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"And that is something to live by." |
Making our way across the clearing where I had been hunting rabbits, I pulled my hood back over my face to cover it from the sun and walked alongside her. "So why were you looking for myself and the priory?" |
"Well... Um..." she paused for a moment and looked somewhat embarrassed. "I have come to join your Order." |
Her hat bounced a little as she nodded but out of the corner of my eye I saw the way that she was making an effort not to look in my direction. "Yes. I... ah... received only what I can call a "divine vision’ from Kynareth herself." The silence that fell between us was mostly unintentional but she seemed somewhat conf... |
"Just call me Kaius. I get enough "Sir Desin’s" these days as it is. You are right though; I’m not surprised." |
"What if I told you that Viconia and I originally took up this quest to retrieve the relics from the ghost of Pelinal Himself?" |
"Ah." She laughed and I couldn’t help but chuckle from the sheer amount of relief in her voice and the way she suddenly relaxed. "Well, I am unsure of exactly what you were shown or told, but I have been shown that to protect all Kynareth’s creations I must take up your cause and be willing to lay down my life for you... |
"I think that anyone stupid enough to turn down help offered from the Primus Lanceae of the 6th Legion is doomed to failure." |
"That was a long time ago." |
"Not that long. Besides, I guarantee you that you have more experience commanding and organising something like the Order of the Nine than I do. I believe that I may have told you that I had only been a Praefect in the Legion." |
"I do vaguely remember something of the like. I also remember hearing how you were declared Knight Commander of the Order, and were responsible for retrieving the Mace and the Shield." |
"I’ll be surprised if all of Tamriel doesn’t know of it by now." Moving slightly ahead of her I pushed my way through some of the low hanging branches and waiting for Avita and her horse to move past. "It’s been a busy couple of months." |
"That I have no doubt. It does however raise the question why the Knight Commander of a Holy Order is out by himself in the forests." |
"Stress relief." I replied, gesturing to the furred bodies at my hip streaked with mostly congealed blood. "I needed to flee from all the paperwork and management lest I took my sword to the nearest stack of parchments. So I came out here to get some fresh food." |
"Oh. Well, I hope that I won’t be a burden on your supplies." |
Laughing out loud and smiling at her, I shook my head. "You don’t need to be worried. We don’t have many concerns in that regard." |
It took us little over an hour and the sun was high in the sky when we finally came within sight of the priory. Gone was the partially decayed ruin that Viconia and I had originally discovered and in its place was a veritable hive of activity. Most of the priory that could be seen behind the various scaffolds, frames ... |
The Priory was no longer alone in the wilds, and while they were little more than wooden skeletons of frames and joists a handful of buildings were also being erected within a stone’s throw of it. Two of the buildings could be identified as stables and a bunkhouse styled arrangement that for the moment was mostly cove... |
"By the Nine." Avita breathed as we finally managed to get a good look at the priory and its surrounds and I couldn’t help but smile as she was stopped in mid place. "This... This is unexpected." |
"We are certainly not resting on our laurels." I replied. "It is also amazing how much you can get done when your coffers are deep." |
"I’m not sure I want to know how much the Order has access to, but I can guess that it is considerable." |
"That’s somewhat of an understatement." Her initial surprise was now replaced with wonder and we continued on into the clearing around the priory. The clearing itself was certainly one of the more obvious changes as it was almost two hundred metres across instead of the forest practically growing on top of the buildin... |
"I can see that." Guiding her horse through the thinning maze of tree stumps, Avita’s eyes were roaming about and for a moment I felt embarrassed at what could easily be described as an outright devastation of the local area. "Yet you are still using local materials for the construction?" |
"Easier than trying to bring what we need by wagon from Skingrad. The old roads are all overgrown and we would almost have to clear them before we could get any significant quantities." I gestured off towards the south east and a section of clearing that was conspicuously absent of stumps. "The closest village is almo... |
"You’re not thinking short term." |
Shaking my head, I looked over the way that the dozens of people were moving about. There were dozens of labourers and builders alone busying themselves with their trades. "Unfortunately I have to try to do both. The Order was established to safeguard the relics, but the Elder Council and especially the Church expects... |
