Princess Rescue Inc (94 page)

“It's
the simple things that can save so many,” Doc murmured tiredly. She weakly
picked up her fork. Her hands shook. Tears fell from her eyes. Perry rubbed her
shoulders. “Easy Sue, it's okay. Just relax,” he murmured. She sobbed silently
then gushed a sigh as she began to relax. Deidra hugged her from her other
side.

She
waved a servant over and told her to get some of the women to donate blood too.
Many of the camp women were serving as nurses to the wounded or cooking.
Bandages were being made out of ripped and torn uniforms. They were boiled to
sterilize them.

A
woman nearby was cleaning clothes in a bucket of water from the river. Another
was doing laundry in a helmet. Knots of soldiers were standing around, showing
off trophies or boasting as they drank themselves silly. Perry looked over, frowned,
but didn't say anything. They had enough problems to deal with. Some things you
just couldn't deal with.

Over
the next several days the remaining Duluth army survivors were rounded up.
Lieutenant Galloway and centurion Ticundus blocked a group from leaving. Tired,
fearful, hungry, and frustrated they threw down their weapons at the wall.
Galloway had them build a small internment camp and detailed some of his people
to guard them.

Duke
Emroy estimated less than one in ten of the survivors got away, most would
either turn bandit or try to get over the mountains to go home. A few would
most likely try to blend in to the area.

 Nearly
two thousand were dead, nearly twice that were wounded. A little over three
hundred and seventy wounded soldiers didn't survive the first week despite the
frantic efforts of the surgeons. Many of those who did would be maimed, missing
limbs. They would have a long road to recovery... if they could be kept from
picking up an infection.

Many
of the peasants in the area were starving. The Queen sent in convoys of food
when she received the good news from Jesse. The Terrans organized work parties
to first improve the internment camps with latrines, and then go around the
area rebuilding the villages and farms. It was one way to keep the knots of
soldiers busy, make them think about the true costs of war, and to make the
ones who didn't participate actually participate and give them something to
talk about.

Flush
with the victory the Queen sent in seeds and materials from the royal
warehouses.  Perry and Ryans drafted the surviving Titans and war beasts
to be used as draft animals with mixed results. Ryans even used the hummers and
Strykers to pull modified plows, much to some amazement of the locals, and annoyance
from Perry when he found out about the little project.

When
some of the POW work parties saw the new plows and other tools they were
impressed and began to talk amongst themselves. The surviving Duluth lords and
knights were sent to the capital under guard.

Perry
was torn between keeping an eye on things, training, and running a war crimes
tribunal until Duke Emroy came out to help. The elderly Duke wasn't very spry
but he had a wicked sense of humor and a commanding presence. He sent out
refugees from the duchy to aide in the repairs to his lands.

<==={}------------>

“What's
that?” Ryans asked indicating a second internment camp. The tesserarius looked
over to it then back, eyes hard.

“Traitors,”
he said darkly.

“Conscripted
or voluntary?” Ryans asked. The aide shrugged.

“Does
it really matter? Either way they're traitors to their countrymen,” he spat
toward the faces lining the improvised fences.

“Yeah
it does,” Ryans said walking over to the fence.

“My
lord come away we really must...”

“Oh
yes, we must,” the general nodded and walked off with the aide.

“If
you must, you must,” Waters said shaking his head. He trotted over to Ryans,
catching up. “What are you up to?”

“Treason
is punishable by death in these parts remember?” Ryans grunted, climbing over a
trench.

“I
seem to recall something about that,” the Sergeant said, cracking a rare smile.

“Yeah
well, I think these kids know that too...and if someone... oh say a group of
soldiers came, pointed a sword at their throat and said that if they want to
live they have to fight for them...?” He turned to look at Waters carefully.

Waters
grunted. “Yeah. I get your point.”

“Yup.
Most people aren't into the whole death or dishonor thing. Living to see the
next day sometimes beats all deaths hollow by a country mile in my book.”

