Gregory resumed his seat, a touch of nerves in his gut. He had every faith in his men, but he couldn’t help them with this. After Jenn had spoken so highly of him and his men, he felt even more pressure.
“They’ll be here shortly, Pettit,” Ruzi said. “How do you think they will do with just your lieutenant to lead them?”
“Davis is a veteran, sir. He can lead them in my stead. I think they’ll do enough that they’ll easily place in the top ten, but I’d bet good money on the top five.”
“That confident?” Ironhand asked.
“They’ll pull all the wounded out with them,” Gregory said. “I know how you penalize that from sitting here. They’ll move as a unit engaged in war, sir. Like my wives have done, expect scouts who will lead the way for the others. They don’t have me there to assist them, so it’s not like I can do what my wives did to make things easier.”
“If you were there, you’d know what traps to avoid,” Zhu said. “You don’t see that as too much of an advantage?”
“It wouldn’t be any more than my wives did, sir.”
“A valid point,” Ruzi agreed. “You’d carve through the footmen, as well, the way your wife did.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t I if I was leading them in combat?”
“Only physical enhancement magi lead from the front,” Ironhand said.
“And foresight, sir,” Gregory shrugged. “Why would I not do all I can?”
“You should always do all you can,” Ruzi nodded. “We did not expect your wives to break the course so thoroughly. Did you use foresight when running your course with them?”
“On occasion, sir. Mostly, I didn’t. It made us all work harder, which is good. The hard paths make the best magi… if they survive.” Gregory added the last three words after an audible pause.
“Lighthand said many wise things,” Ironhand nodded.
The gates to the course area opened and Gregory’s men marched in. The sun glinted off their naginatas and armor, and each carried their full pack with them. The judges began to make notes while the staff explained the rules of the course to Davis.
“Still odd seeing empire troops in Buldoun armor,” Ruzi said. “I know it came from your winning the tournament, but it scrapes my nerves, as if our armor isn’t good enough.”
“Like Jenn’s men, sir, it’s all enchanted. I wasn’t going to turn down such a lavish gift. If someone had given me the same in standard empire armor, I would have used it, but that is the best armor I could equip them in.”
“Be prepared for some scorn for it,” Zhu said. “My clan uses whatever the best we can get is, which mostly means Buldoun gear. We put up with snide comments for our trouble.”
“Your armor was not like theirs. It was clearly custom-made,” Ironhand said.
“Aether’s Shield, sir. Mistress Nightsong made it for me. The same with my wives’ armor.”
“But yours is more like the Imperial Guard than theirs,” Ruzi said. “Yukiko’s armor was only leather. Jenn’s, at least, had more protection than that.”
“Mistress Nightsong said they would be the best she could make for us based on our fighting styles.”
“She’s an expert at that,” Ironhand said. “My personal armor comes from her, too. Like yours, it is a full suit intended to keep me on the field as long as possible.”
“Ah, they are ready,” Ruzi said, cutting off their conversation. “Let us see what your men have learned, Pettit.”
The whistle came a moment later, signaling the start. Glasson and his squad rushed ahead of the others. They held their naginatas angled across their bodies with both hands. Not only did it help them make sure not to drag the weapon, it would allow them to attack instantly if they needed to.
“A whole squad of partial panther eurtiks?” Zhu chuckled. “I was surprised when seeing them march, but this makes sense now. Your scouts are chosen well if they can move even half as quietly as their kin.”
The first obstacle was rope squares, making the men high-step to place a foot into each square. The entire squad did it at a run, their heads up to scan for trouble.
“They have the balance, at least. They’re also carrying the naginata correctly to not get them snagged on the ropes.”
Gregory continued to watch the scouts as they hurried on to the next obstacle: the thin walking beam. Again, the naginata came into play as the men extended their weapons horizontally, using it to help them pass quickly over the pit.
“Definitely have balance,” Ironhand chuckled.
Gregory looked back at the rest of his unit, who were working through the ropes. A proud smile came to him as he watched them. They could’ve cut the ropes; after all, they’d been told it was war. Why wouldn’t they brush aside simple traps if they could? But instead, they trooped through the ropes with all the skill they’d learned on their own course.
