Strange Bedfellows Chapter 4.b

Shara woke, somehow feeling odd about thinking of herself as 'Shara'.  She'd been pretending to be Katia for long enough now that it was starting to grow on her and her own name was feeling a bit...  foreign.  That wasn't the only thing that was on her mind though.

She reached down and put her hand over her womb, thinking about the tiny new life that was within.  The baby would be the heir to her father's kingdom if it was a boy since Shara was an only child.  Shara's mother Hylea was her father's second wife, and his first wife had been barren until she died.  Hylea had been Shara's age when she'd married her much older father, but even so, it was a few years before Shara had been born.

Still, her parents were happily married despite the age difference.  She adored him and he doted on her, and both did both to her.  She'd had a good childhood and she wanted to give the same to her child.  She just didn't know how that was possible.  Her father's castle was about to be conquered and the conquering king had a vendetta against her husband.

She rolled this around in her head for several minutes before she realized that she was laying across Kalus's chest using it as a pillow and he had his arm around her.  She hesitated for a moment, then realized that he was still asleep.

He wouldn't know.

It was comfortable, and he wouldn't know.

She could stay like that, right?

It was comfortable and the air was cold while he was warm.  He was her child's father even if he was the enemy, so it was okay, right?  The enemy's baby was in her womb, but she couldn't imagine thinking of any child of hers as an enemy.  Besides Kalus was a good man and almost certainly would be a good father.  Not for the first time, she wished that he wasn't her own father's enemy.  He was a good man despite everything that had happened.  If only he wasn't the enemy, then she could be happy with him.

If only.

Round and round her brain went until the other two started to stir.  She pretended to be asleep until Kalus gave her a gentle shake.  She acted startled, and then hastily rolled away from him.  She immediately missed the contact and warmth, but of course she wouldn't admit it.  Kalus got up and dressed fully at once.  Not knowing what else to do, she followed his lead.  It was still barely light outside and she knew from experience that the camp wouldn't break until after breakfast.

Lyra followed their lead and he led them out of the tent into the bleak morning air.  It was a dreary morning with overcast clouds and the vague feeling of rain in the air.  It wasn't actually raining, but it felt like it had drizzled recently.  Kyselius was sitting close to the tent with the six other members of Kalus's council.

They all looked grim.

"What's the butcher's bill?"  Kalus asked.

His herald swallowed.  "Total for the whole army, almost six thousand dead."

Lyra gasped.

Shara felt her jaw drop.

"A whole legion."  Kalus closed his eyes, hung his head slightly, and shook it slowly.  "How?"

"We estimate that they had five thousand men in their main force, or thereabouts."  Kyselius replied.  "They hit the vanguard and rearguard first, using coordinated archers to take out the sentries on duty.  We think they might've used a mage or two to help keep things stealthy, but we aren't sure.  Then they went tent-to-tent slitting throats.  The other legions didn't have our security and were losing men fast before anyone realized what was going on.  Once the alarm was raised, they started slaughtering in earnest."

"And how about our men?"

"About fifty all told."  Titus replied.  "Almost all from the four centuries that helped you defend the king's tent.  One of our men sounded the alarm before they reached our legion, and the men were sleeping lightly so they were roused almost at once."

"What does that mean for the army?"  Lyra asked.

"We started with an army of thirty thousand."  Kalus replied.  "Five commanders each in charge of one legion of six thousand men.  That number has been slowly whittled down over the long campaign, but we still had approximately eighteen thousand men until last night."

"Most of the early losses were from before Kalus started planning battles."  The scoutmaster added.  "Our legion has taken the fewest losses by far thanks to the commander's rigorous training regimen and tactical acumen; we're still five thousand strong."

"That's forty percent of the remaining army."  Shara breathed.

"After last night, yes."  Kalus nodded heavily.

"We lost a third of the army last night for nothing, and the morale is showing it."  Kyselius said.  "The men are either despairing or livid."

"They have a right to be; I should've pushed harder with the king."  Her husband swallowed hard and sat down.  He had his fist and jaw clenched as he looked out over the camp.  He swallowed hard again and seemed to be blinking a bit more than usual.  He looked up to heaven and Shara could see his lips moving, but couldn't hear any words.

It looked like he was praying.

"So, what happens now?"  Lyra asked.

"We bury the dead, eat, and march out of the forest before dark."  Kalus replied.

The other members of his council all exchanged significant glances.

"What?"  Kalus asked.

"Last night, the king ordered the dead stripped of their gear and then the bodies left behind."  Kyselius said with rage in his eyes.  "Our dead aren't to be buried; he wants us to leave them to rot and be out of the forest before lunch."

"That--"  Kalus stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before continuing.  "Tell me our men at least were buried."

"Most of them were before the king ordered the burials stopped."  Kyselius replied.  There's still a few that died around the king's tent that he wouldn't let us take; he ordered our centurions to leave them."

"How many?"  Kalus asked.

"A half dozen or so are left; all from the four centuries that saved the king's life."  Titus said bitterly.

"Tell me exactly what the king's orders were."  Kalus said.

"He said that our soldiers weren't to waste time burying the dead."  Kyselius replied.  "He was quite specific."

