The Traitor's Command III

“I offer my services to you, Sir.”
“For what?” asked the commander. He was a very busy man and very distracted, still it wasn't as bad a reception as he had thought he might get as a poor peasant bothering his betters.
“If it counts for anything I have combat experience and know tactics, I am willing to serve under you if you have any need for me. I am sorry I didn't come forward sooner but I wasn't sure how I would be received.” Now at least the commander was looking at Micheal.
“You know tactics?”
“I learned on my father's knee, exiled it is true, but I can't pretend that I didn't have the upbringing,” Micheal continued to bow, but from his place held up the ring on his finger. He knew that the crest on it was very clear in its origin, the decorations around it declared him to be from the now enemy nation. He spoke quickly now, knowing it was only a matter of time before the commander made his decision, and wanting to effect it as much as possible. “You can accuse me of being a spy, I thought of that, I am willing to risk it. I have lived here almost half of my life already, I am loyal to your side. I am an exile from the country I am from, the son of someone who tried overthrow their king. I promise you, I am not on the enemy's side.”
“You could have betrayed us any number of times, without us ever knowing you were here, you choose to reveal yourself. What worries me more is allowing someone I don't know take any sort of command of the few men I have at my disposal,” the commander said, leaning forward intensely. Micheal had the feeling that for a man who was leading the defense so poorly, that this was a very capable man, one who could see right through him. It was a relief to him that he had nothing to hide, he had told the truth.
“Give me command of anything, any task at all for that matter, let me prove myself,” Micheal said, responding to the commander's intensity with energy of his own. “Watch how I handle even the smallest job, and see for yourself if I overestimate my abilities, if nothing else you gain another soldier.”
“Take control of the southwest corner of the castle and the soldiers posted there,” the commander ordered and then turned to give orders to another man. Micheal straightened and turned away, disappointed for all of his words, that he had not been given a larger task. Out of any part of the castle the southern wall was the least often attacked, and to get a corner, the strongest part of the castle, was a further sign of mistrust. There was nothing Micheal could do about it and at least he now had something to do.
The castle armory had little for him to wear but Micheal made do with what he could find and beg. For the first time Micheal thought in longing of his father's armor, something that he had never thought of with any interest before. The heavy shield with their family crest was in particular an item to be desired now, it might save his life. Instead he was going to have to go with no shield at all and a helmet of inferior quality. He had pictured how he would look when he was a little boy, going off to his first command, he had always imagined that he would be a dashing figure, instead he looked like a beggar who had stopped at a blacksmith's.
The men of his command were not the brave soldiers he had envisioned as a child either. The south wall, with it's little attention from the enemy, seemed to be where they sent the men they didn't want on the front for one reason or another. From the first glance that Micheal got it seemed to mostly be age, too young, too old; or stupidity.
To be continued...