His gaze went back to the scouts, who’d just reached the platform trap where Yukiko had taken her hostage. Some of the panels were supposed to drop the person on them into the pit underneath. His scouts slowed briefly to smash their naginatas into each platform before stepping onto it. Any platform that would’ve fallen hinged open when they hit them. The last scout turned and gashed the solid ones with an “X”.
“Finding the trail…” Ironhand murmured. “Even if the panels are pushed up, it won’t matter. The markings tell their unit which ones are safe.”
“Smartly done,” Ruzi nodded as he made a note. “Did your lieutenant tell you that, Pettit?”
“No, sir. Lighthand did. I’ve read some of his journals.”
“He loved to explain how and why in his notes,” Ironhand chuckled. “Mind you to not take things at face value when you read the later journals, if you can find them, Pettit.”
“Yes, sir,” Gregory replied. He knew why the elder had said that— Lighthand was not shy about his displeasure with Emperor Toja for not giving thanks to Aether for the victories. The last few journals went so far as to be near traitorous in how Lighthand had viewed the Divine Emperor.
“I’ve read some,” Ruzi snorted. “He became arrogant to a fault. No one should speak of the emperor the way he did.”
Gregory shut the conversation out as he went back to watching his men. They were doing exactly as they should, and he was proud of them.
Obstacle after obstacle was defeated, with only one scout getting “injured” when he slipped off a balance trap. The other scouts put him onto a stretcher, then left him for the others to collect when they got there.
The last obstacle was the one every unit had faced: the three squads of footmen. Gregory could see the determination and anger on the faces of the regular army from where he sat. The waiting men held shields and gladiuses; they were formed up in ranks while they waited, as the scouts had stopped just short of entering. When the scouts started digging in their packs, the footmen backed all the way up so nothing thrown would reach them, then tied cloth around their mouths and noses.
“It seems the footmen do not wish a repeat,” Zhu snickered. “It is a little unfair to Pettit’s men, but that’s war. The experienced men were prepared.”
“Are they?” Gregory chuckled.
“Explain,” Ruzi said.
“The scouts stopped,” Ironhand said. “When the footmen retreated, they stopped going through their packs for a few seconds. They’re back at it now, but why?”
“Pettit, explain,” Ruzi said again.
“My men carry crossbows, sir,” Gregory said. “You’ve ignored them, as no other unit reliably carries them. They are digging out the practice bolts in their bags so they don’t kill the footmen. When the rest of the unit gets there, the scouts will hand off the practice bolts so every man will have the right ammunition. Half of them will aim high, and the rest will aim low. Then, they’ll rush in, letting the crossbows drop onto the slings affixed to their packs.”
The trio of older men were shocked. “Your lieutenant?” Zhu asked.
“Lighthand,” Ironhand replied before Gregory. “‘The Coltus Rush’?”
“Yes. I don’t understand why it’s not used more often, other than that the crossbows might be lost if the slings break, or the possible damage to them until they’re re-secured. This war is all about this single battle. My men will take every advantage.”
“The cost is why, as you stated,” Ironhand nodded. “You’re willing to incur those costs just for an easier fight here?”
“Davis is. I gave him a single order: treat it like war. He didn’t entirely, as your course is still mostly intact. I’d have cut the ropes at the start instead of doing what they did. He could’ve had the scouts nail posts into your beams to help the rest of the unit. Glasson must’ve thought it wasn’t needed. It did cost us a single wounded man, but that’s fine. It sped up the run by not taking the time to do it.”
Zhu started laughing. “Pettit, please leave your clan. I want you in the Hardened Fist, you and your wives. I’ll take all four of you. I’ll put you together as a company so you’re always together.”
Gregory didn’t answer right away; he watched his scouts turn their backs to the footmen to obscure what they were going to do. “Sir, if you’d made that offer when I was a novice, I’d have taken it. Lightshield did, but things had to change, as I ended up with three wives instead of just Yukiko. Now, though… We have too many friends in Aether’s Guard for us to walk away from them. I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” Zhu sighed. “Damned foresight. He knew what he was getting… of that, I have no doubt.”
“He did,” Ironhand said with certainty. “Lightshield only moved when he was sure. Must’ve been the fact that you also had foresight that brought you to his attention.”
