48 Desiring Freedom

Jacob couldn't be happier when the Fifth finally arrived. Though he didn't have any men in his squad – Commander Ericksson made it clear that he was a Special Sergeant, superior officer of a unit that consisted of only himself – he still hung about his old group. It tickled him to see James act subservient around him; now that Jacob outranked him, it was a foregone conclusion.

Rod wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, growing similarly excited upon seeing the approaching mass of humans. It would be their duty to repair the fortifications and man it until the Sixth Infantry took it over from them. Now that summer was coming to an end, the new arrivals would have a far better time with the weather than they did.

Six battalions of infantrymen watched over each of the Kingdom's cardinal directions, though the one assigned to the North was there more to police the rural areas than to defend against foreign invasions. Unless there was a land out in the ocean, there'd be no land incursions, at least not until the navy fell. Two armies remained in the capital at all times, training and recovering from past expeditions. The added benefit was that Kingsrest was never short of soldiers to defend it if the need arose.

Though the Fourth Infantry had just come from a period of recuperation when Jacob entered it, they would need to reenter that phase. Whichever battalion they robbed of a chance to rest would be furious at them, but a thousand soldiers were wholly inadequate of watching any direction for long. There were other armies in Delreya, but those were either elite divisions like the Tenth Vanguard or private armies of nobles, like that of the Duke of Steelshade's.

"Alright gentlemen, we're heading back to Kingsrest!" Jacob called, raising a ragged chorus of cheers from the men around him. Being acknowledged by Ericksson really helped his image.

Rod clapped him in the back, nearly toppling over the battlements. Jacob glared at the boy, generating laughter from Rod. "I'm taking the generous vacation the Commander offered, as I'm sure most are. I'll return to the capital in two months' time," the shortsword-brandishing soldier explained.

"Vacation? That's the first I'm hearing of this."

"It's not standard practice, but given how many of us were wiped out, the Commander received clearance from the King himself to allow us to go home and visit our families."

Jacob grimaced. He didn't have anyone to visit. "That's great! I'm sure your mom will enjoy having you around again. Just don't tell her about the attack; she'll never let you come back if you do. And if I'm levelling with you, I don't want to be stuck with these guys," Jacob said none-too-quietly, making sure the soldiers around them heard. Glaring at the others before breaking, Jacob laughed at everyone's expense. A few joined in, but most still weren't quite friendly with him just yet.

"Come with me, then. I'm sure my mom would love the extra company, and she'll be reassured if I'm next to a great warrior!"

"Great warrior my behind," Jacob chuckled, only stopping when he realized Rod was serious. It was true that he was one of the two best warriors in this army, but this wasn't an elite unit or anything of the sort. Most of the members of the Tenth Vanguard could still destroy him in one-on-one combat just based on what he saw them do to those bandits in the woods by Leafburrow. "Let me ask the Commander; the King and I aren't exactly on good terms," Jacob pointed to his collar, the physical manifestation of his worth.

Jacob wasn't hoping for much when he marched into the Commander's office, but he figured he had nothing to lose by trying. Adan Ericksson sat behind a great desk, completing paperwork almost as fast as he could cut goblins down.

It was an impressive sight, but the man put down his pen at Jacob's approach. "What brings you here today, Sergeant?"

"I've come to ask about those vacation days. Did the King say anything about me?" Commander Ericksson winced at that, sitting up just a bit straighter than before. He folded his hands together, looking Jacob in the eyes.

"That he did. I tried to avoid this conversation by simply not telling you, but that was cowardly on my part. I apologize," the commander paused. "He said that you were to be kept an eye on. While he's certain that there's no mage in Delreya capable of breaking the Binding Mage's magic, he wants someone with the King's authority to be around you at all times. You're liable to do anything to free yourself, Jacob."

Jacob started, unsure of how the man came to know that about him. He hadn't expressed any desire for freedom to Ericksson or any other person in the Fourth. Not even Rod knew his desperate plot to free himself. The commander laughed at Jacob's slack jaw.

"I'd have to be blind or stupid not to realize that any person, once forced into service, would not desire their own freedom. There's not a human being alive that wouldn't. I saw the ferocity you fought with. You didn't do that for a great love of Kingdom or King. You fought to protect yourself and those you deemed worthy. There's nothing wrong with that, but I can't let you go on account of being a commander in the service of King Benjamin III."

Jacob stared at the commander. Never before had he heard anything like that from anyone else. It was dangerously close to speaking ill of the king's policy. All of it was true, that being said.

"You'll return with us to Kingsrest. I'll make sure you get a tent befitting a sergeant, and you'll be treated better as an officer of the Kingdom. That's all I can do, Jacob," Commander Ericksson sighed. Jacob smiled at the older man's candor. While he was only in his early thirties, Adan Ericksson displayed more compassion and wisdom than perhaps anyone he'd met in this world. Certainly more than that old king.

"Thank you, sir. I can't wait to see my new tent."