The two of them had been walking for well over half an hour now. Aqa looked across the rolling grasslands. Verya looked back at their troops, thirty soldiers, special troops, served the spymaster directly. She observed how each soldier acted, and knew these were superior to the normal guard platoon.
Verya, looked back at Aqa, and asked "Sir, may I ask you a personal question?"
"Of course." replied Aqa.
"I've done a background check on you, I hope you don't mind, and I've seen your track record. You fought like hell to reach where you are so young. But can I know why? Why did you decide to make spymaster at the age of twenty six?"
For the first time it seemed as if she had caught her commander off-guard. He usually had an answer or process for everything, but this time he seemed uncomfortable. "I will tell you later, for now we need to figure out the next step in our mission." he replied.
Verya though this was dishonest, she felt that he simply used the 'next step' line to divert attention. However she was more than happy to cross off another organisational task, so she gladly replied "yes sir," and turned to one of her troops, commanding "present the situation on the 6LR, lieutenant".
The soldier jogged to to their commanders, clearly shouting "Yes colonel, the situation is as follows: last reports indicate the Sixth Light Regiment headed South, last spotted yesterday, forty kilometers from the Capital. Direct path unclear. Palace Regiment air recon has yielded nothing."
"That will be all lieutenant." she replied calmly.
Aqa, again in his pondering mood, thought to himself 'The path they've taken will tell us a lot about their capabilities but we have so little to work off of, this state does not work together, the guard has once again left it all onus.'
Verya observed Aqa, his head hung back staring into the sky, clearly using his full mental power. She also considered the possible paths they realistically could've taken. She felt a little undermined by Aqa's decline to answer her personal question. 'I need to show Aqa he was right to pick me as his second' she thought. "I have some ideas to present," she announced "I believe it is most likely the traitors took one of three paths sir. The first path is towards the mountain range. Here would be an easy place for them to disperse and form a guerilla camp, but is nearby to the 10th Mountain Regiment which could be alerted. The second is around the mountain towards their own military district. What they would be doing returning is unknown but it is a clear base of operations which likely has stockpiles prepared. The last option I am a bit unsure of, but they could be going through the desert into the deep Savanna. Its unlikely in my opinion, but they might think this is the best place for them to throw off their scent."
"Or they might be leading us into a trap." replied Aqa matter-of-factly. He turned to face Verya and stopped walking. The whole platoon stopped behind him. "I have been considering Verya, how could this attack on the capital possibly have been prepared in secret? Our spies in their barracks have reported nothing suspicious." He watched as gears turned in her head, her face shifted as it stumbled upon a realisation.
"They... must've had a secret base, a launching off point. Indeed I've heard no reports from the 6LR barracks of a mobilisation." she muttered somberly.
Aqa looked her in the eyes and said "Do you remember my hunch Verya, when I had you drop me off by our office?"
"You never told me what it was" she replied inquisitively.
"I had our agents capture their commanding officers still on duty and interrogate them," Aqa started, with Verya's mouth opening in shock. "They only found a major. Apparently the Colonel had taken out troops platoon by platoon over the period of two years for 'extended combat exercises' meanwhile the situation around the base was kept normal as militia troops were brought in to hold the fort while they were on deployment. Clearly made to deceive all involved, making the base seem full of life while his troops were actually being mobilised right under our noses."
Verya nodded along, the lieutenant besides them also listened with great attention to every word. "And the disappearances," added Verya, "this could've been how they got rid of unruly soldiers not willing to go along with it." She seemed frustrated after speaking, adding on "we just don't know what this 'it' is yet - what their plan is."
"Well put colonel," replied Aqa, continuing the walk in silence, each pondering the chessboard that was troop movements in their own way.
"We have arrived!" Verya exclaimed, as they had stepped over the gentle hill, greeted by a small outpost. Tents and radio equipment dotted the small site, situated near a small road with a convoy of five armoured cars parked nearby.
Later that evening, in one of the two command tents, the second platoon sergeant asked the lieutenant, "Sir why did we trek the whole afternoon countryside just to arrive next to a road anyway?"
