hurrying to the house that served as Skarpa’s temporary headquarters. As he drew near, three tiny gray kittens darted under the front porch. He couldn’t help but smile.
Meinyt arrived just as Quaeryt did.
“Good morning,” said Quaeryt.
“Morning. Better than last night.” Meinyt paused, then said, “Some of the Piedryn troopers said that they ran into you and the imagers last night.” The older subcommander stepped up onto the covered porch.
“We went to cover the river road. We met up there. Never saw any Bovarians.” Quaeryt moved toward the door, about to open it.
At that moment Skarpa stepped out and gestured to the stools and the table, still in place from the afternoon before. “We’ll meet out here. Too hot inside already.”
As soon as the three were seated, Skarpa began. “We lost close to fifty men last night, with another sixty wounded.” His eyes focused on Quaeryt questioningly.
“It’s hard to image when the imagers can’t see where to image,” replied Quaeryt. “It’s also hard to figure out what sort of imaging will work.”
“They imaged at night at Caernyn,” Meinyt said.
“That worked because they knew where our troops were, and where the enemy was. Once our forces mixed with the Bovarians and Antiagons, we had to stop imaging.”
Skarpa nodded slowly.
After a moment so did Meinyt.
“There’s also the problem that none of them have ever been in combat, and some of them are limited as imagers. We have worked to improve that, but for example Undercaptain Baelthm will never be the strongest of imagers. He is, however, very precise.”
“It’s too bad we don’t have more imagers,” said Skarpa blandly. “I did suggest in one of my dispatches to the marshal that having more would be useful, particularly if you were in charge of training and deploying them.”
“Deucalon doesn’t like changes,” said Meinyt with a snort. “That why you suggested they be assigned to you?”
“That had occurred to me.” Skarpa grinned, but that expression faded quickly. “It also has occurred to me more than once that imagers reduce overall casualties. Unhappily, we’re going to have to take Ralaes with what we have. That’s why we’re going to scout all the approaches very carefully.”
“I’d like to accompany one of the companies or squads doing the scouting, with one of the imagers,” requested Quaeryt.
“That would be for the best. They’ll be departing in less than a glass. That’s Captain Lhastyn’s company-third company of First Battalion. They’ll form up on the road here while I give the captain his orders. We didn’t have enough sentries last night, and they were posted too far apart. The Bovarians may try again tonight … given their success last night…”
Quaeryt listened intently as Skarpa went on to outline his plans for the day and evening.
A quint later he was walking back to the smaller cot where the imagers were waiting for him. He said nothing until all of them had gathered on the narrow porch.
“First off, we most likely won’t be attacking Ralaes today. Undercaptain Shaelyt and I will be accompanying one of Third Regiment’s companies scouting the Bovarian defenses. Second, the rest of you are to work on your imaging under the direction of Undercaptain Voltyr. There is also a third matter.” Quaeryt paused. “As some of you have already guessed, and quietly suggested, I am an imager…” He let the silence draw out before continuing. “There were reasons why I was asked not to make that known when first company and then Fifth Battalion were formed. I’m going to ask that, for now, you not speak of it except among yourselves. This is in your interest as much as in mine.”
“Why is that?” demanded Threkhyl, quickly adding, “Sir?”
“Because the longer the rest of the battalion sees that I’m impartial and that the imagers help everyone, the more favorably you’ll be regarded. The more favorably you’re regarded, the better the position imagers and especially each of you will be in when the fighting is over.”
Shaelyt nodded. So did Voltyt. After a moment Desyrk offered a faint smile. Baelthm looked skeptical, while Threkhyl’s expression held puzzlement and doubt.
“That’s if we live through it,” Threkhyl finally said. “You’ll do just fine.”
Quaeryt would have liked to point out that he’d suffered more injuries than they had, which had been the case-until Akoryt’s death. Instead, he replied, “I’ve been at the front all the time.”
“You can protect yourself,” countered Threkhyl. “We’ve all seen it.”
“That’s true. That’s also why I’ve been in front, trying to protect as many of you as possible until you can learn how to protect yourselves.”
“The subcommander’s right about that,” said Baelthm.
Quaeryt was surprised that the oldest imager was the one to speak up.
“You’ve not shown me one thing like that,” insisted Threkhyl.
“Well … you can start working on that with Voltyr while I’m gone this morning. When I get back, I’ll go over it with you.”
“Now you-”
“Enough,” snapped Quaeryt, image-projecting absolute authority into Threkhyl, enough that the big man stepped back. “It’s not a matter of strength alone. It took me years to develop the abilities I have. I’ve been working with you barely more than a month, and every one of you can do far more than you could when I started. You’ll be able to do more than that before long. I’m not trying to hold anyone back. If I were, why would I have worked so hard with all of you?” He looked hard at Threkhyl.
For once, the ginger-bearded undercaptain had no answer.
“We’re all in this together. I’ve made mistakes. So have you, but the better all of you become, the greater the chances for all of us to come through this in a far better position than you ever thought possible.” Quaeryt caught the slightest frown from Voltyr, but that vanished quickly.
“How’s that?” demanded Threkhyl.
“It’s simple, if you think about it. Together … we destroyed an entire Bovarian army. Alone … could any of us survive against that large a force? Even if we could, what power would we have to ask for and get better treatment once the war is over?” Quaeryt smiled wryly. “That is … if you all work and become better imagers.” After just the slightest pause, he went on. “You all can think about it while Shaelyt and I are out with the recon company. You’re in charge, Undercaptain Voltyr.” Quaeryt motioned for Shaelyt to join him, then began to walk toward where their mounts were tethered.
Shaelyt had to hurry to catch up to Quaeryt. Once the undercaptain did, he took several more steps before he cleared his throat. Loudly.
“Yes?” asked Quaeryt.
“Sir … you most likely know this … but Threkhyl … he sees things … ah…”
“Directly. In terms of brute force and what happens right now? Is that what you meant?”
“Yes, sir. He only listens to you because you’re stronger, and he knows he can’t hurt you.”
“He does have a way of showing that.” Quaeryt managed to keep his voice mildly sardonic.
“If he learns more … sir?”
“I might be wrong, Shaelyt, but … he might have trouble learning what you and Voltyr do. He already thinks he knows all he needs to know.”
“But … if he does?”
“You and Voltyr will just have to learn more, won’t you?” Quaeryt turned his head directly toward the young undercaptain and grinned.
After a moment Shaelyt smiled back.
After they saddled their mounts, as they rode toward the river, Quaeryt glanced back and was glad to see the other three imagers were paying attention to Voltyr. Lhastyn was just leaving the headquarters house when Quaeryt and Shaelyt reined up at the front of third company.
The captain mounted, then rode over and joined Quaeryt and Shaelyt. “Sir, welcome to third company.”
“Thank you, Captain. We’re just here as observers. We need to see where the imagers might be of the greatest use in any attack on Ralaes.”
