Chapter 7

It was autumn, and it was getting chilly. It was also the rainy season. If you happened to be out in that rain for any length of time, you would be wet as well as chilled. Roland shivered, and pulled his cloak tighter as he went from one guard position to the next, making sure all the guards were where they should be.

It seemed to him that this was all he was doing during this 'training' that the Duke wanted him to have and experience: guard duty, and drudge work. Sure, these were things that needed doing, but it was not the glamorous life he had always associated with the army.

Counting items, counting people, counting everything that the army had, then counting again and again. Inventory was worse than guard duty. Roland longed for another break and hoped to be sent to one of the three garrisons that the army and the Duke maintained here in the south. The trip to the west garrison had been an eye opener, to say the least.

He had accomplished his mission of re-supply, and had spent thirty days learning garrison duty. The garrison commander had not stinted on loaning him out to people needing an extra hand, for just about anything. Digging new latrines, picking vegetables from the huge garden the garrison maintained, and repair and maintenance on just about everything and anything.

He had spent almost a week with the combat wizard, and had learned a bit; but mostly the wizard had wanted to use Roland's power ring to strengthen spells, and cast a few more. Well, at least it was familiar work and magic. Roland had been pleased with the time spent with the wizard.

Also exciting, were the two probing attacks the Clans had launched. Always around first light, and always when the men were either eating or getting ready to eat. The watch in the lookout towers would sound the alarms, and the post would respond by going to their assigned places for battle.

Roland sighed as he finished his last round of checks for the night. He got back to the guard officer's tent, to find the next guard officer already there heating tea, a man named Alam Kolder.

"Ah, Roland. No trouble then?" asked Lt. Kolder.

"Not unless you count the endless fall rains as something to worry about," Roland replied sourly.

"Say, this is all going to be part of your barony soon, isn't it?" Roland was asked.

"Supposedly it already is. I have to say, I am certainly learning my land a totally different way then I had originally thought I would," Roland responded wryly.

Alam laughed. "My dad had me out learning all sorts of non-sense when I was a boy. Trouble is, what do you do when you have seven sons and three daughters? I was not going to inherit anything; and there is nothing so useless, as another noble's son who can't inherit. So it was the army for me. Tea's ready, want a cup?" Alam asked.

Roland nodded and dug out his cup. Shortly they were both sipping the hot tea, and it warmed Roland. Alam Kolder had added a bit of honey to both cups, which sweetened it nicely.

They both sat and watched as the sky lighted from dark to a visibly gray cloud laden thing that promised more rain.

"Going for breakfast?" Alam asked Roland after a few minutes of silence.

"Was thinking about turning in and sleeping the day away, but then I would just have to get up for that damn meeting the Commander has before breakfast, anyway. All officers not engaged in a duty must be there," Roland said sourly.

Alam nodded sympathetically. "All I can say is, you're going to be ruler of a very wet land, my friend," Alam said with a grin.

Roland returned his grin. Alam had become a sort of friend to Roland over the past couple months, and he didn't have many to begin with.

"Don't worry my young friend," Alam said, "The commander will be moving you up to bigger and better things soon. It's all part of getting you familiar with military life and responsibilities. The commander is big on training from the bottom up, for all his officers," Alam ended with a sympathetic clap to Roland's shoulder.

"I think he enjoys the bottom part to much," Roland muttered and took a sip from his tea, which was now almost empty.

"Well, there is that. He seems to take great pleasure in making the landed and the gentry perform the most menial of tasks. Considering how long he has had you at it, I would say he has great expectations of you my young friend," Alam said with feigned sympathy.

Roland rolled his eyes. "Maybe I will get lucky and die of the Flux before he can find some more bottom training for me to do," Roland replied with a sneeze.

"I doubt it. You have covered just about everything from the bottom. There is nowhere else to go except up, from here," Alam said with a chuckle.

Just then, the awning for the tent, which had been stretched out some days ago, dipped and a rush of collected rainwater fell as the peg holding the pole in place came loose. The small fire that had been under the awning and at the edge of the protection against the rain was put out by the falling water.

Roland chuckled as Alam cursed. It would be up to Alam to gather more dry wood, and build another fire if he wanted one.

"Here, let me fix that for you," Roland said after they fixed the pole and put the peg back into place.

It took only a moment of concentration, and a brief muttered spell, and the fire that had been drowned, was soon flickering and blazing merrily again.

"Well, if anything, you could have a career as a fire tender," Alam said.

"Right. Somehow, I don't think people would pay me what I wanted for my service," Roland responded, chuckling.

As the days gave way to weeks, the weather turned colder. The rains slowed and stopped for a while, but then the snow started. The army moved camp to a more permanent area, and the wizards who were able, moved from tent to tent casting heating spells which would stay in place until the tent the spell was cast on was taken down.