Table of Contents – (spoilers)
Back at the stables, Choke took Peep, Pinch, and Knuckle out into the courtyard away from their men, Dom and Lenny, who were sitting on a bench at the side of the stables. There, he explained their assignment.
“Seriously?” Pinch griped. “Hamon and Cooper’s recruits are out there getting proper training, and yours are sleeping rough outside and digging ditches. That’s fucked up.”
“Doesn’t matter where ye are, I guess. Shit rolls downhill everywhere,” Peep said.
“To be fair,” Choke said, “Hamon and Cooper’s men are meant to be spearmen. Captain Edison has told me that he expects us to train ours up into the role of scouts and skirmishers. Ideally, we should get horses for them and provide him a platoon of light horsemen. So it is just as well they haven’t been trained as something they are not going to be. And securing Bristlehump’s fortifications is much of what they are going to be doing, so they may as well get used to working the spade.”
“Yeah, why give us any hope that we’re ever gonna be more than pieces of shit,” Knuckle said bitterly.
“It aint like that, big man,” Peep said cheerfully, clapping Knuckle on the arm. “Ye wanna be a bunch of spearmen marching lockstep into battle to be cut down like grass? Light horseman scouts is where it’s at! Things get fucked and we can fuck off. And scouting means we come and go as we please, mostly. It could be a lot fucking worse.”
“Yeah, I guess I can see that,” Pinch said. He stood thoughtful for a while before continuing: “But, we’re supposed to camp with these guys outside, right? Well, every army camp I’ve ever seen, the officers and sergeants and that always had tents, right? We’re gonna look like real dipshits rolled up in our cloaks along with all the grunts.”
“Shit! Yeah, no doubt! They gotta give us some tents!” Knuckle exclaimed.
Choke shook his head tersely. “They will be doing no such thing. It is an officer’s responsibility to provide his own equipment, as well as the extras for his men. But you are absolutely right, Pinch. We need to be properly outfitted for camp. Peep: could you take care of that please?” Choke said, pulling his coin pouch out from under his chainmail. “Head down to the church and talk to Mrs Dunn. Buy what you can from her. Whatever you can’t get at the church, get at the general store. I should have a larger tent for my headquarters. But nothing too big; we still have to haul it around. Then two two-man tents for you three. Pinch and Knuckle, you can share one, right? Then, we’ll need all the cooking gear and whatnot. A gruel pot big enough for forty. Also, we are going to need a good pack horse to haul all of it. Or a mule. So you’ll need to go to the livery to get that. Do you mind?”
“No, that’s fine,” Peep said.
“Good. Thank you,” Choke said as he handed his coin pouch over to Peep.
She winced as she took it. “I guess we should all chip in on this, since it’s a group expense, and all.”
“No, that is not necessary. As I said, it is an officer’s responsibility to provide this for this people. I am now an officer. And, as such, I am getting paid more than all of you, so I can afford it, I think.”
“Oh, shit! That’s right! We’re getting paid now! How much?” Knuckle asked with a happy grin.
“You and Pinch are making twenty-five silver a month. Peep, you get twenty. My pay is fifty,” Choke said.
“Fifty? Dood! Yar making six gold a year?”
“I know it seems like a lot, but I expect that for the people that usually become officers, it is nothing more than pocket money,” Choke said.
“Yeah, well, we aint them. Shit! If they’re paying us like that, I guess we should make an effort, huh?” Knuckle laughed.
“Yes, Sergeant, I think we should,” Choke said. “Okay, then. Peep: can you ride down to town and see to all that? Bring everything up as soon as you can. We’ll need to set up our camp. Oh. And get a good amount of stugroot as well. And a big kettle. We should make sure our men have that tomorrow morning, at the very least.”
“Sure thing, Lieutenant!” Peep said, waving her arm in front of her face in a terrible excuse for a salute.
Choke returned it properly and turned to Pinch:
“Sergeant: you stay here and mind Dom and Lenny. Sergeant Theodas,” Choke said to Knuckle, “Come with me. We are supposed to get you a scourge from the armory. It seems our captain feels you are the best one to mete out our floggings.”
“Oh, for real? Fuck! Today just keeps getting better and better!” Knuckle laughed earnestly.
“Yes, I thought you would like that. It seems Edison has a talent for delegation,” Choke said dryly. “Okay, then. Let’s get to it.”
“Yes, sir!” both Pinch and Knuckle saluted.
Choke returned the salute and led Knuckle back around to the loading area of the fort’s storehouses. In Sergeant-Major Orel’s office space by the loading bays, a corporal was sitting on a stool passing a bottle with big, burly soldier out of uniform in a tunic.
The soldier stood to attention, his eyes flaring wide as he beheld Knuckle up close for the first time.
The corporal sighed and put the bottle down under his stool before standing up into an insolent posture.
“You must be Corporal Butters,” Choke said, stopping to stand just out of lunging distance from the men.
The corporal nodded.
“I believe, Corporal, that it is customary to salute an officer, is it not?”
Corporal Butters took his time with this, but eventually straightened up to a semblance of attention and saluted Choke.
“Yes, sir,” he said.
