the princess would return to akashingo soon. tomorrow's sunrise, he believed.
with that his timeline for his answer closed.
he came to @Germanicus with a swiftness in his steps. confident of the decision he had come to.
i am not ready to take on elitus, imperator. i ask to be legatus and considered for triarius. i wish to learn the trade of tactician, we have many up and coming warriors and guardians. not as many tactical soldiers.
i accept your judgement on these matters.
he had spoke plenty, now he fell silent.
maxim chose below.
germanicus felt that of course towhee had not been silent in her criticism of the requirement.
but he did not think maxim beneath her paw. the decision had been made as he and ruenna made their own.
"i accept." his eyes were warm. "tactics require a knowledge of politics. what do you know about other packs in the region?" he would invite the man on patrol through the forest.
his choice was accepted. something in him eased at these words.
tamar told me about the vale when she visited and wished for me to see it. i know of akashingo, too, of course. beyond that? not much.
this he confessed as he fell in line on patrol with the imperator.
epoch.
germanicus had not shared the reality of that with another wolf since it had happened, save ruenna. but his beloved wife was not a military leader. he wanted now a vanguard in that direction.
the eagle was growing into himself, becoming more hardened. more embattled.
"you know the story of our enemies, correct?" if not he would tell it.
he placed his scent along a tree. each step felt more and more purpose to it. emboldened by the imperator and his acceptance of his decisions.
tell me more.
he did not know every detail — and if he was be tactician he should.
"the saints once lived here. they moved to the vale, where epoch will stand. at the time of the war, i was an officer in akashingo. their leader nyra attacked and maimed a member of the palace. she had also killed the mother wolf to a cult of bear-worshippers."
he paused. "we joined forces and drove them from the sunspire. they have taken up residence far in the hinterlands, a place i know well."
germanicus looked toward maxim. "mereo was meant to march upon them and finish what has been started."
his features fell stoic as germanicus quickly discussed the scene. maiming, killing. the saints the very clear enemy of not only mereo but others as well.
meant to,
he echoed softly. a brow raised in the slightest above olive eyes.
he meant to hear more of germanicus' words.
"i do not think that many want now to march to war. after all, it is before their time."
the eagle blinked.
"suppose i told you and towhee that one of you must march with me into battle. suppose i said both of you must, that bearing children was secondary to my original conception of this place."
another pause slid past.
"it was lady ruenna who changed that. and it is i who shall keep it that way. but because i can no longer in good faith order a father to potential death, i cannot order that we make war upon the saints."
he heard, he understood — that conveyed with a gentle grunt. if towhee had not wished for him to tour akashingo just yet, what would she say to them marching out to war? to perhaps die so soon after a declaration of love?
how gloomy in the romantics.
tell me then where i should point my eyes as an aspiring tactician.
perhaps there was something less grim, something easier upon them all for him to turn ears and eyes towards. tactician was not all about the teeth he had come to learn.
he would need his skills from somewhere.
"the auxillary zahir has ranged far. she brings word of two groups beyond our border. we know where epoch lies. we know where paleo resides. but it is time to make contact with others. i would like you to do this alone or in a pair."
and still in his heart beat thoughts of war and how long it had been since his own body belonged to battle.
some part of him felt a pull to do this alone. that he might flex his skills to the fullest, show his true prowess beneath this new swath of skills he wanted.
i will speak to her, learn what she does. i think i will roam alone. i ask to be given permission to come back and forth for this task.
he paused. he wondered how much he asked for, what the imperator would make of it all.
am i qualified for legatus before or after this task?
he wished to know his timeline in these strides.
"bring me a report and you shall be legatus."
his eyes were warm now, pleased at the ambition in the man. mereo was stronger for such as him.
fade <3
thank you, imperator.
he bowed his head, content to either finish a patrol as a pair or split so they may each complete their own tasks. there was a fire lit underneath him now.