"Now, disperse with this crowd," Lombard demanded, his voice hardening into his usual commanding tone. "You two," he said, gesturing towards Beam and Judas. "You will follow us back to camp and begin your work immediately. And you, merchant, you continue to do as I've asked of you – and send no more whores to my camp until this problem has been dealt with."
As soon as they were away from the village, the mood about the group of travelling men began to change.
By the time they reached the tents, Lombard was radiating a distinct hostility, despite not having said a word. The soldiers looked at them strangely as they marched through the camp, but none of them said a word.
"Angrith, fetch Tolsey," Captain Lombard ordered as they stood outside his tent.
Angrith saluted stiffly. "Sir!" And then he moved off to do as he was told.
Lombard did not even look at Beam as they waited for the man he'd named Tolsey to arrive. Beam noted that he kept his hand towards the hilt of his sword, and merely glared with narrowed eyes about the encampment.
Soon enough, after a few moments of awkward waiting, a man that Beam could only assume was Tolsey hurried over to them, a distinctly nervous look on his face, and a sheen of sweat on his forehead, matting his long blonde hair against his skin.
Despite his magnificent beard, he had a youthful face, and Beam doubted that he was past his thirties.
"Vice-Captain Tolsey," Lombard said.
"Sir!" Tolsey saluted.
"Angrith, take the rest of the men and relieve those on the defensive line. Bring the giant with you, find out how useful he'll be," Lombard ordered.
"You want him on the line, sir?" Angrith asked.
"Draw your sword Tolsey. Assume the position I am in. If the boy makes any strange moves, kill him without hesitation," Lombard said.
With a good deal of nervousness, Tolsey drew the sword at his hip, and levelled it at the other side of Beam's neck. Only then did Lombard remove his own, though he did not sheath it.
He moved to draw himself a chair away from the table. He sat it in the centre of the room, and with his blade upon his lap, he sat, his gaze one of undisguised hostility.
"Heh..." Beam murmured, a shiver going down his back. "So you were lying in the square, were you?"
"Silence," Lombard ordered. "You will speak when spoken to, or you will die."
"Captain... What's going on?" Tolsey asked.
The Captain sighed, apparently reluctant to explain, but he did so anyway. "Ten minutes ago, I stumbled on this boy embroiled in conflict with three of our men, sergeant Angrith amongst them. As they fought, a hundred angry villagers raged beside them, on the verge of open rebellion."
"Gods!" Tolsey mumbled, already understanding the significance of such an event, without it having to be explained to him.
"Indeed," Lombard said. "A rather troubling scenario. I wonder, to what end do you move against me, boy?"
"I don't believe I've ever openly moved against you," Beam said.
"No? Then why have you been sending men to sniff around my camp, mm? To what end do you gather information? Why were you set on unifying the villagers? It was a clumsy attempt, but with a clear goal of incitement," Lombard said.
"Maybe you'd know if you stepped outside your camp for a second. Maybe if you took a glance at what your soldiers were up to in your absence, you'd understand," Beam spat back, Lombard's hostility giving rise to his own anger.
Lombard looked unamused. He stood up. "When he speaks with such disrespect, Tolsey, press your sword against his neck, like this," he said coldly, pushing the steel against Beam's throat just enough to draw blood.