Limitless

Chapter 6: Notes from the Field

True to his word, he began my preparations for the capital slowly with letters. At each inn we visited, correspondence awaited him, and, each night, I would read his letters aloud over dinner. Most of the missives were updates from the field, often sometimes weeks' old.

The ones that most concerned Sirius came from the Badlands. Apparently, conscripting men to die at the Veil and Kadesh before it had wiped out entire family lines. The lack of young men and the already scarce resources available in the Badlands seemed to foment rage and disillusionment among the citizenry. In retaliation for the Veil, groups of men and women had formed to disrupt supply lines, tax collection efforts, basically any government process carried out in the prefecture and the neighboring territories.

The wealthier prefectures—which included the Middlelands, the Lowlands, and Starling—had begun taking exception to the riots and revolting and sought Imperial relief to quell the dissenters. This did not go over well with the Badlands, a fact that was becoming increasingly more salient with each new piece of correspondence that Sirius received from his captain, Runako Govera.

"The sixth day of the first month in the year of the rabbit," I began, taking a seat on a small cushioned stool. I pulled my legs up under me, the skirt of my dress cascading to the floor. "Today has been a bloody day. We lost ten men during an ambush near the River Wynn. A band of Badlanders wearing the white eye claimed the high ground, their archers laying waste to four of our foot soldiers. They have begun to learn the Imperial routes on the main roads, and, as a precaution, I have sent orders for our suppliers to vary their routes and to remove all Imperial signs and flags. The Lord of the Middlelands has pledged men to overcome the recent blockade of the main road leading from Asphodel to Starling.

"I write seeking permission to divert men of the Imperial Guard residing in Asphodel to aid in our efforts to remove the blockade." Once I finished, I turned to watch Sirius, who had slid into a chair behind a small table. A writing brush was tightly gripped in his left hand. He wielded the bristles with such grace, such purpose across a fresh page of old parchment.

"Continue," he said, eyes rooted to the response he was drafting.

Almost on reflex, I folded the captain's letter and returned it to its envelope. My fingers then curled around the unopened stack of missives resting at my knee.

There were so many envelopes, all of various lengths and widths. I thumbed through them, having become better acquainted with the priority of the senders. Anything relating to the insurrections in the Badlands or bearing the Imperial seal or the Emperor's crest was immediately opened and read to Sirius. Correspondence from Tolly or the men of the Horde came next in priority. The smattering of letters from lords and clerics from the various regions of Umbra usually waited until the next morning, when we were on the road, as most did not require an immediate response.

"Princess Odette," I read aloud, the name sounding strange to my ears and tasting even stranger in my mouth. The envelope was small and square and smelled of jasmine perfume. Sirius's name was elegantly penned in looping calligraphy.

Confused, my gaze flew to Sirius. "The Emperor's daughter?" She had never written to him before in all these weeks.

Sirius lifted his head for a fleeting moment. "I will tend to it later," he said, attention drifting back to the order he was drafting. His face was perfectly unreadable except for a small crease that appeared between his brows.

The Princess's correspondence had irked him in some small way. Briefly, I wondered if they were lovers. It wouldn't be out of the question. He was handsome, decorated, and usually abroad—all traits that would probably make for a perfect paramour.