Duty

Chapter 80 Casualties of war

Eloni bit her lip. She should also include those tinctures that wouldn't cure but would provide a gentle death. At least those injured too badly to heal wouldn't need to suffer needlessly.

She bowed at her father. "I will make arrangements." She inclined her head at Faolán and went in search of her sisters.

...

Iolaus glared at the man who was kneeled in front of him with a sword pointed at his throat. His opponent equally glared back and gritted his teeth.

"Why did you betray your king?" Iolaus demanded. They had captured one of lord Vertus' men when they came upon a scouting party from Balor. The Balor warriors had already been dealt with, now all that was left was getting some answers from the traitor.

The soldier spat at him. "You follow your lord," he said, "I will follow mine. They were orders. I simply did my duty."

"Your lord," Iolaus said, "has been taken into custody by the king. He will be charged with high treason and sentenced to death. You may be a soldier following his lords commands, but your first loyalty should be your king. You know full well that conspiring with the enemy is treason. You should have reported to the king instead of blindly obeying. For this, you too, will share his fate."

The soldier scoffed. "Judge me all you like. But you, too, follow your lord's command without question. And what good has it done you? You'll always be a vasal to your king. Nothing more. At least in Balor men live free. They answer to no one."

Iolaus shook his head. "If that's what you believe, you were twice a fool. Who organized the Balor troops to march? Who told them where to attack? Everyone serves someone. And we all have to carry the consequences of our loyalties." He nodded at one of the men at his side to hold their captive down, and struck.

A clean death was all the mercy he would give.

...

Darius had made it his daily routine to visit the infirmary first thing every morning. Prince Cyrus would do the same at the end of each day. It was their responsibility. It was on their command these men had come to fight, so it fell to their lord and king to see they received the best care that could be provided under the circumstances. Which was not much.

A few days ago, Byron had been brought in with an infected leg wound. The two arrow wounds he also bore had been addressed, but his leg was in bad shape. He was running a fever and had been out cold for two days now. They physicians were doing everything possible to treat the infection, but Darius had heard them talk about amputation. The thought alone made his blood run cold. He had seen soldiers with severed limbs before. In Tirèze there was no other occupation for them. Most of them could now be found on the streets, begging for alms. The lucky ones found some sort of labor they could still perform. Others had to rely on their families to support them.

It was one of the things he wanted to change now that he was king, if ever he had the chance to do so.

In Zeir, he knew, such wounded soldiers received a pension. It wasn't much, but enough to provide for themselves and their families. In Lavos, he did not know. The governing system there was completely different to what he was used to. As Byron had mentioned once, there were opportunities for anyone that dare to take a chance. The king held council every week to listen to petitions or settle disputes. Darius had never bothered to study things further. Lavos was his ally and his wife was from there. That had always been good enough for him.

Now, he couldn't help but wonder.

"How is he?" he asked the physician that was tending to Byron.