Page 68 of An Archer's Reckoning

“You gonna answer me, boy?”

I dismounted and guided my horse toward the man. “Sergeant, I’ve come from Grove’s Pass with a message for General Vre.”

At the mention of Vre, the sergeant’s spine stiffened, and his eyes widened. “Come with me. I’ll take you to him.” Then he turned to another soldier nearby and barked, “Corporal, take this horse to the stables. I want it watered, fed, and ready to run as fast as the stable master can turn him around. Tell him to use his magic if he has to.”

I gave the burly man a questioning look.

“You’ve got that road-worn look in your eyes. Messenger, right? I bet the General will send you back with a reply faster than you can blink. You’ll need that mount fresh.”

“Guess so. I didn’t think about that.” My shoulders slumped at the thought of hitting the road again so soon after arriving. Daydreams of a comfortable cot and hot meals evaporated.

I couldn’t stop my head from swiveling as we traveled the graveled road that led through the center of the Army Compound. The place was dizzying.

Grassy fields were crammed with practicing and drilling men. Officers in crisp blue coats and golden epaulets that glinted in the waning sunlight relayed orders. Sergeants barked at rank after rank of sweaty, shirtless men who looked worn and weary from a long day. Young boys in miniature coats and brimmed caps scurried about, carrying messages and hauling water for the weary troops.

Everywhere I looked, the compound writhed with activity.

Somebody sure kicked this anthill.

We made it to the boxy stone headquarters and were stopped by two men with towering pikes standing guard at the door. After a brief exchange with the sergeant, the guards uncrossed their pikes and nodded us through. At each new hallway, another pair of guards repeated the process. I couldn’t remember guards in the Rangers’ headquarters. I was baffled as to why they’d need them inside the army’s heart.

Before I could ask one of the dozen questions rumbling through my mind, we reached the end of a long hallway and stood before a heavy wooden door. A lone soldier sat behind an ancient desk. Two guards flanked either side of the door, swords on their hips and crossbows across their backs.

“Ranger for the General. Messenger from Grove’s Pass,” the sergeant said to the man behind the desk, ignoring the heavily armed guards.

The man’s sharp eyes scanned me. “Weapons?”

“Uh, no, sir. Just my knife,” I stammered.

“On the table, Ranger. Now.” The man was all business.

I fumbled to remove my dagger. Thethunkas it hit the table made me jump, even though I was the one who dropped it. The officer’s chair squealed as he sat back, his eyes hinting at amusement.

“He’s all yours,” the sergeant said before disappearing back down the hallway.

The seated soldier leaned forward and whispered, a tone of brotherly advice threading his voice. “Just get straight to the point and answer any questions he asks directly. You’ll be fine.”

The guards opened the large door and stepped in before me, taking up positions on either side. One of them had to actually nudge me forward when I stopped midway through the entrance to gawk at the General’s office. The General leaned against the front of a large mahogany desk. Colorful banners and flags hung on the wall behind the desk, while maps of every corner of Melucia adorned every other wall.

General Vre was a stout man with a broad chest and shoulders. I was shocked that he looked no more than thirty, though everyone knew his real age topped four decades. Thick, wavy black hair parted on one side and curled at the end, as if it was smiling. A tightly cropped shadow and goatee accentuated his youthful appearance.

Like officers I had seen throughout the compound, Vre wore a crisp blue coat whose collar and cuffs glittered with a thick line of gold. On his right shoulder, gold filigree traced an ornate pattern of curves and swirls that extended nearly to his elbow, the emblem of Melucia’s chief military officer and member of the Triad.

A man with flaxen hair stood facing the General, his back to me. He spoke in low tones that halted abruptly as we stepped into the room.

General Vre’s head snapped up. His sharp brown eyes locking onto one of the guards at my side. “What is it now?”

“Messenger for you, sir . . . from Grove’s Pass,” one of the guards said, his eyes staring straight ahead into the distance at nothing.

The General looked at me, waited, then barked, “What are you waiting for, boy? Out with it.”

I stepped forward and approached the General. His guest never turned.

“Uh, sir, Cap’n said to just tellyou.” My eyes darted to the General’s guest, then back to Vre.

The General considered a moment, then nodded to the man. “Out. Now.”

The guards spun on their heels and vanished. The General’s guest gathered some parchments, notes from their meeting, and strode from the room, eyeing me as he passed. When the door clicked shut, Vre walked around his desk and took a seat at a round table, motioning for me to join him.

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