“Thank you, ser.”
Lerial inclines his head, then rides, followed by the rankers, to the south end of the fort, where Aerlyt rides to meet him.
The older majer reins up beside Lerial and gestures toward the bodies in Heldyan bluish-gray and black, then shakes his head. “Stars, what a waste of armsmen.”
“It wouldn’t have been a waste if it kept us from reinforcing the battalions in the north,” Lerial points out. “Or if they had defeated and scattered all the battalions from South Post. If they prevail in the north and conquer Afrit, all this will be forgotten. It’s only a waste when you’re defeated.”
“You’re cynical for one so young.”
Lerial shakes his head. “Perhaps for one so young, but not for one responsible for so much death.”
Aerlyt appears likely to say something, but then, after a moment of looking at Lerial, he merely nods, then says, “Is there anything else you need from us?”
“Just keep any other Heldyans from landing and hold the South Point until you get other orders from Subcommander Drusyn. We need to report what happened to him and then move north to deal with the other Heldyan force.”
“We wish you well, Overcaptain.”
“Thank you.” Lerial nods and turns the gelding.
By the time he returns to the Mirror Lancers, all three companies are in traveling formation, with Eighth Company in the lead and Twenty-third bringing up the rear. But Fheldar, Strauxyn, and Kusyl are at the head of the column, waiting for his orders … and most likely his report, reflects Lerial.
“Ser…?” ventures Strauxyn.
“Why did I lead the Afritan Third Battalion? Because their majer was unable to, and I wanted to make certain they attacked so that we wouldn’t have to do this all over again a third time.”
“That frigging majer, again,” mutters someone.
“We won’t have trouble with him again,” Lerial says mildly. With the reason we won’t, we likely will, and that’s what you’ll have to explain to Drusyn … and Sammyl … and Rhamuel. He almost sighs. “We need to get moving.”
“Yes, ser.”
Less than a fifth of a glass later, Lerial is walking into the former factorage that serves as Drusyn’s command post.
Drusyn hurries toward Lerial, then stops.
“Your battalions hold South Point. Most of the Heldyans are dead. There might be a hundred survivors, most of them wounded.”
“You’re hard on your enemies,” observes Drusyn.
“This time, your men did much of it, once we removed the two chaos-wizards and perhaps a company or two of Heldyans protecting them. We did have one major problem.” Lerial does not smile at his own pun.
“Yes?”
“Majer Fhaet refused to attack, even after all the chaos-wizards had been removed.”
Drusyn frowns. “You said that my battalions held South Point.”
Lerial nods.
“But if…”
“I told him to follow your written orders. He refused. I asked him why. He declared that he didn’t have to obey a foreign officer he outranked. I asked him why he didn’t follow his own commander’s orders. He said he didn’t have to follow orders written by a foreign officer.” Lerial shrugs tiredly. “So I cut him down for insubordination and led his battalion myself.”
Drusyn’s mouth drops open. “You…”
“I don’t know about you, Subcommander, but in a war, I believe that the objective is to win as quickly and as decisively as possible, when possible. When it is not possible, the objective is to force as many casualties on the enemy as you are able to do with the smallest possible loss of life, before withdrawing and doing the same thing until you can defeat and destroy the enemy. Sitting around South Point only would have tied up more than three battalions when the arms-commander may need every battalion he can muster in the north. Sitting there neither inflicted losses, nor would it have destroyed the attackers.”
Drusyn says nothing, clearly appalled.
“Oh … and by the way, he apparently forgot, did not notice, or did notice and failed to inform you that the Heldyans landed another three companies—and another chaos-wizard—sometime late yesterday or during the night. That didn’t make anything any easier for anyone. You can take your pick on whether that was incompetence, willful neglect, or treason.” Lerial inclines his head politely. “You now have three battalions free to move to support the Harbor Post. I will so inform Commander Sammyl and the arms-commander.”
“You’re not exactly…” Drusyn shakes his head.