Legacies

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  Tymal shook his head. "I suppose you couldn't."

  'No, sir. Not if we want what the engineers are doing to work."

  'I'll have to tell the captain."

  'Yes, sir."

  Far too much was getting reported to the captain. Yet… if Fortieth Company did not survive, the odds were poor that one junior squad leader would.

  Dondi came and went, and so did Londi. Alucius and Fortieth Company had returned to Zalt. They waited… and waited. Spring Creek had dried up, but the Lanachronans remained behind their earthen berms beyond the southern boundary road. On Londi, second squad had ridden a patrol, but the Lanachronans had been silent, and even with his Talent, Alucius had detected no movement, no preparations.

  Long after the sun set on Londi, Alucius had finally drifted into sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of shadowy figures with unseen weapons, and words that he could never quite hear.

  'Sirs! Senior Squad Leader Tymal needs to see you! Northeast corner of the mess."

  A light-torch flashed across Alucius's face, and he struggled into a sitting position.

  'What glass is it…?" he mumbled.

  'A good glass before dawn," Pahl snapped from his bunk farther down the bay. "It figures. Keep us waiting, and then attack before dawn."

  Alucius lurched out of his bunk and struggled into his uniform, making sure the nightsilk undergarments were smooth against his skin, not that such was the problem, since he hadn't gained much weight since they'd been tailored for him. Then he hurried down the dim corridors of the barracks toward the mess, following Yular, and with Pahl and Rask behind him.

  The mess was brightly lit, and ration packs had been laid out on all of the tables.

  Tymal stood at the end of a mess table in the northeast corner, shifting his weight from one boot to the other. His eyes had dark circles under them, and he snapped, "Over here!"

  Within moments, all nine Fortieth Company squad leaders were gathered, their eyes on the senior squad leader.

  'We've had scouts watching their camp," Tymal said. "They let the cookfires burn out last night, and they didn't relight them this morning. They're forming up and will be ready to ride in less than a glass. Have your squads mounted and ready with double cartridge loads in less than a half glass. You'll have to take the ration packs to your squads yourselves." Tymal glanced around. "The three full reinforcement companies will be in the center, as will Eighteenth Company. Fortieth Company will be to the left of center, Thirty-second to the right, and the auxiliaries in the rear, to be dispatched where they are most needed. The Fifteenth Foot will hold Senob Post. Is that clear?"

  Yes, sir.

  'Take your squad rations and move!"

  Like the other squad leaders, after gathering up seven ration packs, Alucius practically sprinted to the barracks wing holding the troopers.

  'Second squad. On your feet! You've got a quarter glass to get to the stables. I've got your ration packs here."

  … frig…

  '… dog-chewing bastards going to attack…"

  'Get suited up!" Alucius ordered. "Get your gear; and pick up your ration packs here. Draw double cartridge loads. Double cartridge loads. I'll see you in the stable."

  After that, moving as quickly as he could, Alucius reclaimed his own gear, and cartridges, before heading out of the barracks to saddle Wil-debeast.

  The courtyard of Senob Post was crowded, and names and orders flew above the stones, in the dim light that was barely brighter than night—without either moon high in the sky. Selena had long since set, and Asterta was but a thin green crescent in the west.

  For all the commands, and with six different horse companies forming up, second squad was still ready in ranks within the half a glass set by Tymal—if barely, as Druw eased his mount into the last rank just as Tymal rode toward the front of Fortieth Company. The hubbub in the courtyard had already begun to die away. Only moments behind Tymal were Captain Hyrlui, Undercaptain Kryll, and Undercaptain Taniti.

  'Fortieth Company will be sixth in the line of march," Tymal announced, "right after Twentieth Company. Squad leaders, hold your position until commanded."

  Time seemed to pass ever so slowly, but Alucius doubted that even a quarter of a glass had passed before the first commands to move out were called forth.

