The beating of the drums began to echo throughout the valley as whole brigades of men began to form into marching columns. The beaming sun reflecting off of the freshly cleaned rifles. The roads soaked with rain became a slurry of mud slowing the men who marched to the former location of the 6th brigade. Sitting straight in his saddle Henri watched as his men passed his small group of men. Along the side was the squadron of dragoons as well as major Lauder.
Henri observed the men who looked at him with wonder and puzzlement when general Wilcox and his staff arrived. His staff carried the national colors that fluttered in the gentle breeze. However, what caught his eyes were the brigade banner that fluttered along it. He saw the banner of the 5th along with the newly sewn 7th brigade banner.
“A gift, Dubois, from General York. We had the camp followers make something really quick.” Henri’s eyes widened with surprise. His mouth was a gape staring at the fluttering banners. The banner was new; however, he noted that it was made from a patchwork of multiple fabrics. He simply smiled. “I must pass along my thanks then.” Wilcox smiled, revealing yellowed teeth. “That will have to wait. We must be going. I gave my men a quick speech. That is to say they are ready to go.” Henri nodded “I plan to give it when they finish forming here.” Wilcox nodded and handed the banner to Charles who took it with a smile.
Riding off Charles looked at the silk banner that flowed with the quickening wind. “What a lovely piece. I believe I see my undergarments in there.” An aide laughed, however, quickly stopped as Henri shot a piercing gaze. “Don’t be too uptight, sir. I am honored the camp mothers would use my underwear for the banner.” Charles mouth was beaming at the banner. Henri stared at the flapping banner noting the pristine white along with the red seven in the center on top of the green clover.
Among the aides some were smiling, talking about finally having a brigade signifier. Henri turned his horse around to see the brigade formed up. Some of the men stared at him, others talking amongst themselves, and some staring at the ground down casted. Henri focused his look on those broken men. He noted that the men were mostly from the 17th yet he saw Scott who looked at him with a smile. However, he noted the lack of warmth in them. He nodded his head towards Scott before he began to speak.
“Men, listen to me.” He looked at them. Now they all were looking at him, almost less than three thousand men. “I am sure you’ve heard the news. That our right flank had been destroyed. That general Eclaire is missing. That an imperial legion is advancing on Aubsberg.” Henri stared at the men making sure to see the shame and fear settle in their eyes. “We shall not let that happen.” The men perked up a mixture of understanding, confusion, and still fear, staring at him. “We along with the 5th brigade shall attack the rear of the imperials. We shall defeat them. Otherwise...” He trailed off looking at Scott who nodded in understanding. “Otherwise, your family shall be taken, your fathers and brothers killed. Your mothers and daughters raped by these imperial bastards.”
Some of the men began to whisper. “What the hell is he on about?” “Do you think the city will fall?” “What is even the point?” Henri overheard an overlapping chorus of voices. Before Charles rode up firing a pistol into the air bringing silence back. Henri straightened his back before he continued “We shall be the vanguard that shall blunt the imperial advance. We shall save Aubsberg from destruction. We shall regain our honor.”
Scott looked towards his men and began to whisper words that were undecipherable to Henri. However, whatever Scott had said must have affected the men. He noted that they were the first to have fire in their eyes. He continued from there. “If we fail. The imperials will have access to the golden plains. Do you understand what that means?” A soldier no older than his late teens raised a hand. His freckled face pale from the thought. “Starvation?” Henri nodded “your families starving this coming winter, your rations diminishing, your liquor rations forgone.” At the last few words. Most of the soldiers began to froth at the mouth in anger.
Henri turned to look towards Charles whose mouth was open in confusion and disappointment. “They really got angry about liquor?” An aide who held the brigade banner smiled at Henri before speaking. “That’s the only way to have fun around here, boss. Either they have to deal with the impending knowledge of complete boredom or drunk after a hard day of marching and drilling. You’d drink to, sir.” Henri laughed at the words. He held himself in his saddle as even his horse whinnied in humor. Henri turned back to the brigade who looked at him with more confidence. “I would like to present one more thing. Straight down from General York. This here,” unfurling the brigade banner, “is the new banner of the 7th brigade.” He noted that the men stared at the silk banner with reverence. Some began to kneel in prayer.
