wolves during the day, inside the mines themselves. The miners are refusing to work at all now, and Keegan’s soldiers won’t let them leave but also won’t enforce any work because that would mean the soldiers would have to enter to mines themselves to oversee, and they’re just as afraid of being trapped or caught down there.”
Céline absorbed this. “I think you learned quite a bit. If someone is doing this on purpose—infecting thesoldiers, I mean—it almost sounds like they are
trying
to shut down work in the mines.”
The path emptied into the Pählen encampment.
As the collection of tents came into view, Céline heard raised voices. Turning, she saw that Captain Keegan was out among his men. In fact . . . he was shouting at five of them. She recognized three of the soldiers from earlier in the day, the rotund Guardsman Saunders, the skittish young Graham, and the tall, semi-toothless Ramsey. She’d not met the other two.
“We have guests here from the court of Sèone!” Keegan shouted. “Sent at the request of our prince! And you’re all wandering around out here with no one placed at his designated post. You’re all filthy, and you look a disgrace. I won’t have it! You’ll clean yourselves up and act like soldiers or I’ll have you on night watch in that gypsy camp. Do you hear me?”
Had Jaromir ever given his men such a speech, they would have been groveling. He rarely made threats—as he rarely needed to—but a threat from Jaromir was taken seriously.
Céline expected the soldiers to bow and scrape and express a chorus of “Yes, sirs.”
They did not.
Ramsey glared at the captain in thinly veiled hostility and spoke so softly that Céline had to read his lips, but it seemed that he said, “I’ll not take orders from a man who can’t pay his own debts.”
Captain Keegan went stiff. “What did you say?”
No one answered for a moment, and then Ramsey mumbled, “Nothing.”
“Get to your posts,” Keegan ordered.
The men shuffled away, but Céline was somewhat shaken. She’d never seen anything like that. Even back in Shetâna, the chain of command was unquestioned and soldiers followed the orders of a superior officer.
Discipline was breaking down here . . . and these men would need discipline if they hoped to organize themselves and survive.
However, as she, Amelie, and Jaromir walked up, they pretended not to have witnessed the scene.
“Good evening, Captain,” she said.
He turned and saw her approaching. “My lady, I was coming in search of you.”
“Yes, we were detained in the miners’ encampment.”
He frowned. “All afternoon?” But then he offered Amelie a polite bow of his head. “I’ve had a small dinner prepared, to be served in my tent. Could you be ready in an hour?”
Céline wanted to groan. She wanted her bed. The last thing she wanted to do was put on an evening gown and sit at a table making polite conversation. But they were here for a reason, and she glanced at Jaromir. He nodded once.
“Of course,” she said. “We’d be honored.” As she started to walk away, something occurred to her, and she was uncertain of the protocol. Amelie had stressed that as the ranking commander, he was in charge of everyone here. Did she need his permission to conduct any readings? “Captain . . . per our inquiry, I would like to do a reading of a young woman named Mariah and a man called Marcus. Do I have your permission?”
His frown deepened. “Mariah? Why?”
By way of answer, she looked him up and down, as would any haughty lady of Anton’s court.
He glanced away, embarrassed. “Yes, do as you see fit.”
Chapter Five
T hough Céline was still feeling weary as she entered Captain Keegan’s tent that night, she was aware enough to be somewhat unsettled by the state of her gown. At Jaromir’s request, Helga had packed for the two sisters, including two fine dresses from the castle—which had probably once belonged to Anton’s aunt.
Céline absorbed this. “I think you learned quite a bit. If someone is doing this on purpose—infecting thesoldiers, I mean—it almost sounds like they are
trying
to shut down work in the mines.”
The path emptied into the Pählen encampment.
As the collection of tents came into view, Céline heard raised voices. Turning, she saw that Captain Keegan was out among his men. In fact . . . he was shouting at five of them. She recognized three of the soldiers from earlier in the day, the rotund Guardsman Saunders, the skittish young Graham, and the tall, semi-toothless Ramsey. She’d not met the other two.
“We have guests here from the court of Sèone!” Keegan shouted. “Sent at the request of our prince! And you’re all wandering around out here with no one placed at his designated post. You’re all filthy, and you look a disgrace. I won’t have it! You’ll clean yourselves up and act like soldiers or I’ll have you on night watch in that gypsy camp. Do you hear me?”
Had Jaromir ever given his men such a speech, they would have been groveling. He rarely made threats—as he rarely needed to—but a threat from Jaromir was taken seriously.
Céline expected the soldiers to bow and scrape and express a chorus of “Yes, sirs.”
They did not.
Ramsey glared at the captain in thinly veiled hostility and spoke so softly that Céline had to read his lips, but it seemed that he said, “I’ll not take orders from a man who can’t pay his own debts.”
Captain Keegan went stiff. “What did you say?”
No one answered for a moment, and then Ramsey mumbled, “Nothing.”
“Get to your posts,” Keegan ordered.
The men shuffled away, but Céline was somewhat shaken. She’d never seen anything like that. Even back in Shetâna, the chain of command was unquestioned and soldiers followed the orders of a superior officer.
Discipline was breaking down here . . . and these men would need discipline if they hoped to organize themselves and survive.
However, as she, Amelie, and Jaromir walked up, they pretended not to have witnessed the scene.
“Good evening, Captain,” she said.
He turned and saw her approaching. “My lady, I was coming in search of you.”
“Yes, we were detained in the miners’ encampment.”
He frowned. “All afternoon?” But then he offered Amelie a polite bow of his head. “I’ve had a small dinner prepared, to be served in my tent. Could you be ready in an hour?”
Céline wanted to groan. She wanted her bed. The last thing she wanted to do was put on an evening gown and sit at a table making polite conversation. But they were here for a reason, and she glanced at Jaromir. He nodded once.
“Of course,” she said. “We’d be honored.” As she started to walk away, something occurred to her, and she was uncertain of the protocol. Amelie had stressed that as the ranking commander, he was in charge of everyone here. Did she need his permission to conduct any readings? “Captain . . . per our inquiry, I would like to do a reading of a young woman named Mariah and a man called Marcus. Do I have your permission?”
His frown deepened. “Mariah? Why?”
By way of answer, she looked him up and down, as would any haughty lady of Anton’s court.
He glanced away, embarrassed. “Yes, do as you see fit.”
Chapter Five
T hough Céline was still feeling weary as she entered Captain Keegan’s tent that night, she was aware enough to be somewhat unsettled by the state of her gown. At Jaromir’s request, Helga had packed for the two sisters, including two fine dresses from the castle—which had probably once belonged to Anton’s aunt.
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