Codex 03 - Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher

Author:Jim Butcher
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Fantasy - Epic, Fantasy - General, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Fantasy fiction, Fiction - Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, General, Epic, Sword and Sorcery, Good and evil
ISBN: 9780441015474
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2007-11-27T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 30

Tavi threw down his bedroll and his regulation trunk in the smoldering ruins where Captain Cyril's command tent had been. "All right," he said to Foss, sitting down on the trunk. "Let's hear it."

"Captain's alive," Foss said. The veteran healer looked exhausted, and the grey in his hair and beard stood out more sharply than they had the day before.

"Barely. Don't know if he'll ever wake up. Don't know how much use he's gonna have of his legs if he does."

Tavi grunted and worked on keeping his expression calm and remote. He wasn't sure how well he was doing it. Telling a lie to his aunt wasn't the same thing as pretending to be competent and confident when all he really wanted to do was run screaming and hide somewhere.

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Around him, the Legion continued preparing to fight.

Screaming and hiding was not an option.

"First Spear should be on his feet in an hour or two," Foss continued. "Old Marcus got lucky. He was out getting more mugs for tea when it came down. Maximus was able to get to him, pull him out of the fire. He's got a few more scars from it."

"Who'd notice," Tavi said.

Foss showed his teeth. "True." He was silent for a second, then cleared his throat, and said, "We've got two more survivors so far."

"Who?" Tavi asked.

"That's the thing," Foss said. "I can't tell." Tavi winced.

"They'll have to tell us if they wake up. Burns are too bad. Look like they got skinned. Some of it was so hot, pieces of their armor melted." Foss let out a shaking breath. "I've seen bad. But never bad like that."

"Tell me," Tavi said. "Have you seen Lady Antillus this evening?" 243

Foss was quiet for a long time until he said, "No, sir."

"Would it have made any difference, if she'd been there?" Foss grunted. "Probably. Maybe. Hard to say for sure, sir." Tavi nodded and glanced up as Max came striding up. "First Spear made it through."

Max began to smile, then shook himself, came to attention, and saluted. Tavi stiffened uncomfortably at the formality, but returned it. "That's something, at least, sir," Max said. "The auxiliaries are ready to move out. Four hundred cavalry and eighty scouts."

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"What about the horses?" Tavi asked.

Max grimaced. "We're missing a pair of our courier mounts."

"We're missing two of our fastest horses. We're missing Lady Antillus." Tavi shook his head. "I'm tempted to draw unkind conclusions."

"I'm tempted to . . ." Max's voice dropped off into a low, muttering growl. Foss grunted. "You think she had something to do with what hit the captain, sir?"

Tavi grimaced. Actually speaking of his suspicions aloud, in the course of his duties to one of his officers, would have the legal weight of a lawful accusation.

"I don't have any way of knowing, centurion. But I've got a lot of questions that I'd like to have answered."

Max scowled. "Make me a list, sir. I'll think of some creative ways to ask them.

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