Henri turned to see that the silk banner was caught with the sun right behind it. Charles noted the religious connotations and passed said knowledge to Henri who beamed at the thought that the goddess would bless his brigade. Henri flicked his wrist letting the banner flutter in the wind. “We march in an hour prepare yourselves.” At that the men began to break off into readied columns. Flutes and drums within the brigade began to beat out marching songs. Their musical notes lifting into the air. Henri turned his horse to see Wilcox smoking a pipe waiting for him down the road.
Getting the horse to a canter he rode. “I see you got the men riled up; however, I noted that the threat of liquor cuts seemed to have upset the men more than the use of one’s right to defend home.” Henri was about to speak before Charles cut him off. “Well, sir. I am afraid to say that most of the regiments that were amalgamated to the 7th are mostly from Karlsburg. I would say that Aubsberg is the last thing on their mind save the 17th. Now liquor was a more important motivator than say defense of another city.” Wilcox sucked on his pipe eyeing Charles up and down. Wilcox stared at Charles to gauge Henri’s second in command. He then turned to Henri “I see. Well, at least you got it handled. My brigade will advance now. I want your men to follow closely. I heard you say an hour. That’s good.”
Henri saluted Wilcox as he turned his horse to return to the 5th brigade. Charles following in suit leaned towards Henri after he had left. “I don’t like him one bit, sir. Something about him doesn’t sit right with me.” Henri turned to Charles mouth open to say something but quickly closed it. “He might be right about Wilcox” Henri thought. “Let's form the brigade by regimental strength.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Henri rode down the column kicking up mud as he cantered. He saw the 17th Aubsberg taking the lead looking at Scott who nodded his way as he spoke to his men on foot. Followed by the 3rd, 5th, and 24th Karlsberg foot. Henri noted that the men from Karlsberg were large. Towering giants that reached six feet tall, burly men, probably due to their city’s main trade of lumber. Finally, there was the combined remnants of the 4th, 7th, and 67th Vernberg foot combined to a single regiment. Henri, however, noted that the brigade had lost its four twelve pounder guns. Yet, fate or general York’s foresight had proved useful.
Henri saw as four guns along with forty men a top horses rode towards him. Their leader a man in a light grey coat with a red sash along his waist saluted Henri. “Name’s captain Isaac Farthingale. I bring four ten-pound rifle guns.” Henri looked at captain Farthingale noticing a thin slash across his cheek. The captain saw Henri stare and coughed. “Got this in school, sir. I flirted with another man’s fiancée my fault. However, I was challenged.” Henri raised an eyebrow inquiring further. The captain smiled “he challenged me to a duel over her. When I apologized and informed him that I wasn’t aware that she was betrothed. He insisted we fight with blades. He caught me off guard, but I got him in the end.”
Henri simply nodded hearing about the scar. His eyes lingering on the sword that sat on Farthingale's waist. “Set up near the 5th in the order of march. We shall begin moving shortly.” Isaac saluted Henri with a smile.
Henri picked at his pockets removing a silver watch. Opening it he sees the intricate thin metal hands displaying the time, 8:59. Henri turned to his staff. “Give the order to begin marching.” In their horses like a well-oiled machine, they galloped to the respective regiments to give the order. In a manner of seconds, the beating of the drums. The whistling of flutes filled the air. A soft breeze pushed the backs of the men to march forwards. The hour waiting had caused the wet muddy ground to hardened slightly from a wet slurry to a soft clay.
The brigade marched with Henri coming and going along the line to check on the officers. Henri tried to hide his concerns; however, Charles had noted Henri’s anxious eyes every time they left a regiment to check on another. “General?” Charles said “I think you are over stressing the situation.” Henri snapped his head towards Charles. “Colonel, we have captains leading regiments and a single colonel in charge of one. We are advancing to meet an imperial legion that would usually number three legions. I think we ought to be a bit cautious.” Charles looked down avoiding Henri’s eyes. “Well, sir. I recommend you relax, because if you were to be unable to coherently lead. Then we would be all doomed.” Henri turned away taking a deep sigh. A slight wind blowing past his nose. A hint of rain. “Damnit” he thought.
