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powder died away, although a crackling sound began to rise in the background
as Alucius and Wildebeast came over the crest of the mound, right at the north
end of the Lanachronan line. Less than a handful of Lanachronans had their
rifles aimed northward.
Alucius aimed and fired, then recocked and fired, still keeping Wildebeast
moving, if more deliberately. "Second squad! Fire at will!"
The command was unneeded, Alucius realized after he'd yelled it out, but it
probably didn't matter. He got off two& three more shots. Then he saw a
Lanachronan aiming toward a horseman who had appeared in the center of the
defending foot.
Alucius shot the Lanachronan in the back, and then took down those beside him.
Hurriedly, he kept Wildebeast moving while he fumbled more cartridges into his
magazine.
Then he wheeled Wildebeast back north, once more firing until his magazine was
empty, before unsheathing his sabre. He used it but once, before seeing, a
good half a vingt to the east, a cloud of dust, dust of a company or more of
Lanachronan horse. As his glance shifted to the thin line of second squad, he
saw Rhen pitch forward from the saddle. There were only a handful of
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Lanachronan troopers nearby, and most of them were keeping their heads down.
For the moment.
'Second squad! Withdraw! Withdraw! Follow me!" He waited but briefly, until he
saw his troopers turning their mounts, before urging Wildebeast to begin to
ride down, even more northward than before, hoping that the angle of the slope
would shield them. "Third squad! Withdraw!"
Alucius heard no commands from first squad. He turned in the saddle and yelled
out, "First squad! Regroup on second squad. Withdraw!"
There were almost no bullets chasing them as they pounded back down the hill.
Alucius thought he saw several riders that weren't his troopers trailing
behind Armon and Hansyl as his squad swept behind the windbreak.
He glanced back over his shoulder and counted, trying to take in faces and
names. There were nine immediately behind him, and then another group twenty
yards or so back.
'Slow to a fast trot!" Alucius called, once he was sure all the riders had
reached the protection of the windbreak. He wasn't about to stay around with
at least a full company of horse coming as reinforcements, not when they'd
accomplished their mission, but exhausting their mounts wouldn't help, either.
'Guess that's a good idea," came a dry voice from behind as Yular and five of
his troopers rode up behind second squad. Yular eased his mount through the
field beside the lane and then up alongside Alucius.
Alucius shook his head. "You're in command, now, acting senior squad leader
Yular. Second squad stands ready."
'You only lost one trooper. They got Vylor. Only three men from Lokyl's squad
left, they're back here with your men. Lokyl wasn't one of them." Yular
glanced back at second squad. "You didn't suffer too bad."
'We went up the side. Caught them between us and the explosions," Alucius
explained.
Yular laughed. "Did something like that, took that little ridge, just enough
cover. Figured it didn't matter how we went, just so we did. How many do you
think they have left?"
'Saw more than a company of foot& we got maybe thirty& forty. But they had
another company of horse coming in."
'Don't think we got more than twenty, thirty at the outside. They were waiting
for us."
Alucius nodded. "We were lucky."
'You mean& with their powder blowing up? Wondered how that happened?"
'I don't care," Alucius said. "I'm just glad it happened. We'd have been
chewed up."
Yular glanced back. "More than we were, you mean?"
Alucius suppressed a wince. "Much more."
'You're probably right."
The surviving troopers had almost reached the western end of the windbreak,
just short of the north-south high road, less than a hundred yards ahead.
Alucius did not sense any Lanachronans nearby, or following. That was fine
with him. He turned in the saddle. "First squad! Second squad! When we reach
the road, let third squad take the lead!" He looked back at Yular. "You're in
charge, sir."
Yular shook his head, a tight and rueful smile on his face.
Alucius looked westward, half surprised to see that the sun was just dropping
behind the trees in the distance beyond the fields on the west side of the
north-
south high road. Had the fight taken that long? Nearly two glasses? It hadn't
seemed that long.
He also realized something else. Every muscle in his body seemed to feel weak
and trembling.
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As second squad and the remnants of first squad followed him back toward Senob
Post, the smoky orange light of burning power and equipment already fading,
the acrid scent of smoke and death trailing them, Alucius could pick up the
murmurs.
'&
knows where things are& "
'& been picked off like targets if we'd gone straight up& "
'& did the mission, didn't we?& most of us came back& better than first
squad& "
'& not complaining& rather be in his squad& "
'& don't say anything then& "
Alucius had to use every bit of concentration to stay in the saddle, every
last bit. He hoped he wouldn't disgrace himself by collapsing. But he couldn't
do that.
He couldn't.
The next morning, Before breakfast, Alucius was
still shaky, but determined not to let anyone know that as the squad leaders
met with Tymal. Even the air in the open space felt warm and confining.
Tymal glanced over the nine squad leaders. "For the moment, the three troopers
in first squad will be attached to third squad. I've already let them know.
That will bring you up to full strength, Yular."
'Yes, sir."
'The scouts have reported that the Lanachronans have set up defense berms
around their main camp, and they've pulled back from the Barrow Mounds.
There's still smoke rising there." Tymal shook his head. "The first three
squads&
however it happened, the captain is grateful." The senior squad leader paused.
"She wants a personal briefing from you two, Alucius and Yular, right after
morning muster.
'Have your squads stand by, ready to mount and ride out in less than a half
glass."
'Yes, sir."
'Now& go get something to eat. You might get a midday meal, and you might not
eat for days. Make sure your men know that as well."
'Yes, sir."
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