Maximilian drew the razor down the side of his cheek, then flicked off the soap and bristles into a dish of water at his feet. He drew the razor down his other cheek, and then again, flicking away the soap and bristles after each pass, and then over his chin.
Axis sat on a chair in the command tent, watching the Lord of Elcho Falling as he shaved in the predawn. Maximilian looked more relaxed than Axis had seen him in a while, and he wondered at it. Axis had spoken to Insharah very early this morning, and the soldiers were more edgy than ever. They didn’t know why they were sitting here in the snow when back home their land was, for all they knew, being torn apart and their families slaughtered.
Maximilian would somehow need to pull a miracle down from the sky if he wanted to retain control of the army.
The Lealfast.
“What will happen today, Maxel?” Axis said. “Tens of thousands of Lealfast are, presumably, going to descend from the sky. It might not do much for the mood of the camp, which is already restless. Do you have any…” Axis stopped, searching for the word.
Maximilian wiped the razor on a cloth, then set it to one side. “Plans?” He picked up a towel and wiped his face and neck clean of soap, then handed the towel to Serge, who cleared away the shaving paraphernalia. “Yes, of a kind. Axis, I need you to assemble as much of the army as you can manage by midafternoon, in the space surrounding that small hill about four hundred paces away to the north. You know it?”
Axis nodded. It was a good place for one man to address a huge crowd.
It was also a good place for one man to be obliterated by an angry mob.
“I can’t protect you there, Maxel,” Axis said softly.
“I know. I live or die by my words and actions today.”
“You seem very calm about it.”
Maximilian gave a slight shrug.
“Have you heard from Eleanon?”
“Yes. He and his fighters are close, gathered about an hour’s flight from here. They know when to arrive, and where. Don’t worry, Axis. I will be careful with the introductions.”
“What do you want me to do with the generals?”
Maximilian didn’t answer immediately, considering Axis. “The generals?” he said after a moment. “At the front again, as they were when we met Malat and Georgdi. Now, Axis, you have a couple of hundred thousand men to organize. Best get to it.”
Axis gave Maximilian a measured look—the man was keeping something from him—but in the end he just nodded a farewell as he rose and left.
It had been a very long time since Axis had command of an army, and never one of quite this size. He had yet to feel out his chain of command through all of the units, and still depended very greatly on Insharah to relay his orders through the mass of men.
Still, Axis had spent a goodly portion of the nights on the long trail sitting about campfires talking, and entertaining with his harp and voice, and although there was initial disquiet and muttering, by noon most of the army was moving, as asked, north toward the hill where Maximilian would address them.
They took no gear with them and only hand weapons—Axis had thought about ordering they take no weapons at all, but knew that, firstly, he’d never be able to enforce such an order and, secondly, weaponless men were even more likely to be moved to anger and action when faced with a strange and unnerving situation than those who at least had a sword or knife to hand.
Once the bulk of the men were moving, Axis and Insharah walked toward the generals’ tents. Axis wasn’t looking forward to talking to them, and even less to persuading them to attend this gathering.
“They’ve been too quiet these past days,” he said to Insharah as they approached Lamiah’s tent. “I should have spoken to them earlier.”
Insharah shrugged. “No doubt they’ve been plotting and planning,” he said, and then there was no more time for words as they halted before the sentry at Lamiah’s tent.
“Your master is in?” Axis said to the man.
“Washing, my lord,” the guard said. “He would not wish to be disturbed before he is fully garbed.”
“Lamiah is a laggard indeed,” Axis said, “if he still wanders undressed at this time of day.”
He stepped forward, meaning to enter the tent, but the sentry grabbed at his arm. “My lord—”
The sentry got no further, for Insharah wrenched him back.
“Watch what you do, man!” Insharah barked, and Axis sent the sentry a hard look before he lifted the tent flap and stepped inside.
It was empty. Empty, that is, save for a stripped camp bed and dirty dishes with congealed and mouldy scraps stuck to their surfaces.
There was no man, let alone a general, washing.
Axis froze to the spot, then suddenly he was outside, running for the tents of Armat and Kezial.