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Episode 8 of Sergeant Vardan and her patrol during the Pargunese invasion.
At the rear of the Pargunese formation, half the horsemen faced backward. The formation was definitely smaller than what she had seen before, but too close to bring her troops into view without risking a deadly charge. She blinked, trying to calculate the distances. Captain Talgan had had some arrangement of sticks and string he used for that. She crawled backward down the slope and described what she’d seen to her troops and the three rangers.
“You want a dropping volley from back here, out of sight? How far is it, Sergeant?”
“A hundred full paces, about,” she said. She sketched it in the snow. “You can clear the rise; they won’t know it’s coming and it should fall among them. Shoot from here, two volleys, then run straight for the woods, well out of sight–beyond volley-range from this scar–because any horseman you don’t dismount or kill will be coming this way fast. They’ll see the tracks we made, but–” She turned. Behind them, the rangers were already brushing away the tracks into what looked like windblown streaks.
Thirty arrows flew up together, hanging visibly in the air, and then dropped out of sight. Another thirty followed. Vardan made sure all her people were back into cover…and sure enough, ten horsemen came galloping over the rise; they reined in when they saw nothing but the empty stretch of snow ahead of them.
From the far side, Vardan saw an arrow streak toward a horse from the brush–close range, a flat trajectory. The horse screamed, tried to leap away, and fell; the rider just managed to roll clear. Vardan looked at the Halverics to either side of her. Could they take on the Pargunese now? Would the rangers fight with them? And how many rangers were here? Surely the few they’d seen so far weren’t all. With enough bows–but the ranger touched her arm.
“Let them go unhindered a little. Your volley did well–fifteen dead at least, and three horses down. We have a surprise for them a little farther on.”
………………………..
Happy New Year!
Comment by Caryn — January 1, 2012 @ 12:51 am
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Comment by Xany — January 1, 2012 @ 1:33 am
Love this little side story. =)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May 2012 be a great year for you!
Comment by RuthB — January 1, 2012 @ 3:25 am
Happy New Year! Death by a thousand slices. Varden & Co. and the rangers can snipe and harry the Parganese until they crumble.
Comment by Chris in South Jersey — January 1, 2012 @ 7:12 am
This is great! What a wonderful start to the new year. May the coming year be all you hope for.
Comment by Eir de Scania — January 1, 2012 @ 10:00 am
Poor horses. 🙁
Comment by Alessio — January 1, 2012 @ 1:41 pm
Happy new year to all of you !
Vardan has really great skills, Aliam’s school of war is really one of the best.
Comment by elizabeth — January 1, 2012 @ 1:55 pm
And Aliam taught Kieri and Kieri’s senior captain, Arcolin. Remember, it was revealed in an earlier volume that Arcolin began as an enlisted soldier in Aliam’s company, rose to sergeant, went with Kieri when Kieri had founded his own company, and was never knighted. In US military parlance, he’s a “mustang”–an officer risen from the ranks. The next question is “Who trained Aliam?” and the answer is “Uhhhhh….” The plot-daemon hasn’t told me yet, but it is…strange, isn’t it?
Comment by Gareth — January 1, 2012 @ 5:32 pm
Happy new year from the UK. Great snippets – many thanks for the joy you bring us all.
Comment by Wickersham's Conscience — January 1, 2012 @ 6:44 pm
A wonderful series, Ms. Moon. Hard to believe stuff this good is on the cutting room floor.
All the best in 2012 to you and yours.
Comment by Richard — January 1, 2012 @ 6:45 pm
Whoa, Elizabeth: about Arcolin, aren’t you revealing something from III? In II all we had was Arcolin telling Stammel how he came from the Westmounts, so that his first journey over the Valdaire pass was south to north; and telling Dorrin how Siger was with Kieri before himself (fitting in with what history Stammel passed on to Paks in the Deed).
Do strike out this comment of mine if you think best.
Ah yes: Aliam told Andressat that he (Aliam), needing money to take over the steading so his brother could live at court, knew he had military ability which was salable once he had a reputation. Where (after Falk’s Hall, I guess) did he gain that knowledge and reputation? Always a new question beyond each answer.
I’m wishing you can tell Vardan’s story all the way to when (as per the snippet from Echoes itself you revealed earlier) she brings her troops to Kieri’s camp.
Happy New Year everyone.
Comment by elizabeth — January 1, 2012 @ 9:09 pm
Richard: I think all the facts mentioned were given (separately, some of them) in previous books. It’s not a plot spoiler, even if not. It’s possible I’ve confused what was where (I’m writing, and having to answer comments in a tearing hurry.) I don’t have time to hunt through everything right now.
The plot-relevant bit is that Arcolin has been…reticent…about his past until recently, and as he gains reputation as Fox Company’s commander, a little less so. It will be interesting to discover (I don’t yet know myself) whether less reticence will free some other qualifies.
Vardan’s story will continue as far as it can without creating spoilers for Echoes.
Comment by Alessio — January 2, 2012 @ 9:47 am
Aliam is a falkian and a noble, so I supposed his trainig was in their fields, maybe under the Knight-commander himself; btw I think that were wars that improved a lot his skills (he admitted something like he was not so good when Kieri and Garrin were his squires).
Arcolin come from Aarenis and is a bastard son, probably Kieri and Aesil M’dierra knows who is his father (or mother) and we can presume he could be a noble (see Oath of Felty) but we know nothing more.
Comment by elizabeth — January 2, 2012 @ 10:01 am
I’m thinking–but haven’t yet got the word from the Plot Daemon, so nothing I say here is canonical–that there must have been Lyonyans, including Halverics, as mercs in Aarenis before Aliam formed his Company. It’s the only place he could’ve gotten experience: he could not have fought in Pargun or Tsaia, for instance. My husband suggested an uncle, another brother who was killed (but surely he or his brother the Sier would have said something about another brother in my hearing…???), someone in the family.
Having a place to send (or allow to go) the more…um…combative members of one’s society has plenty of historical precedence in our world. In a society governed in part by conflict-avoidant elves, those naturally gifted in conflict would need some outlet. Somewhere else. But so far the Plot Daemon and the others who run my storytelling brain have their lips sealed. When/if it’s time to know for sure, I’ll find out.