Copyright © 2015 Naoko Smith
This is a re-edited version of Chapter 2. I cut half of Chapter 1 and turned it into a new Chapter 3, so I've been obliged to put it in at the end of this chapter. (Chapter 3 is now Chapter 4, etc etc.)
Please leave comments for me. Thank you! (Diolch.)
"Thy time for my allegiance!" shouted a husky warm voice outside the tent.
Commander-Lord Vadya el Gaiel van H'las stirred one arm in the soapy water of the tin bathtub and sat up, his broad shoulders and muscular chest with the keloid scars across his brown ribs, his narrow hips surging out of the wash lapping down over his genitals. His big cock and balls floated softly in the water, flaccid against the clearly delineated muscles of his strong thigh. He reached out towards his manservant Batren, who was standing by with the towels.
He had recognised the voice as that of one of his Captains, Tashka Maien, and he shouted casually: "Enter!"
The entrance flap was gripped in thin scarred fingers which flung it back and a head of dark hair close-cropped in severe military style leaned into the tent. A tall muscular body was coming after with one long leg poised to step inside.
Slanted blue eyes in the clear tanned face of a ridiculously pretty young officer looked straight into Vadya's brown eyes. Tashka's gaze moved down Vadya's muscular brown legs sprawling out of the tin bathtub in the middle of the red and black carpets, then up to his chest with the scars and black hairs on it, then down to his balls and cock floating in the bath water. The blush went suddenly hot and red up his tanned cheeks, his rose-petal mouth bunched in a stutter. Tashka turned shyly downwards the exquisite blue eyes that cast a heartbreaking Northern beauty into his face.
'What a schoolgirl!' Vadya thought with a grin. He threw a wet flannel, catching Tashka round the head. Tashka jumped and looked up through his lashes at his naked soapy Commander with an embarrassed smirk. He muttered something about Lieutenant-Lord el Darien and an extra guard on the woods side of the camp and disappeared in such a rush that he barely stamped out the ritual steps of the junior leaving the senior H'las officer.
Vadya laughed and made imitation trumpet noises of retreat, lounging back in his bath.
He was not particularly handsome but he was a fit young man with broad shoulders and narrow hips. His sweetness of character showed in the kind smile that often came over his generous big mouth. He was a good prospect for any younger daughter of the high nobility, sprawled in the bathtub in his tent, the strength of his muscular shoulders and thighs offset by a gentle heart and courteous disposition.
In describing his virtues his father had not mentioned the magnitude of his masculinity. Vadya himself had never much considered it. He had not had many lovers. The main relationship of his life thus far had been with a woman who was not interested in the size of what she occasionally enjoyed so much as the gentle affection of his heart. A spirited young Lady of the high nobility with a bright reputation had once said to him: "da-arling, what an horse you are!" but the modest young Lord el Gaiel had only supposed she was trying to flatter him into more of her interesting activities.
He lay sniggering in the warm water, splashing with big weapons-hardened hands -- which were frequently admired for their delicate skill on the horses' reins -- so that the water flowed about his hips and his thighs and his flaccid cock and balls.
He felt vaguely surprised; Tashka Maien was infamous for the disgusting stories he would come out with on night-sentry duty by the fire.
The tent-flaps through which Tashka had departed so abruptly fluttered in a light breeze, Vadya stared lazily out. Beyond the troop on almost every side he saw the pale grassy plains stretched in shimmering waves to the milky blue of the horizon. The campsite Vadya had chosen was on a long shallow hillside, near some leafy green woods but not near enough that the woods could become a hazard. A small river flowed below, convenient for washing and for watering the horses. It made a pleasant constant babble behind the fluctuating level of the troop's noise. You heard it clearly in the still watches of the night, in the middle of practising some manoeuvre it might disappear in the jingle of harness and weaponry, the stamp of hoof and foot. Then it would be there again behind the shrill yells of the officers repeating orders to their men.
The guard-posts, baggage wagons, tents and picket-lines of horses were laid out in an orderly way. The troop was well-set to defend itself against an enemy attack, or, more likely in the Vail plains where they were practising light summer manoeuvres, a practice raid by a friendly troop seeking to win a few cases of wine and some glory.
There was another troop encamped nearby but unfortunately it was Ninth Vail, the play troop of the frivolous young Lordling of Vail, Pava el Jien. There would be no glory in springing a practice attack on Ninth Vail. Young Commander-Lord el Jien van Vail had been trained as an excellent field officer but these days he spent his time partying with visiting officer-aristocrats. He was Vadya's age and easy-going fun so Vadya was friends with him even though he had been an officer of Fourth Sietter, by the side of the el Maien van Sietter brothers.
