by N. C. Reed
“I always carry that,” Stephanie reminded her. “And I haven't been to see my family since I got here. I'm caught up in my duties and classes are out until the next batch of students show up. . .and why am I explaining myself to you?” she caught herself finally.
“Probably because of the guilt,” Winnie replied in a conspirator's whisper.
“Guilt!” Stephanie sputtered. “What guilt?”
“About going against Lord Parno's wishes and visiting him at the front, of course,” Winnie replied at once. “I don't blame you for feeling guilty. After all,” she batted her eyes, “you're bound to be a distraction. Right?”
Stephanie felt her face go redder, though she hadn't thought that possible. This had seemed like such a wonderful idea yesterday. Head for Nasil with visiting family as the pretense, then, well since she was so close to the front, no reason not to pop over and inspect the hospital there, make sure everything was up to caliber for Parno- the Kingdom's soldiers. And if she happened to see Parno while doing her inspection, well it surely wouldn't hurt to spend an evening in his company before resuming her trip.
“Fine, you caught me,” she admitted, losing her pretense. “Yes. If I can get there, I'm going to visit. First to inspect the hospital, though. Once that's finished, then if I can see him, I intend to, even if it's just for dinner. Satisfied?”
“I wouldn't think Colonel Leman would let you go,” Winnie remarked, to which Stephanie snorted.
“I do not answer to Colonel Leman, missy,” she replied in a near huff. “For that matter, I don't answer to anyone here.”
“Must be nice,” Winnie sighed, leaning against the carriage. “How long do you think you'll be gone?” she asked suddenly, eyes growing bright. Stephanie looked at her for a moment before grinning suddenly.
“Ten days, perhaps, counting travel time,” she answered. “Be a nice vacation, I suppose,” she added.
“Sure would,” Winnie nodded, looking off into the distance. Stephanie knew that look, having had it herself more than once.
“How long have you been here, Winnie?” she asked suddenly. The girl looked back to her.
“A year, I guess,” she shrugged. “I stopped keeping up with it a while back. One day is like any other around here, most of the time.”
“You haven't left the post that whole time?” Stephanie asked. “Gone to visit your family?”
“Papa is the only family I have,” Winnie said, her voice even. “There's nowhere to go, really.”
Stephanie made a decision suddenly.
“Pack your things,” she ordered the younger woman. “Gather your things and get back here in an hour. I'll see Colonel Leman and make sure he knows where you're going and that it's all right.”
“Really?” Winnie looked like a small girl for a moment. “How will you do that?” she asked.
“I'll pull rank,” Stephanie grinned. “Hurry now,” she shooed the girl away. “I want to be on the road soon enough we can get off the mountain before dark.”
Winnie ran away without another word, heading to the small house she shared with her father when he was present on post. Stephanie watched her go, then steeled herself for a trip to see Colonel Leman.
She did hope he'd listen to reason. She hated to pull rank.
*****
Parno watched the setting sun sink slowly behind a distant tree line, his mind racing ahead to consider his options. He didn't really have many.
Truthfully he didn't have any at the moment. While recent events had been good, the timing wasn't the best. He had several thousand trained men coming north to bolster the army and give him the strength he needed to try and launch a counter-attack, but they weren't here now. Wouldn't arrive for ten days or more. And while he had no real proof of it, his instincts were screaming at him that he didn't have ten days. He was almost certain that he could expect the Imperial Army to come calling with the return of the sun.
He had three infantry divisions, two of which had suffered heavy losses in the fighting to date, along with two mounted infantry divisions in support. One of those had also suffered losses in the retreat to this point, leaving him only two intact divisions on line while the others were hovering at just over half strength for the most part. Those losses had been made good, to a point, with the addition of militia units, but those units were not near the caliber of the men they were trying to replace. Still, it was better than nothing.
He also had four cavalry divisions, the three that had been involved in his own attack a few weeks prior plus the one on loan from Raines command. All three of Davies' divisions had suffered losses in the earlier action, and Parno had taken Beaumont's brigade from one of them. For that matter he had attached a mounted infantry brigade to Beaumont's command as well, which took their strength from his main lines. For a second he wondered if he'd done the right thing with that effort, but shook off the thought almost as soon as it had formed. Right or wrong, it was done now so there was no point in rehashing it.
He had known the Nor would attack again sooner or later. He'd given them two sharp surprises that had bought him time, but that couldn't last forever. In all honesty he was a bit surprised that it had taken them this long to get back on line. He had to assume that the length of the delay had been used to strengthen the Imperial Army and close up the weak areas that Parno had already exploited.
There were two full battalions of artillery armed with Roda Finn's 'gadgets', ready to pummel the attacking Nor with fire and iron. The others would use traditional shot and pitch to supplement that fire. There were also nearly one thousand mines ready, with half of them already deployed for use. And two full battalions of longbowmen armed with the Hubel arrows would also help disrupt the Nor attack plan.
