Westrons Pt. 19

Tudino’s hemmer only lasted for three days.

- “You’re not disappointed, are you?” I asked.

- “Of course I am.” she said. “I brought enough paper for four days!”

***

I gave considerable thought to the pairing of regiments. My first instinct was to have Tudino group with the Anelis, while Avette teamed up with Langoret.

Avette was a bit stubborn, and very proud; she would take instruction better from Langoret, her social equal, whereas Tudino would have fewer problems learning from Faregil’s experience.

I also expected that I would have to concentrate on the Chancellor’s Regiment, to teach them our skirmishing tactics.

Wrong. Votuda not only understood the tactics, but she was an excellent teacher. She believed in what I was trying to achieve, and she knew how to help me get there. I had to reconsider my pairings.

Avette was resisting. Her snobbishness was still strong, and created a bit of an obstacle. If I was hoping that my Colonels might become some sort of ‘Band of Sisters’, it quickly became apparent that that wasn’t going to happen quickly, if at all.

Avette was difficult. Nobody but Tudino liked Votuda. Faregil did a fine job of leading her regiment, but she wasn’t assertive enough with the other Colonels. Tudino didn’t lack confidence - or assertiveness - but she was still learning the tactics.

I made the change: Tudino would pair with Langoret, and Votuda with Faregil. Avette’s regiment would be under my direct command.

Fortunately, Avette did not see this as a sign that she needed extra help after class; instead, she was more willing to accept direction from the General than from one of her fellow Colonels.

I began to notice that she was not as quick-thinking as the other regimental commanders. She was less intuitive, slower to recognize and digest the situation. She generally came to the correct conclusion - it just took longer. On the battlefield, that might have consequences.

There was no question of her courage. She’d faced Berandot in a duel; I knew better than anyone what that required. But I had questions about her judgment.

- “I wish to formally request a month’s leave.” she said.

- “Beginning when?” (A month?)

- “Tomorrow, if possible.”

- “Ah. Of course.” Avette was going into hemmer. She’d felt the first signs. “A month, though?”

- “I would like to travel to my own estates for my hemmer.”

- “Understood.”

I granted her leave immediately. That’s not to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I’d hoped that she would want a return engagement with me. After all, her last hemmer had been quite exceptional - or so I thought.

She was classically beautiful, and had a spectacular body. Her unhurried, deliberate approach to love-making was highly addictive. I felt a strong sense of regret as I saw her off.

***

A month passed surprisingly quickly. I had plenty of work to keep me occupied - and Tallia, too. Still, I was surprised when Avette returned; it didn’t seem like she’d been away all that long.

- “I made a mistake.” she admitted, the first time we were alone.

- “Oh?”

- “I should have asked you to join me for my hemmer.” she said. “The male I chose was disappointing. By the end of the first day, I knew that it should have been you.”

“I deprived myself - both of us - of the pleasure we would have enjoyed.”

- “Avette? Pardon me for asking: why did you choose another male?”

- “As I said, I made an error. I was concerned that if we copulated again, it might negatively impact our working relationship.”

- “How so?” We’d already had sex for hours, multiple times. It didn’t seem to have affected our relationship.

- “In camp, or in the field, you are my commanding officer; I am your obedient servant. I was simply ... concerned that you might carry these roles into my hemmer.”

I had to grin. “No, Avette. It’s your hemmer, and I would’ve been merely a guest - honoured to be there, and eager to please you.”

She nodded. “I came to that very conclusion on my way back.” she said. “You are remarkably adept at adapting yourself to circumstances. I should never have doubted your ability to do so.”

“We have been intimately involved, and you are the sire of my child. Yet I seem to have no difficulty following your orders.”

- “I’m very glad of that.” I said.

Afterwards, as I reflected on what she’d said, I realized that Avette’s judgment was sometimes ... a little off. It confirmed that I was probably right to keep her regiment under my immediate supervision.

Avette was a fine subordinate; I wasn’t ready, just yet, to give her too much independence.