“Yeah,
there is that,” Waters said nodding. “I've done some shit I ain't to proud of
in my day.”

Ryans
got to the edge of the fence line. Soldiers looked at him. He nodded politely
to the nearest and then looked at the men.

Most
of them were young; a few were boys, not even five feet tall. He could see what
must have been a thirteen year old in the back. He pushed his way to the front.

Most
were wearing rags, or dirty torn linen shirts. A few here and there had dirty
military tunics. Many were injured, bruised and battered. He sighed looking at
the faces. Hunger had puckered a few faces. All of them were filthy and their
shoulders were stooped.

“When
was the last time these people were fed and given clean water?” Ryans asked.
Waters looked angry as well. He took a long look at the thirteen year old and
turned to a guard.

“I
want the tesserarius or centurion of this guard here now,” he snarled. The
guard looked amused, but his fellow hit him on the side and then jerked his
chin. “I gave an order son. Best see it obeyed,” Waters' growl turned ugly.

The
soldier's face fell, and then he trotted off. He glanced over his shoulder once
and then sped up.

“What's
your name son?” Waters asked, coming up to the fence. The startled boy looked at
the Sergeant in wide eyed befuddlement until someone kicked him.

“Me
name's Brom sir,” the boy said hastily.

Waters
grunted. “Right. How old are you son?”

“I've
six winters sir,” The boy said nodding. Ryans did the math. That meant the kid
was about twelve or thirteen. He looked at the puckered face. He could see tear
streaks in the mud and dirt on the boy's face.

“And
where did you come from?” Ryans' asked.

“From
a village north of here sir,” the boy said nodding. “We were rounded up when
the soldiers came.”

“Ah,”
Ryans nodded as the guard approached. “So they gave you a choice?”

“Choice?”
a middle aged man nearby croaked. “Like they gave a choice to my poor Nan
before they had their way with her and then threatened to slit her throat like
a chicken?” He looked like he could spit but then shrugged.

“And
you came here against your will?” Waters asked. “You expect us to believe it?”

“It's
the truth,” the man said, squaring his shoulders and wiping at the mud and
blood on his face. His bottom lip was swollen and his nose was obviously
broken. He had a cut on his forehead that hadn't been treated. “I did come here
on my will. I admit it. It was that or let my Nan have her throat slit,” he
hissed. His face worked. “I love her too much. She may be carrying some bastard
now, but I don't care. As long as she lives...” he shook his head, eyes closed
and then his shoulders slumped. “That's all that matters,” he ended in a husky
whisper.

“Me
mum wasn't so lucky. They slit her like a pig,” the boy said, shaking. His face
darted down. He scuffed the rags on his feet. “Too old they said. Past her
prime they said. Me sisters were dragged off to a hut screaming. Pa made me
stand fast but they knocked the pitchfork out of me hands.” He clenched his
fists looking up. Tears in his eyes. “We tried to fight. Honest we did. They be
soldiers though, with proper arms. Pa did what he could but he and the others
were killed.” He shook his head. He wiped at the tears in his eyes with a
balled fist.

Men
in the crowd were murmuring similar things. Flies and blood sucking insects
were all over them, in thick droves. Some of the wounded were too weak to fend
them off.

“Did
any of you take money or help raid villages?” Waters asked, pitching is voice
so others could here.

“No.
No my lord. They said...” A man shoved another. “They said we'd be too likely
to run away. That's why most of us were in the battle line with staffs, sticks,
or blunted or broken weapons or none at all,” he said. He waved to indicate the
battlefield. “They gave them to us just before the battle started.”

Waters
grunted. “Let me guess, with men behind you to drive you on?”

“Aye,”
the man said nodding.

“All
right,” Waters nodded. He looked at the crowd. “When were you fed last?” he
asked.

“Two
days ago my lord,” the boy answered. “Traitors are to be executed tonight or
tomorrow. Does that mean me?”

