POV Smith
"We'll sir, you see I've been trying to tell you. There's this host of soldiers blocking the road ahead that ain't letting us through."
I thought back to my colorful conversation with the adventures two hours before as I looked at the garrison holding the road. Two days ago we'd made it known where our allegiance truly laid when 3rd brigade took the border villages.
2nd Brigade had marched at the double time along the banks of the Lobau to secure the crossings. As of last night they still had one more crossing to secure.
As for the progress of 1st and 3rd brigades… quick was an understatement. Thirty seven miles in three days. Four small clashes with scouts and the surrender of almost six hundred soldiers. I'm sure the secessionists didn't expect to be attacked on the day of their proclamation. Much less to lose so badly.
I stared at the small force blocking the road. The 'host' of soldiers. It was barely two companies worth of men. This would be little more than a skirmish. But it was the most sizable force we'd come across so far… well one of the lords had a manor nearby… So maybe this was the garrison?
I ordered Tullio to engage the enemy as she saw fit and sat astride my horse as I watched the 1st battalion march in their assault columns. It was a bit of a one sided rout.
The adventures looked on with disgust. Most of them hated that they were facilitating a war, but as I hadn't violated their contract or the guild's strict codes… they were stuck if they wanted payment. If they wanted to keep their advance pay they were stuck as well. Leave it to my brother to create a monster contract for simple reconnaissance work. At least it was cheaper than hiring a mercenary company to do the same work, though barely less.
The enemy was driven off in barely an hour. Casualties were lower than I expected, about thirty on our side for almost seventy of theirs. Most broke and fled with all haste, but a third of them were taken prisoner.
I looked at the prisoners, among them were two knights, easily distinguishable by their plate armor. They spat at the ground as I approached.
"Well… what's your name, rank, and unit?" The sergeant in charge tried taking their details.
"I will not speak to a lowborn." She glared at me.
I shrugged and turned to the sergeant. "You heard them… follow the regs, strip them of arms and armor and set them loose."
"You! Barbarian!" They screamed. I nodded to the sergeant to set about the detail and I made my way back to Tullio.
"Sir, the prisoners are from the 11th regiment. Their lady has placed them as a block force as the rest of the regiment gathers at a manor four miles west of here."
"Then we'll crush them… send a messenger to Knightess Isser to regroup with us… where's a map? Here, south of Kisel." I directed my brigaders to mass their forces. I sent off a messenger to Isser and moved with Tullio towards the rendezvous.
The midday sun beat down upon the advancing columns, the jangle of metal clasps on breastplates and the soft groaning of leather as the infantry marched filled the air. Standards waved at the head of the battalions, only the standard of the 1st was decorated with a single golden line. It was their battle honor from Bauerdorf.
By just after midday the brigade occupied the heights east of Kisel, in the far distance to the west Isser's brigade could be seen marching out of a wooded road and towards its sister brigade. I smiled, pleased with how this untested army of mine was operating so smoothly. Training, good discipline, and competent leadership. I looked north, and in the middle distance I could see the manor or the lord or lady or whoever. Arrayed along the south and east of the manor was the regiment, even from here the pink standards of the 49th were plainly visible.
"Sir?" Tullio approached with her staff and opened her spyglass.
"Give the men an hour, then move to probe the 11th's right. Try to turn them." I instructed. I waved a messenger over.
"Inform Isser to let her men rest for a few hours before moving across the country to attack the manor from the west." The messenger saluted and mounted a horse and galloped off to the west.
"Sir, where will you command from?" Tullio asked.
I chuckled and grinned. "From the front."
"The front sir!?!" Tullio whipped her head around, as did most of her staff.
I rubbed the pommel of my sword with a sinister smile. "Drive me closer, for I wish to hit them with my sword…"
"… I must protest…"
"Fear not, I'll not be killed so carelessly by such amateurs in war. I'll stay with the first wave at least." I chuckled.
So it was three hours later under the evening sun, surrounded by the men and women of fox company, 1st battalion. Their commander was a veteran soldier I'd promoted myself. Captain Lotara Sarrin, she held promise as did her soldiers. Least of whom was the prince masquerading as a cadet. I looked over the ranks of the picked company.
I dropped off my horse and made my way to Sarrin and nodded. "Show them what the 86th is made of captain."
"Fox! Who are we?" She hollered.
"The first to fight!" The company screamed back.
I chuckled as the orders were passed to move forward.there was an enthusiasm in the air that reminded me of the good old days, back in my old unit… the company lurched forward, with the battalion as a whole following slightly behind. I grinned, not five hours ago these same soldiers had successfully assaulted a held position with minimal losses, but here they were now after a four mile march about to do it again. Hell yeah.
I peered ahead at the enemy, their whole regiment was barely the size of a battalion, yet the best I had to offer was now bearing down on them. Their pink and white uniforms contrasted greatly with the blue and white of my own troops.
As the two lines came together in a great roar, the pikes of the 1st presented a veritable forest of death, in turn it was faced with spears and swords, clubs and maces, halberds and knives. They fought savagely, racing forward to get through the piles, some resorted to throwing the corpses of the fallen coward to weigh the pikes down. But there were always more. Passed forward to fill the gaps.
The ground became slick with blood. My own footing became unsure as I urged the men forward. A pike fell into my own hands as the woman in front of me slipped and didn't rise quickly. I quickly resorted to the training regimes I'd drilled the regiment in. I grabbed the pike and thrust forward, the end buried itself in the chest of a charging foe.
Another slipped past the corpse embedded on the pike before I could wrench it free. Dropping the pike I used the scant distance to draw my blade and thrust it through their chest. I kicked the lifeless corpse away and set about felling the enemy with a righteous fury.
I heard a cry of dismay erupt from before me, looking past the front ranks I could see Isser's troops advancing, pikes lowered, a company having been detailed to set the manor ablaze. I grinned… This battle was over.