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rose_in_winterCharacters: Kaim
Rating: G
Contains: N/A
Wordcount: 1192
Notes: Written formonthlysupergo, prompt "earth"
Betas: None
Summary: Kaim is a mercenary, but that does not mean he is without honor. When sent to do a distasteful task, he finds a way around it.
Kaim shaded his eyes and gazed over the valley where the enemy had been pinned. To an extent, he pitied the rebels. They were entirely correct that the king was levying unreasonable taxes to pay mercenaries like Kaim, but he had signed a contract, and he would honor it. His orders were to end the rebellion.
The Uhr tribe were worse off under the Ghotzan king than most. Their lands were dense with rare minerals and valuable gems, and the king wanted those things. He was too canny to break the treaty his grandfather had signed, so instead, he made its terms unlivable, forcing the Uhr to break it first. Last spring, it happened. The king's soldiers were murdered or driven out of the Uhr lands, and they tried to seize freedom for themselves, independent of Ghotza.
The king's response had been to send an army detachment; whent that failed, he sent Kaim.
"We plan to strike at dawn," Kaim told his lieutenant. "Prepare the men."
"And you, sir?" The lieutenant was young, but already scarred from several battles. Unlike Kaim's wounds, hers did not heal cleanly.
Kaim looked back into the valley. The rebels knew he was there. They knew what it meant when the king sent this troop; they had heard of other tribes wiped out by the king's order. His lieutenant was loyal, but like him—and the rest of the troop—this assignment didn't sit well with her. Kaim didn't employ those who took to mercenary work only to destroy.
"I'm going to see if we can avoid having to use the plan."
A smile crossed her face for a split second, before she disciplined herself back to impassivity. "Yes, sir."
The sentry waved as Kaim walked past the perimeter; it wasn't unusual for him to go out scouting himself, though he trusted his scouts implicitly. He kept going around a rocky outcrop, then paused once he was out of sight to observe. There were several paths down the side of the mountain into the little valley that would let him approach undetected. He chose the one least populated; mortal skulls were fragile and he preferred not to kill them when he was on a mission of something like peace.
For someone with a few centuries of experience, making his way into the camp was simple. He was not particularly gifted in matters of stealth, but the rebels were cold, and tired, and unsure whether they wanted to celebrate their last night of life or despair that it was here, and he passed many of their tents without notice.
The Uhran chief sat alone outside his tent, staring down at his hands. Kaim moved so that his shadow fell over the man, who started and reached for his sword, only to change his mind when he recognized Kaim.
"You're the immortal mercenary," the chief said. He shook his head, and sighed. "Go on, then." He stood, proud and tall, ready to face his death.
Behind Kaim, some of the Uhrans gathered. None of them struck at his unprotected back. He didn't know if that was honor or fear.
"I have an offer for you," he said.
The chief waited impassively. Behind him, the Uhrans scoffed. Kaim ignored them, and focused his attention on the chief.
"The king will not tolerate you to stay here. Even if I refuse, he'll send others." Kaim let the sentence hang, and the chief gave him a nod. He wasn't saying anything new.
This was where it got tricky. Kaim wasn't afraid of anything the king of Gohtza could do to him, but he wouldn't be any good as a mercenary no one would hire. "Beyond Khent, there's unclaimed land," he said. "Good mining. It isn't your home, but it could be."
"There's no such thing as unclaimed land," a woman said behind him.
Kaim didn't take his eyes off the chief. "It was claimed once," he said.
For the first time since Kaim had spoken, the chief answered. "And what happened?"
"They picked a fight with Khent, and lost." Kaim reached slowly for a folded map in his pocket. He opened it for the chief to see. "Khent won the war, but not by much. They've been recovering since. And with Gohtza resolving its internal battles, it will soon look to its neighbor to the east. Khent will be too busy with them to notice you, at least until you're well-established."
"Why do this?" The chief's eyes were clear and canny.
Kaim met his gaze. "My orders don't specify how I end the rebellion," he said. "I know what it is to want to live in peace."
The chief grunted. "A strange tale, for a mercenary."
Kaim said nothing.
The chief reached out for the map, and studied it. Kaim had marked the largest guard stations he knew, and the safest paths. At last, he looked up at Kaim again. "What do you want for this?"
"My troop's plan calls for a dawn attack on the valley," Kaim said. "I would appreciate it if I did not put that plan into action."
The chief nodded, then gestured at someone behind Kaim, his hands flurrying in the quick sign language that Uhrans used among themselves. Kaim braced himself, unsure what it signified.
Footsteps behind him retreated.
"I know how the king pays his mercenaries," the chief said slowly. Kaim didn't answer. He would receive no gold for this mission, since he would bring back no heads. He had plenty put by to make up the difference to his troop.
The footsteps returned, a woman of middle age who bore a strong resemblance to the chief. She held a small, heavy box. She held it out to the chief, who shook his head and pointed to Kaim.
"For the time, and the warning, we thank you," the chief said.
Kaim accepted the box, bowed his head in thanks, and turned to go. No one stopped him, though they all watched him warily. He left the camp unchallenged, and began the long climb back to his troop. He paused, halfway up, and checked the contents of the box in case it should be something harmful to those who relied on him. It was not; the box contained stunning gems and gold, probably some of the best that the Uhran lands had to offer. This was why the king had picked this fight. Kaim closed the box and continued climbing. His mercenaries would be well-paid, the rebellion would be settled, his contract would be up before Gohtza went to war with Khent, and the Uhrans had a path to a place to call home without the constant threat of the king hanging over their heads.
