Warprize

and waited for him to retrieve his horse. I thought he would mount, but he grabbed up the reins and started walking. I followed behind, but he waited for me to move up beside him. Then he wrinkled his nose. The horse snorted, and shook its head. Keir moved to the upwind side and we proceeded on.
    I cleared my throat. “I checked on Simus. He is doing very well.”
    No response. I continued. “He wants to be up and moving, but I think I convinced him to stay off the leg for another day or so.”
    Still no response. I sighed and decided to shut up. The sun was almost gone now, the colors of the night sky fading into black over our heads. We were getting closer to his tent, and I was getting nervous. Finally, I blurted out, “Are you going to punish me?”
    Silence.
    “One of the warriors had been beaten, and just dumped inside the tent.” Nervously, I blithered on, afraid of the silence. “I couldn’t just leave him lying there. Those men needed aid, they had no one to help them, no one to care for…” My voice trailed off and died at the expression on Keir’s face.
    “Marcus became concerned when you did not return. He sent for me, and I have been searching for you. It looks bad to lose one’s warprize on the very first day.” The voice was quiet, his face unreadable.
    “Are you going to punish me?” My voice cracked slightly.
    “No.” Keir handed his reins to one of the guards who came up. He turned with an odd expression on his face. “I won’t need to.”
    Just then, the tent flap pulled back. I turned, startled, to find one very angry Marcus standing there. His scarred face transformed into a snarl of rage.
    I gulped, and stepped back a pace, bumping into Keir.
    “Where have the likes of you been?” His voice cut through the night. “Had to send Hisself out to find you, that I did.” He moved back to allow me to step into the tent. “How hard is it to find the tent of Simus? Eh? Then return here?” he glared at me, his hands on his hips. “Where have you been?” He frowned, then drew in a deep breath. His eye widened and his face screwed up in disgust. Keir had followed me into the tent, and I heard a soft chuckle from behind me. Marcus’s glare deepened as he raked his eye over my clothes. I looked down. For the first time I noticed the stains and wrinkles. I swallowed hard and looked over my shoulder for help.
    None was forthcoming. Keir arched an eyebrow at me. “I’ll return after awhile.” I could have sworn he grinned as he turned away and left the tent.
    “No sense, no sky-blessed brains.” Marcus grabbed me by the shoulder and pushed me into the back sleeping area. “Been rolling in the muck pits, eh?” He vanished for a moment and returned with a sheet. “
    Strip and wrap up in this.”
    “Marcus, I…”
    That one eye glared at me fiercely. I grabbed the sheet and held it to me as I slid out of my shirt.
    “Hisself says ‘take care of warprize, look after warprize.” Marcus stomped off with the shirt. I took the opportunity to shed the rest and get the sheet wrapped around me. His voice floated out of the other room. “Doesn’t tell Marcus that the warprize doesn’t have the brains that the elements gave a gosling.”
    He stomped back in and gathered up my stuff, holding it at arms length. He fixed me with another glare. “
    Standing there? When there is hot water going cold?” He gestured into the privy area. I moved rapidly, but with some dignity into that room, closing the flap behind me. Marcus followed me in. “Stand there.” He pointed to the wooden platform in the center. “Water drains out below. You understand? Or do I need to wash you myself?” His one eye cut into me as I shook my head and clutched my sheet tighter around me.
    Exasperated, he flung up his hands. “Warprize you may be, but nothing there I’ve not seen before.” With that he stomped out, but his voice pierced the canvas as he left. “Gosling? Did I say gosling?” He growled out the words. “More like the brains of an ox.”
    I cringed back from the door, and stood for a moment, getting my heart and breath under control. Really, Marcus was no different from Anna, right? I kept trying to convince myself of that as I turned and found four buckets of water steaming there, and soap and scrub rags waiting on a small table. Marcus was still talking, his voice fading in and out as he moved about. Thankfully, I couldn’t make out the details. There were stones under the platform and