Henri looked forward seeing the dust cloud of the 5th brigade ahead of him. He then saw Harry riding back and forth with a squad of dragoons. An idea began to form in his mind turning to an aide. He called for Harry to meet him with his squadron formed on the side of the road. After a moment a small dust cloud formed as the hundred-eighty members of the squadron formed in line formation two ranks deep.
Upon arriving to the dragoons. Harry gave a crisp salute to Henri who returned the gesture in kind. “Major, I need information. I know Wilcox is a head of us, but I want you to flank his right, finding paths big enough where a regiment may pass through.” Harry looked at Henri curiously, his head tilted. Until it had dawned on him. “There are small hamlets across this area. There is a possibility that the imperials had attacked them and passed. Our speed means we can flank their rear sowing chaos.” Henri looked at Harry with the same look of confusion, but agreed wholeheartedly. “Perfect. I do not expect you to defeat a large imperial force, but to exhaust them.” Harry saluted and called his men to follow him.
Henri stood there for a moment before turning to an aide to look for general Wilcox to at least inform him of a change of plans. Riding ahead of his brigade he turned to see Scott marching with his men. Seamus trying but ultimately failing to convince him to ride his horse. “Colonel, darling, would you kindly mount the horse the army had provided for you. It does a field officer no good to toil around in the dirt and dust of the enlisted.” Scott turned to look at Seamus, “but the lieutenants and ensigns are good enough?” Seamus was flustered for a bit before seeing Henri. “General, sir, could you order the good colonel to mount his horse. I think he isn’t well. You know the heat that is setting in.” Henri shot an inquisitive look at Scott who waved the look off.
Before Henri could speak to Scott, general Wilcox arrived. “Make it good Dubois, I sighted an imperial horse force in front of us, dismounted infantry.” Henri conveyed what he orders Harry to do which caused Wilcox to sigh. “You gave up your cavalry force to flank our enemy? That’s fine with me. However, I cannot spare any forces from my horse reserve.” Henri nodded his head. “That will be fine Wilcox. I would...” A tired dragoon came galloping forward.
The two generals turned in their saddle to look at the man. “General, sir. I bring word from Major Lauder. On the right flank we blunted an imperial regiment. They are the 52nd Oberstein regiment. We wounded them but require assistance.” Wilcox turned to look to Henri. “You’ll deal with this Dubois; I fear that the force in front of us may be the main force. So, deploy your force as you see fit. Just make sure my flank isn’t overturned.” Wilcox forced his horse to the gallop riding towards his brigade. Henri turned to still see the dragoon a top his horse. “One more thing, sir. We found three passes. One where the major is currently fighting. The other two flank the imperial right.” Henri saluted the dragoon calling an aide to his side. “Bring me Farthingale and Keyes.”
After a moment the two officers galloped to meet Henri. “Captain, colonel. Hear my orders. Colonel takes your regiment to reinforce major Lauder at the pass, follow this dragoon. Captain takes two of your guns to reinforce the pass. You are under Colonel Keyes command until said otherwise. Bring your remaining guns here they shall be with me. Understood?” Henri looked between the two men who simply salute and agree. Before they ride to their respective forces.
Henri then turned to Charles. “Colonel, I want you to lead a detachment of the 3rd, 5th, and 24th to the center pass. To flank the imperial force. Tie them down so they do not continue. Ruin them. Buy us time. Take the two guns when they arrive here.” Charles twirled his mustache before gripping his riding crop. He nods simply and gallops off. Henri turns to another aide “bring the Vernburg regiment here. Now.”
Henri watched from a top his horse as over 2,700 men march towards their respective locations. He watched as Scott atop his own chestnut horse leads the 17th along with the two guns of captain Farthingale. Then he heard the combined drums of three regiments marching in attack column to his right. As they fade away into the thick forest on his right. He saw the Vernburg regiment. Which had three regimental flags within it. They stood not the picture of dress and disciplined but a ready force. Henri looked forwards to hear the 5th brigade advancing and fighting.
