Parno's Peril

by N. C. Reed

  “Sir!” the younger men replied in unison before issuing the orders needed to carry out Case's wishes.

  Winnie watched as twenty-four men and horses, all that the ferry could safely hold (if 'safely' meant 'without sinking') loaded on board. The ramp was taken up and then half the troopers manned the ropes while the other half held the reins of the horses. One man had a towel soaked in axle grease and would use it to moisten the rope as they went. One of the wagoneers stood by to do the same thing to the return rope to protect it against the water. She pitied the men who would be forced to pull that rope and the smell they would have to endure.

  As the ferry began to move under the pull of twelve men, Winnie realized that Case's hope of managing to cross the river and gain two or three miles from the river was more accurate than she had realized. She had crossed rivers before but... nothing like this.

  The river at this point was almost a mile wide and the current as deceptively swift. Ripples in the water showed the presence of a strong undertow that would be difficult for even a strong swimmer to resist.

  This was going to be more dangerous than she had imagined.

  -

  “Scouts are reporting a big kerfuffle among the heathen this morning, milord,” Doak Parsons reported quietly before lunch. “Large movement among the divisions on the line. Looks like some are being pulled and the rest are side stepping to take up the slack.”

  “No new troops coming into the line?” Parno frowned.

  “Not as yet,” Parsons shook his head. “We can't get close enough to see if they're leaving or just being taken off line. I do have men behind their lines, but their orders are to report only in the event of something major. Men just coming off the line won't be enough. Should those men head out somewhere other than west, they’ll report, though.”

  “Why other than west?” Parno asked without thinking.

  “We could see 'em headin' west, milord,” Parsons smiled faintly and Parno sighed, shaking his head.

  “Lack of food must be addling my brain.”

  “I'm sure that's all it is milord,” Parsons nodded. “I’ll let you know if anything else changes.”

  “Do that Mister Parsons,” Parno nodded. He looked back to the map again, trying to see something that wasn't there.

  “What are you up to?”

  -

  “What are you up to now?”

  Winnie jumped slightly at the voice behind her but turned to see Case looking down at her from his horse.

  “I'm gathering honeysuckle, jasmine and pine needles,” she replied, adding what was in her hand to the bag she was carrying.

  “Dare I ask why?” Case's tone indicated he didn't think so.

  “It's for the men who have to pull that rope,” Winnie explained. “They're gonna stink of grease and it's hard to get rid of. This will help so they don't have to smell that stuff for days.”

  The look on his face was so incredulous that it made Winnie a combination of angry and embarrassed. Had she been such a pain in the ass that even doing something nice seemed a shock to them now?

  “I appreciate it that, milady,” Case's voice was gentle. “I'm sure the men will too. Thank you.”

  “You're welcome,” she nodded.

  -

  “Morning milord,” Davies said as Parno walked into the main command tent.

  “Morning General,” Parno nodded in return. “Any news? Mister Parsons reported there was some unusual movement among the enemy this morning.”

  “That's all so far, milord,” Davies admitted but looked troubled.

  “Something you want to add to that?” Parno asked.

  “It... it's just a thought, milord,” Davies admitted. “Thing is, I'm wondering if we've kicked over a hornet's nest with our actions the last week or so.”

  “Instead of making them think the same?” Parno raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Davies wasn't being humorous. “We may have given them reason to think there's some reason we don't want them out there on the west, when in reality it was just targets of opportunity. We saw a chance to eliminate a large force of enemy soldiers and we took it. Granted it was in reprisal fo-” he stopped short, realizing he had said perhaps too much.

  “It's alright, General,” Parno said softly. “I already knew.”

  “Yes sir.” Davies looked surprised though not shocked. This Prince had an uncanny ability to know what was happening around him.

  “I appreciate it,” Parno added. “But your worry might present an opportunity for us, no?”

  “Well, yes sir,” Davies admitted. “That is what I was thinking about.”

