[OOM: Elinarch] Making a report
When they arrived back at camp, Tavi did his best to conceal the worry and, if he was honest with himself, tinge of fear he felt from the knowledge he and Kitai had gained. It was easy enough, in a way, considering that the instant he dismounted there were about two dozen things requiring his immediate attention. It felt like there was a brushfire on one side, a flood on the other, with an earthquake about to hit and a storm on the horizon, and he was expected to take care of them all at the same time.
So he did, as systematically as he could.
For the most part, it didn’t take long-just a few details, most of which he managed to delegate to centurions or officers, and which only needed a word or two to remind the men what direction they should be going in. There were definitely advantages to the Legions being so standardized. It was easier to fall back into a rhythm. Finally, there were only a few of his senior officers and Ehren and Kitai left.
“Tribune Cymnea.” He turned to the former madam. “I want you to coordinate with the engineers. First and immediate priority is getting the hospital rebuilt and functional. The sooner the healers have a clean, safe place to work in, with water and shelter from the elements, the better for both them and our wounded.”
“Of course, Captain.” She saluted, Legion style, and for a moment Tavi smiled as she went off.
He watched her go, and then turned to Max. “Max, get the alae settled, and then I want you to go with Crassus to check on the status of our Knights. As soon as they’re rested, he’s to start training them. They were vital today, but we need them in the air. If it looks like he’s got it under control, give Marcus whatever help he needs getting the men reorganized. Until we know if and when we’ll be at full strength, or receive reinforcements, we need to be ready for whatever the Canim might throw at us.” Glancing at Ehren and Magnus, he continued, “I need to know what’s going on in camp-the mood, where we stand with the more questionable spots,” he said softly. “We lost a lot of men, but we all know this Legion is a spy’s natural habitat. Get me whatever you can as soon as possible-I’ll make the preliminary report.”
They both blinked. “You? Are you sure?” Magnus asked, a little startled and almost concerned. After all, he was more or less the senior Cursor.
Tavi grimaced. “Max and Marcus can handle things until I’m through, and I need to let everyone else known Cymnea’s to be trusted to get the camp organized-and the other officers. We’re all unsettled-let them assure themselves they can do it, and reassure the men. They seem to have more or less come around as far as I’m concerned, but the whole Legion can’t depend on my micromanaging. I won’t have that kind of time.”
Tavi caught Ehren’s small smile and interally rolled his eyes. Yes, I can delegate and have reasonable expectations of myself on occasion, he thought in response to the silent amusement on his friend’s part. “…Besides,” he added honestly, “until we know if any of the officers will recover, will be able to serve, or if someone else will be brought in to take the Legion, I have to assume this is one of the last times I’ll be able to make a report like this one. Or use it.” The coin, of course-for all that he would still be a Cursor, and ferret out intelligence personally as he could…
Unless someone else got made Captain, he would be too busy for daily Cursor work.
As his fellow Cursors also saluted and departed to the assignments he’d given, Tavi sighed and turned to Kitai. “I’m sorry, I just need to-“
“Of course you do,” she replied. After a quick, searing kiss, she smiled. “I shall scout, I think. It will be more interesting than waiting for something to do.”
Tavi nodded. “And I’d… prefer if you weren’t alone in camp too much until the men are used to you. I don’t want any accidents.”
“I can take care of myself, Aleran.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said dryly. “Do I need to tell you to be careful?” She only rolled her eyes.
Not long afterward, Tavi stood by a small brook, a tributary to the Tiber. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, copper coin, with Gaius Sextus’ profile on it. His fingers brushed the ancient silver bull that marked him as a Cursor as he did. He regarded it for a moment, thoughtfully, and then knelt by the water. He’d never actually tried this before, and wasn’t fully certain that, without crafting of his own, it would even actually work.
Figuring the Tiber was close enough-he didn’t know what this brook might be called, he said softly, “River Tiber, know this coin and hasten to thy master,” before flicking it up to spin into the water.
He could only hope that he would get Gaius himself, and not Lady Caria, as he had heard sometimes happened-Amara had once told him a little of that story. Straightening, he waited, taking in his surroundings to try to stave off his impatience. Despite what he’d said to Magnus and Ehren and Max, his fingers itched to be back at the camp making sure everything was going smoothly, even though he knew it was nigh-on impossible. He could almost hear Kitai reminding him not to worry about things he couldn’t change, and to leave it in the highly competent hands of his officers.
Finally, the water rippled, and Tavi caught a brief glance of his reflection before he found himself staring into the First Lord’s face. He raised an eyebrow-he clearly hadn’t been expecting this, and apparently Tavi’s face gave away that this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill report. Somehow the old had an expression remarkably like Uncle Bernard did before he used to ask, with mixed trepidation and exasperation, ‘What have you done this time, boy?’
Tavi threw a smart Legion salute, hearing the metal clang with it, before adding a very slight bow. “Captain Rufus Scipio with a preliminary report from the Elinarch, sire,” he said crisply.
