Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

The last month of my training passed by in a flash. The days were both the same and different from the first two months. Instead of standard fight training with the others, each week had me studying under a swordsman for weapon training, a bowman and crossbowman for ranged combat training, and a whole unit of defense men with shields of all different kinds. I was a little surprised that they didn't assign a mage to teach me, too. On the last day, I asked Nancy why they hadn't.

“Two reasons. The first one is that they don't like you very much. To try and protect you from backlash, the acting CO didn't tell anyone that it was you that clued us in on what the mages have been doing for years. Unfortunately, the mages that were there that day did report it back to their superiors, despite orders not to.” Nancy said. “The second reason is that mages aren't allowed to teach anyone that's not also committed to work for the Mages Guild after being taught.”

I thought about that for a minute. “How would that work for solders if they found potential mages in the ranks?”

“It doesn't. That's why Army Command is angry at the Mages Guild for stunting the magical growth of so many soldiers that could have been mages or even extra magical additions to the armed forces. If trained properly that is, which the mages wouldn't do, even if ordered.”

“That doesn't make sense.” I said and she nodded.

“Politics can be like that most of the time. If they used common sense, then they wouldn't have as much conflict and strife between each other.” Nancy said and motioned for me to follow her. “Sometimes, I think they do it intentionally, just so they can have strife and conflict to complain about.”

We left the training area and went over to the obstacle course. All of the others were there waiting for us and Gillis came over to me with a huge smile on her face. She started stripping the weight pouches off of me and Nancy didn't say anything about it. When the strap poncho was removed, the armorer packed everything into a bag.

“Private Drake, if you would.” Nancy waved at the obstacle course. “One more time, please.”

_______________

You have a choice to make. Will you impress everyone or impress yourself?

A) Do the course in the fastest time possible. B) Follow orders. C) Show off. D) Refuse. E) Laugh.

Oh? No 'choose two' option? I thought, slightly surprised. Well, since I worked my ass off the last three months to get to this point, let's do exactly like she taught me. I choose B.

_______________

I did a few stretches and everyone watched me as I limbered up, then I gave Nancy a huge smile. She looked surprised at that, then I lightly jogged over to the first obstacle and climbed the ladder part as if I still had all of that weight on me. I crossed it and climbed down the other side, and then went through every obstacle as if I was a normal person. There were no outrageous jumps, no circumventing the intention of the obstacles, and definitely no showing off.

By the time I was done and jogged all the way back over to her, her smile was just as big as mine was.

“Very good, Private Drake. Very, very good.” Nancy said and everyone looked slightly confused, so she spoke to them. “You all thought he was going to show you how much better he can do it, now that he's not encumbered, didn't you?” She asked and they all nodded. “That wasn't what I ordered him to do.”

Gillis laughed and pat my shoulder. “I get it! I get it!”

“Yes you do, Private Gillis.” Nancy said. “No one has to worry about him running off when ordered to travel in a group, or worry he'll abandon you if ordered to protect a convoy or caravan.”

“I'm so glad.” Gillis said and then she gasped. “You just called me Private!”

“Did I?” Nancy asked with a wink. “Does anyone else want to do the obstacle course one last time?”

Everyone shook their heads. After doing it every day for three months, none of them wanted to repeat it just for fun. They had proved to themselves that they could do it with confidence and none of them messed up or fell in the mud anymore.

“Well, then. For the very last order that I'll give you as your drill sergeant, dis-MISSED!”

We all came to attention and saluted her. I even used my real hand and she chuckled as she saw it. She saluted us back and we all walked away.

“I can't believe I passed!” Gillis said excitedly as we walked over to the PX and got replacement uniforms. “I was a bit worried when the drill sergeant changed your combat classes; but, it all worked out.”

We went to the bath house and used the same small room that we had used for the last three months.

Gillis reached for my uniform to take the weights off and then laughed. “I'm so used to helping you change that I forgot that I helped you take them off already.” She said and unbuttoned her own shirt. “This is going to go a lot quicker without that to handle first.”

I nodded and stripped off, making sure to take my decorations off and put them on the other shirt. She didn't blush when I took off my underwear and she didn't try to cover herself when she took hers off. I climbed into the tub and she deftly scrubbed me all over and rinsed me off, then we switched places and I did the same thing for her.