But this wasn't the Gap. He did not have terrain on his side here as he had there. He could be flanked if he wasn't careful. The odds were far better here than he had faced at the Gap, but he had a lot more ground he had to cover. And his command had to survive this time. He could not afford to sacrifice the army the same way he'd been forced to plan sacrificing himself and his men at the Gap. There were no reinforcements close enough to catch the surviving Nor as they pressed southward should he fail or fall.
The army had to hold here. Period. They had to stand strong and prevail until Herrick and Freeman arrived with their Corps. Once they were here, Parno planned to take them and the cavalry he hoped to preserve during the coming battle and strike north, attempting to drive the Imperial Army back as far as possible. With luck he could push them all the way back to the Ohi. If he could trap them against the river, so much the better. There might be an opportunity to destroy them with their backs to the water.
And that would leave the north wide open to invasion. He would marshal his armies and strike into northern territory, destroying anything he could and leaving ruin in his wake. If he showed the Nor the horrors that the southern kingdom had been forced to endure, then perhaps the people there would resist future efforts to strike south for fear of reprisal. And Parno planned to create a buffer zone of Imperial territory controlled by the Soulan Army that would protect their home against future invasion efforts. They would have to fight through their own nation and people just to get to his.
If he couldn't manage to destroy the Imperial government completely. He had been very careful not to reveal all of his intention in the brief glimpses he'd given others of his plans, but Parno had every intention, should he find it possible, to conquer the north completely and bring it under Soulanie rule. There would be no more Imperial invasions because there would be no more Imperial anything if he managed to get his way.
But all of that was for the future. For the present, he had to make sure that the Soulan Army survived the coming battle and threw back the Imperial attack. After that was done, then he could start thinking about how he would conquer the north once and for all.
*****
General Wilson slipped away from his headquarters before sunset to ride the length of his lin
es, accompanied by his aide and three men as an escort. He didn't let anyone know he was going and kept a low profile to avoid any fuss over his presence. He wanted to see his men and get an idea of how they were faring on the eve of battle.
Until the cavalry attack a few weeks prior the Imperial Army had had things pretty much their own way for the most part. Yes, they had suffered losses, but time after time they had forced the vaunted Soulan Army to give ground. Something no other Imperial force in recent or recorded memory could honestly lay claim to.
Since that cavalry attack however, things had stalled. They had suffered heavy losses in that battle and the men's confidence had been shaken. Add to that the increasing strain on the supply efforts and the drain of manpower that had caused, and you had a recipe for poor morale and slipping attitudes.
Wilson needed to get things back on track and do it quickly. In order to make that happen, he needed a victory. A major victory. A decisive victory. He needed his army to deliver for him.
He quietly made sure that his men were being well cared for, receiving hot food and rest. They would be awakened around one in the morning to begin preparations and forming ranks. By four in the morning they would be on line, preparing to move forward.
By sunrise they would be in battle.
Guard posts were being manned by men from the reserve Corps, unassigned regiments replacing the normal standing guard so that everyone would be well rested. He hoped not to need his reserve units in the coming battle, but if he did they would have to make do. His combat units had to be rested and ready.
He knew by now that everyone was aware that they would be in combat in the morning. Even if announcements hadn't trickled down, the fact that they weren't standing their regular picket posts would be enough to alert most of his men that something was in the wind. It wouldn't take much thinking to make the leap forward to imminent combat in the offing.
By dusk Wilson had quietly ridden the length of his lines and turned for his own headquarters. The men looked good, looked ready for battle. There was nothing else to be done except to execute his plan well and give his men the opportunity to give him the victory he needed.
He was fairly confident he could do that. A few hours would prove him right or wrong, he knew.
*****
On one side, the men knew they were going into battle with the coming of the sun. On the other, they knew that their officers were antsy with anticipation, which meant they knew something was in the offing.
For their part, the officers on the Imperial side of the field knew they would be heading into battle in a few hours, while the Soulan officers knew only that their new Marshal suspected they would soon face an attack. For several that was enough, though for others they scoffed, determined to wait and see.
But one group was already gone from the lines, creeping out into the dark in twos and threes, making their way across the distance between the two armies. Royal scouts formed a basket weaver pattern between the two armies making it impossible for any Nor soldiers to make it across without alerting someone.
The most adventuresome scouts crept to within actual seeing distance of the enemy, crawling on their bellies to the point where they could see the winking of camp fires and often hear raised voices. Beyond that point the scouts risked colliding with Imperial picket posts, so they stopped there for the evening, making themselves as comfortable as possible in the dark while maintaining their watch.
Some slept in place, the way a hunter would sleep while waiting for a deer to enter his area, listening even as he slumbered for something out of place. Others thought of home, or family. Of women, left behind in one fashion or another. Of where they would be right that moment if not for the Imperial attack on their homeland. Of what they might do if they survived the war unharmed.
The Imperial pickets cursed the luck that had them guarding posts all night, though at the same time thankful that the duty would see them in the reserve tomorrow. While not a guarantee of safety, it was a lot better than being in the front lines.