“Thank you, Corporal. Soldier,” Choke said, saluting both as the big soldier saluted following Butters. “Now, I need into the armory, and I suppose that with Sergeant-Major Orel off on assignment, that you are the man to talk to about that, Corporal.”
“On assignment, is he? Is that what we’re calling it?” Butters sneered.
Choke stood thoughtfully for a long moment, staring at a spot just over Corporal Butters’ head. It was only when Butters began shifting uncomfortably that Choke spoke, dropping his gaze to look him squarely in the eye:
“Corporal Butters. I have made every effort to be appropriate to you, according to military custom. Have I not? Now, if you would rather not return that courtesy to me in kind, perhaps we’ll have to do things another way here. Without our uniforms and our roles in the King’s army, you know what I am. Just as I know what you are. And I can guess what this man is to you,” Choke gestured to the big soldier, “just as you know what Sergeant Theodas is to me.”
Choke let this sit for a moment before continuing:
“So, Corporal, if you would rather not adhere to the customs and courtesies of the military, then perhaps I too will forgo them. I can have Sergeant Theodas take off his uniform, so that he can stand as my good friend, Knuckle, in parity with your man here. And then you and I can have a more informal chat while Knuckle and your man do what they do.”
With this, Choke grasped his sword’s scabbard with his left hand as he gripped the hilt with his right, ready to draw.
“I know exactly what you are, Corporal,” Choke continued. “But I suspect you may have mistaken me. So shall we try this again? Corporal Butters, are you the man to talk to about getting something from the armory?”
“Yes, sir. I am. Sir,” Corporal Butters said, now standing stiffly at attention, his eyes spitting venom at Choke.
“Excellent. Sergeant Theodas has need of a scourge. Please show us what you have available.”
“Yes, sir.” Corporal Butters got a key out from his pocket and went into Orel’s office space, where he unlocked a stout box bolted to the wall. From that he took another, bigger key.
While Butters did this, Choke turned to the soldier, who was still standing at attention, sweating.
“What’s your name and rank, soldier?” Choke asked.
“Trooper Horrace, sir,” the man said. In the Royal Army of Bitina, the lowest ranked soldiers were referred to as trooper if they were not attached to a unit of specific purpose. Soldiers so attached were, for example, referred to as, spearman, footsoldier, skirmisher, crossbowman, pikeman, lancer, sapper, and so forth. Troopers were generally soldiers attached to logistical roles, such as teamsters, cooks, and general laborers.
“I suppose, Trooper, that you are out of uniform because you were engaged in some manner of physical labor. Yes? Labor that you were taking a rest from just now,” Choke said.
“Ah… Yes. Yes, sir,” Trooper Horrace said.
“Good. I suppose that your break time is over. You may return to your duties,” Choke said.
“Yes, sir,” Trooper Horrace said, saluting.
Choke returned the salute and Horrace hurried off into the nearest open storeroom.
“Shall we, Corporal? After you,” Choke said to Corporal Butters.
Butters lit a lantern and led Choke and Knuckle into the heart of the keep to a locked chamber just off the central stairwell. He unlocked the big door and let them through to the armory. It was immediately obvious that Captain Edison had not been exaggerating how the recruitment of so many new soldiers had strained the Baron’s ability to equip them. Besides about a dozen basic light-crossbows, there were almost no weapons in the armory.
However, there were a few scourges hanging on the wall, which Corporal Butters pointed out. All of them were basically the same: a simple wooden handle with about a dozen leather cords tethered to the end. The cords were about fifty centimeters in length, and tied into a series of knots near their end.
Knuckle cheerfully looked the scourges over carefully and selected the best of them. He gave the wooden wall a good smack with it. Despite his attempt to seem calm, Corporal Butters startled a little at this.
Choke and Knuckle left the armory, and waited for Butters to lock it up. Then the three of them went back to the loading bay.
“Thank you for your help, Corporal,” Choke said.
“Sir,” Corporal Butters said.
“I’ll let you get back to work. Good day to you, Corporal,” Choke said, gesturing to the liquor bottle under the stool.
“Thank you, sir,” Butters saluted.
Choke returned the salute and left the loading bay, heading back to the main courtyard. On the way, Knuckle cheerfully swung the scourge this way and that, getting a feel for it. Then he laughed and leaned Choke’s way:
“Did you just threaten that fucker’s life because he didn’t say ‘sir’ to ye? Ye’ve been hanging around Peep too long, man!”
“Yes, perhaps. But we both know who he’s mixed up with.”
“Really? Speak for yarself, sir! I don’t listen much when all ye guys are yacking on and on.”
Choke looked Knuckle’s way, looking for some sign of levity with this last statement. There was none.
“Wait. Are you serious, Knuckle? You haven’t been keeping track of what’s been going on?”
“Yeah! For sure, Choke. You say jump, I fuck up whoever ye put in front of me. What difference does it make if I know the why of it?”
Choke stopped dead and took a moment with this. Then he chuckled.
“Stron’s balls Knuckle. You are, without a doubt, one of the scariest individuals I’ve ever met.”
“Thank you, Choke. Same to you!” Knuckle laughed.