"Gentlemen, we technically aren't soldiers according to the king."  Kalus said after several seconds.  "He has repeatedly said that commanders aren't to be considered with the common soldier."

Shara had a guess where he was going, and couldn't help but feel her heart swell slightly at his dedication to his men.  It was truly admirable.  Regardless of how she felt about the enemy invading her country, she couldn't deny that Kalus's men were different.  They were honorable men who'd given their lives in battle.

Her father had always valued honor and loyalty so he had drilled both into her.  She thought the men who'd died the previous night were both honorable and loyal to Kalus, and thus they should be treated with dignity, even though they were the enemy.

It was the honorable thing to do.

It was the right thing to do.

It's what her father would do.

Kalus looked around at them, visibly shaken and upset at the news.  "Those were good men who gave the last full measure of devotion to defend their king.  The least we can do for our honored dead is give them a proper burial.  I will stay behind with a shovel until the deed is done."

"And I."  Titus nodded.

"And I."  The scoutmaster agreed, with Kyselius echoing him after that, and the rest moments later.

"I know how to use a shovel, and I'm not a soldier either."  Lyra said after Kalus's council had finished agreeing to his plan.

"We would not ask a lady to help with this task."  Titus shook his head.

Lyra looked like she wanted to say more, but didn't get the chance.

"You didn't ask her."  Shara felt her mouth speak before she realized she was going to say anything.  " We volunteered."  Then she looked down sheepishly.  "Though, I'm afraid I've never used a shovel before."

Everyone stared at her.

* * *

Lyra stared at Katia, not quite believing what she'd just heard.  The former handmaiden's arms were slender and her hands looked like they had never done a hard day's work in her life.  She also didn't like 'the enemy' as she often called them, and yet she was volunteering to bury their dead.

"There is a chance the ambushing force will attack us while performing this task."  Kalus said.  "It would be a mere ten of us against possibly hundreds if that happens."

Lyra did the math.  Kalus, plus his six councilmen, plus Kyselius, plus her and Katia were ten.  The odds would indeed be impossible if they were waylaid.

"Then we should endeavor to dig quickly."  Katia replied.

Her husband shook her head.  "I would not put you in that danger."

"But would it not be more dangerous to leave us behind?"  The former handmaiden countered.  "We are always by your side for protection, or at least with Kyselius.  If we are seen riding alone without either of you, won't that arouse suspicions?"

Kalus frowned.

Lyra smiled.  Her fellow wife was incredibly sharp.

"And further."  Katia continued.  "Leaving Kyselius behind means not only does he not get to help bury his comrades, but it means you are short nearly a third of the diggers you could have working; counting him, Lyra, and myself."

Kalus's frown deepened, but he nodded nevertheless.  "We will keep the horses close."

The camp broke not long after and Kyselius surreptitiously procured ten shovels.  The ten of them mounted their horses and made to ride out with everyone else, but held back.  Once the army had vacated the ground where the king's tent had been, they rode out to find the six men.

It wasn't hard.

They had been laid out reverently in a row amid the scores of enemy combatants, though they were without their armor or gear.

"This looks like them."  Kalus said as he looked.  "I think I recognize those two."

"Aye."  Kyselius nodded.

Then they started to dig.

Katia wasn't good at it at all.  She clearly had never used a shovel before and Lyra had to show her how it was done.  The former handmaiden didn't end up helping nearly as much as the much stronger men or Lyra herself, all of whom had used a shovel many times before.

However, she didn't quit.

She worked just as hard as the rest even though she moved less dirt since she wasn't as strong or experienced.  By the time the hole was large and deep enough, they were all sweaty.  The men insisted on being the ones to lower the fallen soldiers into the large grave.  Kalus himself arranged their arms across their chests before climbing out of the hole.

"A man's spirit comes from Illuminar, and to Illuminar it returns."  Kalus said, standing over the open grave as he looked up to the heavens and recited the short form of a funeral.  "Blessed be He."

"Blessed be He."  The others echoed.

"As Illuminar formed man out of the earth, so we return these men to the earth.  May Illuminar welcome them into His rest."

"Amen."  Everyone else finished.

Kalus paused and looked around at the large mass of dead bodies around them.  Most belonged to the enemy, but many belonged to other members of Tyso's army.

"Would that we could bury them all."  Kalus said as he looked at them.

"You would even bury the bodies of your enemies?"  Katia asked.

He nodded.  "No man should be left as food for beasts.  Every man is made in Illuminar's image, and thus every man deserves basic decency, especially in death."

The former handmaiden nodded, and Lyra saw a small smile on Katia's face that told her that the former handmaiden fully agreed.

The ten of them hurried to cover the grave just as it began to drizzle.  By the time they were done, it was sprinkling and they were starting to get wet.  They all turned towards the horses, but the moment they did a few dozen men rode out of the forest, cutting them off from their army in the distance.

"Halt!"  The leading rider cried.

They all froze, being greatly outnumbered.  They still had their horses, but would never be able to get mounted and riding before they were cut off.  Kalus put himself between them and his wives, and his men put themselves between Kalus and the newcomers moments later.

They were in trouble.

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