Sword Masters by Selina Rosen

let's do hurry and get back. I don't want to miss either the rat season or the plague." He coughed loudly and ended up bent over spitting vile looking stuff from his mouth. Brakston went to his side, helped him to a bench, and then helped him to sit. He placed his hand gently against Arvon's head.
    "You are running a fever again my friend."
    Arvon laughed. "Ah, that would explain why I've lost my attraction to war."
    Brakston looked at him. He knew exactly how his sword brother felt. They had all fantasized about the glory of it all, but there was no glory in the death that had faced them on the front. They'd make a little headway one day only to be pushed back the next. The rains had come, and with them came disease and mosquitoes the size of small birds. Arvon's wound had seemed a simple one compared to others, but a bad infection had set into it, and he'd become sick. It soon became evident that Arvon was going to have to leave the front or die, and he couldn't go alone. Brakston couldn't really say that he was sad about having to be the one to bring Arvon home.
    "You'll get some help. You'll feel better," Brakston promised. "Rest for a minute."
    Arvon saw Tarius and Jena sneak in the back gate holding hands. From their rumpled appearance, it didn't take a genius to figure out what they'd been up to.
    Arvon sighed deeply. "Ah, there goes the end to one of my most beautiful fantasies."
    "Huh?" Brakston looked in the direction that Arvon was looking and saw the couple. He laughed. "Not hard to guess what those two have been doin'."
    "My point exactly, and I was so hoping that he wanted me as badly as I wanted him," Arvon said.
    Brakston laughed. "Quit, ya old puffta . . . Tarius!"
    Tarius looked up quickly, first with the startled look of one who has been caught, and then grinned and ran towards them. Tarius hugged first Brakston and then Arvon.
    "Oh, sure, hug me now you young cad, when I know what you've been doing with this young woman," Arvon said. He looked at Jena who stood just behind Tarius with a huge grin on her face. "So, I see you finally chased this young man till he caught you."
    Jena took Tarius's arm beaming happily. "We're getting married."
    Arvon held a hand over his heart. "Ah! Woman, you slay me."
    Brakston nudged Tarius with an elbow. "I suppose you better be marrying her if you were doing what I think you were doing out in the woods. The old man would have your hide, you know that don't you?"
    "When is the big day?" Arvon asked.
    "Soon, before I ride out on my internship," Tarius said. "I graduate in less than two months, you know."
    "No I didn't," Arvon said. It made him feel old. He was glad to be back at the compound, away from the war. Back among familiar things and people.
    "Tarius, would you help me take Arvon to the surgery . . ."
    "You're wounded then, Arvon?" Tarius asked.
    "Oh yes, and the infection has given him the fever," Brakston said.
    Tarius moved then to help Arvon to his feet, and it was then that Brakston noticed that the boy was limping himself.
    "What happened to you, lad? Didn't do that playing with your girl in the woods, did you?" he teased.
    It was Jena who slapped him hard on the shoulder. "That's enough of your mouth, Brakston," Jena said. She moved to help Tarius with Arvon. "I'll have you know that Tarius was hurt saving our good king from a barbarian."
    "You saved the king?" Arvon said looking at Tarius in awe. "Then you're not just wearing spurs because you have lousy out-country manners?"
    "You horse shit!" Brakston popped Tarius on the shoulder so hard he almost sent all three of them to the ground. "You've been knighted!"
    Tarius smiled but said nothing.
    "See what a fine teacher am I? How my students become knighted before they even graduate from the academy?" Arvon said.
    "See how the fever has gone to his head? We better get him to the surgery," Brakston laughed.
    They started helping him to the surgery. He wasn't the first Swordmaster to come in this week;