Would an attack from farther south be more successful? Lerial decides he will have to think about that, since there is also a gully of sorts that runs down from the top of the ridge roughly a half kay south of the front of the Meroweyan position. Attacking from north of the gully could result in being trapped if the Meroweyans sweep downhill and eastward quickly enough. And to attack from south of the gully would require riding up onto the ridge. But you’d be behind them …
The other thing he notices is that there are tents set up at the rear of the Meroweyan position. Tents may be flammable, and so might their contents-another possibility to consider.
More than a glass later, Lerial and the rankers ride back past the outriders serving as sentries and into what he suspects will be a very temporary camp. Once he has dismounted and unsaddled the gelding, he walks back toward the woods, thinking. The majer wants him to set up an attack, followed by an ambush, but for any attack and ambush to be successful, second company will need more arrows. Fire arrows will suffice for the initial attack, the one to rouse the Meroweyans to come after second company, but to kill or wound armsmen will take more than that.
What about chaos-firebolts?
The only thing Lerial can think about is spreading the archers who will loose the fire arrows far enough apart that it will take a separate fireball for each, with himself amid them, close enough to divert any that might strike an archer-with the rest of the company far enough away that the chaos mages would have difficulty throwing firebolts that far. He considers the terrain once more, then returns to second company to talk to the squad leaders one by one.
Since Fhentaar appears to be the closest, Lerial seeks him out first. “What have you noticed about the Meroweyans?”
“Ser … I can’t claim to have seen much. Does seem to me that they don’t want to fight much unless they got wizards nearby. We attacked the other day. Armsmen didn’t move until fireballs were flying…”
The big squad leader doesn’t have much to add to that, and Lerial moves on to talk to Moraris, whom Lerial cannot help but think of as a would-be trader, and who confirms that opinion to some degree when he says, “They get more upset when they lose goods. Maybe their armsmen know it. Could be they’re not too anxious to stick their necks out.”
“Why do you think that?” Lerial asks in return.
“They threw fireballs last night, but none of their armsmen came very close. They just did enough so that they could claim they did something.”
Lerial finds that interesting and, also, the fact that he caught Alaynara watching the two of them, and that she did not look away when he glanced at her. Almost as if she were studying you.
Next, he seeks out Bhurl, who leads second squad, and asks for his observations.
“I can’t say that I’ve seen enough, ser, to say much. They got us outnumbered, and they just sit there. I don’t mind that, because every day they wait I can spend working with the squad.”
“Just keep doing it,” replies Lerial with a smile when he leaves.
Korlyn is waiting for Lerial. “I didn’t see anyone shadowing or trailing you this morning.”
“I’m sure more than a few were watching. What do you think of the Meroweyans?”
“The southerners don’t seem to move all that fast. They don’t like tall grass, either.”
“When did you notice that?”
“Yesterday. When they charged after us up that hill they all avoided the taller grass.”
“Do you think somewhere there are raiders who conceal traps in the tall grass? I can’t see why they’d avoid it otherwise. It’s not all that high.”
“Couldn’t say, ser.”
“How well do they ride?”
“A little better than our rankers. Not much. They don’t ride as well as Mirror Lancers. They’re not even close. They’re more like mounted foot armsmen. That’s the ones we saw anyway.”
“How is your training going?”
“They’re a little better with the sabres every day. I can’t teach them about bows. They know more than I do.”
“More than I do also,” replies Lerial with a light laugh. “I’ll let you know what the majer has in mind for us after I meet with him.”
“Yes, ser.”
After a time thinking over what he has learned from the squad leaders, Lerial sets out to find Altyrn, although that is scarcely difficult, since he is looking over his maps under the awning. The corners of the maps are weighted down with large stones to keep the brisk cold breeze from carrying them away.
“What sort of plan have you worked out?” asks Altyrn pleasantly.
“That depends on whether we can get more arrows.”
“We can spare a hundred more war arrows for you.”
“What about fire arrows?”
“How many do you want?
“Two hundred and more oil.”
“There should be that many left. How are you going to use them?”
“I think it will take a great number of fire arrows to get the Meroweyans to leave their camp. They’re relying on the chaos wizards…” Lerial goes on to explain.
When he finishes, Altyrn frowns. “I have some doubts, but the fact that it is not just your opinion, but that of rankers with some experience might lend some credence to that idea. I’d place your other three squads farther downhill…”
Lerial listens carefully.
LVII
Even in the starlight well before dawn, Lerial can see his breath as he readies the gelding for the attack, even if it is supposed to be spring. He is glad that he briefed the squad leaders around one of the cookfires the night before. The sky is clear and dark, and the stars offer little light. The company is forming up at the east end of the camp as Lerial rides to the head of the column and reins up.
“First squad ready, ser,” announces Korlyn.
In turn, the other three squad leaders report their readiness.
“Company! Forward!”
Lerial has positioned Gherst and Vominem as outriders only about ten yards ahead. There is little point to putting them much farther out, not in the darkness, and not when he is likely to be able to sense any body of riders or armsmen.
Lerial leads second company well to the east before heading south, making a wide circle so that they can come up behind the Meroweyan position from the southeast, but on the south side of the gully running down from the ridge. Should they be detected, there is more than enough open ground to the east and the south, but the gully will protect them from being attacked from the north. He has also decided against using a concealment, trusting to the darkness to provide a certain cover. Besides, he isn’t so sure that his use of a concealment might not have alerted the Meroweyan wizards.
By the end of another half glass, second company is moving slowly up the gradual slope on the southeast corner of the triangular ridge. Lerial can sense sentries ahead, but they are only set out a hundred yards or so from the rear of the Meroweyan encampment.
Because wizards are watching? Or for some other reason?
When he judges that second company is somewhat less than a half kay from the sentries, he orders a halt, then gives another order. “Squad one, squad two, and squad three. Take your positions.”
Although there is some murmuring and shuffling, and whuffing of mounts, Lerial doubts the sounds have carried upslope to the sentries, but he watches and listens, and gathers in his senses about the sentries, who walk slowly back and forth. There is no change in their behavior.