It was a good day's work.
Rating: G
Contains: N/A
Wordcount: 1192
Notes: Written for
monthlysupergo, prompt "earth"Betas: None
Summary: Kaim is a mercenary, but that does not mean he is without honor. When sent to do a distasteful task, he finds a way around it.
Kaim shaded his eyes and gazed over the valley where the enemy had been pinned. To an extent, he pitied the rebels. They were entirely correct that the king was levying unreasonable taxes to pay mercenaries like Kaim, but he had signed a contract, and he would honor it. His orders were to end the rebellion.
The Uhr tribe were worse off under the Ghotzan king than most. Their lands were dense with rare minerals and valuable gems, and the king wanted those things. He was too canny to break the treaty his grandfather had signed, so instead, he made its terms unlivable, forcing the Uhr to break it first. Last spring, it happened. The king's soldiers were murdered or driven out of the Uhr lands, and they tried to seize freedom for themselves, independent of Ghotza.
The king's response had been to send an army detachment; whent that failed, he sent Kaim.
"We plan to strike at dawn," Kaim told his lieutenant. "Prepare the men."
"And you, sir?" The lieutenant was young, but already scarred from several battles. Unlike Kaim's wounds, hers did not heal cleanly.
Kaim looked back into the valley. The rebels knew he was there. They knew what it meant when the king sent this troop; they had heard of other tribes wiped out by the king's order. His lieutenant was loyal, but like him—and the rest of the troop—this assignment didn't sit well with her. Kaim didn't employ those who took to mercenary work only to destroy.
"I'm going to see if we can avoid having to use the plan."
A smile crossed her face for a split second, before she disciplined herself back to impassivity. "Yes, sir."
The sentry waved as Kaim walked past the perimeter; it wasn't unusual for him to go out scouting himself, though he trusted his scouts implicitly. He kept going around a rocky outcrop, then paused once he was out of sight to observe. There were several paths down the side of the mountain into the little valley that would let him approach undetected. He chose the one least populated; mortal skulls were fragile and he preferred not to kill them when he was on a mission of something like peace.
For someone with a few centuries of experience, making his way into the camp was simple. He was not particularly gifted in matters of stealth, but the rebels were cold, and tired, and unsure whether they wanted to celebrate their last night of life or despair that it was here, and he passed many of their tents without notice.
The Uhran chief sat alone outside his tent, staring down at his hands. Kaim moved so that his shadow fell over the man, who started and reached for his sword, only to change his mind when he recognized Kaim.
"You're the immortal mercenary," the chief said. He shook his head, and sighed. "Go on, then." He stood, proud and tall, ready to face his death.
Behind Kaim, some of the Uhrans gathered. None of them struck at his unprotected back. He didn't know if that was honor or fear.
"I have an offer for you," he said.
The chief waited impassively. Behind him, the Uhrans scoffed. Kaim ignored them, and focused his attention on the chief.
"The king will not tolerate you to stay here. Even if I refuse, he'll send others." Kaim let the sentence hang, and the chief gave him a nod. He wasn't saying anything new.
This was where it got tricky. Kaim wasn't afraid of anything the king of Gohtza could do to him, but he wouldn't be any good as a mercenary no one would hire. "Beyond Khent, there's unclaimed land," he said. "Good mining. It isn't your home, but it could be."
"There's no such thing as unclaimed land," a woman said behind him.
Kaim didn't take his eyes off the chief. "It was claimed once," he said.
For the first time since Kaim had spoken, the chief answered. "And what happened?"
"They picked a fight with Khent, and lost." Kaim reached slowly for a folded map in his pocket. He opened it for the chief to see. "Khent won the war, but not by much. They've been recovering since. And with Gohtza resolving its internal battles, it will soon look to its neighbor to the east. Khent will be too busy with them to notice you, at least until you're well-established."
"Why do this?" The chief's eyes were clear and canny.
Kaim met his gaze. "My orders don't specify how I end the rebellion," he said. "I know what it is to want to live in peace."
The chief grunted. "A strange tale, for a mercenary."
Kaim said nothing.
The chief reached out for the map, and studied it. Kaim had marked the largest guard stations he knew, and the safest paths. At last, he looked up at Kaim again. "What do you want for this?"
"My troop's plan calls for a dawn attack on the valley," Kaim said. "I would appreciate it if I did not put that plan into action."
The chief nodded, then gestured at someone behind Kaim, his hands flurrying in the quick sign language that Uhrans used among themselves. Kaim braced himself, unsure what it signified.
Footsteps behind him retreated.
"I know how the king pays his mercenaries," the chief said slowly. Kaim didn't answer. He would receive no gold for this mission, since he would bring back no heads. He had plenty put by to make up the difference to his troop.
The footsteps returned, a woman of middle age who bore a strong resemblance to the chief. She held a small, heavy box. She held it out to the chief, who shook his head and pointed to Kaim.
"For the time, and the warning, we thank you," the chief said.
Kaim accepted the box, bowed his head in thanks, and turned to go. No one stopped him, though they all watched him warily. He left the camp unchallenged, and began the long climb back to his troop. He paused, halfway up, and checked the contents of the box in case it should be something harmful to those who relied on him. It was not; the box contained stunning gems and gold, probably some of the best that the Uhran lands had to offer. This was why the king had picked this fight. Kaim closed the box and continued climbing. His mercenaries would be well-paid, the rebellion would be settled, his contract would be up before Gohtza went to war with Khent, and the Uhrans had a path to a place to call home without the constant threat of the king hanging over their heads.
It was a good day's work.