101 A declaration

"Sir" the attendant came to Second Master's tent, "Hàorán wishes to see you."

"Send him in." He turned and faced the entrance as Hàorán ducked under the half open flap and came straight over. "I'm ready to leave but do you sense a murmuring in the camp? Somehow, word has already got to them. Shall I go now or wait and see what....."

"Wait." Second Master gathered his things and strode out the tent, anger and frustration oozing from every pore, "Come with me. The talk is happening now. I want the men to know first hand and there's no one better than yourself."

Hàorán nodded and followed in Second Master's wake. He recognised this mood, he'd seen it before. Last time it resulted in a group of men being beaten to death. He muttered to himself, 'I've not seen him like this in years. If his father sounds off today, it won't be good'.

"Gather the men." Second Master barked at his attendant, "find somewhere everyone can stand and hear what we have to report." He turned towards the wagons containing the sick and injured. "Any who can be moved, bring them too. They need to hear what I have to say."

"Sir." The attendant had seen this mood too and had learned to be wary of this man. He had wielded a hammer for many years, one punch would kill. The attendant moved like lightening, enacting his instructions. He looked towards Senior Master's wagon; should he tell him too? He knocked on the wagon door.

A physician poked his head through the window flap, " yes?"

"There's a meeting with all the men and officers shortly, I wasn't sure...." his voice trailed off. Both men knew the reason and both instinctively looked towards the old man. "Should he come, Sir?" The attendant had no intention of making that call. This would be at the physician's discretion. If things went wrong.... he shuddered as he thought of Second Master's grip around his throat. 'No, not my call.'

Within half an hour the whole army had assembled. This was going to be a painful and emotional conversation but it had to be done.

Second Master thought back to those funeral pyres and the barrels of ashes sitting in the back of the half carts. It was time to dig deep and fight back.

Chen would rise from the ashes, stronger, wiser and a force to be feared. He had made up his mind.

Never! Ever! Again!

The old man stayed in his wagon. He humphed at such a fuss about nothing and loudly announced, whatever it was, the men just fought, they didn't need to know anything.

Second Master shook his head. His father was so out of touch it was frightening. Turning to his aid, "take a note of everything my father says, I will need this when I go to the Minister with my assertion he is unfit to serve and should be pensioned off."

"Indeed Sir. Should I also write his ramblings?"

Second Master looked at him. He didn't realise father was also rambling on. "Yes, do that will you. If you need someone to help you, commandeer one of my orderlies."

The aid bowed, "as you wish Sir." Turning, the aid left only for his father to begin ranting about the absurdity of telling the rank and file anything, and in his day they were nothing more than rats trained to fight. 

Second Master's patience was running thin, "can you quieten my father please. If you have to gag him, do it!" and with that he stalked off.

'That man! If ever I become like him..' then he thought of his wife and chuckled, 'she'd keep me straight,' and with a rye smile, went to tell the men something he'd hoped he'd never have to do.

The men sat there, stunned. For a while there was an eerie silence, then the emotions caught up and a loud explosion of energy rose from them.

"Before!" Second Master boomed over the audience. They fell quiet. "Before you get angry and shout and scream at the injustice, stop! What good does that serve? We need to channel that anger, that aggression, that overwhelming hatred into action! I want all of the men under Colonel Bǎo to come to my wagon, plus..." he paused and surveyed the men siting attentively beneath him, "plus, those men who have trained in the fighting arts, any discipline, and are proficient in it to join them. If you can teach others your skills we create an adaptable army who doesn't rely on a sword or a bolt. I want to create a fighting force which is feared." He looked around as men cheered, the force was palpable. "I will not let the House of Chen lie down and become Mu dogs, to be pushed about, trodden on and treated like slaves! I will not let the House of Chen to be the laughing stock, the butt of jokes, the whipping boys to be beaten, the women to be raped, the children to be sold!"

He stopped and looked around. The fire in him echoed in the men. The roar went up, he had fired the men from misdirected anger to directed rage.  He held his hand up and they fell silent once more.

" I want the two women, Niao and Xin to join our group and I want all of you to learn their skills. We will become a mercenary army, we will fly a new set of arms, that of two hammers, the twin forces of stealth and strength!" He rose as tall as he could and thrusting his fist into the air he bellowed with a level of aggression and power the men had never seen from him. "Who with me!"

To a man, all stood and raising a fist above their heads a chorus went up, "We are!"