“Not
if I can help it,” Waters muttered, turning away. “I'll be back.” He marched
off to where the guard centurion and Ryans were arguing.

“We've
got to do something about this!” Waters snarled, fists balled in rage. He
nodded to the guard. “Feed them. Water too. Clean water,” he said giving the
centurion a commanding look.

“Ah...
My lord they are to be executed at dawn tomorrow. If they eat they'll just shit
all over themselves...” the centurion said. Waters' savage look made the man
gulp. “Right away.” He turned to an aide and snapped an order. The aide looked
bewildered, glanced at Ryans and then rushed off.

“Now,
who ordered the executions? I sure as hell didn't,” Ryans snarled. “In fact I
ordered that
no
one be executed without trial and appeal to me,” he
glared at the native soldiers.

“Ah
my lord, they're traitors. All must be hung to deter others,” the centurion
said giving him a confused look. “The general himself ordered it yesterday.”

“Oh
he did did he?” Waters snarled.

“Easy
Master Sergeant,” Ryans cautioned.

“Oh
now you've done it. Here comes her nibs. Best scoot before she gets a foul
temper,” the centurion warned shooing them.

Ryans
turned to see Deidra and her guards approaching. He nodded to her and then back
to the guard captain.

“I'm
ordering a stay on that execution order. No conscript, hell no more executions
until they're run past the Duke AND myself. Or the princess,” Ryans said,
pitching his voice so she could hear. Her pace changed and her face worked. He
turned as Deidra swept up to them. The guard captain had knelt at her final
approach.

“Good
afternoon your highness,” the guard said humbly.

Deidra
hooked her hand into Ryans. “What's going on?” she asked.

Ryans
turned to the centurion. “Get up,” he ordered. The centurion looked up and then
stood cautiously. “We've got a little problem. It seems the surviving
conscripts are to be executed.”

Deidra
directed her glance to the guard captain. “Is this true?”

“Ah...”
He gulped looking at their joined hands. “Ah, yes your highness. The general
and Duke Emroy ordered it.”

“We'll
see about that. Consider the executions called off,” Deidra ordered, looking at
the group of men and boys. Her eyes lit on the young lad and held for a moment
before she turned away.

“That's
what you've been upset about my love?” she asked turning to Ryans with a smile.

“Oh
this and that, that's a big part though. Thanks dear. It pays to have a
girlfriend in high places,” he smiled to her as he hugged her to his side.

“We
need to get them fed and watered though. And sort the bad apples out and let
the rest go,” Waters said after a moment.

Deidra
and the guards gave him a look. “None did this for money. They were taken by
force while their families were raped and slaughtered. They were given a
choice, fight or die.”

“Not
much of a choice in my opinion,” Ryans murmured. “Especially for the kids,” He
nodded his chin and then pointed to the boy at the edge of the field. Deidra
looked at the small lad and her face hardened. She looked up at him and he
caught her eyes with his own.

“Many
like him have their whole lives ahead of them. Maybe we should at least
conscript them into our army instead of killing them out of hand.”

Waters
face puckered but then he nodded grudgingly. He'd rather see them run ragged by
him than tossed in a dungeon or killed outright.

“How
can we trust dogs like that? A man who turned his coat once will surely do it
again! And the example! No, my lady they must not be trusted! They can't be
loyal!” the centurion said throwing his hands up.

Deidra
reluctantly let Ryans go and went over to the boy. She bent forward to speak
with him. His eyes were wide. When she obviously introduced herself the entire
prison camp knelt in a sudden wave.

“They
look loyal to me,” Ryans observed dryly nodding to their gesture. Not one was
defiant despite the threat of pending doom. The guard captain stared. “I'd say
these people have been through enough,” he said. He nodded to Waters. “Sergeant
get a couple of DIs, draft them if need be. They don't need much training, just
the right oomph and enough knowledge till you find someone who does know what
the hell they're doing.”