L. Modesitt - Imager’s Battalion

Her smile was unsteady.

He touched his fingers to his lips, then blew a last kiss to her before he turned the mare and rode to join his escorts waiting farther out on the drive.

Halfway down the drive, as he glanced back one last time toward Nordruil, he wondered how long it would be before he saw her again.

His lips quirked into a wry smile. And to think, a year ago, you had met her but for a few moments, and had received one very scholarly letter.

A year had changed everything. He just hoped the year ahead did not undo all that the previous year had brought. He pushed that thought away and looked at the road ahead, leading to Ferravyl.

Quaeryt did not dream of ice on Solayi evening, nor did he wake before dawn on Lundi morning to frost coating the walls of the small stone chamber he rated as a subcommander. He dressed and hurried to the senior officers’ mess in the north side of the bridge fortification. Once there he quickly ate a breakfast of overcooked scrambled eggs and chopped mutton. He washed down his food with poor ale-which reminded him to image better lager into his water bottle when he reached the stables and saddled his mare.

Major Zhelan had Fifth Battalion largely formed up in position north of the bridge over the Aluse River when Quaeryt and the six imager undercaptains rode up. Quaeryt eased the mare over beside Zhelan’s chestnut gelding.

“Good morning, Subcommander.”

“Good morning, Major. Any difficulties?”

“No, sir. Not yet, anyway.”

“Have you learned anything more about or from the Khellan officers?”

“No, sir.”

“Once we’re over both bridges, I’ll spend a glass or so riding with each one of them, starting with Major Calkoran. Tonight we’ll talk over what I discover.” Or what you don’t, if you fail to learn anything of importance or interest.

After his initial meeting with the three majors, Quaeryt had decided that he’d learn little or nothing in any formal meeting, at least not until the Khellans were more comfortable with him, and he thought the only way to do that would be to ride with them for periods of time during the advance on Variana.

“Fifth Battalion stands ready, sir,” announced Zhelan formally.

“Thank you, Major. I’ll report that to the commander. I will be riding with him for a time. As always, you are in command in my absence.” Zhelan knew that, but Quaeryt made the statement to reinforce that fact to the imager undercaptains, and he was leaving them with Zhelan at the moment. Although Skarpa half requested, half ordered the imagers to ride in the van, Quaeryt didn’t think he’d mind at least until they had crossed the second bridge into Bovarian territory.

“Yes, sir.”

Quaeryt turned in the saddle. “Undercaptain Voltyr, you are in command of the imager undercaptains, but you answer to the major in my absence.”

“Yes, sir.”

Quaeryt turned the mare and rode toward the head of the column to meet with Skarpa, arriving just before Meinyt reined up.

“Good morning, Subcommanders,” said Skarpa.

“Good morning,” replied Quaeryt. “Fifth Battalion stands ready.”

“Fifth Tilboran is ready,” added Meinyt.

“Then we should proceed.” After a moment Skarpa added, “Whoever would have thought a major, a captain, and a scholar would have ended up where we are?” He grinned at Quaeryt. “Except for the scholar, and he didn’t expect to become a subcommander. I told him he ought to be an officer.”

“Everyone’s allowed some doubts,” replied Quaeryt with a laugh.

“Any last moment news about the Bovarians?” asked Meinyt.

“There’s no sign of any troopers within fifteen milles,” said Skarpa. “The scouts haven’t covered the area west of that except along the river, but there’s no indication of Bovarian forces.”

“First indication is when we lose someone or they attack,” said Meinyt.

“They won’t attack soon. They don’t have many men close enough to attack in force. They’ve barely had enough time to get a messenger to Variana and to ride back here.”

“Archers or crossbowmen and destroying bridges?” suggested Quaeryt.

“We’ll have to keep alert for those sorts of things,” said Skarpa. “I think Marshal Deucalon will face more of that, though. His force is larger, and the roads on the north side of the river are better.” He raised his arm and nodded to the hornist.

The call for the advance echoed across the north end of the river, and the outriders started forward. Meinyt nodded, then turned and rode back to Fifth Regiment, which brought up the rear and guarded the supply wagons.

“If you wouldn’t mind my riding with you, sir, for a bit?” asked Quaeryt. “It’s acceptable that the imagers remain with the battalion for a time?”

“For the morning, perhaps longer, depending on what the scouts report.” Skarpa urged his mount forward, and Quaeryt eased the mare in alongside him. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’m not certain I have anything in mind. I was more interested in anything you might have considered.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed that we have all the elements of the Telaryn forces that might be considered suspect or different.”

“Piedryn forces that are less well trained, Khellan rebels, and imagers, you mean? Not to mention Tilboran regiments commanded by officers considered possibly less … traditional. With far fewer archers and engineers, as well. Have I missed anything?”

“You didn’t mention a subcommander married to the sister of the Lord of Telaryn. He is an officer with a habit of not respecting the privileged excesses of certain High Holders.”

“Has it been said like that?”

“Not quite. It might as well have been, though. Why do you think the forces were split that way?”

“The most obvious reason was because the forces on the north side of the Aluse will face greater opposition. A careful commander would place his strongest forces where he expects the greatest opposition.”

“That is certainly what Marshal Deucalon has said.”

“You don’t believe him?”

Skarpa smiled. “Do you think that Lord Bhayar is a gambler?”

Quaeryt shook his head. “He calculates, but he is anything but a gambler. He will let others take risks, but only so long as he will not be the one to pay if they lose.”

“That is why we were ordered not to get too far ahead of the northern force.”

“Because we have to be forward in order to be successful, more than a day, and if we fail, that failure falls on us?”

“I thought you would understand.”

As they reached the midsection of the fortified bridge, Quaeryt glanced to the western wall. It was difficult to tell the section that had been damaged by the Bovarian barge when it had exploded against the bridge pier below at the beginning of the battle for Ferravyl. Several of the replacement stones looked identical. Those Threkhyl imaged? “They repaired the bridge so well you can’t tell it was damaged.”

“The roadbed was hardly touched in the center. You and the imagers preserved it more than any would have believed possible.”

“They still have a lot to learn.”

“It’s interesting that you know so much about what they need to know.”

“Scholars need to know a great deal, and I’ve always enjoyed learning.” Skarpa might well suspect, or even be convinced, that Quaeryt was an imager, but he wasn’t about to admit it yet. And not in public.

“You do know quite a bit. Everything from imaging to rulers, even to the Nameless.” Skarpa grinned at Quaeryt. “You know we still don’t have a chorister in the southern army…”

Quaeryt groaned.