Back at the courtyard, Choke stomped his foot as he stopped and barked at his four men:
“Sergeants and troopers to attention!”
Knuckle and Pinch hopped to it and got in line with Dom and Lenny.
“Men! We are about to go out of this fort and join the other men of my command. From this point are we are a military unit. Sergeants Nikolas and Theodas: I will be relying on you to help train our men. I expect them to be rough and in low morale. They must be controlled, of course, but I will remind you of Father Morrenthall’s advice: treat them as we did our junior brothers at the school. They are not to be bullied and abused. Instructed. Trained. Corrected. Even chastised. But not assaulted and abused. Do you understand that distinction?”
“Yes, sir!” Knuckle and Pinch responded.
“Good. Now, Troopers Dom and Lenny. Right now, officially, you two are no better than the raw recruits I am going outside to take command of. However, to those men, you will seem connected to me. You will arrive with me. You have already served with me, if only for a couple of days. The men will look to you for guidance in navigating me and my sergeants. This will naturally elevate you from them.
“Further, when we are properly equipped and set out from this place, your elevation above your fellow soldiers will be more pronounced. You will be mounted. You will have bows. This will naturally reinforce the men’s perception of you as superior. It should be a natural thing for you to turn this perception to actual leadership.
“For my part, I see this turn as natural and correct. I have two sergeants. I have no corporals. You see where I am going with this.”
Choke paused to look both Dom and Lenny in the eye.
“You two have horses. I have seen you are capable of riding them, and seem willing and able to learn basic cavalry maneuvers. You have bows. Sergeant Nikolas has told me you are good shots. As well, Otilla has informed me that you have shown yourself to be loyal, to a degree.
“So, I say to you now, Troopers Dom and Lenny: commit wholeheartedly to your duty, as you have sworn to Altas and Stron you would. Help me and my people, earnestly. Be a leader to these men we are about to meet. Do all this, and you shall be my first corporals.”
“Thank you, sir,” Dom said, looking startled.
“Yes. Thank you, sir,” seconded Lenny.
“You are welcome. Earn it, and it shall be yours. Of course, I understand that this is not a dream come true for you. This is a hard situation you find yourselves in. But you have given your oaths to serve our King. This you must do. And to be a corporal is surely a better position than you might otherwise have expected. Yes?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“Very good, troopers. Now, go and wait for us at the gate,” Choke ordered.
Once Dom and Lenny were out of earshot, Choke turned to Knuckle:
“Knuckle, why don’t you put that scourge away with your things in the stables. We don’t want to terrorize the men too badly right off the start. Better to leave something in reserve.”
Knuckle pulled the scourge out of his belt where he had tucked it next to the jailer’s cudgel. He nodded in acceptance and turned to go into the stables.
“Ah, wait. Can you get our longbows and a quiver each? I think we should have them. It may help discourage runners.”
“Yes, sir,” Knuckle said, before heading into the stables.
Choke then turned to Pinch:
“Pinch: when we get going here with the men, Knuckle is going to do what Knuckle does. He’s naturally going to be the drill sergeant, here. Yelling, bullying, and shoving men around. At this stage of things, this is, of course, necessary. I’m going to keep my eye on him, to make sure he doesn’t go too far with it. What I need from you is more subtle. When the men are at their labors, I want you on your bow, standing back, quietly observing. I want them to see you watching. The threat is explicit: if they run, they get an arrow.”
“And do they?” Pinch asked.
Choke thought this over carefully.
“Good question. Captain Edison has suggested to me that we push the men hard; identify those troublemakers most likely to desert; and put them in a position to do so. Then, once they do, we must catch them. The ringleader is to receive fifty lashes before being hanged in front of the men. I agree that this would make a strong impression,” Choke said, before leaving a pregnant pause.
“But…” Pinch said.
“Indeed. But, if I can help it, I want to avoid the use of torture. And flogging is torture. However, given that the fate of the first deserter is ultimately supposed to be death, I think we could do this another way. Assuming you are comfortable with it, of course.”
“So… an arrow through the back, then?” Pinch said.
“If they light out and refuse to halt, send a warning shot overhead. Then, if they continue running, they are deserting and must suffer the consequences. This should be just as strong an impression for the other men as a flogging and hanging, I should think. But more our style. Assuming you are comfortable doing it, of course.”
Pinch thought about it seriously. Then he nodded.
“I suppose I’ll have to get comfortable with it. That, or let Peep do it.”
“Yes, good point. I think I’m going to want her lurking around the bushes, covering the best avenues of escape. So, she could well be the one to do it without any plan or prompt,” Choke said.
“No doubt. But, yeah, I think that’s a better way than flogging and hanging. Whoever has to do it.”
“Good. Thank you, Pinch. Now, as to the men themselves. You are socially adept. I want you watching the men, not only for runners, but also to see how they are organizing themselves. How do they interact with each other? Who are the troublemakers? The bullies? The weaklings? The snitches? Mix with them enough to get a sense of them without getting close enough to undermine their fear of you as a deadly sentinel. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Choke. I do.”
“Good. Thank you,” Choke said, holding his fist out to Pinch, who bumped it with a grin.
Muse Vassal 