As we continued moving closer I could see how Avita was noting the effort that had gone into building the training grounds. Crude fences had been set up marking out areas for sparring and on the far side was a fence fifty metres long that was sitting all by itself. Only the churned up clods of earth and crushed grass showed that it was in fact a jousting list, but for the moment all but the rows of dummies were being utilised. The entire cleared space was over a dozen acres with the majority set aside for formations practice and already the grass had been trampled flat from weeks of training.

  The volume of shouting emanating from the armoured form of Carodus Oholin was almost physical assault but unlike what most citizens believed, Centurions and other Legionnaires didn’t shout randomly or randomly berate those they commanded. Like all centurions, Carodus had his own unique idiosyncrasies, but it didn’t change the fact that he was proving to be an extremely good teacher. Whether he was critiquing one of his trainees, or extoling their ability he practically roared, but never in an aggressive or overbearing way. Whether he was training one on one, or every single Men-at-arms within the Order of the Nine it made no difference to his tone or attitude. The only real difference was how loud he projected his voice.

  At the sight of Avita and I walking over he paused between breaths and gave a solid legionary salute that was clearly audible over the impacts of dulled swords striking wood and packed canvass and I couldn’t help but smile at the pleasure on his face. Over the weeks since the attack on Leyawiin’s cathedral, the retired centurion had thrown himself into his new duties with an almost worrying zeal and passion. I had originally attempted to leave him within Leyawiin but he would have none of it, simply stating that he was going to come with the Order as it was going to be safer than staying in the same city as his ex-wife.

  “Centurion Oholin. How goes the training?”

  With a smile that was entirely lacking in shame at the number of missing teeth, he bowed his head briefly between the two of us and rose to his full height. “It’s going surprisingly well Sir. No one is holding a sword by the pointy end anymore and on occasion the archers are all aiming the same direction.”

  Avita was staring at the old Centurion as though trying to pick his face and he noticed the scrutiny. “You seem familiar Centurion.”

  “Sixth legion, Eighth casta, third cohort.” He said without hesitation and his grin grew larger. “You are also Sixth unless I’m mistaken.”

  “You are correct.” Avita’s face lit up and I could understand why. Each legion contained at most fifty Cohorts and typically fifty or sixty centurions when illness and promotions were taken into account. From what I knew of Carodus, he had spent most of his life on the isle of Stros M’Kai and Avita’s role as First Lance would have left her on the mainland, but despite the distances involved the Centurions would have a passing familiarity with each other. “It’s a small world, isn’t it centurion?”

  “Indeed it is m’am.” It was impossible to ignore the jovial mood that had gripped Carodus, but he turned his attentions away from Avita and towards me. “With your permission Sir, I’d like to promote the twins to Praefect.”

  “What’s your reasoning?”

  He shrugged, keeping one eye on me while the other hovered over his trainees continuing with striking and hitting the dummies. “Besides the fact that they are the only other Legion-trained Men-at-arms, they are proving quite adept as assisting me. You did say to promote a few to help me.”

  “I did.” Pausing for a moment, I cast my gaze over the lines of recruits and managed to pick out the Nordic twins stalking through like a pair of wolves. Both we extremely broad and muscled but I could also see the cross brand on one of their biceps. “What about their history?”

  “Men don’t desert the Legion; they desert its officers.” Carodus replied simply. “They are both bright lads, and spent enough years in the 19th to gain experience commanding infantry. Besides that, no one else has really been shaping up for the roles.”

  “Very well. I trust your judgement and you to keep them in line.”

  Proving that all centurions had unnatural senses or eyes in the back of their skulls, Carodus flinched and glanced at one of the new recruits who had stepped forward to a dummy swinging his sword with a dull thud. “Adavvys! By the Nine you are killing someone, not slapping their face with your cock!” He slammed his fist against his chest in another salute but his attentions were on the suddenly wide-eyed Dunmer recruit. “You’ll have to excuse me sir.”

  I watched with some amusement as he moved over to the trainee and began showing him what he was doing wrong before demonstrating the correct technique in such a way that every single one of the trainees could see and hear him. It was a combination of concerning and nostalgic as he moved through the press, offering advice and critiquing their abilities while reminded me of my first years in the Legion. Given enough time, the Order of the Nine would have been able to match any Legion in skill and ability but unfortunately time was not on our side.

  “He’s something.” Avita said after a few moments of watching him teach. “I vaguely remember him from the Legion but I can’t remember when.”

  “He spent most of his career on Stros M’Kai.” I added, seeing the way that he directed the two Nordic brothers to ensure that none of the trainees weren’t being watched. “And I think he retired five or six years ago.”

  “I served around Rihad but I would’ve met him once or twice.” She turned and looked at me and nodded in the direction of the twins and the fact that their desertion crosses were visible with their lack of sleeves. “Deserters?”

  Nodding, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge in my stomach and a strange crawling sensation up the scars on my own arm. “Yes. Geimund and Gukimir were both in the Elswyr Legions but deserted for reasons they haven’t shared. They were both caught, tried and punished and managed to live through the beatings before returning to Skyrim. It appears that they have spent the past few years working as daytallers and guards in Markarth until the local Temple of Dibella was desecrated.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “They came from Skyrim to join the Order?”

  “Not us specifically. Apparently they were among the guards at the temple when it was attacked and were unable to save the priestesses, so they came to Cyrodiil hoping to do something. Like many of the others here, yourself included; they must’ve heard about the restoration of the Order and came looking.”

  “The Knights of the Nine are the talk of Tamriel and there wouldn’t be many who haven’t heard of your deeds. Not to speak ill of other faithful, but priestesses of Dibella aren’t the usual members of the cloth.”