The unit came jogging up to the scouts. Their crossbows came unslung and bolts were quickly distributed. The footmen had less than a minute of warning before the entire unit started forward as a wall. Once they were sure that the practice bolts would fly true, the command came to fire. True to Gregory’s prediction, some went high, and some went low.
The first set of casualties dropped to the ground as the second set of bolts were fired. A couple more footmen went to their knees, having to play the part of wounded or dead. The men released their crossbows, picking their naginatas back up as the unit charged.
“They’d plant their weapons if they had metal blades, wouldn’t they?” Ruzi asked.
“Yes, sir, but for this, they had to set them down. The footmen couldn’t have crossed fast enough for it to be a problem,” Gregory replied.
The ensuing fight was brief and lopsided, as there was only a single squad of unwounded footmen. Gregory’s men struck them down due to numbers and reach, with not a wound among them.
Zhu stared at the timer. “Say when they cross, General.”
Ruzi grunted, watching the men get just close enough to “kill” the wounded footmen before the whole unit took off at a fast jog for the exit, the fastest the two carrying the guard on the stretcher could go.
“Time,” Ruzi said.
“Third fastest, behind his wives,” Zhu started laughing.
“I am unsurprised and shocked at the same time,” Ironhand snorted. “Go, Pettit. Take command of your unit. Tomorrow is the banquet. That will be explained when you are sent for.”
“Yes, sir,” Gregory stood. He bowed to them, even though they were writing and not looking his way.
With a grin, Gregory took off at the same jog his men had used when on the course. He had many things to say to them; they deserved all the praise he had for them.
~*~*~
Gregory got there just in time to hear the restrictions of no talking to other units. The men were lined up in their ranks, waiting to go when the sergeant who’d been explaining it to them turned to leave.
“Men, on my command,” Gregory said as he got to the front of the unit. He positioned himself next to Davis, then called out, “March!”
As they left the walled obstacle course, Gregory muttered to Davis, “I don’t know the way.”
“I’ve got it, sir,” Davis murmured back.
The course was on the far side of the campgrounds from their unit’s camp. That had the sun closing on the horizon by the time they circled around. Gregory’s eyes flickered to where Yukiko’s and Jenn’s men were drawn up, saluting them as they approached.
“Company, eyes left,” Gregory commanded.
His men stayed in perfect step as they’d been trained to do. They looked left, then saluted while they kept marching. Gregory waited until he was sure they were past Jenn’s men to get his men to look forward again. That put them back in their camp, where Barny was almost done cooking dinner.
“Company, halt!” Gregory barked.
Turning back to face his unit, Gregory stared down the columns of guards standing at attention. With measured steps, he walked down the line of men, then back up the far side, looking them over as he went. Coming back to the front, he nodded slowly.
“Today, you did what we’ve trained to do,” Gregory began. “I’m sorry I was kept from being there to lead you, but I was gratified to see you excel. I saw all the units that ran today, including my wives’ men. Your dedication and training were clear to the judges. Be proud of what you achieved today.”
He paused as he bowed formally to all of them.
“I can say that, out of today, you finished the third fastest,” Gregory went on. “We were only behind our fellow units of Aether’s Guard, both of whom had their magi with them. What you did was entirely on your own, and for that, you should be celebrated.”
Gregory paused as he looked over to where Barny was cooking.
“Tonight, I will show you my thanks,” Gregory continued when he looked back at his men. “I’ve held a few things back, knowing that you would earn them. Everyone will get a full cup of uncut wine. After we eat dinner, there will be a collection of desserts available. Hopefully, there’s something everyone can enjoy.”
Smiles broke out among the men. Gregory had proven time and again that he would reward them for doing their best, and tonight’s would be the most he’d done yet.
“More than that,” Gregory continued, “tomorrow night is a banquet. We’ll be informed more about it later, but I expect it to be the grand banquet where the judges will tell everyone who the best units were. I want you on your best behavior for that. The judges will be there, and we cannot let ourselves lapse into disgrace right at the end of this year.”
Resolve filled their eyes, as no one wanted to be responsible for ruining their achievements so far.
“I don’t worry about that, not with you. For now, we celebrate as a unit. Clean up and meet back here. Dismissed!”
