replied. “I’ve learned to be prepared for any eventuality, milord. A job hazard when working for you, I’m afraid.” The man said it with a completely straight face though Enri chuckled and Karls almost choked on his first bite of food.
“Everyone’s in a jovial mood today, aren’t they?” Parno didn’t quite grouse. He wasn’t in such a mood. He was worried and thought everyone else should be, too.
“Not too late to call it off, milord,” Enri said, as if reading Parno’s mind.
“It was too late the moment I issued the orders,” Parno shook his head. “It’s about more than what we’ll accomplish in the attack, now. If I call off the attack after all that talk last evening, the men will have no confidence in me in the future. You know it’s true,” he added when Enri seemed about to object.
“He’s right,” Karls nodded, chewing wolfishly on his food. “Yesterday was something very special. If this attack today succeeds, then Parno’s reputation is made among the army. No one will be looking over his shoulder wondering if Therron could have done any better.” He paused to swallow. “If he calls it off, everyone will wonder if he lost his nerve. Not to mention compare him to his brother. And that’s the last thing we need.”
“We?” Enri raised his eyebrows at his younger brother.
“We,” Karls nodded firmly. “Where Parno goes, all of us go.” There was a grim finality in that statement that Enri chose not to explore. Not right now, anyway. And he would have to speak to Karls about addressing the Lord Marshall so. . . casually . It wasn’t proper.
“Well, now that we’ve all analyzed it,” Parno broke in before any other arguments could be raised, “let’s hear your thoughts.”
“We attack as planned and kick their ass,” Karls shrugged. “They aren’t prepared and they aren’t expecting it. We’ll do well, certainly at the first. The trick will be timing the withdrawal. We need to make sure that we’re on the move back to our own lines before the Nor can organize any serious counter-attack.” Parno looked to Enri. The older Willard was looking at his brother with something akin to respect, but nodded his own agreement.
“The timing is the key,” he seconded. “We must be on our way out before the Nor generals can retaliate. We’re taking a large part of our available forces into battle. We can’t afford to have any of them cut off and destroyed in detail.”
“The buglers will be important today,” Parno agreed. “Anything else?”
“If the men sense a rout, they’ll be hard to stop,” Karls opined again. “Discipline is the key. I think you made that pretty clear yesterday, however. You have to trust the commanders to know and do their jobs now.”
“I don’t think they’ll disappoint you, sir,” Enri offered. “All of them want this to be successful, but they are as aware as you are of the force disparity. This attack can’t be allowed to get out of control. Whatever damage we might do in an all-out attack will be countered by heavy losses of our own. Your plan is sound and your orders are clear.”
Parno nodded, saying nothing else. He wished Darvo were here with him. As soon as the thought came to him, Cho Feng joined the group at the fire wearing his armor and carrying both swords. He looked as serene and fresh as ever.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said calmly.
“Morning, Master Feng,” Parno and the others replied in unison. Parno looked at Springs.
“Why don’t you have a plate for him?” he asked.
“He’s already eaten,” Sprigs replied without a trace of smugness. Parno looked at Feng, who nodded.
“How did you know that?” Parno demanded.
“It’s my job to know, sir,” Sprigs answered simply. Parno shook his head at that and went back to his own unfinished breakfast. He wasn’t hungry, or at least he didn’t want to eat, but it would be a long time before he got the chance again today.
Sprigs was more than
“Everyone’s in a jovial mood today, aren’t they?” Parno didn’t quite grouse. He wasn’t in such a mood. He was worried and thought everyone else should be, too.
“Not too late to call it off, milord,” Enri said, as if reading Parno’s mind.
“It was too late the moment I issued the orders,” Parno shook his head. “It’s about more than what we’ll accomplish in the attack, now. If I call off the attack after all that talk last evening, the men will have no confidence in me in the future. You know it’s true,” he added when Enri seemed about to object.
“He’s right,” Karls nodded, chewing wolfishly on his food. “Yesterday was something very special. If this attack today succeeds, then Parno’s reputation is made among the army. No one will be looking over his shoulder wondering if Therron could have done any better.” He paused to swallow. “If he calls it off, everyone will wonder if he lost his nerve. Not to mention compare him to his brother. And that’s the last thing we need.”
“We?” Enri raised his eyebrows at his younger brother.
“We,” Karls nodded firmly. “Where Parno goes, all of us go.” There was a grim finality in that statement that Enri chose not to explore. Not right now, anyway. And he would have to speak to Karls about addressing the Lord Marshall so. . . casually . It wasn’t proper.
“Well, now that we’ve all analyzed it,” Parno broke in before any other arguments could be raised, “let’s hear your thoughts.”
“We attack as planned and kick their ass,” Karls shrugged. “They aren’t prepared and they aren’t expecting it. We’ll do well, certainly at the first. The trick will be timing the withdrawal. We need to make sure that we’re on the move back to our own lines before the Nor can organize any serious counter-attack.” Parno looked to Enri. The older Willard was looking at his brother with something akin to respect, but nodded his own agreement.
“The timing is the key,” he seconded. “We must be on our way out before the Nor generals can retaliate. We’re taking a large part of our available forces into battle. We can’t afford to have any of them cut off and destroyed in detail.”
“The buglers will be important today,” Parno agreed. “Anything else?”
“If the men sense a rout, they’ll be hard to stop,” Karls opined again. “Discipline is the key. I think you made that pretty clear yesterday, however. You have to trust the commanders to know and do their jobs now.”
“I don’t think they’ll disappoint you, sir,” Enri offered. “All of them want this to be successful, but they are as aware as you are of the force disparity. This attack can’t be allowed to get out of control. Whatever damage we might do in an all-out attack will be countered by heavy losses of our own. Your plan is sound and your orders are clear.”
Parno nodded, saying nothing else. He wished Darvo were here with him. As soon as the thought came to him, Cho Feng joined the group at the fire wearing his armor and carrying both swords. He looked as serene and fresh as ever.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said calmly.
“Morning, Master Feng,” Parno and the others replied in unison. Parno looked at Springs.
“Why don’t you have a plate for him?” he asked.
“He’s already eaten,” Sprigs replied without a trace of smugness. Parno looked at Feng, who nodded.
“How did you know that?” Parno demanded.
“It’s my job to know, sir,” Sprigs answered simply. Parno shook his head at that and went back to his own unfinished breakfast. He wasn’t hungry, or at least he didn’t want to eat, but it would be a long time before he got the chance again today.
Sprigs was more than
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