  Chuckling, I glanced at Avita out of the corner of my eye while looking about for Alexi. “Why do you think that a pair of young men who had deserted the Legion would guard a house of worship in the first place? Especially a Dibellian Temple in Skyrim. I’m fairly certain that some of the temples would be nothing more than legitimised bordellos.”

  “I see you are familiar with acolytes of Dibella.” Avita teased.

  “Well, I was in the Legion too you know.” Catching sight of my quarry towards the jousting lists, I motioned for her to follow and began walking towards a collection of horsemen moving around the edge of the tents and training grounds.

  “The Order does seem quite established already.” She said as we moved away from the Men-at-arms. “It’s much larger than I was expecting.”

  “Two dozen knights, about the same in assorted cavalry and almost a cohort and a half of infantry. We have a dozen experienced hunters and trackers for scouts and thirty men and women experienced with a bow or otherwise capable with crossbows. Overall we have almost two hundred soldiers and about the same in camp followers. What we lack though is experience.”

  “That sounds like you have already got plans for me.”

  My laugh this time was loud and I was grinning, especially when I caught Alexi’s attention and waved for him to come over. “I had plans for you almost within seconds of finding you in the forest.”

  Atop his enormous destrier, Alexi was fully dressed in his armour like the other knights with him as they prepared their own kind of practice. Other than those who had joined us from the Order of the White Stallion, the other dedicated heavy cavalrymen were varied in both equipment and skill. All were seasoned fighters and between them there wasn’t a man or woman without a decade’s experience of fighting in the saddle, but there were a collection of other mounted soldiers following who stood out from them. Some were dressed in little more than chainmail and brigandine, leathers and padded gambesons and other than the odd boar spear, none were carrying any kind of lance.

  “Good morning Commander.” he said as he trotted over, before sliding out of the saddle with a natural grace. “Have you picked up another stray?”

  “It appears I have, but she’s one I want you to meet. Alexi, meet Avita Vesnia, formerly of the 6th Legion.”

  His eyes darted between my face and hers, taking note of the tanned arms with white sword scars and the fact that she had at least fifteen years on the both of us. “A legionary? Well, as you haven’t handed her over to Carodus I’m guessing that she’s not a footslogger.”

  There was no way that she could miss the humour in his tone or the way that he was looking at her for an answer and she smiled. “Former Extraordinarii officer Captain.”

  “I like her already.”

  “You’ll like her even more. She was Primus Lanceae.”

  Alexi’s expression didn’t change but his eyes narrowed slightly, taking a few more moments to study the woman in front of him. There was nothing outward to his expression or body language but I knew that he was pleased with what he saw. “By the Nine Kaius… It’s not even my birthday.” Turning to her directly he extended his hand and they both shook hands. “I suppose I will be able to find a use for a woman of your talents and experience.”

  “If the Goddess wills it, it will be so.”

  Turning back to me he nodded and I was almost laughing at the way that he was acting like a child receiving the present that he had always wanted. “Looks like we might be able to salvage the light cavalry after all.”

  “That’s what I was thinking.” I replied, seeing the way that Avita was looking between the two of us.

  “Light cavalry?”

  Alexi nodded, reaching up and unclasping the aventail from his cavalry sallet. “Knights fight differently to normal cavalry, even Extraordinarii. We’re the only force in the world that is capable of breaking a shield wall in a head on charge. It takes a certain type of horse, training and specialised equipment to achieve and we don’t have enough time to bring the others up to standard. Unfortunately, we have no one really experienced with fighting in the more regular styles of mounted combat to be able to whip the others into shape, let alone command them.”

  “You want me to command them?” The alarm on Avita’s face was obvious as she looked over the dozens of cavalry moving nearby.

  “Well, we will have to test you, see how well you ride and fight and make sure that you are capable of being an effective leader before we do anything.” As always Alexi’s tone and expression was riding the fine line between humour and insult but managing to come across as overwhelmingly friendly. “And we might have to find you a replacement steed…”

  Avita’s hand reached up and patted her horse affectionately on the flank. “That’s fine. Isabelle is faithful but war is not for her. I’m… I’m grateful for you all giving me this chance.”

  “Don’t mention it. Help us turn this rabble into something and you’ll more than have paid your own way.” Almost in mid breath, Alexi stopped and glanced over my shoulder and his face turned amusingly grim. “You probably don’t want to know who’s coming your way Kaius.”

  My stomach dropped and with it my expression as I sighed in painful annoyance. “It’s Sepula, isn’t it.”

  “Yep… With his arms full of scrolls.”

  Blowing out a breath as heavily and loudly as possible, Alexi laughed out loud and Avita was left looking at the Imperial man hurrying in our direction. “He doesn’t look that threatening.”

  “Sepula would struggle to slay anything more dangerous than a mouse. But he’s the Order’s scribe.”

  “And the biggest thorn in Kaius’ side.” Alexi added helpfully. “He doesn’t look happy.”

  “That would be because I wandered off today without telling him when and where I was going.”

  Both Avita and Alexi were left laughing as I turned and tried not to feel crushed with the reappearance of my responsibilities. They both knew from their own experiences how it felt to be in command, and despite my own reservations I knew that I was slowly growing into the role of Knight Commander, even coming to enjoy it. It didn’t help the fact that every time that I dealt with Sepula I was reminded just how much responsibility I truly had on my shoulders. The Knights of the Nine was mostly autonomous, but every day brought more and more demands and calls for aid from the Empire and Church of the Nine to fight back against a foe that we were yet incapable of facing, let alone finding.

  “My lord.” Sepula said as he came over to me, and I had enough experience with him to know that he was annoyed. “I have missives for you.”

  “I’ll have to leave you with Alexi for now,” I said to Avita as tried not to sag under the expectation of more paperwork. “but welcome to the Knights of the Nine.”