Staying Power (Darshian Tales #3)

  Darshian Tales:III

  Staying Power

  ~~~

  Freely Given

  Ann Somerville

  This story is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Staying Power Copyright © 2005 by Ann Somerville

  Freely Given Copyright © 2005 by Ann Somerville

  Cover art copyright © 2104 by P L Nunn. Cover Typography by Kiri Moth.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  For more information please visit my website at http://annsomerville.net

  Smashwords Edition 1, January 2011

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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  Published by Ann Somerville

  Contents

  Staying Power

  ~~~

  Freely Given

  Staying Power: 1

  “Oy, Romi! I thought you’d be back yesterday!”

  Romi grinned as he dismounted. “We had a little problem. Sarte managed to blow himself up.”

  “Gods, again?” Eto came over and took his beast’s reins. Around him, the rest of the squad were dismounting too, and leading their mounts over to the stables. “Anyone hurt?”

  “No, but the beasts bolted and we spent the best part of a day catching the damn things up. The good news is that he thinks he knows what he did wrong this time.”

  “Oh, he thinks.” Eto’s scepticism was understandable. Sarte’s experiments were...erratic, to say the least. But he was the best weapon-maker in south Darshian, and the army was using many of his inventions, so the occasional dramatic failure was tolerated, so long as no one was seriously injured or killed. So far, he’d managed to avoid that.

  “What’s been happening?” Romi said, following Eto and his beast into the stables.

  “Nothing much. The new recruits have started their training, and there was mail in from Urshek. Oh, and Daiso dropped over, left you a note.”

  “Daiso?” Romi stopped and looked at his corporal in surprise. “Why would he leave me a note? Is he going away? I was planning to go over to see him as soon as we stood down.”

  “Don’t know. It’s in your room.” Eto was already unsaddling the beast. Romi took his pack off, and went to set it aside so he could help brush the animal down and water it, but Eto waved him away. “Go wash, unpack. Fancy a beer later?”

  “Stupid question, corporal. Give me an hour or so. I need to report to Captain Wilsu.”

  Eto nodded. Romi checked that his men had things under control, knew what to do with the extra supplies they’d brought back and were properly storing equipment and tools, then shouldered his pack and headed across the exercise yard towards the barracks.

  Why was Daiso leaving him notes all of a sudden? He hoped his lover wasn’t going out of town for some reason, because Romi badly missed him after three weeks in the field. It was probably an invitation to a family event or some such.

  Smiling to himself over just how he planned to celebrate his return with Daiso, he opened the door to his small room and dumped the pack on the floor. He would have to do laundry the next morning, but not tonight. Tonight was report, bath, beer, and then Daiso when he finished up at the grain mill. They were stood down now for three days, so Romi would try and persuade his lover to take a half-day, even a whole day, off with him. They hadn’t done that in such a long time.

  The note was sealed, which struck him as odd. He broke the wax, trying to remember if he’d ever even seen Daiso’s handwriting before. He was still thinking about that as his eyes began to scan the words, so it was a moment or two before their actual meaning sank in.

  It was like the feeling when someone fired an arrow at you, and you knew you had no chance of it missing. That sense that your life was about to change forever, and there was nothing you could do about it.

  He crushed the paper tight in his fist. No wonder Daiso had left a note. Far easier to impart bad news that way. Far easier not to face a trained soldier who could wring your lying, deceitful neck with one hand, or to have to explain your choices which made a mockery of the joy someone had felt just a few seconds before at the thought of being with you.

  He shoved the note into his pocket, and stalked out of the room to find his captain and make a brief, clipped report that conveyed none of the drama or humour that had been a feature of the latest field exercises, while giving the barest facts—which men had performed well or badly, which weapons had passed their tests, and how many men had been injured (one, slightly), beasts lost (none) and supplies wasted (none, and they’d come back with more meat than they’d taken).

  The captain expressed satisfaction at a job well done. Romi saluted, turned on his heel and went in search of a harmless way of working off his anger. He didn’t think alcohol on top of a bitter taste of betrayal would be a good idea.

  The workout hall was empty except for a couple of soldiers practicing vaults over to the side. He headed for the padded pole. He took off his boots, the only concession to a proper exercise regime he was prepared to make right now, then flew at the pole, attacking it with hard, vicious blows of hands and feet, launching flying kicks, and propelling himself back from it, welcoming the pain of impact as a distraction from that in his heart.

  It wasn’t that he imagined kicking Daiso. He was kicking himself. He’d been so stupid. He’d been caught before, so why had he made the mistake of giving his heart to a normal again?

  “Whoa, Romi! Hold for a minute, will you?”

  Romi aborted the punch he was about to throw, and dropped his hands. He made himself smile as he turned to face Eto. Eto, of course, was understandably confused as to why his lieutenant wasn’t off enjoying a nice hot bath, or looking for a welcome mug of beer. “Fancy a spar, Eto?”

