Read Online The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler - Free Book Online

hundred thousand strong. It moved north in four columns, following parallel roads, space carefully allotted lest the march dissolve into a mammoth traffic jam.
    In the winter camps, Janus had spent almost as much time reorganizing the Grand Army as he had training it. As in the Army of the East, the old royal regiments with their cherished designations and storied histories had been banished and torn into their component parts. They were combined with the battalions of volunteers, men who’d joined during the revolution or after the war had begun, and were put under whatever officers were deemed most competent, regardless of connections or social station. There was no more carping or criticism from the Ministry of War; the queen and the Deputies-General had given the new First Consul the ultimate trump card, and he used it ruthlessly.
    Vordanai armies had never had any organization larger than the regiment, just as they’d never had much use for ranks above colonel. Taking inspiration from the legions of the ancient Mithradacii Tyrants, Janus had combined regiments into divisions, under the newly promoted division-generals. Each division was a self-contained fighting force, with its own attached artillery and cavalry, capable of holding its own against a comparable enemy. There were ten of them, in addition to Give-Em-Hell’s cavalry and the main artillery reserve.
    Winter had blanched when Janus had proposed quadrupling the size of her command, but at least this time she hadn’t been expected to plunge directly into battle. Truthfully, for perhaps the first time since Marcus had handed her asergeant’s pins more than a year ago, Winter felt ready for what lay ahead. The endless drills of the training camps had seasoned the soldiers, but they’d given her time to prepare, too.
    Bobby was waiting for her at the entrance to the camp, as always. She wore a captain’s stripes on her shoulders, and her frame had lost much of its teenage awkwardness in the year or so since Khandar. Looking at her now, it was hard for Winter to believe she’d ever thought Bobby was a boy.
    â€œEverything all right?” Bobby said. “We were expecting you an hour ago.”
    â€œJust a bit of traffic in the city that needed sorting out,” Winter said. “We may be a little late getting started tomorrow.”
    â€œFortunately, we haven’t got too far to go.” Bobby dug a much-folded slip of paper from her pocket. “From Janus. He wants us at a town called Glarusk in two days. It’s just on the Murnskai side of the border, maybe twenty miles short of the Ytolin. Last word we got, Dorsay’s still camped not far north of there, so this could be it.”
    Winter nodded, though she wasn’t so certain. So far, the famous Duke of Brookspring had shown no inclination to try conclusions with Janus and the Grand Army. Since the breakup of the peace conference, he’d retreated grudgingly but steadily, abandoning several good positions. He had plenty of room—Murnsk was a vast country, and the rivers ran from east to west across the plains of the Split Coast, giving him any number of obstacles to hide behind. Bringing him to battle against his will was not going to be easy.
    But that’s Janus’ worry, not mine.
All she had to do was get her soldiers where he wanted, when he wanted, and make sure they did their duty.
    â€œWe’ll be well rested, at least,” Winter declared, studying the little note. “Any other problems?”
    â€œNothing to speak of. Abby’s got a half dozen of the Girls’ Own on punishment detail for brawling in town.”
    â€œWith each other?”
    Bobby shook her head. “The usual. Started out with somebody talking about the Girls’ Own and ended up with a bar full of bloody noses and black eyes.”
    Winter sighed to herself. It had become a Girls’ Own tradition to smash up a bar or wineshop in every town