***

“Hello, little Tisucha.”

Esyle gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. As promised, we named her after her grandmother. I could only hope that she would grow up to have a fraction of her namesake’s intelligence and kindness.

After all, Tisucha had helped to deliver both of her grandchildren.

With Tallia away, helping me to organize the New Model Army, Esyle and her mother would take on the job of raising the two new additions to the family. If anyone understood how to bring up hybrids, it would be Esyle and Tisucha Senior.

Unfortunately, Kanitz was also making demands on my time.

- “How long would I take you to train a regiment in your new tactics?” she asked.

- “A year.” I said. Very soon, I felt, we would have five regiments who understood their role as light infantry and skirmishers. That would make it considerably easier to train a new regiment.

- “Good. I may have several Colonels who are interested. It’s early days yet - but just so you know, I’m trying to get you as many troops as I can.”

- “I know you are.”

Then Kanitz suddenly changed topics. “What do you know about Penchens?”

- “Mercenaries. Good troops. Very good.” I could have said a great deal more; thanks to the wonders of Sleepread, I was probably this world’s greatest non-Penchen authority on the Penchens.

But I couldn’t say that to her - even if she did suspect that Pylos didn’t really exist. She’d never pressed me any further on where I was really from. Best to let that sleeping dog lie.

- “They’re excellent troops.” said Wenzla. “The whole Kingdom is organized for war, above anything else. Do you know anything of their history?”

Enough to lecture at any university on the continent, I thought. More than most Penchens, probably.

- “Not really.” I said. I didn’t particularly like lying to Kanitz, but I didn’t want to remind her that I wasn’t actually Pylosian.

- “The fourth Westron-Crolian War spilled over into Penchen land. In those days, out army was still all male - it was that long ago.”

“Soldiers of both armies committed ... depredations on Penchen soil. Their little army was simply brushed aside by the Crolians. The Penchen King was deeply humiliated.”

I knew the story well, having absorbed several Sleepread vid documentaries detailing the Penchen King’s reaction. Tired of being bullied by his bigger neighbors, of having sand kicked in his face, he decided to bulk up - in a hurry.

The Penchens were a medium-sized country with a large-sized army. The King couldn’t afford to do this, unless he devoted 90% of his revenues to the armed forces. Even then, he could only make ends meet by renting out his soldiers as mercenaries.

It worked. The Penchen King could maintain a ridiculously large army with the money he made by renting out troops. Meanwhile, his soldiers gained valuable experience.

There was no Penchen Palace. No university. Little art, and little culture. They weren’t so much a country with an army ... they were more like an army with a country.

- “Do you know anything about the Penchens themselves?” Kanitz asked.

- “A little ...”

- “They’re essentially genderless. Neuters. Until they go into hemmer - which is very infrequently. It’s not at all regular, as with Westrons.”

“And it only happens two to three times, in a lifetime.”

- “Really?” I knew this, of course. But I was interested in Wenzla’s view of the Penchens.

- “It might last three months, or more, though. I’ve heard of Penchen hemmers lasting almost a year.” She sounded excited, but then promptly dashed a bucket of water on that idea. “Extreme cases, I suppose.”

- “Isn’t there something else that’s odd about their hemmer ...?” I said.

- “Yes - the most unusual thing about Penchens is that they only begin to manifest sexual characteristics when their hemmer begins. I mean ... genderless one day, and then suddenly, they become female. Or male.”

“And no one knows - including them -which gender they will be. It seems to depend on their partner, who will always be of the opposite gender.”

- “That’s amazing.”

- “Isn’t it? But there’s more. A Penchen may become female, to mate with her partner, who will become male. But a few years later, she could become male, to mate with the same partner - who will become female.”

- “That’s hard to believe.” I said.

- “I swear to you - all true. Many say that’s why they fight so bravely: their past, present or future lover could be standing next to them in the line of battle.”

“Have you ever met a Penchen?”