It was Pava who had recommended Tashka Maien to Vadya's notice and Tashka had asked if he might spend a couple of days with Pava. They were only trotting round the Vail plains as a kind of holiday, Vadya readily granted his request even though Tashka was about to go on extended leave. He said he would ride over to Ninth Vail's encampment with Tashka.
By the time Tashka came back Vadya was outside his tent dressed in an elegant red silk doublet and breeches. He had tried to insist that jodhpurs and a plain shirt would be better for the ride over to Ninth Vail's encampment but his manservant Batren said, with that glazed obstinate expression that meant he would be willing to argue about it with you for a long time: "Captain Maien suggested you wear a suit." Vadya was sniffing at a bottle of wine, by his campaign table laid for dinner. He noticed that Tashka was looking particularly attractive in a dark blue silk that matched his eyes, with a lot of lace at the collar and cuffs of his cream silk shirt and a large pearl and diamond drop earring in his ear. Vadya felt an uncomfortable swelling in his underpants which he ignored (luckily his breeches were loose around the groin). He hoped with a qualm that nobody in Ninth Vail would mistake Tashka's elegance and offer him insulting attentions.
Tashka was apparently still embarrassed about having walked in on his commanding officer in the bath. He grumbled, "you have no shame," as he flung himself into a folding canvas chair. He set one black booted ankle on the other blue silk-clad knee, his lovely features crumpled in a frown.
Vadya burst out laughing. "Holy Angels!" he said. "What need has a soldier of shame?"
"Give me some of that Athagine," Tashka replied crossly.
Vadya thought of one particular story of Tashka's about a farmer's daughter and shook his head with a snigger.
He poured Tashka a bowl of deep red wine, almost purple, heavy waves lapping at the white inside of the beautifully painted clay bowl, one of a set Tashka had given him. Tashka took the bowl, stared intently at the colour of the wine, smelt it and sighed.
"My life for your banner," he said the casual toast slowly, looking warmly up into Vadya's brown eyes. Vadya knew he meant it. Tashka had risked his life to save Vadya's from a rearing horse. When they were caught in a disgusting little defile in the mountains in V'ta (which Vadya had insisted to lead them through although Tashka had said the steep cliff faces were a hazard), it was Tashka who broke out to fetch support from a nearby P'shan troop.
Vadya smiled and raised his own bowl, saying: "My life for yours, my friend." He added: "That ... is a very fine suit."
Tashka lifted his slanted blue eyes with a sparkling grin. "We cannot go and see el Jien wearing a dishcloth and the scrubbing brush," he sniggered. It was true that Pava el Jien van Vail was reputed to be particular about his wardrobe -- if not about his ladyfriends, but Vadya was surprised that a plain Captain Maien should be so familiar as to joke about it. Tashka was tilting his wine to and fro, laughing into it as if remembering ... what? el Jien van Vail had never been known to take a male lover that Vadya had heard of but Tashka was so pretty anyone could be excused casting a speculative eye on him. Except his senior officer, of course.
"Thy time for my allegiance," it was one of Tashka's Lieutenants, one of the two aristocrats entrusted to his tender care. He was very new and stuttered over the appeal to the senior officer, looking at Tashka with adoring brown eyes in his plump brown face. He was still wearing his black cotton uniform with the blue details, tightly buttoned up to his collar, although all the other officers would have changed into casual clothes for the evening.
Tashka straightened up in his chair and nodded. His eyes tightened up at the corners.
"I will hear you, Lieutenant."
Mada el Vaie van Soomara cast an anxious glance quickly at the Commander then looked at Tashka, soft and pleading like a puppy that only wants its ears tickled but it thinks it might get a kick instead. Tashka started to rise in his chair. Vadya had had his fill of the officers of the Second Quarter saying there was nothing wrong and yet always coming running to interrupt his dinners with Tashka, he cut in curtly: "Lieutenant, are you quite sure this is a matter requiring the Captain's attention." Tashka, poised halfway out of the chair, looked at him with that bland attentiveness which came over him when he had to submit to orders against his wishes.
el Vaie blushed and stuttered, shuffling his feet in the shining thigh-length black army boots which Tashka made his juniors keep polished to a standard the ceremonial First troop would have been proud of. "Well ... Hanya ... I mean Lieutenant Lein ... and Volka said,"
"Perhaps Lein and el Darien can help you resolve the matter," Vadya responded before Tashka could say anything. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his man-servant and a trooper standing with the trays of food in their hands. He felt that Tashka had eaten enough cold dinners and that the Lieutenants ought to have learned to manage by now.
"Yes sir," Mada said. He saluted with a crisp flick of the hand, his thigh-length black army boots stamped out the ritual dancing steps of the H'las junior officer leaving his seniors. He turned to walk slowly back towards Second Quarter, scuffing with his boot at tufts of grass as he went. He looked like a puppy that wishes it had had a kick at least.
