Chapter#212
Tashka's husky words were echoed in ringing tones by the Captains, the Lieutenants. The hundreds of cavalry horses were wheeling around them, lances were raised high in the warm spring sunshine, the tense faces of the soldiers concentrated. The infantry moved in amongst them at a rapid march, stepping, stopping, their boots clicking and turning.
They were all ranged to one side of Vadya, Tashka and their wounded comrades and now they were stepping forwards. The horses' hooves lifted high, the feathers on their fetlocks freshly washed and fluffy in the spring air. Each soldier swung to face his Commander and his General as he passed, his fighting hand raised to his helmet. Vadya and Tashka stood with their fighting hands raised in salute. The sun danced on the General's ring on Tashka's right hand. The wounded raised a ragged cheer.
The officers were dismounting and handing their reins to a trooper each. They came marching forward and went on one knee to Vadya, pressing his left hand to their foreheads and swearing their vows. The sun shone off his wedding ring as they did so.
Vadya and Tashka strolled at leisure up the rank and file, Vadya one step behind Tashka and the Captains one step behind him. They threaded through the neatly ordered tents. Tashka's slanted blue eyes smiled at the soldiers with pride, Vadya could not find a fault anywhere, even when he looked for faults.
They came back round in front of the troop and Tashka handed Vadya the presentation report. He went on one knee and pressed her thin fingers with his rings on them to his forehead, swearing she would be his days and his life and his fight. She took him as her honour and her care but she stuttered to call him her victory, looking at the empty places in the line with her eyes suddenly hard. Vadya pressed her fingers as he stood up and saluted her. As he did the ritual formal dance of steps that brought him about and one step behind her, he managed to flick her buttock and make her snort with that filthy give-away laugh.
The banner-bearer stepped forward with her banner folded in his hands. His face was twisted between smiles and tears. He did not want to see Tashka go but he had carried Vadya's banner for years too. Tashka smiled, saying to him: "We never lost it." It was a great source of pride to both of them that she had never suffered a defeat, even in Finia Woods when they had to retreat they had not been defeated so she had never had to give her banner to the enemy and have it replaced. The banner-bearer brightened up and she watched him march back into line with Vadya's banner draped around his shoulder, her face regretful. Her mind had always yearned towards the Generals' strategic staff but she had not expected to have to give up action in the field so young. 'Still, I might get to sneak out on manoeuvres now and then with my junior if I pretend I am only doing it to secure the succession,' she thought with a snigger.
Vadya led the troop in three long loud huzzas. They broke up and the four Captains came over, breathing sighs of relief that it had passed off so well.
"Will you read my report?" Tashka enquired.
"Of course," Vadya answered but he did not break the seal as yet. "Let us all have a drink," he suggested, moving off towards his tent where the banner-bearer was setting his banner up in the sunshine.
"Mm, I will buy you all drinks later," Tashka said evasively. "I am going back to the Palladia. For a rest."
"I thought you had taken the whole afternoon," he said in surprise.
"Yes I have," she answered, looking direct into his eyes with those clear slanted dark blue eyes. "I am a bit tired. I want to ... lie down."
He shrugged with a smile. He knew it was not easy to give up your troop, perhaps she wanted time alone. He watched her strolling off up the hillside with the light limp in that sexy el Maien roll to her black silk and leather clad hips. He turned and casually cracked the seal on her presentation report.
Tashka limped lazily towards the Palladia, her hands stuck in her swordbelt, grinning to herself. Presently she heard Vadya shouting her name and running after her. She swung round to face him, raising one arrogant enquiring eyebrow at him.
His face was lit with laughter and desire. He ran up and shook the report at her in an agony of embarrassment and hilarity. "I cannot file this!" he cried.
She grinned and pretended to examine it, and in particular the careful description of what the commanding officers would be wearing: formal parade silks, and for the officer handing over the Command: black and gold lace camisole and knickers embroidered with hearts and flowers.
***
Clair came into the sitting-room, walked to the fireplace and pulled a series of horrible faces, writhing his thin mouth about and screwing up his slanted eyes. He jumped up and down on the hearthrug a few times. Arianna, who had come straight through after dinner, rolled around in her armchair with laughter.
"What is it now?" she asked.
"Those bloody First Sietter officers," he complained, going to sit in his chair. He put a hand down to caress his old hunting hound's ears then he looked sad. She had gone during the winter, poor old thing. Not before her time but he missed her.
Now that he was Lord van Sietter he was obliged to have the ceremonial troop trailing about with him. He refused to move into Palladia Arventa, instead he sold it to his brother by marriage el Jien van Iarve, to use for merchants' conferences. This annoyed the King and the Privy Council very much since it was better situated than the court for meetings with those involved in trade. In their pique they offered much more to Arianna, Hanya and the merchants than they had intended. Clair tried hard to give Hanya the Palladia but Arianna insisted he accept a price that reflected its full monetary worth and made him send all the money to Lord Pava's young widow in Vilandia, in addition to the jewels and monies as laid out in her marriage papers.