L. Modesitt - Imager’s Battalion

“Getting the reeds might be a problem,” said Quaeryt.

“There are enough along the part of the road we just traveled away from the swamp lizards,” replied Skarpa. “Once the pits are marked, we’ll wait a time, then form up silently-or as quietly as the troopers can-just out of range of bows and catapults…”

After another half glass or so, Quaeryt returned to Fifth Battalion. First, he briefed Zhelan, Ghaelyn, and the imager undercaptains on what they could expect, with possible tactics with which they could respond. Then he summoned all the Khellan officers. Once they had gathered, he surveyed them, then began, in Bovarian.

“There are likely two regiments at the top of the slope. One is Bovarian, the other Antiagon. The Antiagons may have their fire. They also have filled the woods to the west with archers. The idea behind their defense is to force us to take the road, and then pin us against the wall and the cliff … or to require us to make a direct attack on stone ramparts. It would take two to three days to withdraw and then make our way around the swamp and lake … and the western approach is almost as bad. The marsh and the lake to the west are filled with swamp lizards, and we don’t have boats.”

Six pairs of dark eyes studied Quaeryt, along with those of Zhelan and the undercaptains.

With a smile Quaeryt wasn’t certain he felt, he went on. “So we’re going to do what they expect in a way they don’t expect, and Fifth Battalion will be among the lead forces. After dark, scouts will walk and creep up the road and mark any pits or traps…” He went on to explain the details of the planned attack.

When he finished he asked, “Is that clear?”

Major Calkoran nodded politely, then asked, “Do you wish us to give quarter?”

Quaeryt responded, “If someone has fallen or is too badly wounded to fight, leave them. Do not pursue those who flee-unless Major Zhelan or I give the order to do so. Our task is to defeat those who oppose us and take the town, not to slaughter the helpless.” He smiled. “This is not kindness on my part, or that of the commander. Slaughtering those wounded who cannot defend themselves wastes strength and takes time. We need to defeat and scatter them so they cannot re-form those who might delay us on our way to take Variana and to destroy Rex Kharst.”

“Then we must make every blow count,” replied Calkoran.

Quaeryt understood what he meant, but there was little help for that. Still, with the Khellan companies attacking first, he doubted they would find many of the enemy helpless or already wounded. “Any other questions?”

Calkoran looked to the Khellan majors and captains and said something in Pharsi. They all nodded. Then he turned back to Quaeryt. “No, sir.”

“Then rest your men. We will not attack until shortly after eighth glass.”

Once the Khellans had left, Quaeryt motioned to Shaelyt, then waited until the undercaptain stepped up to him. “What did he say to them?”

Shaelyt smiled. “His Pharsi is a little different, but I think he said, ‘Do not waste your efforts on the cowards and the weak. To avenge Khel, we must first destroy the strong.’”

Quaeryt couldn’t disagree with that.

For Quaeryt, the glasses between the time he briefed his officers and sunset seemed to drag by endlessly. The local forces remained behind their stoneworks, barely glimpsed so that it was not obvious how many troops there might be, and after the use of archers, Skarpa, Meinyt, and Quaeryt had to assume that they were well trained.

Skarpa did not send out the scouts with reeds until full dark, close to eighth glass. By then, Quaeryt had slipped away from Fifth Battalion and raised a personal concealment shield to walk up along the side of the road, just far enough so that he could watch the scouts. If the Bovarians saw the scouts, their sentries or lookouts gave no indication, or none that he could see or hear.

That bothered Quaeryt. What if they’ve already anticipated a night attack? What would they do?

Unfortunately, he had too many ideas of what might come. So he watched the scouts and where they placed the reeds. That placement confirmed his suspicions, because there were no reeds closer than four yards to the road, and none at all on the river side. That indicated, as Skarpa had surmised, the defense strategy was to funnel attackers onto the road, with a possible bombardment of Antiagon Fire … and there was no way to tell if the attacks, countermeasures, and defenses Quaeryt had planned for the imagers would work.

Once the scouts moved beyond what he could see in the dim light, Quaeryt walked back to where Fifth Battalion waited, lifting the concealment before he was close enough so that anyone might see him reappear, and waited with Zhelan and the imagers.

Another glass passed before the scouts returned, and Quaeryt formed up Fifth company, as silently as possible. First company led the way for Fifth Battalion, with the imagers riding the right flank of the company, on the shoulder of the road, escorted by half a squad from first company. Quaeryt led the imagers, riding almost even with the front rank of first company. The plan of attack was simple enough-to get enough riders high enough on the slope to be above the stone walls so that they could swing and ride down from behind, trapping the defenders between their walls and their other defenses.

In the stillness of the night, with both Artiema and Erion less than a quarter full, the sound of hooves on the road echoed like thunder in Quaeryt’s ears, although he kept telling himself that the mounts were walking slowly and that the sound was nowhere near that loud. It couldn’t have been, because first company reached a point on the road less than three hundred yards below the walls, without any outcry or action from the defenders.

Then, Quaeryt thought he heard … something. Out of caution-and fear-he extended his shields across the front rank of first company. Barely had he done so when he felt an impact, followed by a wave of heat and flame as a fire grenade flared across the shields. As he watched, some of the crimson-greenish-yellow fire splashed over the top of his shields and spilled onto riders in the third rank, turning several into instant torches, even as the other riders moved away, helpless to do anything.

“Charge!” ordered Quaeryt, and Zhelan immediately echoed the order.

“Watch the walls!” Quaeryt urged the mare forward, trying to hold his shields to protect the front rank for at least a time. “Image pepper and smoke!” Since he could not see much except the outline of the walls, not with the Antiagon Fire burning a few yards away and the darkness beyond, he could only hope that the undercaptains’ imaging would have some effect.

A fire grenade burst into flame just short of the charging riders. One mount reared, and several others piled into it, but most of the squad managed to avoid the column of fire.

Another grenade rebounded from Quaeryt’s shields, flaring into flame as it slid toward the left shoulder of the road, where it ignited grass and brush. Quaeryt felt as though that fire had burned his face.

Still another grenade arched overhead, heading farther downslope, trailing flames, then exploded above the lead company of Fifth Regiment, with lines of fire falling across the troopers. A second, and a third followed, with more globs of sticky fire raining down on the troopers. Despite the screams of horses being burned, and the jostling to avoid the patches of Antiagon Fire, both regiments moved up the road swiftly.

Quaeryt reined up near the top of the rise, bringing the imagers to a halt against the stone wall at the edge of the bluff and letting first company and the rest of the battalion swing toward the stone walls. As they thundered past, he stood in the stirrups, looking to the walls and trying to locate the catapults, but he could see no frameworks or timber structures, suggesting the catapults were comparatively small.