  By the time second squad followed Tymal and the officers of Fortieth Company out through the gates of Senob Post, the sky was pale gray, rather than dark gray, and a hint of orange played across the peaks of the Coast Range to the east. Behind them, the gates closed, the first time Alucius had ever seen the gates closed. The three companies of auxiliaries were drawn up on the high road, waiting for Fortieth Company, before following.

  There was a light and warm wind out of the east, blowing gently into Alucius's face, and carrying the grit and road dust kicked up by the hundreds of riders already on the road in front of Fortieth Company and second squad. Alucius definitely preferred being in the front of the column. Still, the Matrite forces did not travel that far—less than three vingts east of Senob Post—before the column came to a halt. With the wind so light, what dust there was settled almost immediately.

  As he waited, wondering why the force had halted, Alucius cast out his Talent-perceptions, trying to see where the Lanachronans were. From what he could tell, they were riding eastward on the high road—on and beside it. The Lanachronan strategy seemed clear enough to Alucius—just punch through any resistance and take Zalt.

  Likewise, the Matrite strategy was equally clear—stop the attack.

  It would have been difficult for the Lanachronans to take Senob Post, Alucius knew, even with cannon, but Zalt itself was not fortified, and the Lanachronans could easily lay waste to the town without taking the post. So the Fifteenth Foot was holding the post—for now.

  Was that to keep the Lanachronans from moving on or consolidating a position in the event the Matrite forces were overcome? To fight a holding action until more Matrite companies arrived?

  As more dust rose, Alucius could see that the Matrite companies were beginning to re-form, the Thirty-second Company riding southward in a line perpendicular to the southwest high road. Then another company followed, and Fortieth Company moved forward on the high road, then came to another halt.

  In time, after receiving some order from Captain Hyrlui, Tymal turned his mount. "Fortieth Company to the left, keep pace with me. Follow the lane."

  'Second squad! Column turn left onto the lane. Column turn left!" Alucius ordered, keeping station on Tymal as second squad rode down a narrow lane between fields.

  After little more than two hundred fifty yards, the senior squad leader halted. "Fortieth company, right wheel, halt in place."

  'Second squad, right wheel, halt in place!" Alucius ordered.

  'Double ranks, double interval," Tymal commanded. "Second squad first, third squad directly behind second. Fourth squad to the left and abreast of second…"

  Alucius was definitely not pleased with the "honor" of being in the front rank, although he had thought that second squad would have been positioned directly next to Twentieth Company. Instead, second squad and third squad were the ones holding the left flank of the entire formation.

  With slightly fewer Matrite troopers, it appeared to Alucius that Overcaptain Catryn was simply trying to keep her forces in position to avoid being easily flanked, but not so thinly spread that a heavy attack could punch through the center of the formation.

  Alucius looked eastward. In front of him was a field filled with low green sprouts, with no fences, not that there were many fences anywhere in Madrien. The field stretched eastward, and farther east was another field, with shoots of a darker green.

  Alucius shifted his weight on Wildebeast and waited… and waited. He took a long swallow from his water bottle and kept waiting. To the east, he could see the dark mass that was the Lanachronan force, but the enemy horse had reined up, a good half vingt away, out of easy rifle range, and also waited. The sun slowly crept up,
until orange flooded the ground, glaring almost directly into the eyes of the defenders.

  A single trumpet blast came from the east, its echoes wavering and dying away. The signal was repeated twice more.

  Alucius had to squint against the brilliance of the rising sun to make out the dark mass of the Lanachronan troopers, not hurrying at first, but moving forward at a measured pace.

  'Fortieth Company! Rifles ready!"

  'Second squad, rifles ready. Prepare to fire!" Alucius checked his own rifle once more, then watched and waited.

  At a range of around a hundred and fifty yards, the Lanachronan horse broke into a canter, sweeping forward. Alucius still waited, knowing that his troopers were most accurate with their rifles at less than a hundred yards.

  'Prepare to fire at will!" he ordered, again, studying the attackers, calculating before he finally ordered. "Fire!" He raised his own rifle, and fired, then cocked it and fired again… and again. He got in almost seven shots before the Lanachronans were within thirty yards.

