L. Modesitt - Mage-Guard of Hamor

Rahl could sense wounds, but all of first squad remained in the saddle, while several rebels had been unhorsed.

"Second squad! Forward!"

The rebel squad had broken off pursuit when first squad had apparently fled, and the rebel troopers had slowed and were trying to re-form when they caught sight of second squad racing downhill toward them. The rebel squad leader hesitated, then ordered his men to charge second squad. The command came so late that second squad's sabres struck with the impact of higher speed and certainty.

But even as second squad was withdrawing, the rebel company commander ordered the entire company onto the flat and uphill after second squad.

"Third Company!" ordered Drakeyt. "Charge through the rebels! Reform to the south! Charge!"

Rahl managed to keep fairly close to Drakeyt for a bit, but only until he was halfway down the rise, when he had to concentrate on getting his truncheon out of the scabbard. Some actions just weren't habit yet.

As he neared the rebels, he could see three of them converging on him. Since he was still in good order-control, he just kept riding, then expanded his order shield for a moment just before the blades flashed toward him. Two of the three troopers-and their mounts-went down, but the effort shattered Rahl's control of his shields, and he had to use the truncheon on the next trooper.

"Third Company! To the south!" Drakeyt's orders rose over the melee.

Rahl managed to block another thrust and slam the truncheon into the chest of a rebel, then guide the gelding around another man, while using a backcut to stagger the other.

Then he was riding amid third squad, across the road and onto the flat. Because he could sense other riders-the Imperial forces were attacking the middle and rear of the rebel column-he glanced back over his shoulder.

While several rebels had pursued Third Company, they had broken off the chase, possibly because the rebel column was turning to face Commander Shuchyl's troopers.

"Third Company! Re-form by squad!"

Rahl turned his mount, then saw an Imperial undercaptain riding hard toward Drakeyt. Wanting to know what the orders might be, Rahl changed directions in order to reach Drakeyt as well. He reined up short of the two officers just as the undercaptain began to speak.

"Captain! The commander requests that your company take the right flank and attack their van to keep them from escaping!"

Drakeyt nodded, then stood in the stirrups. "Third Company! To the rear, ride and re-form! On me!"

As the company re-formed, Rahl rode more to the east, where he took a position at the front between fourth and fifth squads. He checked his truncheon, then concentrated on riding, still not an ingrained habit, as he and the squads flanking him moved forward to reengage the rebel vanguard company.

By the time they left the downslope and rode across the flat on the south side of the road, the rebels had re-formed and begun to charge toward Third Company. The two lines converged and… all order and sense of place vanished. Dust was everywhere, and Rahl was fighting as much through what he felt as what he saw. He just kept the truncheon in constant motion and tried to keep his personal shields close to him and as tight as possible.

A huge trooper with an ax rode toward Rahl. Rahl did his best to angle his shields, then duck and strike the attacker on the back of his upper arm with all the force he could manage at that moment. The ax went flying into the dust, as did the trooper, and Rahl wheeled his mount, barely staying in the saddle, but managing to deflect a slash by yet another trooper, before countering and cracking bones.

Still yet another rebel appeared out of the dust, thrusting a long blade at Rahl, who knocked it aside, then backcut into the man's face. The crunch and the feeling of death sent a flash of nausea through Rahl.

He urged the gelding forward and slammed aside a sabre thrust intended for Lyrn's back, then kept moving to take down another rebel from behind. Again, he could sense death, and the feeling of nausea it engendered. Rahl's entire upper body ached, and he had swallowed bile and held back nausea more with each moment of combat, before he finally found himself at the side of the road reined up beside several other troopers from fifth squad. All he could see nearby were Imperial troopers, already beginning to re-form into their squads and companies, although he could make out several riders scattering away from the battle, presumably rebels fleeing.

"Third Company! Check for your wounded! Then re-form!"

Once the wounded had been carried to the wagons captured from the rebels, and Third Company had formed up, Rahl could see that, again, they had suffered losses, but only a handful compared to those incurred in the swamp battle.

"We won't keep doing this," Drakeyt said from his mount beside Rahl.

"Winning?" asked Rahl.

"Surprising them so badly. They counted on Marshal Byrna's tactics, not the overcommander's. They'll become far more cautious and force us to do the attacking."

"And make the mistakes?" suggested Rahl. "What if the overcommander doesn't make any?"

"All commanders do; some just make fewer than their opponents, and some opponents don't see the mistakes."

"Majer! Captain!" The call came from an undercaptain riding toward Third Company.

Rahl and Drakeyt turned and waited for the undercaptain to rein up.

"Commander Shuchyl sends his appreciation, Captain." The undercaptain turned to Rahl. "The overcommander would like a word with you, Majer. If you would follow me."

Drakeyt looked to Rahl, quizzically.

"He had to have been here. I'll explain later."

Rahl turned the gelding, letting him walk at his own pace, slowly westward on the once-grassy flat south of the road. He tried to gain a sense of what had happened, but all he could determine was that hundreds, if not thousands, of rebels had died, as had a lesser number, possibly a far lesser number, of Imperial troopers.

Taryl was talking with a commander, presumably Shuchyl. Upon seeing Rahl approach, he nodded to the commander, then turned his mount and rode over to meet Rahl, reining up less than three cubits away.

"Ser," offered Rahl politely.

"You look somewhat less the worse for wear than after the last battle," offered Taryl.

"Thank you, ser." Rahl felt he was learning, nauseated as he had felt for a time. "Your concealment was most effective."

The overcommander nodded, slightly. "It was useful… this time, but they will be looking for it in future battles."

"They might be, ser… if anyone who understood what happened escaped to explain it."

"We can't count on that, Majer. Always assume your strategies are seen and understood."

Rahl had the feeling that Taryl was talking about far more than battles. "Yes, ser."

"I will see you later. Third Company is to ride with Commander Shuchyl's forces to the main encampment for First and Second Army in Bhucyra. Golyat's forces have decided to battle for Nubyat farther south, around Selyma." Taryl nodded dismissal. "It is likely that they will force us to attack, or to make the first move."

"Yes, ser."

As he rode back toward Third Company, Rahl had to wonder why Taryl had wanted to see him at all.

By the time Commander Shuchyl had completed mopping up the isolated rebel squads and companies, as well as organizing the captured wagons, collecting stray mounts and weapons, and dealing with the wounded, it had been close to sunset on fourday. Even so, the commander had the force ride another five kays southward to a hamlet called Feoyn. Taryl had taken half a company and ridden on to return to the main body of Second Army in Bhucyra.

The commander rousted out all the companies at dawn on fiveday, and by early afternoon Third Company was settled, in a fashion, in a stead with a large barn and several sheds on the outskirts of Bhucyra. Rahl did make arrangements with the woman of the stead to wash his bloody uniform. If they stayed more than a day, he might get the other one clean as well.