Scepters

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  The post seemed quiet as he rode out past the sentries, who barely acknowledged his departure. Feran and the two Southern Guard captains were waiting for him at the edge of the flat dusty maneuver field to the west of the wall of Krost Post.

  “Overcaptain, captains…I apologize, but the marshal had a few matters to discuss.” Alucius offered a smile he did not feel. “I’m Majer Alucius, and I see that you’ve met your deputy commander, Overcaptain Feran.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Alucius studied the two captains. One was dark-haired and painfully young. The other was at least ten years older, with a rugged face, shortcut blond hair, and a thin red scar across his forehead. Alucius looked at the older captain. “You’re Jultyr?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Were you in one of the companies that patrolled the Coast Range against the Matrial?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Alucius could detect the faintest puzzlement in the captain’s response, but continued, “Did you ever wonder why the Matrites never sent out patrols of less than what seemed to be a half squad?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it, sir.”

  “We’ll talk about that sometime, Captain.” Alucius offered a smile as he projected a hint of warmth and trustworthiness at Jultyr. Then he turned to the second captain. “Captain Deotyr?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How long have you been in service?”

  “Just a year, sir.”

  “Good,” Alucius said ambiguously. “I understand you two have been working your companies hard. I also suspect that neither of you is thrilled to be assigned to a command where you know little or nothing about your commanding officer. Has anyone briefed you on our mission?”

  There was a flicker of eye contact between the two captains. Jultyr’s jaw tightened, and he said nothing.

  After a silence, Deotyr spoke. “We heard that we might have to do something about the revolt in Hyalt.”

  “That’s correct. Contrary to what may have been passed around,” Alucius said easily, “I’m not interested in putting down a revolt by killing large numbers of people. That’s a very last resort. Dead people don’t produce goods. They don’t pay tariffs, and their friends and relatives have even more reasons to revolt and try to kill lancers. That said, I won’t hesitate to use force, if necessary, but I’d prefer other tactics first.”

  “Other tactics, sir?” blurted Deotyr.

  “We’ll discuss those later. We’ll have plenty of time on the ride to Hyalt. This morning, we’re going to go through some exercises to see just how your lancers operate and how good they are at what. This afternoon, we’ll be adding some squad and company maneuvers and formations that are not used widely in the Southern Guard but that will have some application in Hyalt. Then, tomorrow, we’ll begin some squad-on-squad drills against Fifth Company. Fifth Company is a very experienced outfit, and we can’t afford any serious casualties. So…for any contact drills, I’ve arranged for rattan wands. You’ll pick those up from the armory tomorrow after muster.”

  “Rattan?” blurted Deotyr.

  “Captain,” Alucius replied patiently. “We have to integrate tactics, techniques, and maneuvers. While basic mounted commands are similar from force to force, they are not identical, and tactics vary widely. There’s a great possibility for miscommunication to begin with, and miscommunication with edged weapons is not desirable. Neither is conducting evaluation exercises and blade training without using weapons.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “For this morning’s maneuvers, I’ll go with Captain Deotyr and Twenty-eighth Company.” Alucius looked at Deotyr directly. “I’ll give you the commands I want you to order. That will let me see how your company operates. Overcaptain Feran will do the same with Captain Jultyr and Thirty-fifth Company. Now…if you’d return to your companies and brief your squad leaders.”

  Alucius remained on the gray beside Feran, using his Talent to boost his listening as the two captains rode back to their ranked companies.

  “Rattan…” murmured Deotyr. “Don’t believe it…”

  So far as Alucius could tell, Jultyr said nothing. After a moment, Alucius looked to Feran.

  “Jultyr has an idea of what’s coming,” Feran said. “The other one…” He shook his head.

  “I know,” Alucius said. “I know.”

  Once he was sure that Deotyr had had time to brief his squad leaders, he rode toward Twenty-eighth Company.

  The rest of the day was a blur, with exercise after exercise, and only a two-glass break between morning and afternoon sessions. By the time Alucius released the two companies—only slightly past midafternoon, because he had not wanted to put too much strain on the mounts—both trainee companies had learned, in general terms, the additional oblique maneuvers that Alucius had brought back from his captivity in Madrien and adapted for Northern Guard use, as well as a few others that had been used only by the Fifth and Twenty-first Companies of the Northern Guard.

  At some point, Alucius wanted to send off a letter to Wendra. That was all he could do to reassure her that he was thinking about her and Alendra, but he had a great deal of planning to do. Also, he was well aware that anything he wrote and dispatched from Krost Post would have to be short and say little beyond expressing his affection.

  As he rode back to the stable, dust-covered, tired, and hoarse, he couldn’t help but wonder what the marshal and the colonel had discussed and how it would all play out.

  39

  Septi morning was cloudy but dry, and as he reined up the gray on the maneuver field, waiting for Captain Deotyr and Captain Jultyr, Alucius could almost feel the resentment from a least some of the lancers in the two Southern Guard companies as they formed up—carrying the rattan wands. He had not talked with Marshal Frynkel, as had decided that it would be better for the marshal to seek him out than to seek out Frynkel immediately. Alucius’s orders did not mention a specific time when he was to leave for Hyalt, and he did not want to leave until he and Fifth Company had had more time working with the two Southern Guard companies.