  'Rifles away! Sabres at the ready!" He waited just a moment. "Charge!"

  While the Matrite fire had reduced the number of attackers somewhat, Alucius felt more than a little outnumbered as second squad rode forward.

  When the first trooper in blue slashed at him, Alucius parried and back-slashed, then ducked and took on the rider following the first, and then another, before turning Wildebeast and bringing down yet another Lanachronan from behind.

  Horses wheeled, and some screamed. The reports of rifles died away, and blades flashed, seeming to flicker in the dusty air. Men grunted, and swore. Dust was everywhere, fine and pervasive enough to blur the outlines of anything beyond the circle of struggle that surrounded Alucius.

  A lull of sorts filled the area, and Alucius could see no Lanachronans—or rather, they had seemingly been carried toward the center of the fray.

  He marked the lane, a good fifty yards behind him, and called out. "Second squad! Second squad! Re-form on me!"

  Figures emerged out of the dust, which had begun to settle. Alucius counted six. Keval was missing.

  'Back to the lane and re-form!" Alucius cleaned his blade and sheathed it.

  Somewhere to his left, he heard a similar command from Yular.

  No sooner had second and third squads re-formed into a more solid formation, again defining the left flank of a battle that had looked disorganized and chaotic, than Tymal galloped up.

  The senior squad leader reined in his mount and shouted, "Second squad, wheel to a line oblique! Staggered spacing. Fire a full magazine. Leapfrog back and.reload." Then the senior stood in the stirrups and repeated the orders to Yular and third squad, telling them to take station on second squad.

  More dust appeared to the east, and now that the sun was far higher, Alucius found it easier to make out the blue tunics of the Lanachronans galloping toward Fortieth Company. An even greater mass of troopers had hurled itself toward the center of the Matrite line.

  'Wheel to a line oblique!" he snapped. "Staggered double file so all troopers can fire. Rifles ready."

  As second squad wheeled, Alucius glanced to his right. There, the leftmost squads of Twentieth Company had already formed into an oblique firing line.

  Crack! Crack!… A line of fire from Twentieth Company raked the oncoming easterners. Troopers in blue pitched forward, but the charge continued. A second volley, and then a third, followed.

  'Second squad," Alucius called. "At my command… fire!"

  Crack! The reports from his squad were almost simultaneous.

  'Fire!"

  By the end of the commands, the Lanachronans—those still mounted—had broken.

  Alucius looked around. All six remaining troopers of second squad were still mounted. Alucius saw no reason to withdraw immediately. "Reload and stand ready!"

  To his right and to his rear, he heard a similar command from Yular.

  Alucius stood in his own stirrups, trying to see what was happening toward the center of the line. He could sense that something was not as it should be. Twentieth Company seemed to be pulling back—away from the center where the Lanachronan attack had been concentrated.

  Alucius wanted to do something, but leapfrogging back seemed useless, since no one was attacking, and there was even less chance to support the center from farther back. Circling forward around Twentieth Company would leave a gap in the line, and his small squad was unlikely to make that much of a difference—and he didn't want to collapse the line more so that they could be flanked.

  So… he waited. "Stand ready!" Ready for what, he had no idea.

  Out of the turmoil in the center of the line, slowly, slowly, the Lanachronans were pushed back. Then the trumpet sounded, three short blasts, and then another three.

  Alucius watched, through the dust, as the blue clad Lanachronans swung their mounts and pulled back.

  Alucius became aware of a slight ache in his right forearm. He glanced down, taking in the slash in his tunic. The nightsilk had stopped the blade, turning what could have been a nasty slash into a bruise—probably a nasty one, but a bruise rather than a sabre wound.

  He shifted his weight in the saddle and fumbled out the water bottle, taking a quick swallow, even as he surveyed the area around him. There were horses down in places, but more bodies in green and blue than mounts, many more. Alucius didn't count them.

  The Matrite horse companies were already re-forming. Alucius smiled to himself, glad that second squad was already in order, although that had as much to do with the battle moving away from the left flank as anything he'd done.

