Even the Romans appreciated their value; although Rick suspected that Publius did not understand the value of combined arms, cavalry, pikes, and archers fighting together as a unit, each covering the others' weaknesses.
Behind the archers came Tamaerthon's knights. They were impressive enough in their haughty ways, but they were not as well mounted as Drantos knights and bheromen-certainly not as well as the Roman heavy cavalry, the splendid cataphracti who'd once dominated most of this continent. Their armor wasn't as good,' either; the chivalry of Tamaerthon couldn't really take its place in the main battle line. With training they could make good scouts. He'd organized about three hundred of them into a Hussar Regiment. The rest had too much pride for that.
"You have brought mostly Tamaerthan troops," Publius said. "I see few enough of the chivalry of Drantos."
"True, my lord," Rick said. "I saw little need for more heavy cavalry. Your legions should suffice for that. Instead, the Lord Protector chose to send auxiliary troops. Light infantry and cavalry. And foragers, and wagons, and siege engineers. We will have trouble enough feeding this army as it is; why add to that trouble?"
Publius frowned. "It is the cataphracti who decide battles," he said. "Others can be useful, but the art of war consists of having heavy cavalry in the right place and using them well."
So far it does, Rick thought. I hope to change that… "Aye, my lord. But the chivalry of Drantos can hardly match your legionaries. It would seem a worthless exercise to bring them when we have more need of wagons and transport."
And I can just hear Drumold grinding his teeth at that one, Rick thought. He knows his cavalrymen are no match for Romans, not even one-on-one- certainly not in unit engagements.
"You honor us," Publius said. "But I see few enough soldiers here-"
Fewer than these defeated one of your legions, Rick thought. And did it in their first battle. Now they've got pride, and they know they can stand up to a Roman charge…
The Tamaerthan Hussars trotted by. Their nominal colonel-in-chief was Tylara; today they were led by Teuthras, one of her cousins. Tylara, after many protests, had seen the necessity of having someone completely trustworthy to hold Castle Dravan, their home. Rick sent her with most of the mercenaries, their ammunition, and weapons; the weapons were under guard of Tamaerthan Mounted Archers, and there were equal numbers of loyal Drantos and Tamaerthan troops with her. Rick had no real doubts that the dozen mercs he sent with her would remain loyal-but there was no point in tempting them.
Behind the light cavalry came engineers with siege engines, including portable ballistae and catapulta- and wagonloads of their ammunition, clay pots filled with gunpowder and potshard shrapnel.
And finally the mercs: Sergeant Major Elliot, Corporal Bisso, and a dozen troopers in camouflage coveralls and web belts, carrying rifles and grenades.
"We have brought enough, I think," Rick told Publius. "Those men alone can win any battle we might fight. Each holds a thousand men's lives in his hand."
"That is still not all of Flaminius's army."
"If you saw a thousand of your men die, suddenly and violently, for no reason you could see, while the enemy was yet a mile away, would that not be decisive?" Rick asked gently.
Publius shuddered. "Indeed."
And you're wondering how much of that to believe, aren't you? Well, you'll find out soon enough.
They were five days march into territory claimed by Flaminius. There had been no battles; only an endless series of minor crises, decisions to be made, looters to be punished- "We come as liberators and allies, not as thieves and enemies!" Rick had thundered to his army; but if the military police weren't watching, the soldiers would take anything they could carry. Chickens, pigs, sheep, cattle; it didn't matter, if it were edible they'd soon have it.
At least they weren't setting fire to things; and after Rick hanged two men, the rapes stopped. Of course there were the ambiguous cases, where the girl's relatives claimed rape while the trooper claimed seduction; those had to be settled as they came up, generally in favor of the trooper if he had half a story.
"Nobody ever got raped in an upper bunk," Rick remembered as a judgment of an American military court; if the girl didn't appear abused, the same principles applied here.
They rode on. Toward evening, Corporal Mason came in, followed by a score of his Mounted Archer MP's. "More trouble, Captain," he said in English.
"How?" Rick asked wearily.
"Clan Calder types. They're still talking."
Dughuilas's clan. Rick could guess what they were saying. That the forces of Tamaerthon were led by a coward, a man who'd struck their clan chief in battle, but had never faced an enemy man to man.
"Anyone in particular?" Rick asked.
"No sir. I kept an eye on Dwyfyd, but it don't seem to be him."
Dwyfyd was Dughuilas's eldest son; now he had the name Dughuilas as well, although not everyone used it yet. They would, eventually; for the moment there was talk about this twenty-year-old who'd inherited the leadership of one of the largest clans. He was a good friend to Tylara's brother Balquhain, which might help, and then again might not.
"No suggestions as to who killed Chief Dughuilas?" Rick asked.
Mason shook his head. "Most reckon that a man who goes to whorehouses often enough is eventually gonna get something he didn't want."
"Too right."
"Here come the Hussars," Mason said. "I'll go."
"No, stick around for the report."
"Okay, if you say so."
The light cavalry officers rode in. Today the force had been headed by Balquhain, Teuthras, and Drumold himself.
"Hail, Mac Clallan Muir," Rick said formally.
"Hail, son-in-law."
"Any sign of Marselius?"
"None. Nothing but enemies. Enough of those. Skirmishers, raiders, light cavalrymen-"
"We drove them off easily enough," Balquhain said.
"At the cost of seven troopers," Drumold said. "That was no' well done, boy."
"I am no boy," Balquhain protested. "And since what hour has Mac Clallan Muir counseled retreat when we have not yet fought? We drove them away, and we killed nearly a score. A small victory-but it was victory."
"Headstrong, headstrong," Drumold said. "Lad, lad, do you not yet realize, the important thing is to win the battle. Not these tiny fights that are no more than tournaments! They do us nae good at all. Is this not so, Lord Rick?"
"We need all the light cavalrymen we have," Rick said slowly. "And we need information more than small victories…"
"It is no surprise that you would say that," a young officer said.
"Tethryn!" Drumold said sharply.
Tethryn. Dwyfyd's youngest brother, another young lordling of Clan Calder.
"That was not well said," Balquhain said. "The Lord Rick has strange ways, but he wins victories…"
"Men who fight win victories," Tethryn said. "Wizards have other ways." He wheeled and rode away.
Rick rode with Drumold back to his camp after they had supper with Publius. They rode in silence for a while through a light drizzle. Drumold had sent their guards a few lengths away so they could talk without being overheard, but then he said nothing for a long time.
Finally he drew closer. "Did my daughter put some new worm in your guts, Rick? Or is it the old one eating at you?"
"The old one. They're all certain I'm a coward. I have to show them. But how?"
"You've no need, lad. We know-"
"You, perhaps." And perhaps not. "Not the others. I've got to do something. But I can't get within twenty stadia of the fighting!"