just an aide. He had been selected by Darvo, and trained by Cho, to be Parno’s bodyguard. Parno was unaware of this even now though he did know that Sprigs had received more than the usual training at the hands of Cho Feng. Sprigs made sure that Parno went nowhere without him. Even if he had to disobey orders to do so.
“Well, I guess it’s that time,” Parno sighed, setting his plate aside. He’d managed to get most of the food down. As if they had heard him speak, Sergeant Berry and his men walked into the firelight, leading their own horses as well as those of Parno and his staff.
“Now that’s good timing,” Karls said softly and Feng chuckled in the darkness.
“Let’s mount up,” Parno ordered. He still wasn’t feeling the humor, but fought the urge to snap at his friends. There was no point in it. He hoped their confidence was well placed.
Once mounted, the small detail set out for where the bulk of the attack force was already waiting. In order to get into place and still achieve surprise, the attacking divisions had been forced to go over a mile distant from the western most Nor positions before going into line. The risk of even one awake and aware sentry spotting or hearing them was too great.
As they rode, more men took up positions around them. True to his word, Karls would have the Black Sheep riding as escorts for his General. Without orders being necessary, the Prince’s Own broke into four companies. One fore, one aft, one to either flank. Parno was surrounded by his men. He shook his head at the fuss being made but said nothing. It would be pointless in any case.
The slightest slip of light was starting to show in the east when Parno made his way to the center of the line. Each division commander was there, waiting.
“Gentlemen,” Parno nodded. “Are we ready?”
“We are, milord,” all three assured him.
“Very well. Let’s be about it then.” It was a simple order. All that was required. The three men moved silently back to their own commands. Parno waited impatiently for the signals to pass. Finally, a runner approached Enri Willard.
“All in readiness, sir,” the man reported.
“Fire the signal,” Enri ordered the archer sitting next to him. The man nodded and nocked an already burning arrow. Bending his bow back, he aimed for a point far overhead and released it.
Within seconds similar arrows rose into the sky and the line of horsemen began to move forward.
To battle.
*****
“Did you see that?”
Sergeant Joseph Ritter, Norland Army, looked up from his spot on the ground at the private.
“See what, Jenks?” he demanded. Jenks was always trying to make something out of nothing, Ritter groused to himself. There was nothing going on out here. So far as Ritter was concerned, that was something to be thankful for.
“Looked like. . .well, I don’t know, really,” Jenks replied, scratching his head. “Hey, there’s another one!” he pointed suddenly. Ritter looked but saw nothing.
“You’ve been out here too long,” Ritter told him grouchily. “There’s nothing out there but fog!”
“I’m telling you I could see a light of some kind,” Jenks insisted. “Like. . .like a flaming arrow. Yeah, just like that!” Jenks seized upon the idea.
“Yeah, shot from where?” Ritter demanded, now on his feet. Their relief should be here soon anyway, and he’d be glad to get rid of Jenks.
“Somewhere over there,” Jenks pointed to the west. Ritter shook his head, sighing.
“Jenks, there ain’t nothing over there but nothing!” he almost snarled. “The southerners are that way!” he pointed south-east. “We’re outside their lines here by more than a mile, idiot.”
Before Jenks could reply, both men felt a tremble run underneath them. Both moved slightly. This was quake country and this whole area was prone to large earthquakes with little or no warning.
But this was no earthquake. The tremor kept going, rumbling louder by the second. Through the
“Well, I guess it’s that time,” Parno sighed, setting his plate aside. He’d managed to get most of the food down. As if they had heard him speak, Sergeant Berry and his men walked into the firelight, leading their own horses as well as those of Parno and his staff.
“Now that’s good timing,” Karls said softly and Feng chuckled in the darkness.
“Let’s mount up,” Parno ordered. He still wasn’t feeling the humor, but fought the urge to snap at his friends. There was no point in it. He hoped their confidence was well placed.
Once mounted, the small detail set out for where the bulk of the attack force was already waiting. In order to get into place and still achieve surprise, the attacking divisions had been forced to go over a mile distant from the western most Nor positions before going into line. The risk of even one awake and aware sentry spotting or hearing them was too great.
As they rode, more men took up positions around them. True to his word, Karls would have the Black Sheep riding as escorts for his General. Without orders being necessary, the Prince’s Own broke into four companies. One fore, one aft, one to either flank. Parno was surrounded by his men. He shook his head at the fuss being made but said nothing. It would be pointless in any case.
The slightest slip of light was starting to show in the east when Parno made his way to the center of the line. Each division commander was there, waiting.
“Gentlemen,” Parno nodded. “Are we ready?”
“We are, milord,” all three assured him.
“Very well. Let’s be about it then.” It was a simple order. All that was required. The three men moved silently back to their own commands. Parno waited impatiently for the signals to pass. Finally, a runner approached Enri Willard.
“All in readiness, sir,” the man reported.
“Fire the signal,” Enri ordered the archer sitting next to him. The man nodded and nocked an already burning arrow. Bending his bow back, he aimed for a point far overhead and released it.
Within seconds similar arrows rose into the sky and the line of horsemen began to move forward.
To battle.
*****
“Did you see that?”
Sergeant Joseph Ritter, Norland Army, looked up from his spot on the ground at the private.
“See what, Jenks?” he demanded. Jenks was always trying to make something out of nothing, Ritter groused to himself. There was nothing going on out here. So far as Ritter was concerned, that was something to be thankful for.
“Looked like. . .well, I don’t know, really,” Jenks replied, scratching his head. “Hey, there’s another one!” he pointed suddenly. Ritter looked but saw nothing.
“You’ve been out here too long,” Ritter told him grouchily. “There’s nothing out there but fog!”
“I’m telling you I could see a light of some kind,” Jenks insisted. “Like. . .like a flaming arrow. Yeah, just like that!” Jenks seized upon the idea.
“Yeah, shot from where?” Ritter demanded, now on his feet. Their relief should be here soon anyway, and he’d be glad to get rid of Jenks.
“Somewhere over there,” Jenks pointed to the west. Ritter shook his head, sighing.
“Jenks, there ain’t nothing over there but nothing!” he almost snarled. “The southerners are that way!” he pointed south-east. “We’re outside their lines here by more than a mile, idiot.”
Before Jenks could reply, both men felt a tremble run underneath them. Both moved slightly. This was quake country and this whole area was prone to large earthquakes with little or no warning.
But this was no earthquake. The tremor kept going, rumbling louder by the second. Through the
Similar Books