The lieutenant took a sip of his canteen prepared with tea, and replied "The Operative-Colonel herself instructed this. We don't know what forces could be attempting to follow us. By making it seem like a normal marching drill, we can avoid unwanted gazes."
Just as the second platoon sergeant gave a mindful nod, the third platoon sergeant piped up "operative colonel, what a rank! Doesn't the spymaster also call her his 'First Blade'?"
The lieutenant gave a stern look, responding in a hushed manner "As I understand it, first blade used to be some sort of ceremonial role from the first days. The spymaster created the rank when he took the position, and immediately promoted colonel Verya from a mere captain of the Guard straight to his second in command. He must've seen something in her, now will you go to sleep?"
In the other command tent, Verya and Aqa sat on the ground, around a small map rolled out on a cutting board. A lamp next to them glowed in pleasing warm hues. Aqa studied the features of the woman taking in the map in front of him. Her eyes, hazel, had an intensity about them. Although her red hair, drooping in large curls hid most some of it, he could still perceive her face. Her facial imperfections in the forms of irregular marks, reactions of the skin to certain irritants, were permanently etched on her cheeks. This was the detail his mind had decided to fixate on. She looked up and caught him staring. his long hair partially fell in front of him, blocking his vision. She raised an eyebrow.
"I was just wondering about your blotches. They don't look natural. I hope that didn't come out wrong, I was just wondering where they came from." bumbled Aqa, his cheeks flushed.
Verya saw before her, for the first time, not the erudite and elusive spymaster, but a young man, caught staring at a girl. His boyish features, long hair and gentle face reminded her of his fast track promotion, and of their previous conversation.
"I'll tell you," she said, with a coy smile "if... you promise to answer the question I asked you this afternoon."
"Deal" he snapped.
She began telling her story. "This was before I was in the Guard actually. When I was a just a girl, there was a local unionist uprising. At the time my heart went out for their cause, and so I attended a demonstration. This was before the guard had consolidated power like today, and they were only called in after the colonial militia would fail." She remembered that time, and closed her eyes as she told the story, letting it wash over her. Her voice became delicate and calm. "We barricaded the chemical plant. It stayed up one whole week like that. We felt like we were on top of the world. My brother was there with me, I dragged the rut along." She took one deep breath before continuing. "I don't even know what the end goal was. At the day of reckoning, when the guard arrived, someone decided it would be better if nobody had the factory. A large vat was rigged to explode. The chemicals grazed my cheeks, and some hair, but that, I cut away. The chemicals doused my brother, who was nearer."
Aqa breathed heavily. "I'm sorry colonel."
She forced a smile at him with sorrow in her eyes. "Its ok, we're alone remember? There's no need to use my rank". After a few moments she forged her next words, voice slightly trembling. "Back then I didn't understand, but we need the order. What were the goals anyway? We held on to ideals, and in the end we lost a key factory. That action probably brought great strife to Azonis, and I don't want it happening to anyone else's brother." She sighed heavily, and then opened her eyes finally. "Your turn Aqa."
"Fine." Now was his turn and he spoke coldly. "I was raised in a settlement far away from the central administration. My caretaker was one of the original colonists from KYN." He stopped to think his next few words carefully. "This was when the administration was fighting with rogue KYN loyalists. We got caught up in the storm. My settlement was razed and I watched my caretaker burned in front of me. I could never allow that to happen to anyone else. All I wanted from that point on was justice for the victims of that attack - my family."
Both sat in silence for a while. Each looking at the other's eye. Each reflected empathy for the other, and pain in their memory. Each appreciated having someone to listen to.
"Good night my First Blade" whispered Aqa, as he reached to turn of the lamp. He felt a hand on his after turning the light off.
"Thanks for sharing your story spymaster." Verya whispered - barely audible. They each went to their cots set up in opposite sides of the tent and slept.
Come morning, Aqa walked into the canteen tent with two coffees and, handing one to his second in command, declared "We will take the path towards the desert."