"At least you've done that. Did he take any word of the attack?"
Giraldi made a frustrated sound. "Bernard. There hasn't been an attack. There hasn't been any sign of an attack."
"It's coming," Bernard snapped. "Crows and carrion, you know what Gram would do. Do it."
"I can't," Giraldi snarled. "Pluvus gave specific orders against a general arming at 'wild and unfounded rumor'. Unless Gram gives me orders himself, I won't be able to do any more than I already have. You don't think I want to, Bernard? I've a wife and three children here. I don't have the authority."
"Then I'll-"
Giraldi shook his head. "You don't either. There are men here who know you, but there are a lot of new ones, too. Those fools you met at the wall today."
Harger let out a nasty chuckle.
Giraldi shot the healer a hard look. "You flattened the son of a Rivan Lord, Bernard. They're insulted, and they aren't going to take any orders from you. You don't have the rank to do this."
Amara stepped forward and said, "I do."
The three men fell abruptly silent. Giraldi reached up and swept off his helmet, a polite gesture. "Excuse me, young lady. I didn't see you there. Miss, I know that you want to help, but-"
"But this is man's work?" Amara asked. "None of us have time for that, centurion. My name is Amara ex Cursori Patronus Gaius. His Majesty has seen fit to grant me the honorary rank of Countess, which I believe entitles me to the same privileges of command as Count Gram."
"Well, young lady, in theory I'm sure that-"
Amara stepped closer to the centurion. "Why are you wasting my time, centurion? You obviously believe that there is a threat, or you wouldn't have armed your men. Stop getting in my way and tell me who I have to bring to heel to get anything done around here."
Giraldi stared at her in baffled surprise. Then he looked at Bernard and said, "Is she telling the truth?"
Bernard folded his arms and eyed Giraldi.
The centurion passed a hand over his close-cropped hair. "All right, Your Ladyship. I suppose the first place to start would be Pluvus-"
Harger drawled, "Pluvus agrees with whatever the lass says, don't you sir?" He took Pluvus's hair and nodded his head back and forth. "There you have it. I'm the doctor, and in my medical opinion, this man is of sound judgment. Sounder than when he's awake, anyway."
Giraldi swallowed nervously. "Yes, and then you'd have to speak to Pirellus, Your Ladyship. He's the Knight Commander of the garrison here. If he goes with you, the other centurions will follow his lead, and their men with them."
"Pirellus? Pirellus of the Black Blade?"
"Aye, Your Ladyship. Strong metalcrafter he is. Fencer like I've rarely seen. Old blood, old family, that one. He don't care much for these puppies we got, but he don't care to be ordered about by a woman, either, Your Ladyship. He gave Finder Olivia headaches like you never saw."
"Wonderful," Amara said, drawing in a breath, thinking. Then she turned to Bernard. "I need my sword back."
Bernard's eyes widened. "Don't you think killing him is a little extreme? Especially since he'd cut you apart."
"It won't come to that. Get it for me." She turned to Giraldi and said, "Take me to him."
"Your Ladyship," Giraldi said hesitantly. "I don't know if you understand. He and the rest of the Knights are abed already."
"They're gambling and wenching you mean," Amara said. "I've seen it before, centurion. Take me to him."
"I'll have the sword, Countess," Bernard rumbled.
She looked back at him and flashed him a quick smile. "Thank you, Steadholder. Healer, perhaps the truthfinder needs a good bed."
"I think he does, at that," agreed Harger cheerfully. He toted Pluvus into the cell and dumped him unceremoniously on the bare palette. "The closest bed possible."
Amara had to stifle the laugh that leapt to her throat and struggled to keep her expression stern. "Centurion, lead on."
"Come on, Bernard," Harger said. "I know where they put your stuff."
Amara followed Centurion Giraldi up out of the basement of what turned out to be a storage building and into Garrison itself, laid out in the
standard formation of a marching camp. "Mutiny," he muttered. "Assaulting a senior officer. Abducting a senior officer. Misrepresenting the orders of a senior officer."
"What's that, centurion?"
"I'm counting how many ways I'll be executed, Your Ladyship."
"Look at it this way," Amara said. "If you live to be hanged, we'll all be very fortunate." She nodded toward the barracks