Though there was no other indication besides a very rapid series of blinks, Tavi found the feeling of disconcerting the imperturbable Gaius Sextus oddly satisfying.
So he did, as systematically as he could.
For the most part, it didn’t take long-just a few details, most of which he managed to delegate to centurions or officers, and which only needed a word or two to remind the men what direction they should be going in. There were definitely advantages to the Legions being so standardized. It was easier to fall back into a rhythm. Finally, there were only a few of his senior officers and Ehren and Kitai left.
“Tribune Cymnea.” He turned to the former madam. “I want you to coordinate with the engineers. First and immediate priority is getting the hospital rebuilt and functional. The sooner the healers have a clean, safe place to work in, with water and shelter from the elements, the better for both them and our wounded.”
“Of course, Captain.” She saluted, Legion style, and for a moment Tavi smiled as she went off.
He watched her go, and then turned to Max. “Max, get the alae settled, and then I want you to go with Crassus to check on the status of our Knights. As soon as they’re rested, he’s to start training them. They were vital today, but we need them in the air. If it looks like he’s got it under control, give Marcus whatever help he needs getting the men reorganized. Until we know if and when we’ll be at full strength, or receive reinforcements, we need to be ready for whatever the Canim might throw at us.” Glancing at Ehren and Magnus, he continued, “I need to know what’s going on in camp-the mood, where we stand with the more questionable spots,” he said softly. “We lost a lot of men, but we all know this Legion is a spy’s natural habitat. Get me whatever you can as soon as possible-I’ll make the preliminary report.”
They both blinked. “You? Are you sure?” Magnus asked, a little startled and almost concerned. After all, he was more or less the senior Cursor.
Tavi grimaced. “Max and Marcus can handle things until I’m through, and I need to let everyone else known Cymnea’s to be trusted to get the camp organized-and the other officers. We’re all unsettled-let them assure themselves they can do it, and reassure the men. They seem to have more or less come around as far as I’m concerned, but the whole Legion can’t depend on my micromanaging. I won’t have that kind of time.”
Tavi caught Ehren’s small smile and interally rolled his eyes. Yes, I can delegate and have reasonable expectations of myself on occasion, he thought in response to the silent amusement on his friend’s part. “…Besides,” he added honestly, “until we know if any of the officers will recover, will be able to serve, or if someone else will be brought in to take the Legion, I have to assume this is one of the last times I’ll be able to make a report like this one. Or use it.” The coin, of course-for all that he would still be a Cursor, and ferret out intelligence personally as he could…
Unless someone else got made Captain, he would be too busy for daily Cursor work.
As his fellow Cursors also saluted and departed to the assignments he’d given, Tavi sighed and turned to Kitai. “I’m sorry, I just need to-“
“Of course you do,” she replied. After a quick, searing kiss, she smiled. “I shall scout, I think. It will be more interesting than waiting for something to do.”
Tavi nodded. “And I’d… prefer if you weren’t alone in camp too much until the men are used to you. I don’t want any accidents.”
“I can take care of myself, Aleran.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said dryly. “Do I need to tell you to be careful?” She only rolled her eyes.
Not long afterward, Tavi stood by a small brook, a tributary to the Tiber. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, copper coin, with Gaius Sextus’ profile on it. His fingers brushed the ancient silver bull that marked him as a Cursor as he did. He regarded it for a moment, thoughtfully, and then knelt by the water. He’d never actually tried this before, and wasn’t fully certain that, without crafting of his own, it would even actually work.
Figuring the Tiber was close enough-he didn’t know what this brook might be called, he said softly, “River Tiber, know this coin and hasten to thy master,” before flicking it up to spin into the water.
He could only hope that he would get Gaius himself, and not Lady Caria, as he had heard sometimes happened-Amara had once told him a little of that story. Straightening, he waited, taking in his surroundings to try to stave off his impatience. Despite what he’d said to Magnus and Ehren and Max, his fingers itched to be back at the camp making sure everything was going smoothly, even though he knew it was nigh-on impossible. He could almost hear Kitai reminding him not to worry about things he couldn’t change, and to leave it in the highly competent hands of his officers.
Finally, the water rippled, and Tavi caught a brief glance of his reflection before he found himself staring into the First Lord’s face. He raised an eyebrow-he clearly hadn’t been expecting this, and apparently Tavi’s face gave away that this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill report. Somehow the old had an expression remarkably like Uncle Bernard did before he used to ask, with mixed trepidation and exasperation, ‘What have you done this time, boy?’
Tavi threw a smart Legion salute, hearing the metal clang with it, before adding a very slight bow. “Captain Rufus Scipio with a preliminary report from the Elinarch, sire,” he said crisply.
Though there was no other indication besides a very rapid series of blinks, Tavi found the feeling of disconcerting the imperturbable Gaius Sextus oddly satisfying.