Imager’s Battalion

When he bolted awake, it was pitch-dark … and before he more than had his boots on, another trumpet sounded the recall. The same thing happened twice more at intervals of several glasses, and Quaeryt woke in the early gray before dawn feeling sore and grouchy. He could understand the Bovarian tactics, but that understanding didn’t leave him feeling any less uncharitable toward Kharst’s troopers and their commanders.

Breakfast, such as it was, consisted of hard biscuits and harder cheese, with relatively fresh apples, and Quaeryt found himself alternating bites of each. After eating, Quaeryt went to find Skarpa, only to encounter Meinyt heading in the same direction.

“Long night for your men?” asked Quaeryt.

“For my second battalion. There weren’t that many attackers. Just enough to require a response and to try to keep everyone from getting any rest.” Meinyt laughed softly. “Didn’t disturb most of the veterans that much.”

By that token, you’re still not a veteran, thought Quaeryt.

Skarpa was waiting and waved them to the stools around the table, then immediately spoke. “I think we ought to use the Bovarians’ tactics against them. With a few twists.”

“Such as?” Quaeryt inquired, since Skarpa was looking at him.

“What if we make sallies against them all day and into the night-except that the one that would be, say, two glasses before dawn wouldn’t be just a sally?”

“What-just smash along the road to the top of the hill?” asked Meinyt. “Then hold the high ground and then move down as we can? Leave Third Regiment at the bottom and catch them in between?”

“Something like that.” Skarpa turned back to Quaeryt. “Where do you think Fifth Battalion and the imagers might serve best?”

“With Fifth Regiment, I’d say. We can offer smoke and pepper and other things that will disconcert the defenders, and the undercaptains need to be closer to do that.”

“I’d felt that, but I wanted your thoughts.” Skarpa paused. “In the past, you’ve been able to get closer to the enemy than would seem possible…”

“We can try. What we’ve done in the past isn’t as effective at night because sentries can’t see as well and they’re using their ears more.”

“Anything you can do will help.” Skarpa looked back to Meinyt. “Since your men were up much of the night, we’ll use companies from Third Regiment for the early feints and sallies today.”

After Skarpa dismissed them, Quaeryt and Meinyt walked away from the cot together. Once they were well clear, the older subcommander spoke. “What would help you with getting us closer before being seen?”

“At night … or before dawn, silent riding would be the most important. I’d guess that would require a slower approach, but the need to charge immediately once the Bovarians realize we’re attacking.”

“Quick response to a single command. We’ll set it up that way.”

“The imagers and I will need to be in the fore.”

“Do you want to lead?”

“I’d say that the imagers and my first company should lead the approach until the charge, and then Fifth Battalion should follow your first battalion … if that’s acceptable.”

“You’d have to pull up below their first line of revetments…”

“We’ll chance it. The undercaptains still would get scattered at the head of a charge, especially in the dark.” Quaeryt thought he could shield them for a short time if necessary.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll ride beside you with the trumpeter…”

Much as he hoped that matters would work out as they planned, Quaeryt had his doubts, since so often matters didn’t go as planned.

Later on Meredi, Quaeryt took second squad from Fifth Battalion’s first company and rode back toward Ralaes with Skarpa’s second battalion. When the battalion began to ride forward, so did he, but he and the squad pulled off to the river side of the road. From there, Quaeryt studied the approach on the right side of the road more carefully than he had earlier.

When he returned he gathered all the officers in Fifth Battalion and went over the battle plan, using both Tellan and Bovarian, repeating himself several times. Then he dismissed the company officers and Zhelan and began to brief the imager undercaptains on what he expected of them in particular.

“… and we’ll be drawn up below the lowest revetment on the river side of the river road, waiting for Subcommander Meinyt’s lead battalion to clear the way. Before they reach the revetment, you’ll image smoke and pepper along the front lines of the earthworks…”

“Why are we doing this again, sir?” demanded Threkhyl.

“Because, Undercaptain, you won’t be able to see much when we attack tomorrow, and I don’t want you killed because you don’t understand completely what we need to do. And if I have to give you spoken commands, that will reveal our presence earlier than necessary. That increases the chances that you or another imager might get killed or wounded.” Quaeryt looked at Threkhyl. “Is that clear?”

“Uh … yes, sir.”

Quaeryt thought he’d managed to make the stubborn undercaptain understand. “Once the lead battalion of Fifth Regiment passes, Fifth Battalion will follow, at my command…”

He had the feeling the day would be long, but he put that thought aside as he outlined the specific duties for each imager.

38

While Quaeryt was certain he wouldn’t sleep at all on Meredi night, he did sleep, or at least he dozed, but he was awake even before he heard the voices outside the cot and then the steps on the cot porch in the darkness sometime after second glass after midnight. He had one boot on when the squad leader entered the main chamber of the small cot and spoke.

“Subcommander, sir … it’s time.”

“I thought so.” Quaeryt pulled on the second boot, then stood. “Thank you.”

“Yes, sir.” The squad leader nodded, or Quaeryt thought he did, before leaving the cot.

Quaeryt finished dressing and readying himself, then mustered the imagers. Within another quint, Fifth Battalion was on the road, with first company in the van, followed by Fifth Regiment, the remainder of Fifth Battalion, and then Third Regiment. Meinyt rode beside Quaeryt with Ghaelyn immediately following. Skarpa rode at the head of Third Regiment.

“How did the attacks go earlier in the night?” asked Quaeryt.

“Too easy,” replied Meinyt. “We could have reached the hilltop with a single company.”

“Do you think they’ve pulled back to Villerive and left just a token force?”

“It’s possible.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m not. Neither is Skarpa. Why would they abandon a strong defensive position?”

“To get us in a weaker one, I’d guess.”

“How could they do that if we hold the high ground and have more troopers?”

How indeed? The obvious answer to Quaeryt was that the Bovarians had some sort of plan. “All those musketeers, maybe, lined up and waiting on the hilltop?”

“It would take more than that. We’d take losses, but we could still run them down.”

“Hidden pits? Both? Heavy cavalry to the side?”

Meinyt shrugged. “We’re guessing, but we’ll need to be ready for any of that.”

And more, likely. Especially since, once again, the woods-or jungle-like forest- precluded a circling attack from the south or southwest while the river protected the north side of the approach to Ralaes.

Almost a glass passed, and first company was heading down to the flat section of the river road that ended at the base of the fortified slope leading to the town. While Quaeryt could see that Artiema, now almost a quarter full, hung well above the western horizon, it seemed that Erion had barely moved. Not wonderful for a supposed son of Erion. He smiled ironically. Somehow he doubted that Erion had been immobile in the