  Within moments, Feran had brought his mount up beside Alucius. “Fifth Company is ready, sir.”

  “Thank you. Do all your squad leaders know what’s necessary?” Alucius asked quietly.

  “All I had to tell them was that the Southern Guard was most unimpressed with the Northern Guard.” Feran’s voice was dry. “I did add that the Southern Guards didn’t seem to understand that you were trying to protect them, and that it might be wise to reinforce that point. Show the southern boys that they needed that protection.”

  Alucius nodded slowly. “Good. I wish it were some other way, but Colonel Jorynst’s attitude has made this more difficult than it had to be.”

  “You mean that he can’t believe that we’re fit to command good southern men? Sir?” Feran snorted.

  “Something like that.”

  “How do you want to handle today?” asked the overcaptain.

  “Might as well start with squad-on-squad. One set of squads at a time, so the others can watch. Alternate. Your first squad against first squad of Twenty-eighth, second squad against second squad of Thirty-fifth until we go through five drills. Then, we’ll take a break. Say a half glass, but we’ll see. Then, we’ll reverse the order…Your first squad against the first squad of Thirty-fifth…That will mean your men have to work twice as hard.”

  “They can handle that.”

  Alucius remained on the gray, watching and waiting as Deotyr and Jultyr formed up their companies, then rode forward.

  “Twenty-eighth Company, present and accounted for, sir.”

  “Thirty-fifth Company, present and accounted for, sir.”

  “Fifth Company, present and accounted for, sir,” added Feran.

  Alucius accepted the reports with a nod, then said, “Good morning, Overcaptain, captains.”

  “Good morning, sir.”

  “We’ll be doing squad-on-squad drills this morning…” As Alucius explain
ed, he studied the three officers. “…and once we’ve had a run-through of the first five skirmishes, the men will get a break, while I debrief you on each squad’s performance. Then, you’ll get some time to work out things with each squad and squad leader, and a break for rations and water. Then, we’ll go through another set of squad-on-squad skirmishes…” As he finished the outline of the day’s training exercises, it seemed to Alucius that Jultyr’s attitude combined understanding with resignation. Deotyr seemed resentful and bewildered. Feran managed to conceal an ironic amusement.

  After he dismissed the captains to make ready, Alucius rode farther toward the center of the maneuver area so that he could watch more closely.

  “First squad, Fifth Company, ready, sir!” called Feran.

  “First squad, Twenty-eighth Company, ready, sir!”

  “Commence exercise!” Alucius ordered.

  He watched intently as the first squad from Fifth Company wheeled, then rode toward the first squad of Twenty-eighth Company. Within moments, most of the recent trainees were either rocked back in their saddles, had lost their rattan wands, or had suffered blows that would have been crippling had they faced lancers with real sabres. Alucius had anticipated that some additional training would be necessary, but he had not expected such a poor showing.

  He let the skirmish go on for a time, long enough that it was clear to most that those raw lancers in Twenty-eighth Company would have been slaughtered.

  Then he rode toward the swirling melee, raising his voice and projecting command, “Break it off! Now!”

  “Re-form! First squad break and re-form!” came the command from Faisyn.

  “Re-form!” echoed the squad leader from Twenty-eighth Company.

  Alucius watched, but it appeared as though all of first squad still held their wands.

  After the dust settled, and the two first squads had cleared the center area, Alucius called out. “Second squads! To the center of the field…. Commence exercise!”

  Once more, the results of the quick skirmish were overwhelmingly in favor of Fifth Company’s second squad, but the lancers of Thirty-fifth Company’s second squad generally managed to hang on to their weapons, and a few even parried or landed blows of their own.

  Alucius tried not to frown as the morning wore on, but the pattern set in the first two skirmishes held consistent for the last three. Twenty-eighth Company was hopelessly overmatched, while Thirty-fifth resembled trained raw lancers.

  As the last of the morning drills broke off and the two fifth squads re-formed, Alucius caught sight of a Southern Guard officer riding away from the maneuver field. He wasn’t certain, but he thought the man was Fedosyr, and he wondered exactly why the other had been watching the drills.

  Alucius made a mental note to himself about Majer Fedosyr as he rode toward Twenty-eighth Company, loosely formed up in the northwest corner of the field.

  He began his debrief with Captain Deotyr and the first squad leader. “Captain, squad leader…the first thing that I noticed was that too many lancers in your squad were leaning back in their saddles…” After going over the general observations, he moved on to specific points.

  Then he repeated the process with Captain Jultyr.

  After that Alucius called a break. The companies dismounted, tying their horses to the railings on the east and west sides of the maneuver field.

  Alucius turned his own gray to the northeast, where he reined up at the very north end of the railing. There he dismounted and took a long swallow from one of his water bottles. Shortly, Feran joined him.

  “What do you think?” Alucius asked the older officer.

  “Thirty-fifth Company will be all right. Jultyr’s solid. Not outstanding, but solid. Twenty-eighth Company…” Feran shook his head.