"Just how long have you all been here?" |
"Four weeks." The number seemed to hang in the air and still it into silence despite the noise that grew louder with every step. "It took us a week to get from Leyawiin to here but as you can see we aren’t wasting any time. We are lucky that the Priory is here and gave us something to start with but we are trying to a... |
"Like what exactly?" |
I gave her a glance and a nervous smile. "The original order was nine knights and they had no men-at-arms and only a handful of dedicated craftsmen to support them. I have twenty-five knights under my command and that doesn’t include those from other Orders acting as auxiliaries. Every day I am finding myself with mor... |
"Like myself?" |
There was no doubting the hint of disappointment in her tone and I winced at the way I had accidently insulted her. "Oh no. You’re different and I can’t express how pleased I am to have someone like yourself offering support. The more professionally trained soldiers I have, especially Legion trained soldiers the bette... |
"You flatter me Kaius." Her tone went serious and cold and for a few moments she pointedly stared at me. "I have to ask though, how do you know that I haven’t simply lied about my past?" |
"Your arms can’t lie." She dropped her gaze to her bared forearms that were tanned from years living as a priestess. Underneath the brown colouration there were dozens of white scars of swords practice and for a moment I wondered whether she was struggling not to blush. "Also, that sword on your hip is certainly not L... |
"I guess you were truly in the Legion as well." There was no mistaking the way she was smiling at my comments but her eyes were still roaming about the sea of tents as we reached their edge. "I do have to admit that Isabelle is the first horse I have ridden in the better part of a decade so I have some trepidation." |
"That’s fine. Many of our volunteers with military or fighting experience have been or are retired in various ways. Although most of who arrive have no real experience at all but we have been lucky in a few occasions." Catching the eye of one of the burly foremen supervising the erection of what was to be the main bun... |
With a bundle of freshly sawn planks over a burly shoulder, the orc glanced about himself and managed to shrug despite the weight. "Not recently my Lord. He was over at the training grounds earlier this morning." |
"Thanks." Giving him a handful of the labourers a quick wave and nod of appreciation of their efforts, I also handed over one of my rabbits. |
"Captain Vanevius?" Avita asked. |
"He’s my second in command and in charge of the Knights." |
"Not Madame DeVir?" |
"Viconia?" I laughed. "She’s one of my Knight-Captains, but she was better suited to command the infantry. Neither of us are overly experienced with cavalry and Alexi was Knight-Captain of the Order of the White Stallion. I think you are going to be better suited under his command." |
She stopped in place, blinking and mouth falling open slightly in astonishment. "You’re going to make me a knight?" |
"Not right away. I have knighted a few here, but at this stage it is more of an honour and a way to differentiate the heavy cavalry from everyone else. Unfortunately, one of the many difficulties that I and this Order faces is that Knights fight in a very unique manner. As you can understand it takes a considerable am... |
I could see by her expression that she knew exactly what I meant. While arguably the elite of the Legions, the Extraordinarii fought in their own manner and the strength of the Legion still lay with the Legionaries. The Foresters would harass and weaken the foe during the initial engagements, the Legionaries would wea... |
"You mentioned that there were others who had served in the Legion?" |
I nodded, carefully stepping my way through a collection of various men and women who had followed us in to the priory like driftwood followed a caravel. "Indeed. I’ll introduce you to them shortly but including myself, you make the fifth that I know of." |
"That doesn’t seem many compared to how many are here." |
"I’ve had to turn away several. You’d be surprised how many retired Legionaries have arrived, but as experienced as they were I can’t afford to put men and women in their seventies and eighties into a battleline." |
Despite the way that I thought she had tried to hide it, I still managed to see the nod she provided in agreement even as we picked our way down the churned dirt between the tents. There was more than enough space for Avita and her horse to walk without getting in the way of anyone, but there was no doubting that ther... |
Through the village of tents on the eastern side of the Priory lay a surprisingly immense cleared area that was also playing host to dozens of individuals going about their duties. Unlike the rest of the area however these men and women were training for war rather than supporting and I heard Avita’s amused chuckle of... |
