Malecris

Malecris is a centurion of the legion in the Sürgün Günlükleri ("Exile Chronicles") campaign. He first met Kemp Corvus, Katherine and Ephorus as the officer at the river port of Riverguard, and was then chosen as the aide of the Company of thirty that the crown prince placed under Kemp's command.^{1 2 3}

At Riverguard

Riverguard is an old elven fortress where a chain had been drawn across the river; boats lay idle and goods were piled on the bank. Under an agreement called the Treaty of Hançer Tepesi, elven deputy commanders serve in some forts in human lands, and human officers in some posts on the other side.^{4 5}

The port officer approached the travellers respectfully and explained that the river, and by order of the Third Legion the western road, would be closed for at least two weeks. Because of serious trouble with separatist elves at Akşelale, the legion there was being kept ready for war, and his own men, who were freer, had been given this task. When he had checked Katherine's Archon papers and learned that Kemp was a Corvus, he offered the company the fort's hospitality and handed them over at the moat bridge as guests of House Corvus.^{1 6}

With the company of thirty

Malecris was an officer over and above the thirty soldiers. Kemp left him daily command, supplies, the route and regular reports, so as not to break the chain of command before men who did not know him. He brought out the mission's purse of gold and valuable rings, and told Kemp that the Porvis family had two seats, a grand mansion in the heart of the Eskiyurt country and an older forest house nearer by, where they stayed at that time of year. He had asked for the legion wizard he was used to, but was refused because Katherine was with the company.^{7 8 9}

When a legionary and one of the prince's men were caught gambling, he asked Kemp how to deal with two units whose rules differed, and carried out Kemp's ruling of extra work and watches for both. At the Porvis house he pitched camp without waiting for leave. That evening he reported that the Bloody Coin mercenaries, first seen as twenty-two, now numbered more than sixty, that he had seen the household's steward with their leader, and that his men were uneasy. He asked what to do if harm came to the leaders, and was told to withdraw in good order and wait for orders rather than seek revenge. Later he reported that the mercenaries had tried to get into the camp by offering drink, and that he had not let them.^{10 11 12 13 14}

He questioned why a household wizard able to send messages had not called on Archon or the legion for help. As the mercenaries grew in number he warned that the company must either leave at once or strike, and he went with Kemp and four soldiers to arrest the household knight Kleber as cover for the family's escape. When Hermann Çelikyüz's men took up arms, he offered to hold them while the leaders got away, but Kemp chose to stay and fight. Malecris called his corporals, formed the soldiers into a shield wall two ranks deep with archers behind, and the legion line, pushed back at first, held its ground. On Kemp's order he stopped the pursuit; six prisoners were taken.^{15 16 17 18 19}

About five of his soldiers were left dead on the field; the rest of the losses were badly wounded men who could not walk, some of whom had lost limbs. Wounded in the face and leg himself, he carried on. There was no magical healing in the column, so he put the wounded in the armoured wagons, the stores in farm carts, left what could not be carried under a marker stone, and encouraged his soldiers by name. At the burned village of Vadiyurt his men judged the raiders to have been at least two or three hundred strong.^{20 21 22 23}

The siege of Sarpyar

Malecris volunteered to answer Rainer Karga's challenge to single combat, but a war priest was chosen; the company weighed what a defeat of a legion officer would mean for the legion. One night he came quietly with two of his men to report that he had caught one of his own legionaries carrying poison. By Malecris's account the man confessed that he had been forced to it to save a captive kinsman, and was meant to poison Baron Vermont when his turn came to guard him.^{24 25 26 27}

Taking the blame as commander, he offered Kemp his sword and said he was ready to share the soldier's punishment. Kemp kept him in command for having stopped the attempt. A quiet arrest was first proposed; once it was clear that only three people knew, there was talk of a death in his sleep or a fall on the road, and the soldier was not seen again. Malecris then took Ephorus's place at the baron's side when Ephorus went out to parley.^{28 29}

Tal'gard

He led the reduced column of eleven legionaries to Tal'gard and brought reports of the fighting in the countryside: Rainer's smaller forces had lost to stronger legions but had each time withdrawn in good order. At the council he was plainly angered that the lords turned so quickly from famine and losses to the economy and an invitation to the baths, and afterwards he took his soldiers out for night drill. He scorned the five city guards who had let Rainer's men through without a fight, holding that they should have died fighting, though that is more than is usually asked of ordinary guards.^{30 31 32 33}

Kemp ordered him to see to the safety of the rebel envoy Olgar and his four attendants without making it obvious. While Ephorus played cards with the legionaries, Malecris had people carrying forbidden goods searched, seized the goods and fined them, saying he was enforcing the law. He also saw that Kemp's letter home was sent.^{34 35 36}

Farewell

When the mission ended, Malecris and his legionaries came to say goodbye. He told Kemp that he had served better generals, but never one who worried so much about what happened to his men, and that he would remember him as a warrior. He thanked Katherine for saving many of his friends' lives in the fight with the Bloody Coin and embraced Ephorus, sharing memories of how a drow and a legionary could be friends. Then he and his men went back to the army.^{3 37 38}