  “They’ve made it harder for us,” Alucius suggested. “Normally, you just rotate replacements into an existing company. Except for the squad leaders and captains, they’ve formed two complete companies out of trainees. So we get to train them, and when it’s all over they either get two trained and experienced companies, or they haven’t lost an existing company.”

  “Why do we always get deals like this, sir?”

  “Because a lot of the Southern Guard doesn’t like the Northern Guard. We cost them a lot of lancers and officers over the years, and they haven’t forgotten—or forgiven.”

  “Have we?” asked Feran with a laugh.

  “We haven’t forgotten, but I hope we’ve enough sense to put it behind us.” Alucius fished out some hard travel bread and chewed on it, wondering just how many more difficulties that he hadn’t anticipated would raise their heads.

  After the midday break, the afternoon skirmishes went in much the same way as the morning, except that Twenty-eighth Company’s results were even worse, with two lancers breaking their sword arms. On the other hand, Thirty-fifth Company’s three squads did a slightly better job against Fifth Company and also managed to hold discipline and a semblance of ranks.

  Alucius went through another long series of debriefs with the captains and their squad leaders, and it was well past midafternoon when he finished those and ordered the companies to form up.

  “How do you think they’ll react to today?” Feran asked.

  “You probably know better than I do,” Alucius replied. “What do you think?”

  “My guess is that the trainees—I guess they’re lancers now…they’ll start to accept the fact that they have something to learn. The captains, I don’t know. Deotyr will do what you want, but he won’t give much leadership. Jultyr…he can probably lead, but I can’t tell whether he’ll make it hard or not.”

  “It’s your job, for now, to find out and see what it will take with Jultyr,” Alucius said.

  “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  “And one other thing…” Alucius smiled tiredly. “Once everyone is formed up, I’m going to announce a complete gear inspection in one glass. That includes Fifth Company.”

  Feran smiled in return. “Fifth Company should be set. I held one yesterday.”

  “The others may be set, but…”

  “You don’t think so.”

  “I’d like to think so,” Alucius said.

  He waited for a bit longer, before ordering, “Captains, forward!”

  The three officers rode from before their companies, reining up in a line three yards short of Alucius.

  “Captains, Overcaptain.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You and your men have a glass and a half to get set for a complete mount and gear inspection outside the barracks. Uniform will be standard field dress. Gear will be full deployment equipment. That includes all officers and men in all three companies.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That will be all.”

  After the three turned their mounts, Alucius listened as they rode back to their companies.

  “…think he is…” muttered Deotyr.

  “…he’s in command, Deotyr…better realize that…” answered Jultyr. “He’s got a nasty job to do, and we’re the ones…”

  A nasty job indeed, Alucius reflected, as he turned the gray back to the stable, but nasty jobs seemed to be his legacy.

  40

  On Octdi morning, a day with hazy clouds rather than the heavy overcast of the previous day, Alucius had just led out the gray from the stable, but had not mounted. He and Feran stood by their mounts.

  “You still intend to work with Twenty-eighth Company?” Feran asked.

  “For now. You seem to be working things out with Jultyr.”

  “He’s seen enough to realize what you are. He also asked. I told him you’d entered service really young and been a militia scout, a Matrite captive, and then a squad leader, and all the militia history.” Feran smiled. “I think he was more impressed that you were a squad leader for the Matrial and escaped.”

  “If that’s what he likes, that’s fine.”

  “If I might ask…” Feran began,…“about the inspec
tions?”

  “The same as the drills. Sloppy gear in Twenty-eighth, what you’d expect of decent raw lancers in Thirty-fifth.” Alucius could sense someone coming, and he turned to see Marshal Frynkel walking alone across the paved courtyard of the post toward them. Alucius waited, hiding a smile as Feran eased away.

  “Majer?”

  Alucius looked at the marshal. “Sir?”

  “I have been talking with Majer Fedosyr. He is rather distraught about your exercises of yesterday. Most distraught, I would say.”

  “Sir?”

  “He feels that it was highly unfair to place lancers just out of training against a battle-tested company of veterans.”

  “I would agree with the majer, sir,” Alucius replied. “That was exactly why I did it. Battle isn’t a question of fairness. It’s a question of who’s more skillful and who’s better trained and better led. The sooner these new lancers understand that they’re no match for experienced lancers, the sooner they’ll be ready to listen and to learn.”

  “I had told the majer that I thought that was your rationale.” A faint smile crossed the marshal’s face. “He feels that you may have an image of all Southern Guards as being less…able.”

  While Alucius harbored some suspicions along those lines, he wasn’t about to voice them. “I don’t believe I’ve ever said or even hinted that, sir.”

  “Nonetheless, the majer is quite concerned.”

  “I appreciate his concerns, but I need to have these lancers ready to accept more rigorous training and understand why it’s necessary.”

  “In fact, the majer would like to uphold the ability of the Southern Guard in a demonstration match against you.”

  “Is that necessary?” Alucius asked cautiously. Although he’d mentioned to Feran the possibility of such a match against the best blade in the two companies, he’d decided against it as unnecessary when the skirmish exercises had turned out the way that they had.