The Heroes

Styria. Gifts from the king, for saving his life at the Battle of Adua. Rurgen drew the long steel from the scabbard and displayed both sides, immaculately polished metal flashing with the dawn. Gorst nodded. His servant showed him the short steel next, edges coldly glittering. Gorst nodded, took the harness and buckled it on. Then he rested one hand on Younger’s shoulder, one on Rurgen’s, gave them a gentle squeeze and smiled.
    Rurgen spoke softly, respecting the silence. ‘General Jalenhorm asked that you join him at the head of the column, sir, as soon as the division begins to march.’
    Younger squinted up into the brightening sky. ‘Only six miles from Osrung, sir. Do you think there’ll be a battle today?’
    ‘I hope not.’
But by the Fates, I hope there is. Oh please, oh please, oh please, I beg you only for this one thing. Send me a battle.

Ambition

    ‘F in?’
    ‘Mmmm?’
    He propped himself up on his elbow, grinning down at her. ‘I love you.’
    ‘Mmmm.’
    A pause. She had long ago stopped expecting love to fall upon her like a bolt of lightning. Some people are prone to love of that kind. Others are harder-headed.
    ‘Fin?’
    ‘Mmmm?’
    ‘Really. I love you.’
    She did love him, even if she somehow found it hard to say the words. Something very close to love. He looked magnificent in a uniform and even better without one, sometimes surprised her by making her laugh, and there was definite fire when they kissed. He was honourable, generous, diligent, respectful, good-smelling … no towering intellect, true, but probably that was just as well. There is rarely room for two of those in one marriage.
    ‘Good boy,’ she murmured, patting him on his cheek. She had great affection for him, and only occasionally a little contempt, which was better than she could say for most men. They were well matched. Optimist and pessimist, idealist and pragmatist, dreamer and cynic. Not to mention his noble blood and her burning ambition.
    He gave a disappointed sigh. ‘I swear every man in the whole damn army loves you.’
    ‘Your commanding officer, Lord Governor Meed?’
    ‘Well … no, probably not him, but I expect even he’d warm to you if you stopped making such a bloody fool of him.’
    ‘If I stopped he’d only do it to himself.’
    ‘Probably, but men have a higher tolerance for that.’
    ‘There’s only one officer whose opinion I give a damn about, anyway.’
    He smiled as he traced her ribs with a fingertip. ‘Really?’
    ‘Captain Hardrick.’ She clicked her tongue. ‘I think it’s those very, verytight cavalry trousers of his. I like to drop things so he’ll pick them up for me. Ooops.’ She touched her finger to her lip, fluttering her lashes. ‘Curse my clumsiness, I’ve let fall my fan again! You couldn’t just reach for it, could you, Captain? You’ve almost got it. Only bend a little lower, Captain. Only bend … a little …
lower.
    ‘Shameless. I don’t think Hardrick would suit you at all, though. The man’s dull as a plank. You’d be bored in minutes.’
    Finree puffed out her cheeks. ‘You’re probably right. A good arse only goes so far. Something most men never realise. Maybe …’ She thought through her acquaintance for the most ridiculous lover, smiled as she lighted on the perfect candidate. ‘Bremer dan Gorst, then? Can’t really say he’s got the looks … or the wit … or the standing, but I’ve a feeling there’s a deep well of emotion beneath that lumpen exterior. The voice would take some getting used to, of course, if one could coax out more than two words together, but if you like the strong and silent type, I’d say he scores stupendously high on both counts— What?’ Hal wasn’t smiling any more. ‘I’m joking. I’ve known him for years. He’s harmless.’
    ‘Harmless? Have you ever seen him fight?’
    ‘I’ve seen him fence.’
    ‘Not quite the same.’
    There was something in the way he was holding back that made her want to know more. ‘Have you seen him fight?’
    ‘Yes.’ ‘And?’
    ‘And … I’m glad he’s on our side.’
    She brushed the tip of his nose with a finger. ‘Oh, my poor baby. Are you scared of him?’
    He rolled away from her, onto his back. ‘A little. Everyone should be at least a little scared of Bremer dan Gorst.’ That surprised her. She hadn’t thought Hal was afraid of anything. They lay there, for a moment, the canvas above them flapping gently with the wind outside.
    Now she