  His friend blinked. “Now?”

  “Why not? I want to burn off some excess energy.”

  “You’ve got energy to spare after a three week exercise? Gods, Romi, you’re not human.”

  Romi bared teeth at that remark, and if Eto thought he was smiling, that was up to him. “Staves, how about that?”

  “All right, but mind my damn hands.”

  “Glove up, then.”

  “You too. I’m not fighting an ungloved man.”

  Romi nearly asked what did it matter since he wasn’t human, but choked off what he knew was a petty and undeserved remark. Eto tossed him the sparring gloves, things Romi would normally not use given his preference, but it was correct practice to wear them in training, and he was in barracks. He didn’t want to earn either of them a demerit just because he was in a temper.

  “You should be in a workout tunic,” Eto reminded him, handing him a staff.

  “Look, do you want to spar or cite regulations, Eto? My uniform’s fine.” Eto shrugged, clearly not wanting to argue. Eto knew his moods well enough by now, at least. Romi assumed the standard defence position. “Begin.”

  It was fast and dirty, but h
e tried very hard not to inflict his temper-fuelled aggression on his friend, and to keep control of his moves as a good soldier should whatever the provocation. Still, after less time than he would have expected, Eto backed away.

  “Gods, Romi, go dunk your head or something.”

  Romi forced himself to stop, and to get his breathing back under control. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, but I’m not going to let you get to that point. What’s wrong? You were fine a few minutes ago. Did Wilsu say something?”

  “It’s nothing. But you’re right. I shouldn’t be sparring when I’m like this.” He made himself smile. “I’ll get that bath, I think, but then I need to go see Daiso. I’ll find you tomorrow for the beer.”

  Eto frowned. “All right. If you want to...talk or something, I’ll be around.”

  Romi aimed an affectionate cuff at his friend’s head. “Don’t worry about me. See you later.”

  “Lieutenant?”

  Romi turned towards the newcomer. “Yes...Kev, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, sir. Colonel Ajil would like to see you in his office as soon as you’re free.”

  Romi looked down at his travel-stained and now freshly sweaty uniform, and weighed up whether his superior was more likely to be offended by his rough appearance or a delay. “Thanks, Kev, I’ll go over there now.”

  He tossed his staff to Eto, then did the same with his stripped off gloves, waving to the two soldiers as he walked out into the yard again.

  He was kept waiting just a moment or two, then admitted to the colonel’s office. He saluted his superior smartly. “Lieutenant Romi as requested, sir.”

  The colonel indicated a chair and then sat down behind his desk. “Thank you, Romi, please take a seat. Captain Wilsu said you were back. I understand things went relatively smoothly?”

  “Yes, sir. Relatively,” he added.

  The colonel smiled. “Ah yes, Sarte’s little toys. Still, spirit of scientific investigation and all that. Speaking of which, that’s what I wanted to speak to you about. We’ve had a request for volunteers from the Rulers in Urshek.” Romi raised his eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing. “Yes, it seems the academy and the Rulers in the north are collaborating with ours here and are putting together an expedition to examine the plant and mineral wealth of Andon. All the military establishments throughout Darshian have been asked to put forward names of any personnel interested and qualified to participate. It’s a major undertaking and they have very particular requirements, hence the nationwide call. You’d be expected to be in the field for the best part of a year.”

  “Yes, sir. What requirements?”

  “Fluency in Andonese for a start, and since you’re without doubt our best speaker here, your name was naturally at the front of my mind. However, they also want someone familiar with Andon, experienced in field missions, preferably with some scientific or medical training. I know you don’t have the last, but you did accompany the army geologists last year to the Treyk Range. If you’re interested, I would have thought that should count for something.”

  “Possibly.” Romi was already intrigued. He had spent eight months in Tsikiugui as part of an exchange with the Andonese military, and liked the people and the country very much. “I’m just surprised this hasn’t been done before.”

  The colonel nodded. “Well, that’s because of the Prijian conflict. I understand the plans for this were drawn up a good four years ago. If things were still boiling over in Kuprij, I daresay they wouldn’t want to divert our people for this, but since peace has been restored, our Rulers are very keen to advance the mission for its own sake, and promote closer ties between the three governments.”

  He sat back and steepled his hands. “I can let you look at the specifications. You don’t have to decide now.”

  “I’d like to do it, sir.”

  “Just like that? Don’t you want to know more about it? It’s a long time away from base. What about your family?”

  Romi suppressed a grimace. “My family lives near Ai-Vinri, sir, and I have no other ties. I’ve always wanted to return to Andon, so if I’m suitable, I’d like to go.”

  Colonel Ajil grunted in apparent approval. “Very well. Let me contact the people in Urshek arranging it. They want to leave for Darshek soon with the prospective personnel, but the Darshek side will make the final decision since they’re putting it all together. There’s a special mission allowance and extra leave—if you’re rejected, you’ll get some of that for your trouble. I know you’re stood down, but you’d need to depart soon.”