  “It's too large a gamble, General,” Parno said after a minute of examining things a little longer. “For now, anyway. Once we get the other two corps back on line, and especially once we have the new soldiers on line, then we’ll see.”

  “That was my assessment as well, milord,” Davies sighed.

  “We won't always be on the defensive, General,” Parno slapped the older man's shoulder lightly. “I promise.”

  “Yes sir.”

  -

  Three of the twelve wagons were across along with a third of the escort. It was possible, barely, to load two wagons and their teams, but then when enough men were added to pull the weight the ferry was dangerously overloaded. The wagons were fully loaded save for the few supplies used since leaving Nasil and they were heavy. Case watched as members of Lieutenant Rucker's Company pulled the ferry back for a fourth wagon and realized that this was not working fast enough.

  “Lieutenant Rucker,” Case called and the younger man crossed to where his commander was watching the crossing.

  “Sir.”

  “We need to speed this up,” Case said quietly. “I'm open to suggestions if you've thought of any.”

  “Without a pull rope on the western shore, sir, I don't have any,” Rucker admitted. “If we had that, we could load two wagons and pull them to the other shore with horses. Even use the trace teams already across for it if we had to.”

  “Has anyone checked for another rope?” Case asked.

  “Not specifically, sir, but a mile-long rope of that size would be difficult to overlook,” the younger man pointed out.

  “True enough,” Case nodded. “Suppose we were to take this rope to the other shore and then use our men to walk the ferry back across?” Case suggested. Rucker considered that, looking at the river as he did so.

  “If there are lugs on the far end of the ferry to hook to, yes sir,” he said finally. “We would still need to make a crossing once in a while just to get enough men back to start over, however.”

  Now it was Case's turn to consider that.

  “In your opinion there is no way to safely cross with two wagons and the men needed to pull them,” Case said finally, a statement rather than a question.

  “Not with their horses si...” Rucker trailed off, looking back at the ferry now nearing the shore.

  “Lieutenant?” Case prompted.

  “Sir, if we... if we could load the wagons without the horses, then... I think so, sir. We can unload them with the horses already across.”

  “Still have an extra trip for the horses Lieutenant,” Case reminded him.

  “Horses are lighter than the wagons, sir,” Rucker pointed out. “We can load... four teams at once. That means getting four wagons across in the same time we're getting three across now, assuming we can load them quick enough by hand.”

  Case thought that over, then looked at the sun. It wasn't midday yet, but they weren't half finished, either.

  “Let’s try it once and see if it works,” Case ordered. “Send another wagon alone this time with this plan along. We’ll be ready on the next return trip to try it.”

  “Yes sir,” Rucker nodded and ran back to his command.

  Case hoped this would work. They needed to speed this along or else his command would spend a night separated by the river and that was completely unacceptable.

  -
/>
  It took an hour to make another round trip and that left Rucker's men gasping for air once they got the ferry to shore. Case had two wagons in line and ready to go and was using half of Lieutenant Garrett's company to load them against his better judgment since they were providing security on this side of the river.

  Fifteen cursing-filled minutes saw both wagons on board, sans horses, along with thirty men to pull. With a sergeant calling the cadence, the men set out across the river.

  Case watched with bated breath as the ferry crossed, but the trip went smoothly. Teams were standing by to unload the wagons and in much less time than it took to load, the ferry was empty and on the way back. The thirty men who had pulled it across could now rest while the seventy remaining men in Rucker's company pulled them back as Garrett's men readied two more wagons.

  This might just work.

  -

  “I thought we could have lunch in the shade,” Stephanie said as she displayed the table setting under the large fly of Parno's personal tent. Edema had agreed to join them for lunch, happy to see the two reunited.

  “This does not look like Army food,” Parno mentioned as he sat down.

  “That's because it isn't,” Edema snorted. “Benson is almost as good a cook as my chef at home. He gathered the ingredients and prepared this feast.”