Two groups of men, separated in some cases by only a hundred yards. Uniforms, lifestyles, people so much different one from another, yet with surprisingly similar thoughts on their minds as they waited for the sunrise that would be the last many men on that field would see.
Neither side imagining for a moment that his opponent was anything like himself.
*****
“Oh goodness!” Stephanie exclaimed as she got down from her carriage. Winnie was behind her but wasn't nearly as tired.
“That wasn't so bad,” she shrugged.
“Not for you perhaps,” Stephanie nodded. “I felt every bump those last few miles. I'm glad we're here.”
'Here' was a small inn just off the mountain, one that also doubled as a courier station for Parno. Two of Stephanie's escort had ridden ahead to secure lodging for the two women and ensure that the stable was prepared to care for four dozen horses. As the two entered, stable hands were already leading the ambulance team to the barns while the escort saw to their own mounts.
The station had obviously been forewarned that Lady Stephanie was a person of importance to the Lord Marshal since a good meal was waiting for the two women, along with a hot bath and private room. They would share a room for the night, Stephanie seeing no reason that the two of them needed more than one. Part of her escort would sleep inside as a guard while the rest bunked in the barn.
After a meal and good bath, both women were feeling the fatigue of the trip, even though Winnie was too excited to feel very sleepy.
“We'll get an early start tomorrow,” Stephanie said as she prepared for bed. “It will still take two more days to make it into Nasil. I wish we were going straight to the field, but that will look a bit suspicious,” she sighed. Winnie chuckled softly as she polished her bow.
“What's so funny?” Stephanie demanded, though not with any heat. “Do you carry that thing everywhere?” she added, pointing at the bow.
“Yes,” she said simply.
“Why?”
“Why do you carry your doctor bag?” Winnie shrugged in reply.
“Point,” Stephanie nodded. Winnie was a woman, but she was mountain raised by a father who was all but a living legend when it came to a bow. Winnie was good enough to train even the best archers in the army. She might not be a physician, but Stephanie could recognize a professional when she saw one.
“You enjoy what you're doing?” she asked thoughtfully.
“Yes, though I wish I was making a more adequate contribution,” Winnie nodded.
“How is it you think you can do that?” Stephanie asked. She had thought about how to approach this for a while now and this might be just the opportunity.
“By fighting of course,” Winnie replied at once.
“And do you think one bow, no matter how good, will make that difference?” Stephanie questioned.
“I can't know until I see.”
“Consider how many soldiers you've trained to be better archers so far, Winnie,” Stephanie pressed on. “Five hundred? A thousand? More?”
“I don't know, to be honest,” Winnie said after a moment to think. “A lot,” she admitted.
“And could anyone you've met so far, aside from your father, have trained them as good as you? Let alone any better than you have?”
Winnie was longer considering that question, as it was something she hadn't thought about before. Finally, she shook her head.
“I suppose not,” she finally answered.
“So how do you think you can top that contribution to the war effort, then?” Stephanie challenged. “Yes, your bow might come in handy at the front, but how many men will fight better because they've had you to train them? How much of an impact can a thousand or more bows that have been taught by a real expert make on the outcome of a battle?”
“I. . .I hadn't considered it like that,” the girl admitted thoughtfully.
“I thought not,” Stephanie carefully kept any hint of victory f
rom her voice. “That was the point made to me when I wanted to be at the front, too,” she added. “That the surgeons I trained would ultimately save more lives that I could on my own if I were to leave them and go myself. While I don't like it,” she admitted, “I have come to see the truth in it. I've already trained many medics and army surgeons to a much higher standard than the army has enjoyed to this point. They will do much better work because of the work I've done with them in the school we've established at Cove. So, while it's not what I wanted, I'm still doing a great deal for the army even though I'm not actually with them in the field.”
“That's true,” Winnie mused. “Maybe you're right,” she said after another minute. “I just wanted to go so badly I never thought about that. All I could see was that I was a far better archer than any of the men I'd sent to the army so far. That was all I was looking at.”
“You are better,” Stephanie nodded firmly. “And that's what makes you so valuable to Parno, and your father, right where you are. Do you think your father could be away assisting Roda if he didn't have you to carry on the training at Cove? If you weren't there, who could he leave in charge while working off site?”
“True,” Winnie agreed. “All true, Lady Freeman,” she smiled brightly. “I know you planned that a while. I appreciate you showing me my worth without belittling my desire to serve.”
“I respect your desire, Winnie,” Stephanie told her plainly. “And your bravery. It's simply that we're in a terrible spot at the moment. Literally against the wall with nowhere to go. Parno needs archers that only you can train. He needs you where you are for now. He needs men trained to the level that you can train them so that he can use them to defeat the Nor and drive them from our homeland. There are thousands who can serve in the army. There are very few who can train them as well as you can. Only a handful.”
“I see why he likes you so much,” Winnie teased slightly, causing Stephanie to blush, but she grinned.
“Well, let’s put that away and get some rest,” she ordered. “We've a long day ahead tomorrow.”