Margaret Weis - Heroes And Fools

“Paladine prevent it!” Sister Hana cried.

“I don’t think he has much say in the matter anymore,” said Kang gravely. “Our queen left us here on our own and, from what we’ve heard, you’ve been abandoned by your god, as well.”

“Our god is with us!” Sister Hana retorted.

“I don’t think so, ma’am,” said Slith. He tossed her medallion into the air like a gambler tosses a coin, causing it to spin and flip. He caught it with a quick, overhand snap. “If your god were around, would he let me do that to his medal?”

“That will do, Slith!” said Kang in a rebuking tone. “It is not our place to mock the faithful. Give the sister back her medallion and apologize to her for mistreating it.”

Slith stole a glance at his superior to determine if he were truly serious. Seeing not the hint of smile, Slith sidled over to the sister and held out the medallion.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he said, “for any disrespect.”

The sister, white-faced, snatched the medallion from Slith and closed her fist over it tightly.

“Commander! Where’s the commander?” came a shout from outside.

“Down here!” Kang bellowed.

A soldier dashed down the stairs, came up with a salute. “Sir,” he said, “we have repelled the first assault. The goblins have retreated.”

“Only to regroup,” Kang said. “They’ll be back, soon enough, and this time they’ll be better organized. What do you think, Slith?”

“My guess is that they won’t attack until morning, sir. It’ll be dark soon. They’ll be wanting to fill their bellies and get a good night’s rest.” Slith shrugged. “They know we aren’t going anywhere.”

“That’s true enough,” Kang growled. “Perhaps you’re right. Set the watch. I want it doubled. I don’t want those sneaky bastards slipping over the walls to slit our throats in the night. And I want the men to have a hot meal. Roast those deer we shot.”

Sister Marsel made a sound. Sister Hana scowled, and the young female put her hand over her mouth. Kang noticed the pinched cheeks of all the women, the thin bodies. He glanced around at the near-empty cellar and guessed the truth.

“We will be pleased to share our food with you, ma’am,” he said gruffly.

“And poison us!” Sister Hana said, casting him a scathing glance. “We are not hungry.”

“Suit yourself, ma’am. Slith, you have your orders.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kang looked anxiously at the babies. Kneeling down, he chucked one under the chin, tried to make her smile. She whimpered and turned away. Kang sighed deeply.

“You’re right, Dremon,” he said. “There’s something wrong. I’ll be damned if I know what.”

Kang cast a sidelong glance at the females. Sister Hana was leading them in a prayer to Paladine, speaking the words forcefully, loudly, and angrily, as if she was certain the god was around, he’d just chosen this moment to step outside. Four of the younger sisters were praying along with their leader, though they sounded hopeless and resigned rather than angry. One, Marsel, was only murmuring the words. Her gaze was drawn to the baby draconians.

Kang had been intending to wait respectfully until the prayer ended, but after the harangue had continued for almost ten minutes without pause, he felt he could wait no longer. “Uh, excuse me, ma’am,” he said diffidently. “There. . there seems to be something wrong with our little ones, here. We’re soldiers, ma’am. We don’t know anything about children. I was wondering if you, with your experience-”

“My experience! Hah!” Sister Hana turned her back on him. “We are going to keep praying, sisters! Pray that this evil be taken from our midst! Marsel,” Sister Hana said sharply, “you will lead us in the next prayer.”

“Yes, sister,” said Marsel dutifully and shifted her gaze away from the babies.

“Commander, sir!” Someone else was yelling outside. “Where’s the commander?”

“I’ve got to go,” said Kang to Dremon in an undertone. “Leave the babies down here. They’re safer here than anywhere else. Maybe the sight of them will soften their hearts.”

“What hearts, sir?” Dremon returned.

Kang just shook his head and dashed up the stairs to attend to the disposition of the defense.

Night blew in on a cold wind. The strange new moon lit the snow with a sick, bleak light. The moon looked lost and lonely in the sky, Kang thought, gazing up at it. It looked as if it were wondering how it had managed to find itself in this situation. He knew just how it felt.

He made the rounds, saying a word to each soldier on guard duty, urging them to keep careful watch, for it was in his mind that with the moon at the full, the goblins might not wait until morning to attack. Looking out over the wall, he could see their campfires blazing brightly, dark figures passed back and forth in front of the light. Tempting targets, but the goblins were out of bow range, and Kang’s men were short on arrows as it was.

The draconians were short on everything-arrows, rations. What food they had went first to the young. The deer they’d shot that morning would be the only real meat the men had eaten in a week. Kang was pushing them hard to reach their destination before the heavy snows of winter set in and blocked the mountain passes, leaving the draconians trapped, easy prey for the cursed Solamnic Knights.

“Excuse me, Commander,” said a voice at his side.

Kang turned. It was one of the women, the young one, Marsel.

“You shouldn’t be out here, ma’am,” he said quickly, and taking her by the arm, he hustled her away from the walls and into the safety of the temple.

“But why?” she protested, peering backward, trying to see. “The goblins aren’t attacking, are they?”

“Not now, ma’am,” Kang said with emphasis, “but they’re not above trying a lucky shot, and-no disrespect intended, ma’am-but in those white robes, you make a very fine target.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Sister Marsel, looking down at her robes with a rueful smile. “Do. . do you have a moment, Commander? I’d like to talk to you, if I may.”

Kang heroically put aside thoughts of stretching out beneath a warm blanket. “Did Sister Hana send you?”

“No.” Sister Marsel flushed. “She doesn’t know I’ve gone. She and the others are asleep.”

“Where I should be,” Kang muttered, but only to himself. “What can I do for you, Sister Marsel? Would you like some venison?” He brought out a choice morsel, a meaty bone, he’d been saving for his own dinner.

Sister Marsel eyed it, swallowed, licked her lips and said, “No, thank you. Well, maybe just a taste. .” She took the meat and began to eat ravenously. Halfway through, however, she paused, her face flushed. She handed the bone back to Kang. “I’m sorry. I took your supper, didn’t I? No, you eat the rest. Really, that was all I wanted.”

Kang ate what she had left him, tearing the meat from the bone with his sharp teeth.

“The babies wouldn’t eat,” Sister Marsel said. “Your man offered them some food. They wouldn’t touch it.”

Kang suddenly lost his own appetite. He tossed the uneaten portion down on the altar. Later that night, the cook would come around, gather up all the bones, throw them into the soup pot for breakfast.

“Could I ask you a question, Commander?”

Kang nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“What did you mean when you told Sister Hana that she was on the side of evil. Was that. . was that a joke?”

“I’m not much given to jokes, ma’am,” Kang said.

Sister Marsel looked perplexed. “Did you mean it? That we are on the side of. . evil? I thought we were on the side of right.”

“We thought the same, ma’am. We believed that what we were doing was right.”