"Just like coming home isn’t it?" I asked humorously and she laughed. |
"Oh indeed. You couldn’t have made training grounds any closer to the Legion standard if you tried." |
Pointing in the direction of the soldiers facing off against straw filled dummies, I directed her gaze to one of the instructors marching back and forth. "You can blame Carodus for that." |
As we continued moving closer I could see how Avita was noting the effort that had gone into building the training grounds. Crude fences had been set up marking out areas for sparring and on the far side was a fence fifty metres long that was sitting all by itself. Only the churned up clods of earth and crushed grass ... |
The volume of shouting emanating from the armoured form of Carodus Oholin was almost physical assault but unlike what most citizens believed, Centurions and other Legionnaires didn’t shout randomly or randomly berate those they commanded. Like all centurions, Carodus had his own unique idiosyncrasies but it didn’t cha... |
At the sight of Avita and I walking over he paused between breaths and gave a solid legionary salute that was clearly audible over the impacts of dulled swords striking wood and packed canvass and I couldn’t help but smile at the pleasure on his face. Over the weeks since the attack on Leyawiin’s cathedral, the retire... |
"Centurion Oholin. How goes the training?" |
With a smile that was entirely lacking in shame at the number of missing teeth, he bowed his head briefly between the two of us and rose to his full height. "It’s going surprisingly well Sir. No one is holding a sword by the pointy end anymore and on occasion the archers are all aiming the same direction." |
Avita was staring at the old Centurion as though trying to pick his face and he noticed the scrutiny. "You seem familiar Centurion." |
"Sixth legion, Eighth casta, third cohort." He said without hesitation and his grin grew larger. "You are also Sixth unless I’m mistaken." |
"You are correct." Avita’s face lit up and I could understand why. Each legion contained at most fifty Cohorts and typically fifty or sixty centurions when illness and promotions were taken into account. From what I knew of Carodus, he had spent most of his life on the isle of Stros M’Kai and Avita’s role as First Lan... |
"Indeed it is m’am." It was impossible to ignore the jovial mood that had gripped Carodus, but he turned his attentions away from Avita and towards me. "With your permission Sir, I’d like to promote the twins to Praefect." |
"What’s your reasoning?" |
He shrugged, keeping one eye on me while the other hovered over his trainees continuing with striking and hitting the dummies. "Besides the fact that they are the only other Legion-trained Men-at-Arms, they are proving quite adept as assisting me. You did say to promote a few to help me." |
"I did." Pausing for a moment, I cast my gaze over the lines of recruits and managed to pick out the Nordic twins stalking through like a pair of wolves. Both we extremely broad and muscled but I could also see the cross brand on one of their biceps. "What about their history?" |
"Men don’t desert the Legion; they desert its officers." Carodus replied simply. "They are both bright lads, and spent enough years in the 19th to gain experience commanding infantry. Besides that, no one else has really been shaping up for the roles." |
"Very well. I trust your judgement and you to keep them in line." |
Proving that all centurions had unnatural senses or eyes in the back of their skulls, Carodus flinched and glanced at one of the new recruits who had stepped forward to a dummy swinging his sword with a dull thud. "Adavvys! By the Nine you are killing someone, not slapping their face with your cock!" He slammed his fi... |
I watched with some amusement as he moved over to the trainee and began showing him what he was doing wrong before demonstrating the correct technique in such a way that every single one of the trainees could see and hear him. It was a combination of concerning and nostalgic as he moved through the press, offering adv... |
"He’s something." Avita said after a few moments of watching him teach. "I vaguely remember him from the Legion but I can’t remember when." |
"He spent most of his career on Stros M’Kai." I added, seeing the way that he directed the two Nordic brothers to ensure that none of the trainees weren’t being watched. "And I think he retired five or six years ago." |
"I served around Rihad but I would’ve met him once or twice." She turned and looked at me and nodded in the direction of the twins and the fact that their desertion crosses were visible with their lack of sleeves. "Deserters?" |
