“Remember when I used to kick your ass?” Thayer said from the ground. It sounded more like “Mmmberem eenn I usssdd ttuu kiiik uurr azzzzzz?” because of his broken jaw.

I reached down an arm to help him up while his other hand re-hinged his jaw, it would be healed in a few seconds. I had slammed him in the face with my elbow when he had dodged the swing from my mace.

“Yeah. You are a good teacher.” I smiled to him.

"Of course I am! How long has it been since I beat you? Eight years?" He gazed back toward the campsite. We couldn't see it through four miles of dense trees and rocks.

"Eight years?" I stared at him in horror.

"Yeah. I beat you once when we first got to Entas's cave. Remember when I broke your kneecap with my shin?" he said with a laugh. I did remember. I remembered every detail from every one of our fights and sparring matches, which was why it was now so easy for me to dominate my friend.

"It has been eight years already?" I felt restless and heavy with the knowledge. We were wasting time because we now had so much, near immortality.

"We've grown pretty well, eh Brother?" He didn't wait for a reply. "Let's head back. I'm tired of getting my ass kicked. I'm going to go play with someone I can bully." He began walking and glanced back at me when I didn't follow him. "What's wrong, Brother?"

"Nothing." I shook my head. I needed to talk to Entas. Eight years? I was still reeling from this realization. How could I have allowed so much time to pass? What had we accomplished in eight years? What could we have achieved?

"Did you mean to talk to me about something? We haven't trained alone for a few months." He looked concerned.

"Yes. I wanted to do a raid on the Titikar Tribe. My reports say they possess horses, grain, and humans that have learned how to ride. I wanted to mention it this morning in the meeting and recommend that you take your team. However, your last two missions did not end well, so I predict there might be anger from the commanders if I recommend you." He snorted and opened his mouth to speak but I continued. "You need to do this. I need to have confidence you can accomplish the mission without a hitch."

He walked for a few feet. He was mad, but not at me. Thayer was angry with himself and his team for giving the impression that they were not reliable.

"I'll double our training time. How far away is the Titikar Tribe? Four days’ ride?" I nodded. "I'll go alone and scout, then I'll come back and make you a detailed plan. What is my timeline?"

"I'd like it done in the next couple of weeks."

"Great. I'll scout, find out the best method of attack, and then make a plan for you," he repeated with confidence.

"How are you going to double your team's training when you are off scouting?" I asked as we picked up to a jog.

"Good question. Let me think." The only sound was our relaxed breathing and the earth pounding beneath our sandals as we ran through the forest.

"I'll ask Alexia to take over training. She is the most upset with me, asking for her help might improve our relationship, show her I’m deferring to her superior skill?" I could tell he didn't like that answer but he was telling me what he believed I wanted to hear.

"And then you scout?"

"Yes. What do you think?" he asked.

"Working with your team is the most important thing you can do. I would send someone else to scout, or let one of your reports handle training while you take a few of your best people with you to scout. Work on the plan with them before you present it to me. Alexia has our most talented scouts and I'm sure if you tell her that, she will be more than happy to help you."

"Okay. That sounds good. Wish I had thought of that. Sorry Brother, I want to do a good job. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it."

"I know that." We neared the perimeter of the camp site. Scouts in the trees gave the call out as we approached. "I want you to delegate more. You try to do everything with your team and you don't give them enough chance to prove themselves. Consider what we have spoken of, and I'll look forward to your plan," I said as we rounded into the camp. A group of thirty warriors trained nearby. Pairs of them were lifting and squatting with giant logs on their shoulders.

"Thanks. I won't disappoint you." He looked over to me and smiled. His eyes focused on something in the distance, then his smile turned into a smirk. "Here comes Shlara. I'll let you two talk about, things." He chuckled a little as he ran off to the other side of the camp where his team worked.

"Did I interrupt?" Shlara asked. She was wearing her leather training armor, sans helmet. Her beautiful green eyes and long dark lashes turned toward the retreating form of Thayer. Her earth-colored hair was tied back in her usual ponytail.

"No. We were just discussing his next training steps. How can I help you?" her armor was impeccably maintained, but it was worn, beaten, and abused. We had recently freed an amazing human armor smith though, and he was beginning to produce protection that could stop even the sharpest Elven weapons.

"Can you review my team's training? You said you would yesterday," she added when I looked annoyed. I really wanted to talk to Entas, but I did recall telling her I would help her today.

"Yes of course," I said with a smile.

“You can do it another time if you wish," she said. She must have sensed there was something else I wanted to do.

"I will come. What are you working on?" She was my commander and I needed to be there for her. My conversation with Entas could wait.

"We are coordinating shield walls. Spears as arms. It has been our focus for the week." Her face lit up with a smile as she walked me toward the end of her camp where her group worked. There were twenty-five of them and we stopped a good hundred yards from their lines, out of earshot.

Shlara's team was mostly women, beautiful but deadly. They were quick, flexible, and powerful. Tactics with shields came easier to men, who seemed psychologically attuned to take hits and give them back. That was probably why Shlara had her team working on this. I had planned to have her, Malek, and Gorbanni's teams take down and eliminate one of the larger tribes.

"How are they?" she was eager to please me. They all were, but none of them as much as Shlara.

