A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Men like Jorah, really, were what men wanted in their armed forces. They wanted someone predictable and competent, and Jorah fit that template perfectly. He seemed to eliminate chaos, somehow, which when phrased as such, made him seem far more remarkable than an ordinary soldier. An ordinary soldier was plain, after all. He was whatever the effects of his surroundings made him.

"Good," Oliver told him.

Jorah scratched his head. "I appreciate it, my Lord. But now with even Kaya discovering something that he's good at, I can't help but feel unremarkable as a result."

"Your remarkability is in your ability to lead, I think," Oliver said. "Kaya and Karesh have found styles that offer them individual strength. Can you make them so they work well as part of a group?"

"I am unsure," Jorah said honestly.

"Then we shall see. We've killed enough goblins for today. The gamekeepers will be getting angry with us if we continue. I think it's time to move and kill some Black Wolves. I'll kill a Gorebeast along the way."

…

…

As Oliver had said he would, he rushed ahead and butchered a Gorebeast for their potions, before dragging it back towards a patch of forest where Black Wolves were more likely to spawn.

"This is their final test, isn't it, my Lord?" Verdant asked. He too was waiting for his own test, and he'd come well prepared for that. Just like Blackthorn, he was forced to be patient, as the younger retainers were tested first, to see whether they were up to par.

"It is," Oliver confirmed. "They're stronger than goblins individually, so shall we say twenty Black Wolves between them. Or might I be asking too much?"

"Mm. I think I agree with your assessment, my Lord. You do not wish for them to be as strong as the common soldier, you're looking for them to be stronger, to increase their chances of surviving whatever we might encounter," Verdant said.

"Then we'll do that," Oliver said. "You three heard that, didn't you?"

They had, and they looked remarkably paler for having heard so.

"Twenty…" Kaya said, looking sick. "Can we really..?"

"C'mon. There's no point getting scared now," Karesh told him, though he was just as pale. "My greatsword will cut up anything that gets close to us. And your uh… fists, they'll probably be useful, somehow."

"Troublesome," Jorah said, biting his lip. "Can we really?"

"You will," Oliver said, his voice hard. "You are my soldiers. My soldiers will not be average. You have been with me long enough now that your passing would displease me. Your strength shall be a cut above. Show me today what you've learned."

"Should I not join them..?" Blackthorn asked quietly, fidgeting nervously. She would make the most adorable gestures at times, but then a man would remember that it was blood that she was looking for. She only pulled that face when she wanted to test her worth against a valuable enemy, and spill its guts all over the floor.

"No," Oliver said. "You'll have your time, Lasha, if you wish it. Though, I will be bringing you regardless. You're one of the more useful tools that I have." Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"Don't call her a tool!" Amelia said, horrified. "That's terrible! You're allies."

"In battle, she will be another soldier of mine. You are content with that, are you not, Lasha?" Oliver said.

"I am," Lasha said resolutely. "You've brought me to the battlefield Ser Patrick, and you've trained me. My sword is yours, whether you ask for it or not."

Amelia's expression remained horrified, even as Blackthorn herself consented to it. It was that Oliver didn't understand her concerns. Hers was a noble house, far above his own, lowering themselves to his service – if only temporarily. But he had to be sure of it. On the battlefield, he needed the elements that he brought to be his alone, else he could not assume responsibility for them.

He needed them to obey his orders without question.

"They're coming," Oliver realized. It was the first pack of five. To get a pack of twenty like he desired would take a considerable amount of effort and a bit of manoeuvring. For that purpose, he sent Verdant out, along with Blackthorn, with the two heading in opposite directions to lure more of their required prey in.

Soon enough, there was a grand total of twenty-five Black Wolves heading their way. It was a thoroughly horrific image, given the size of some of the beasts. It looked like an image straight out of hell.

For the purposes of time, Oliver culled the remaining five creatures himself, using that style of quickness that he'd begun to develop recently in emulation of Lasha. He killed the wolves with the light touch, only piercing them as much as was required, before moving on to the next one.

Blackthorn didn't miss the similarities of that style, nor the fact that it was performed with a quickness that far eclipsed her own. She shot Oliver a look that threatened to quickly transition into a pout, but she turned away before he could see it.

He smiled a little ruefully. It was a while in the making, but he knew that the development of that style would be an effective enough tool for teasing. And, whatever else one might have to say about Lasha Blackthorn, she could be remarkably fun to tease, at times.

"Right," Oliver said, flicking the blood from his blade, having herded the Black Wolves into the centre of the clearing. "The rest of them are yours. Fight well, you three. Prove to me your strength."

He dashed behind them with a suddenness, drawing the attention of all the Black Wolves their way. Kaya gulped, Karesh stiffened, and Jorah narrowed his eyes.

Their formation was simple enough. With three people, it was hard to really make it any more complicated than they had. They positioned themselves in a triangle, with Karesh at the front, using his greatsword to try and cull the speed of the charging Black Wolves.

Then, Kaya was in the middle, giving the triangle an odd shape, whilst Jorah was off to Karesh's left, blocking the side where his sword didn't rest.