  Tymal rode down to the end of the line, less than five yards from Alucius. "Reload now, if you haven't already. Make sure your men drink!" Then he was moving back toward the center of Fortieth Company.

  'Second squad, reload!" Alucius called out. "Make sure your magazines are full. Then take a drink. We may not have much of a break."

  'Break, sir, what's that?" asked Beral, grinning.

  'It's what we're not getting much of," Alucius replied.

  Less than a glass passed, perhaps even as little as a half a glass, before the Lanachronan trumpet sounded once more, and once more the drumming of hoofs on hard ground and stone filled the late morning. Once more, the mass of the Lanachronan attack seemed directed at the center of the Matrite line.

  Alucius blinked. A column of riders had broken off from the main attack and was riding northwest, aiming toward the Barrow Mounds.

  'Fortieth Company! To the left, oblique! Charge!" This time, Captain Hyrlui's voice was the one that rose over the low thunder of hoofs. Had something happened to Tymal?

  'Second squad, column oblique! Follow me!" Alucius urged Wildebeast forward. 'Rifles out. Prepare to fire!"

  Shooting while riding wasn't terribly effective for most troopers, but anything that would slow the attackers would be helpful. Alucius lifted his own rifle and concentrated on the one of the leading Lanachronan mounts. It took him three shots, but the mount went down, as well as two following.

  He managed to bring down one more mount—slowing the attackers fractionally—before second squad neared the Lanachronan column. "Sabres at the ready!"

  Alucius aimed Wildebeast at the standard bearer beside the lead rider.

  The leading rider swerved toward Alucius, and Alucius switched the sabre to his right hand, ducking and coming in under the other's guard. The cut wasn't what he would have liked, but the result was acceptable—the Lanachronan was lifted out of his saddle.

  The standard bearer never even truly saw Alucius before the sabre took his arm and the blue-and-cream banner dropped into the dust.

  From there, the battle turned into a man-against-man struggle, with more horses turning, riders swearing and grunting—and more troopers dying.

  Another retreat sounded from the east, and Alucius turned Wildebeast, trying to make sure neither he nor any of his men were cut down by retreating troopers. Once he was sure the Lanachronans had withdrawn, he
called for the squad to re-form on him.

  'Fortieth Company! Return to position!" called out the captain.

  'Second squad forward. We're heading back to position!"

  'Third squad, take station on second squad."

  Alucius took a deep breath, and then began to cough on the dust he'd inhaled. He groped for the water bottle. After several more coughs, and then some water, and he could breathe. He glanced eastward. From what he could see, the Lanachronans had withdrawn so far that he couldn't see their forces. Could that really be? Had they thrown them back from Zalt?

  At what cost? Alucius wondered. For how long? And whose reinforcements would arrive first?

  He looked down at the bloody sabre in his hand, then slowly began to wipe it clean.

  Alucius had not been certain that he would sleep the night after the battle, but he had, although he had awakened early and dressed and then checked Wildebeast before making his way back to meet with the other squad leaders before breakfast.

  Gholar—the acting senior squad leader after Tymal's death—glanced at Alucius as he walked back into the open space at the end of the squad leaders' barracks wing. "I'll tell you before the others get here. The captain wants to see you now."

  'Yes, sir. Now?"

  'As soon as you can get there. I'll catch you at breakfast and fill you in—if she doesn't." Gholar cleared his throat. "The captain watches you like an eagle watches a stray mongrel. You want to tell me why?"

  Alucius shrugged. "I was almost a herder. I was a scout. I learned some things, and it seems like every time I use them, someone thinks it's unusual. I wasn't close to the best scout in the militia, but I'm probably one of the best in the Matrite forces." He shook his head. "I can't not use what I know. Troopers will get killed; I might get killed. If I do use what I've learned… then I get questioned."

  'You'd be better off as an officer." Gholar laughed. "Too bad you can't be one."

  Alucius laughed as well, if falsely. He just wanted to get back to Iron Stem and be a herder, but that hardly looked likely. Surviving was hard enough, and getting harder.