“You know, I'm really going to miss doing this.” Gillis said, her voice sad. “I mean, I sure was skittish at first.” She smiled at my nod and she stood up to dry off as I handed her a towel. “I tried to hide from you as much as possible the first few times, until I remembered that you didn't even know I was a woman because you weren't looking for them.”

I took a towel for myself and dried off as well.

“It's been so relaxing to have a friend like you here, surrounded by men that only look at me like I'm something they can conquer.” Gillis said with a shake of her head and pulled on her underwear. “I swear, I could be any other woman and they would still look at me the same way.”

“The drill sergeant...” I started to say.

Gillis laughed and put on her bra. “She'd tear them a new asshole if they tried anything. Hell, they can barely speak to her because she makes them so nervous.”

“Not you?” I asked and pulled on my underwear.

“I'm much more attainable, because I'm on the same social rung as them in the army. On the bottom and nobody.” Gillis said and buttoned her shirt. “Luckily, once I said no, they left me alone.”

“Why wouldn't they?” I asked and put on my shirt.

“Because some people think that no means maybe and will try again later. They usually get frustrated at the constant rejection and then will force themselves on you.” Gillis said and pulled on her pants. “It's a constant worry and I have to stay vigilant all the time.”

I pulled my pants on and fastened them. I knew she didn't mean the same technique as I used, which I had trained constantly and could use for nearly eight full hours without having to rest. That was almost double what I could do when I first came here and I was quite proud of that. I also learned a lot about the army. One of which was a woman's unenviable fight against discrimination.

It was very hard for a woman to compete with men for higher positions, even if you were high in social standing outside of the army. Their own personal achievements had no bearing on their ability to fight in combat and the men that were usually in command always assumed that they knew better. It's just too bad that they couldn't take the XO's and the drill sergeant's examples as enough proof that women were just as capable as men.

“I'm so glad that I met someone like you.” Gillis said and touched my arm briefly, then she picked up our clothes. “It's so nice to be around someone who only sees another soldier when he looks at me.”

We left the bath house and dropped the clothes off at the laundry, then we had nothing to do for the rest of the evening. Gillis suggested a walk around the base on the running track and I went along. With nothing else to do before the graduation ceremony tomorrow, it wasn't like I had a lot of choice of other things to do. So, we went for a walk and took our time. Neither of us spoke until the evening came to an end and we reached the barracks.

“You know, we're probably never going to see each other again.” Gillis said with a sigh.

“That's true.” I said and opened the door for her.

“Doesn't that make you sad?” Gillis asked as she stepped inside.

“Do you want me to be?” I asked and she let out another sigh.

“You're right. I've spent enough time being sad about leaving friends behind.” Gillis said and then smiled. “I'll try to not be sad that I won't get to see you naked again.”

“You have GOT to be kidding me!” One of the men said loudly and stood up. It was the same guy who was friends with the man I had taken the hand from. “Out of all of us, you chose that... that... thing!” He said as he pointed at me. “Are you crazy or are you just stupid, Gillis?”

“It's none of your business who I choose to spend my free time with.” Gillis said. “In fact, I'm not even going to correct your thinking. I'm going to let your tiny little brain mull over all of the things that Private Drake and I have been doing nearly every single day.”

The man's face went angry for a moment and then he snarled. “You are nothing but a common whore.” He spat and Gillis gasped, as did a few of the men. “I would have offered you some copper coins on the very first day if I'd known what you were really like.”

“How... how DARE you!” Gillis exclaimed, her face bright red. “I've never been so insulted in all my life!”

“What are you going to do about it? Complain?” The guy asked. “We're all shipping out tomorrow when we get our orders. There's literally nothing you can do to me.”

“If I was a man, I would challenge you to a duel of honor to expose your blatant lie!” Gillis said loudly.

“If you were a man, you wouldn't be a whore.” He countered and Gillis gasped again.

_______________

You have a critical choice to make. It will affect your standing with Gillis and the other recruits.

A) Say something. B) Say nothing. C) Challenge him yourself. D) Stand in for her. E) Yell. F) Run.