Nodding, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge in my stomach and a strange crawling sensation up the scars on my own arm. "Yes. Geimund and Gukimir were both in the Elswyr Legions but deserted for reasons they haven’t shared. They were both caught, tried and punished and managed to live through the beatings before returni... |
"They came from Skyrim to join the Order?" |
"Not us specifically. Apparently they were among the guards at the temple when it was attacked and were unable to save the priestesses so they came to Cyrodiil hoping to do something. Like many of the others here, yourself included; they must’ve heard about the restoration of the Order and came looking." |
"The Knights of the Nine are the talk of Tamriel and there wouldn’t be many who haven’t heard of your deeds. Not to speak ill of other faithful, but priestesses of Dibella aren’t the usual members of the cloth." |
Chuckling, I glanced at Avita out of the corner of my eye while looking about for Alexi. "Why do you think that a pair of young men who had deserted the Legion would guard a house of worship in the first place? Especially a Dibellian Temple in Skyrim. I’m fairly certain that some of the temples would be nothing more t... |
"I see you are familiar with acolytes of Dibella." Avita teased. |
"Well, I was in the Legion too you know." Catching sight of my quarry towards the jousting lists, I motioned for her to follow and began walking towards a collection of horsemen moving around the edge of the tents and training grounds. |
"The Order does seem quite established already." She said as we moved away from the Men-at-Arms. "It’s much larger than I was expecting." |
"Two dozen knights, about the same in assorted cavalry and almost a cohort and a half of infantry. We have a dozen experienced hunters and trackers for scouts and thirty men and women experienced with a bow or otherwise capable with crossbows. Overall we have almost two hundred soldiers and about the same in camp foll... |
"That sounds like you have already got plans for me." |
My laugh this time was loud and I was grinning, especially when I caught Alexi’s attention and waved for him to come over. "I had plans for you almost within seconds of finding you in the forest." |
Atop his enormous destrier, Alexi was fully dressed in his armour like the other knights with him as they prepared their own kind of practice. Other than those who had joined us from the Order of the White Stallion, the other dedicated heavy cavalrymen were varied in both equipment and skill. All were seasoned fighter... |
"Good morning Commander." he said as he trotted over, before sliding out of the saddle with a natural grace. "Have you picked up another stray?" |
"It appears I have, but she’s one I want you to meet. Alexi, meet Avita Vesnia, formerly of the 6th Legion." |
His eyes darted between my face and hers, taking note of the tanned arms with white sword scars and the fact that she had at least fifteen years on the both of us. "A legionary? Well, as you haven’t handed her over to Carodus I’m guessing that she’s not a footslogger." |
There was no way that she could miss the humour in his tone or the way that he was looking at her for an answer and she smiled. "Former Extraordinarii officer Captain." |
"I like her already." |
"You’ll like her even more. She was Primus Lanceae." |
Alexi’s expression didn’t change but his eyes narrowed slightly, taking a few more moments to study the woman in front of him. There was nothing outward to his expression or body language but I knew that he was pleased with what he saw. "By the Nine Kaius... It’s not even my birthday." Turning to her directly he exten... |
"If the Goddess wills it, it will be so." |
Turning back to me he nodded and I was almost laughing at the way that he was acting like a child receiving the present that he had always wanted. "Looks like we might be able to salvage the light cavalry after all." |
"That’s what I was thinking." I replied, seeing the way that Avita was looking between the two of us. |
"Light cavalry?" |
Alexi nodded, reaching up and unclasping the aventail from his cavalry sallet. "Knights fight differently to normal cavalry, even Extraordinarii. We’re the only force in the world that is capable of breaking a shield wall in a head on charge. It takes a certain type of horse, training and specialised equipment to achi... |
"You want me to command them?" The alarm on Avita’s face was obvious as she looked over the dozens of cavalry moving nearby. |
"Well, we will have to test you, see how well you ride and fight and make sure that you are capable of being an effective leader before we do anything." As always Alexi’s tone and expression was riding the fine line between humour and insult but managing to come across as overwhelmingly friendly. "And we might have to... |
Avita’s hand reached up and patted her horse affectionately on the flank. "That’s fine. Isabelle is faithful but war is not for her. I’m... I’m grateful for you all giving me this chance." |
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