, it will be at the staging area, so I want your men on station before nightfall."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir," Schultz said seriously. He saluted and turned to start walking. "On my way."

"Max, take the cavalry with him. Keep one wing ready to respond to an attack at all times. Don't be subtle about it, either. I want anyone who thinks about interfering with the engineers to know what they're in for if they try it."

Max nodded. "Got it. What are we guarding again?"

"You'll figure it out," Tavi said. "Crassus, I know they aren't going to like it, but I need the Knights to pretend they're engineers again. The next couple of days are going to be difficult. Go with Max and Schultz and report to the senior engineering staff."

Crassus sighed. "At least it won't be more ice ships."

Tavi glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Not... exactly, no."

Max and Crassus traded a look.

"Does he know how annoying that is?" Max asked.

"Oh, absolutely," Crassus said.

"You think we should say anything about it?"

"The burden of command is heavy," Crassus said soberly. "We should probably let him have his sick fun."

Max nodded. "Especially since he's going to do it anyway."

"He is the mighty First Lord," Crassus said. "We are but lowly legionares. We obey without question."

"We do?"

"That was a question. You're questioning."

"Right," Max said. "Sorry."

"Just get up there, both of you," Tavi said. "The vord will be here in force in two days. We need to be on the move by then. I need you to help make it happen."

The brothers rapped fists to breastplates and marched off, continuing to bicker lightly with one another as they walked.

Kitai watched them for a moment and smiled. "They have become friends. I like that."

"They're brothers," Tavi said.

She looked at him, green eyes serious. "It is not the same for everyone. Blood draws some together. Their blood came between them."

Tavi nodded. "They weren't always this way, no."

Kitai smiled faintly. "They are your friends as well. They went when you asked them to go."