Page 5 of Kingdom of Chains

They were either about to be reprimanded or given orders. Blackmane waited to see which one it was.

‘I am sending the four of you to Carmarthenshire,’ Shapur announced.

Orders were always preferable. So they were going to Carmarthenshire—again.

Tatum and Alveye exchanged a look of surprise.

Before the famine, Carmarthenshire had been a county in Wales. During the famine, the name became a blanket phrase used for all the land between England’s border and the newly formed kingdom of Chadora. And when all the villages had been deserted, the forests stripped of food, and the region abandoned by their king, it became known simply as ‘the wastelands’.

The return of the marcher lords along the border had been the first sign of renewed interest in the region. The dispatching of units was the second. The defenders had been keeping an eye on the situation for some time, watching from the safety of their walls as entire rebel groups were removed or extinguished.

‘You will go to Hampstead Keep and meet with the new Earl of Hereford,’ Shapur continued. ‘Lord Hodge has offered to take you on a tour of the region and show you the advancements they have made. It seems progress has stalled. There are two groups proving to be problematic—St Clare and Emlyn.’

‘Oh. The groups have names now,’ Tatum said, pretending to be impressed.

Shapur gave him a disapproving look. ‘General terms like ‘wastelander’ are not helpful in these types of situations. Better to identify what part of the region they are from in order to truly know what we are up against.’

Alveye nodded. ‘Makes sense. Every county will have their own unique history.’

‘And trauma response,’ Tatum muttered.

Blackmane shifted his weight. ‘What kind of problems are they having with these groups?’

Shapur crossed his arms. ‘Lord Hodge claims they frequently attack the camps in the region. I suspect he is hoping for some assistance with this.’

Blackmane narrowed his brows. ‘Why would these groups attack the camps? Food shortages are no longer an issue, and they can hunt and gather in the regions they still control.’

Shapur nodded. ‘King Becket’s thoughts exactly. That is why he is sending a small unit of defenders to see what is going on. He wants to fully understand what is happening before getting involved.’

‘Exactly how small a unit, sir?’ Alveye asked.

Shapur gestured between them. ‘You are looking at it.’

Blackmane had been afraid of that.

‘Plus Hadewaye,’ Shapur added. He looked at Tatum. ‘I am putting you in charge. Make sure everyone gets home safely.’

Tatum grew a little taller at that piece of news. ‘You’re making me commander?’

‘For the purpose of this assignment,’ the warden clarified. ‘Someone has to take the lead. You all spent time in the region at the end of your training, and you appear to work well as a team—most of the time.’ He paused. ‘I need information and Lord Hodge alive at the end of that tour. It will not look good to our English friends if he dies in your company. Understand?’

‘Yes, sir,’ the defenders replied in unison.

‘You leave at first light.’ Shapur looked between them, ensuring they understood, before turning and marching away.

The men watched him until he was well out of earshot. Then Tatum turned to face the others, looking very pleased with himself.

‘You may address me as “Commander” from now on,’ he announced.

Alveye’s eyebrows shot up. ‘With a straight face?’

Blackmane smirked at the ground.

Tatum flicked Alveye’s ear. ‘Yes, with a straight face.’

‘Not to ruin your big moment,’ Alveye said, rubbing his ear, ‘but I really thought he would have put Blackmane in charge.’

Tatum laughed once. ‘That’s not ruining my moment. That’s taking a giant shit on it.’