- “General Vis had two Penchen regiments in her army, before Limset.” I said. “I met several of the officers.”

- “That’s right - I’d forgotten.” She said. That was a rare admission, for Kanitz. “What did you think of them?”

- “I remember my initial reaction: confusion.” No matter how open-minded or non-judgmental you may think you are, there’s no way to prepare for meeting a person who is genderless.

It was no problem for me to accept Westron females as soldiers and officers: there were plenty of females in the armed forces back home (even if AFOTA kept the cadets segregated). I found dealing with Westron males much more difficult, because their roles were so unfamiliar to me.

You can pretend that you treat everyone the same, if you want. Truth is, you treat men and women differently. It’s cultural, of course; but it might also be biological (or even chemical - who knows?).

But how do you react to someone who is neither male nor female?

- “Awkward, isn’t it?” agreed Kanitz. “I’ve dealt with the Penchens many times, and I still feel uncomfortable when I talk to one.”

“But you’ll have to deal with it. I’m going to hire Penchen mercenaries before the next war starts, and several regiments may very well end up in your army.”

- “Wait - did you say before?” I shouldn’t have been all that surprised. After all, if you wait until the war begins to hire mercenaries, they’ll be mobilized too late to help you with anything - unless you don’t need them until the second year of the conflict.

“Isn’t the next war with the Crolians still years away?”

- “I hope so. I really do.” she said. “But if I wait too long, the Crolian King may realize that he can acquire troops and deny them to us at the same time. I want as many Penchens under contract to us as possible.”

“Besides, it may be well worth the cost to have some of their regiments train with your army before the fighting starts.”

- “You want me to teach them our tactics?”

- “Why not? They’ll learn of them soon enough. Which would you rather have, Cook: Penchens who join you after the war has begun, or who have trained with you for a year - or two, or three?”

That was a no-brainer. But I suddenly saw how worried Kanitz - and, by implication, the Queen - were, if they were ready to pay for mercenaries in peacetime.

- “I’m not sure that the Penchens would make good light infantry.” I said. “But I can certainly use them as shock troops.”

- “You’ll have to deal with a Penchen General, and with their liaison officers. Translators, basically, who can relay your orders.”

I didn’t mention to her that I could speak fluent Penchen (with a ‘Pylosian’ accent), thanks to Sleepread lessons aboard the Halygon.

I wasn’t going to say anything to the Penchens, either. It might be rude to eavesdrop on conversations which they assumed were private - but how could I ever explain where I’d learned their language?

***

Back at the Belere, for a short visit, I found the opportunity to speak to Tallia and Esyle’s mother - Tisucha senior.

- “Do you know any young doctors?” I asked her. “Just starting out? Or at the beginning of their careers?”

- “You could just come to me, Cook.” she said. “Is it ... something embarrassing?” She glanced at my crotch.

- “No. Nothing like that. I don’t need a doctor, Tisucha. And rest assured - if I did, I would come straight to you.”

- “Thank you.” said my mother-in-law (that was how I thought of her). “So why would you want an inexperienced doctor?”

- “For the army.” I said.

After Tonol, and especially after Limset, I’d seen wounded soldiers. Tudino was only one of many. She got the best care available, which happened to be a doctor from the city of Tonol.

But for the rank and file, the only medical attention they got was from their comrades. Dozens who should have survived ... died. And dozens more ended up crippled for life.

Many died in the ox-carts, on their way back to the supply depots.

I wasn’t expecting much, in the here and now. But even a couple of young surgeons who were willing to get involved might be able to save lives. And if I could convince them to sterilize their tools ...

Tisucha had tears in her eyes.

- “I’m so sorry ...” she said. “I never even thought of such a thing. I can only imagine ...”

- “I know.”

- “I will see what I can do for you.”

***

Maia Matila gave birth to her child - a boy. People were pleased that the Queen was reported to be in good health. But many were disappointed that it wasn’t a female heir.

Maia Simonia gave birth to a girl.

*****