They quickly made the formations, sliding around each other to navigate potential horseback, archery, magic, or spear attacks. Each movement had them interlock their shields and utilize their spears for the best offensive and defensive maneuvers.

"The woman with the short blonde hair. Resella?" She nodded. "The woman with the long darker blonde hair. Kiiyr?" she nodded again, "and the smaller of your two men. Jaccit?" She nodded again with a smile. She was pleased that I knew their names. Of course, I tried to memorize everyone's name.

I watched them for about ten minutes before I came to my conclusions.

"They are the ones that need work," I continued. "Everyone else is excellent. Do you see how Resella's footwork is off when she moves laterally?" Shlara nodded as she focused on her pupil. "Kiiyr is new, so she is terrified of making a mistake. She doesn't understand where she should be going. She might not be smart enough to learn tactics along with the rest of your warriors. Spend more time with her or remove her from your team and put her into one of the camp guard roles." Shlara nodded again. "Jaccit is distracted by the women. You need to move him or have one of them start fucking him so he isn't worried about sex all the time. I recommend you move him." She smiled and turned back to her pupils.

"Thank you Kaiyer."

"You're welcome. These are easy problems to see though. I'm sure you already observed them. Did you really need my help?" I looked at her back as she watched her men and women training.

"I had noticed these flaws, I still wanted your opinion since I like showing them off to you." She hadn't turned to face me. I nodded. That was the main reason they wanted me to watch their teams, so I would choose them for the next mission. Before I could bid her goodbye she spoke again.

"I also like spending time with you," she said, her back still to me. I didn't say anything for half a minute. I knew where this was going.

"You all do. That's why you ask for my opinion and want to work with me. We all share the same goal." I tried to worm out of the direction she wanted to take the conversation.

"No. You misunderstand." She turned, eyes as fierce as the first time she tried to fight me. "I want you. I've always wanted you. You must know this. Everyone else does. Why haven’t you taken me to your bed yet?" Her heart was beating quickly, the adrenaline rushing through her body. She was preparing to fight, or have her heart crushed. Of course I knew how she felt about me.

"How could we be lovers? It won't work," I protested.

"Why not? We all have pain; we all need release. I know you don't sleep at night, you have nightmares, we all do. Can't we find comfort in each other? Everyone here has started a new life. Everyone except for you and me." She stepped toward me, her armor creaking as the leather held tight against her body. I opened my mouth to speak but she kept talking, her voice an urgent whisper as she moved closer.

"Do I not please you? Am I not beautiful enough?" She spat the question. She knew she was gorgeous.

"No, you are beautiful. I ju--"

"Is it someone else? Alexia?"

"No."

"She cares for you too. She would be your lover if you asked. Is it another woman?" She moved closer to me. It was another woman. The one that haunted my dreams and nightmares. The one I saw when I closed my eyes. The one I reached for every night. The one driving my need to annihilate her people. I had never spoken of her to anyone.

"No. No other woman," I lied.

"Do you prefer men?" she asked in a huff.

"No," I said. "It won't work if we are lovers."

"Explain." She crossed her arms, her left hand dangling close to the hilt of her large curved broad sword. It hung from her hip as easily as a ribbon hangs from a belt.

"If we were lovers it wouldn't be the same between all of us. Let's say I gave you a mission, for example, that was challenging. Everyone would think I favored you because we were lovers."

"No. That would not happen. Everyone knows that you are impartial,” she interrupted me.

"Let's say I gave you an easy assignment. They will think I am keeping you from danger because you are my lover. It will create a schism in our group," I continued as if she hadn't interrupted me.

"I think that you are putting more value in sex than everyone else does. No one would care if we were lovers. People exchange partners more often than they do weapons in our camp, and it never creates any schisms." She bit her lip lightly

"Perhaps that is true amongst the troops. I need to hold myself to a higher standard. I cannot have sex with one of my reports."

"Fine. I will quit. Give me another job. I don't want to be your commander anymore." She pouted and her eyes softened. Her voice was still a whisper.

"You would not be happy with that. You were meant to do this. You have risen faster and learned quicker than anyone else here, even me. Consider your team of warriors," I pointed to her group working hard below us on the shield drills. "Would you abandon them so easily because you want to share my bed? I couldn't imagine you staying back while the rest of us wage this war." I met her gaze.

We stared at each other for a few minutes. She was tough. Brilliant. What I had said was true; she had learned everything faster and better than any of us had. Shlara had proven herself countless times in battle, as a leader and a warrior. She knew she was where she needed to be for the success of our army. She turned away and looked at her pupils.

"We don't have to tell anyone. It isn't as serious as you are making it out to be. Thayer, Gorbanni, Alexia, and even Malek fuck each other and sometimes their own troops." She knew she had lost. This was her last attempt.

"Sleep with one of them then. If it means so little to you, it should not matter whom you do it with.” I turned and walked away.

"Kaiyer," she said before I walked out of earshot. I turned back to her and almost had second thoughts. She was an amazing commander, intelligent, beautiful, and an excellent warrior. "We'll talk when the war is over. I'll wait. I don't want anyone else but you." She frowned and then turned back to her troops. That was like her, she always wanted to get the last word in when we argued.

Now I needed to go see Entas.