  “Nice,” Parno rubbed his hands together. It was ridiculous in a way. The second most powerful man in the Kingdom of Soulan, Parno could easily have a staff of chefs preparing his meals as he ran the Army from Tinker's Tavern in comfort. That simply wasn't how Parno did things and the Army knew it. Parno ate what they ate and complained about it just as loudly. The few times he ate better than they did bothered no one.

  “The water came from the well at Tinker's Tavern,” Edema added. “It's cool and rather sweet.”

  “Works for me, let’s eat,” Parno sounded like a child at Christmas, pleasing Edema to no end.

  “Splendid!”

  -

  It was working, Case decided, but at a price. At this rate Rucker's men would be too tired to pull themselves across at the end of the day, and far too tired to stay awake on watch tonight. He made a snap decision at that point to keep the train still the next day. This exertion had been difficult on all of them as the day had heated and they would need a rest as well as an opportunity to bathe. They had earned it. All of them had.

  He looked to where the last four wagons sat waiting to go. Two were loaded and starting the trip across, then the horses for four wagons would cross. Three more trips for the wagons would still leave a minimum of six trips to get the rest of the command and the ambulance that served as Winifred Hubel's carriage across, but Rucker had been fudging that number by sending his men's horses across in small batches with the wagon teams. It would only eliminate one or maybe two trips, but that seemed like a golden egg at this point.

  Meanwhile, the sun continued its trip across the sky without pause.

  -

  Jerome Baxter looked to the sky, seeing the sun high overhead. He turned to his lead brigade commander.

  “Pass the word. Dismount, lead horses, eat while we walk.”

  “Yes sir,” the man sketched a salute and turned to issue the order. The column slowed, then stopped. Baxter dismounted, stretched his back and then rummaged in his saddlebags for a bite of jerky and the hard camp roll hardtack that his men carried in the field. Looping his horse's reins through his elbow he took his canteen and started walking, leading the horse along.

  It wasn't as good as giving the horses rest, but it would help. They would stop a half-hour early if they had to water the horses and they could rest overnight, but Baxter was anxious to get back to the main army. His men needed rest as badly as his horses did and they needed to refit. Being unable to carry the proper support along with them had made caring for their horses difficult at best. If they didn't get that care soon, some would become lame.

  He shook his head at the problems that seem to be mounting in his head as he thought about everything that needed to be done. It was enough to give him a headache.

  -

  “Smelling that grease is giving me a headache,” Winnie said quietly. “I can't imagine what it's doing to them,” she was looking at Rucker's men, pulling on the rope to return the ferry. “They look tired.”

  “They're bordering on exhausted,” Case agreed.

  “We should rest tomorrow,” she said suddenly before he could mention it. She turned to look at him. “We should take a day and let them rest and clean up. We have the time to do that don't we?”

  “Yes, milady, we do,” Case agreed softly. “That would be much appreciated by all I should imagine.”

  “You don't have to tell them it was my idea,” she shook her head. “Just make sure they get to rest.” With that she walked off, trailed by four soldiers at a respectable distance. Case watched her go, shaking his head slowly.

  No way to understand her. None.

  -

  Anthony Felds sat in tall grass on the far left of the Imperial Army, looking at a picket post through his spy glass. The Royal Army had given him all kinds of toys as a scout and that glass was just about the best one that he couldn't use to fight with.

  The cut on his arm was bandaged and already showing signs of healing so he was able to return to duty. Right now, he was watching past that picket toward the very far edge of the Imperial lines. There was a lot going on but mostly it was hidden by trees. He was too far away to hear anything but once in a while he would catch a shout. No way to make out what was being said, but to his thinking that meant something was definitely going on.

  He placed a small bit of cracker into his mouth and waited for it to soften, just listening for a bit.

  He'd figure it out.

  -

  “Have a nice tea party?” Karls teased as Parno walked into the Black Sheep camp area.