  Romi made a dismissive gesture. “It doesn’t matter, sir. I have no plans.” At least, not any more.

  “As you wish. I won’t get an answer until tomorrow morning. You’ve time to think about it—it’s purely voluntary, you do understand that?”

  “Yes, sir, but I’d still like to go.”

  “Very well. Assume you’ll be going, and come back to my office tomorrow for confirmation and your orders. I’ll speak to Captain Wilsu, but there won’t be a problem releasing you. Unfortunately you appear to be the only suitable candidate from these barracks, so it would reflect well on us if you were accepted. The other personnel will be mustered in Urshek on the fifteenth day of this month. You can leave any time that suits you, provided you’re there by then.” He handed a letter over to Romi. “Have a read of that, bring it back tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, sir. Are the researchers from the south or the north?”

  “Both, so I understand. They’re hoping for army geologists, but the naturalists are from the southern and northern academies. I’ll find out if you need to know.”

  “It doesn’t matter—I was just curious. And it’s to be a civilian mission?”

  “The scientific planning is under civilian control. Logistics and security will be military. I believe a final decision as to who has overall authority will be made by that Prijian chap they have as a Ruler in the north. He’s ex-military, so he’ll understand the problem.”

  The northerners had another former officer as a Ruler as well, so despite the potential difficulty a jointly run mission might cause, Romi thought it was likely the thing would be better handled than it appeared on the face of it. “Yes, sir. Was that all?”

  “Yes. Now I suggest you make yourself presentable and go out and enjoy yourself. If you end up in Andon, you’ll be glad of all the baths you had now.”

  Romi stood and saluted again. He hoped he would be acceptable for this mission. He felt the sudden need to get away from Temshek, and this would give him that, as well as time to mend a battered heart, and a valuable experience to further his promotion prospects. At least his career didn’t depend on his fertility.

  He decided not to waste time on a proper bath, just washing himself thoroughly and changing into clean civilian clothes, before heading into Temshek town to wait. Other members of his squad were on their way too, happy grins showing their anticipation of a good night out after a hard three weeks. Normally, Romi would have been glad to be with them, but for now, he had other things to deal with.

  He walked down to the grain mill and waited. It wouldn’t be long now—the mill’s sails were already being set into their overnight resting position, and the workers were leaving for the evening. At last, he saw his man.

  “Hello, Daiso.”

  He got a slight satisfaction from the way his lover—his former lover—nearly jumped out of his skin, before turning with a forced-looking smile to where he was leaning against the wall of the mill. “Romi! Back already?”

  “I was due back yesterday, as you knew perfectly well. Is that why you made sure to leave your lovely little note for me three days ago?” He threw the crumpled up paper at Daiso. “I thought you had more style than that, Dai. What’s the matter, are you so ashamed of her that you didn’t want to tell me to my face?”

  Daiso grimaced. “No, I’m not ashamed, I just didn’t want a scene. Like the one you’re making right now,” he muttered, walking away, and forc
ing Romi to follow him if he wanted to continue the conversation. They walked in silence down to the riverbank, a place where they had spent many a fine summer evening, just sitting and talking, swimming when it was hot, lying on the grass afterwards and holding each other. Never again, Romi thought angrily, already grieving for the irretrievable loss.

  Daiso took up his usual position under the large, overhanging tree, and for a moment, it seemed just like old times—but then Romi saw the note in Daiso’s hand. It would never be the same again.

  “Why? Why lie to me? If you loved another, you could have told me before this. I would never stand in the way of your happiness.”

  Daiso laughed a little. “Oh come on, don’t be dramatic. We’re just friends who sleep together. You know it was never more than that.”

  Romi clenched his fist, and stamped down hard on his temper. “No, I did not know that,” he said through gritted teeth. “Are you saying you felt nothing for me at all? The entire time we’ve been together, I was just amusement for you?”

  Daiso looked genuinely puzzled. “I just said you’re my friend, but you knew I wanted a family. At least if you’d paid any attention, you would have done,” he added with devastating accuracy.

  “But...we could have—”

  “What? Adopted? Don’t be silly. Beside, I love Catli. She’s already carrying our baby.”

  Romi felt like he’d been struck. “I see,” he said, his heart feeling cold and heavy in his chest. “So not only was I too blind to see that I was merely a way of passing the time, I was too stupid to realise you were going behind my back and sleeping with someone else. If you really believed I took things as casually as you, why did you hide her from me?” The suddenly shifty look in Daiso’s eyes confirmed his suspicion. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew how I felt and you still planned to betray me.” He pushed away from the tree and began to walk off, disgusted with himself and with his erstwhile lover.

  “Romi, wait!”

  “What else is there to say, Daiso? Good luck with your wedding, your wife and your child.”