Brave Men Die: Part 1 by Dan Adams

Author:Dan Adams [Adams, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9781460703960
Google: lns5BAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00K1Q9N7Y
Publisher: AUS Impulse
Published: 2014-11-30T13:00:00+00:00

Castor awoke with a parched throat and gulped down the contents of his canteen. He moved too quickly and jarred his shoulder, pain shooting all along his left side. Moving slowly and with every bit of effort he could muster he packed up his kit and ate quickly. He found Virtue stabled where he left her, put her saddle on her back, secured it, and climbed up.

Hydrus and Volans rode to the front of the assembled men. The Nails sat in their saddles patiently awaiting their orders. There was something different about the captain and lieutenant, Castor judged, like suddenly the announcement of war had made the two leaders seem distant — the weight of responsibility hung heavily from their shoulders. The men before them were no longer friends but instruments of war.

Positioned before the unit Hydrus and Volans looked comfortable with the power they had. They held the lives of each man there in the palms of their hands and every man would obey their instructions to the letter, even if it meant their death.

‘Listen up,’ Volans shouted. ‘This is war and we need to be organised. We need a proper chain of command, rather that just the captain and I. We have decided that Castor now holds the rank of corporal. If we were to fall you are to take orders from Castor who will take control of the unit and he will promote one of you useless bastards to take his place. The gods help him if he actually has to do so.’

Castor stared wide eyed in disbelief at the announcement. He tried desperately to make eye contact with either the captain or the lieutenant to make sure this wasn’t some sort of cruel joke. Their faces remained masks of serenity as they became obscured from his view as the faces of the rest of the unit turned to him.

He twisted his head to look at Argol when his hand reached over and slapped him on the back in congratulations. ‘Guess you got what you wanted.’

‘Yeah, I guess so,’ he replied. But Castor was really thinking that, now he had it, he didn’t want the bloody promotion since they were actually going to war.

Argol was smirking at his obvious discomfort.

‘You know Argol, if I die, you’re probably up next.’

That wiped the smile right off of his friend’s face.

‘Corporal!’ Volans barked.

‘Yes lieutenant?’

‘Take six men and ride at the point.’

‘Yes sir.’

Castor indicated to the closest six men, including Argol, and they broke formation and went racing off toward the mountains, the rest of the company slowly following.

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