I Am Warrior

Seven

Imogen swore that three seconds after Adam extracted the words 'we're being deployed' from her mouth, the whole camp knew about it. Blake had looked at her angrily for talking about it, because she knew he wasn't happy about being sent to the front. That was where they put people to teach them a lesson; the best did infiltration tasks. Not fighting as per instructed by months of sword fighting routines, but real, proper fighting, where it was just you and your enemy. No general barking orders from a safe point a hundred miles away in the safety and comfort of an officer's residence. You did what you thought was fit, not anyone else.

Imogen couldn't say she disagreed with his reasoning or his anger, but she couldn't care less if they were sent to the front. Because that was where Samuel was. There was no matter of pride in this for her. This was a rescue mission.

'LINE UP!' Blake bellowed, causing Imogen to jump back into reality and scuttle into a line along with the whole troop. They all stood at attention, arms straight, chins out, eyes staring straight ahead. Imogen's clothes still hung off her body in places, despite the fact that she had been issued with the smallest uniform, and often the material got in her way.

Blake, oblivious to these short comings, strode down the line, carefully inspecting each soldier. He spent a little longer on Imogen, picking out every minute detail that he could use against her later, she was sure. Saying nothing, he continued down the line before marching back to the middle so all the men could see him.

'I know you know about our deployment!' He thundered, shooting a pointed glare toward Imogen, 'But that does not mean that we are good enough to slack off in our training.' He stared levelly at each man in turn, particular emphasis in his look when it came to Imogen, as if trying to tell her that she was by far the worst soldier in the troop. Since she already knew, the look wasn't as poisonous, but that didn't prevent the pang of insufficiency from rippling out along her body. Blake, oblivious to the fact that the seed of turmoil he had sown long ago was now beginning to flower in Imogen's heart, continued. 'We will be training twice as hard!' He began to pace slowly along the line of men. 'We will be training twice as long!' His dark eyes pierced into Imogen, keen as an eagle's, 'And we will be working together!' He seemed to be talking directly to her. She felt her heart soften a little towards the man.

'Is this clear?' He roared, tearing his eyes away from Darcy's penetrating gaze. Every man in front of him stood straighter, backs ramrod straight, eyes alight with the scent of battle. They were so close, they believed. Yet Blake knew they fell short. They wouldn't last a second out there, something Darcy had realised immediately. All the others had no idea of what they were getting themselves into. Even Grayson wasn't acting the same.

As the thought burst in his mind, the huge burly figure appeared, stalking towards him. He saw Darcy's gaze flick over to Grayson and a surge of anger at the boy's differing loyalty filled him. He clamped down on the rampant emotion, determined not to let Darcy-- or anyone else-- know how much that boy affected him. It was disorientating, since Blake had never had anything but absolute control over his life and everyone in it. Then some kid walks in and starts wreaking havoc everywhere he walks and Blake is the one left to pick up the pieces.

'Dismissed!' He ordered, after taking a deep breath to calm his rampant emotions. 'Be back here after the midday meal. Clear?'

The men nodded with more enthusiasm than they had when they came. Every group was the bloody same. He frowned, knowing not all that long ago, he wasn't so different from them.

Darcy went to talk to Grayson, but he brushed the kid off, moving forward to where Blake stood. He saw the hurt zip across the boy's features, a barely there crease in his brows and the minute tightening of his lips. He felt a small, cheaply earned victory at the boy's look, but didn't have time to revel in it as Grayson marched over to him and gestured sharply to a secluded area of the camp. Curious by the stiff set of his shoulders and the clench in his jaw, Blake followed without argument.