I was pretty much told to not get into trouble, so... I'll choose D.

_______________

“Gillis challenges you and I'll stand in for her.” I said and everyone reacted in some way. Most immediately said no, including the man who insulted her.

“D-David, you... you shouldn't...” Gillis said softly.

“I spoke the words.” I said and looked at the man. “Do you accept on the honor of your family name or do you surrender like the coward you are and give up your heritage?”

“Oh, no.” Someone else said. “Oh, no. No, no, no.”

The man stood there, shocked beyond belief.

“You know that you have accused a woman falsely and still spoke without regard to her family name, so you either forfeit your own to make up for it or fight me.” I said. “You have no other choice.”

“By the Son's Light, run!” One of the other men said and that took him out of his shock and he ran out the back door.

“David, no!” Gillis said and missed grabbing my arm as I hopped out the front door and ran after him.

I caught him by the arm barely twenty feet away from the back of the barracks.

“LET ME GOOOO!” The man yelled and gained a lot of attention. “HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED!”

I held his arm and let him holler and yell as much as he wanted. The others from the barracks came out and Gillis stood beside me with a very sad expression on her face as a large crowd gathered around us. No one tried to make me let him go and a few minutes later, the drill sergeant showed up.

“Stop your goddamn yelling, you fool!” Nancy spat at him and he quieted down. “Private Drake, tell me what's going on.”

I explained what happened, his accusation and calling Gillis a whore, and his defense that she couldn't challenge him and he would have no repercussions because of it.

“Who told you about the dueling codes?” Nancy asked.

I told her that it was Sandra Rivers, the CO of the garrison in Ester's Village. Everyone looked hopeful for some reason, until Nancy spoke.

“Dammit, the royalty code actually does apply in this case.” Nancy said and looked at the man. “You idiot. Being the son of a Duke gives you special exceptions to duels.”

“NO! My father...”

“...is going to hear all about it when we send you home in disgrace.” Nancy said.

“You can't! I joined the army because he told me to!” The man quickly said.

“You're going to be useless after Private Drake removes one of your limbs.”

“I... I... I choose the first blood rule!” The man said, desperately.

Nancy sighed. “I thought I taught you better than that.”

“Wh-what... what do you mean?” He asked.

“Any well trained weapon user can kill you before your blood starts flowing out of the wound.” Nancy said. “A crossbow bolt or arrow to the eye, a sword to the heart, a knife across the throat, your head smashed by a shield. All fatal blows that will ensure your death before blood flows.”

“I changed my mind!” He said, frantically.

“Private Drake, let him go.” A woman's stern voice ordered and I let his arm go.

Everyone turned to see the XO, who was the acting CO, standing there. It had been three months and they still didn't send anyone to take over as the CO.

“I have to interfere this time and force the default option for the duel.” The XO said.

“NO!” The man yelled.

“You do not have a choice here and I won't lose two people to your stupid and idiotic comment to a fellow soldier.” The XO said. “I also won't stand to have someone with that opinion of women in the army, if I can help it.”

“I don't think of all women that way! Just her!”

There was a collective groan from the crowd.

“How in the world did you get through basic training?” Someone else asked.

“I kept politely refusing his advances.” Gillis said. “At least he didn't... attack... me...” Her voice trailed off, because he actually did attack her.

The XO nodded to her and looked at the man in question. “You'll be shipped off tonight, without graduating from basic training, and your name will be removed from your family's line of succession.”

“N-n-no.” He said, barely above a whisper. “My father...”

“Is a loyal member of the Royal Ruling Class and will not be happy that his son defamed a member of the royal family by calling her a common whore.” The XO said.

Complete and utter silence fell on everyone as the man's face lost all color.

“Why don't you introduce yourself, Private Gillis?” The XO asked.

Gillis took a deep breath and let it out. “My name is Jacqueline Emilia Gillis-Rivers, third cousin to Princess Ellen Rivers.”

Everyone remained completely silent and barely breathed.

“Now that the secret's out, you can all go back to whatever you were doing before.” The XO said and waved two guards forward. They took custody of the man and he went with them without resisting at all.