"Preparations are proceeding smoothly," Northman said. "Do you truly believe that they'll attack?"
"Not one bit," Oliver replied, without missing a beat. "This will do more for our own peace of mind than theirs. Can all of your men ride, Northman?"
"They can," Northman said. "They've all been trained to Academy level, even if it was not the Academy in particular that they attended. They'll ride a horse, but they might not do it so well."
"Then have thirty of your men picked out," Oliver said. "Get thirty of those horses saddled and ready, and then I want you to lead them on a scouting trip."
Northman's eyes shone with excitement. It was an oddly childish emotion to see from a forty-something-year-old Commander. Evidently, he didn't get many opportunities to ride. "What will our objective be? Ride close to the walls and see if we can get them to waste some arrows?"
Oliver shook his head. "No. Just ride them around the bottom of the hill."