  “I did indeed,” Parno refused to rise to the bait, he was in too good a mood. “And you?”

  “We don't get tea much, over here,” came the acidic reply. “Someone has to actually work or else the Nor will cart away the Kingdom.”

  “And you're doing an excellent job,” Parno assured him, patting him on the shoulder. “Find a good man for that new detail?”

  “Captain Antoine Pike,” Karls nodded. “Multiple generation Army. His uncle is actually General Vaughan.”

  “Milton Vaughan?” Parno asked and Karls nodded.

  “Pike's mother is Vaughan's sister.”

  “Interesting,” Parno nodded. “I'm sure he is not thrilled to be leaving.”

  “No sir, he is not,” Karls replied. “But he wasn't thrilled with being initially assigned here, either, so there's that. He was one of my Lieutenants in the original command.”

  “I remember,” Parno nodded. “Tall, broad shouldered?”

  “Takes after the Vaughan side of his family,” Karls nodded. “But he is duty oriented and squared away.”

  “Let me talk to him.”

  -

  “Captain Antoine Pike, reporting as ordered.”

  “Relax, Captain,” Parno said, being informal. “Take a seat.”

  “Yes milord,” the young man sat stiffly. Young was relative considered Pike was at least five years older than Parno.

  “You were noted for bravery twice at the Gap and a third time at the cavalry engagement when we arrived here,” Parno noted. “Promoted from Lieutenant, Second, to Captain since we began this adventure. Has Colonel Willard explained your orders, Antoine?” Parno asked.

  “I'm being detached with a small independent command for escort duty, sir,” Pike replied. “That's all I know.”

  “Don't like it much, do you?” Parno said casually.

  “Permission to speak freely, milord?”

  “That's what I'm doing,” Parno nodded.

  “No sir, I don't like it,” Pike then replied. “But I will do it to the best of my abilities. I simply wanted to stay where I could fight.”


  “That's commendable, but I have to admit that I hope where I'm sending you, you never have to draw your sword save in training.”

  “Sir?” Pike looked puzzled.

  “You're familiar with my relationship with the Duchess of Cumberland and Viscountess of Wolfe?”

  “Lady Edema and The Colonel's daughter?”

  “That's correct,” Parno nodded. “Colonel Nidiad's daughter lives with Lady Edema at the moment, though she has her own steading now. Lady Edema might as well be my mother. In fact, she is the only mother figure I've ever known. And Lady Dhalia is my sister in all but blood. Your independent command will be to lead their permanent escort. Dhalia's escort will be a sub-detail under your command in fact.”

  “I... see,” Pike's entire attitude changed. “Sir, I... I apologize,” he said softly.

  “For heaven's sake, don't apologize,” Parno laughed quietly. “I'd be disappointed if any of you didn't want to stay here where there's action to be had. But the truth is, anyone close to me is in danger. You realize that, don't you?”

  “We all know what happened to Harrel and to Miss Jaelle, sir,” Pike nodded.

  “Well, your job is to make sure nothing of that sort can happen to Edema or Dhalia. I want you to understand that your mission is not to protect property or servants or anything else, just them. They are your only priority. And that's not a priority that I would trust to just anyone.”

  “I know sir,” Pike nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You may pick your detail yourself, within reason. Colonel Willard will set the restrictions but they won't be too demanding, I imagine, since Lady Dhalia is his fiancé.”

  “I had heard that rumor, sir,” Pike's face actually cracked a smile at that and Parno laughed.

  “I asked Colonel Willard to pick a man I could trust with two of the most important people in my life, Captain,” Parno continued. “He chose you. I expect you will do fine.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Pike's voice wasn't terribly deep, but was resonant.

  “We won't leave you there forever,” Parno promised. “I plan to allow most of the men in the Regiment to rotate through the various escorts from the lines, but even here the days of our seeing much action are growing less.”