“Thank you.”
The squad leader turns and leaves the mess. Lerial follows him out but turns toward the junior officers’ quarters. In less than a tenth of a glass, he has gathered Strauxyn, Fheldar, and Kusyl together in a corner outside the stables, where he briefs them on what he knows, finishing up with the message from Dhresyl. “I have no idea what he wants, but it’s likely he wants to know what we intend to do if the Heldyans attack. I’d like your thoughts on that.”
“Keep us out of the front lines,” suggests Strauxyn. “It’d be a mess.”
“Rankers will get so jammed together that we won’t be able to use lances,” adds Fheldar.
“We’d have more effect by circling and attacking their rear,” says Kusyl. “That’d also keep their wizards from frying a lot of the Afritans.” He pauses. “Not that some of them couldn’t use frying.”
“Oh?” Lerial looks to the older undercaptain.
“Some of the majers and younger captains act like some mages, begging your pardon, ser, excepting they don’t have talent at either leading or arms, from the way the old undercaptains look at them when they don’t think anyone’s watching.”
Lerial manages not to grin. “Let’s just let them do us a service by blunting the Heldyan attack.”
Fheldar nods. Strauxyn looks puzzled for a moment, but only a moment.
Kusyl grins. “Sounds like a good idea to me. They need to do some of the hard work.”
“Some more of the productive hard work,” Lerial says. “They’ve already taken significant losses, but South Point was the only place in Swartheld where they managed to damage the Heldyans.” He pauses. “That’s unfair. What happened here also reveals the sort of attack we could expect if Cigoerne has to deal with Khesyn … and that knowledge isn’t costing us anywhere near what it’s cost Afrit.”
“Shows what a total bastard Khesyn is,” Kusyl comments. “He deserves some of his own poison.”
“That may be, but first we need to deal with the armsmen outside Swartheld.” If we can. “I’d like you to think over how you think we could be most effective while I meet with Commander Dhresyl.”
After leaving the three, Lerial walks quickly back to the senior officers’ mess and then to the door of the small study, now occupied just by Dhresyl, who motions for him to enter … and for him to close the door. Lerial does and then takes the chair across the table desk from the commander. “You requested my presence, ser.”
“You’re always so polite. You remind me of the arms-commander.”
“How is he? Do you know?”
“According to Commander Sammyl’s dispatch yesterday, he’s alert and very much in command.”
Lerial nods and waits, not that he totally trusts what Sammyl might write.
“I’m convinced that the Heldyans will begin their march on Swartheld today, later this morning. What I need to know is where you believe you and the Mirror Lancers would be most effective.” Dhresyl’s tone is even, not quite bland.
“I couldn’t say until I know what you plan as a defense or a counter,” replies Lerial.
“I’ve already positioned Ninth and Tenth Battalion behind earthworks across the road and to the east on the south side of the stream, even with First and Seventeenth Battalion. They’re the ones on the south side of the stream opposite the Heldyans’ south perimeter.”
“You don’t think they’ll cross the stream and attack uphill?”
Dhresyl shakes his head, then says, “Not unless I move First and Seventeenth Battalion. Once the Heldyans commit to an attack, assuming they take the road, First and Seventeenth can either move north—if the Heldyans don’t maintain their perimeter—hold against remaining forces, or move to support Ninth and Tenth … whatever’s necessary. Drusyn’s battalions will take position at the fork between the road to the post and the shore road … so that the Heldyans cannot move east off the shore road and flank our positions…”
Lerial listens as the commander continues to detail what he has in mind.
When Dhresyl finishes, he looks to Lerial, inquiringly.
“I think the Mirror Lancers should initially remain out of the immediate line of battle, but forward enough so that we can move quickly where we can do the most good.”
“If…” Dhresyl does not finish his statement.
“If we hadn’t already killed so many, it might sound like we had reservations about fighting. Is that what you meant, Commander? Putting the Mirror Lancers where they can’t move destroys our effectiveness. Just let us do what we do best, and you won’t regret it.” Lerial knows that is a dangerous promise, but getting his men and himself in the middle of a massive melee would be even more deadly—and a total waste of men and mounts.
“Still…”
Lerial says nothing.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Destroying as many Heldyans as possible so that Khesyn cannot attack again any time soon.”