[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
undercaptain. "There was some difficulty with the engineers there.
I can offer the squad leader a temporary assignment, but she'll have to review
that when she gets back." There was a pause. "We're short of squad leaders in
the training group." She motioned for Gerayn to hand over the folder.
Gerayn did, seemingly reluctantly.
After scanning the sheets for several moments, the undercaptain nodded and
looked past Gerayn to Alucius. "You're a class-one blade and a class-one
marksman. You can help with that until the overcaptain returns. I'll have
Fynal
take you over to see Jesorak and then show you to the barracks bay for the
squad leaders who are instructors." The undercaptain looked at Captain Gerayn.
"Sir, we can take it from here."
Gerayn turned to Alucius. "Take care of yourself, squad leader."
'Thank you, sir. You, too."
'I will. They'll just have me audit reports until it's time for another supply
convoy south." She nodded, then turned.
Alucius waited, but only for a few moments. A graying older man, a junior
squad leader who came to Alucius's shoulder, stepped into the room and
reported. "Undercaptain Sulkyn, sir?"
'If you'll escort the squad leader& " The undercaptain stopped and looked at
Alucius. "You have gear, don't you?"
'I left it in the stable, sir."
'You can pick it up after Jesorak decides where to use you."
Fynal cleared his throat. "This way, sir. The instructors share a space on the
next corridor."
'Thank you, sir." Alucius bowed.
The undercaptain didn't even look up from the papers on her table desk as
Alucius and Fynal left.
Alucius took a moment to study the threads around Fynal. The obvious pink link
ran almost due west, confirming Alucius's belief that the torque threads
centered somewhere close to the Matrial's dwelling. Beneath the obvious was a
yellowish brown thread, so thin and frail that Alucius made an effort not even
to investigate with his Talent, and that thread ran to the southeast.
Page 247
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Unaware of Alucius's Talent investigation, Fynal led Alucius to the end of the
corridor, past closed door after closed door, around the corner, and then
another twenty yards to an open door, the first open door since they had left
the undercaptain.
Inside, a full squad leader that Alucius had never met looked up from the long
and narrow table where he was reassembling a rifle.
'I'm Alucius. I was looking for Jesorak. They've assigned me here."
'Heltyn." The squad leader looked to Fynal. "You can go. I'll make sure that
he stays here until Jesorak returns."
Fynal frowned.
'I really will, old man. You can tell the undercaptain it's all my fault."
'Yes, sir."
Alucius took a quick Talent look at Heltyn, beyond the pink torque web.
Heltyn's lifeweb thread, for that was what Alucius felt the deeper threads
were, was a brownish amber and vanished into the northwest.
Heltyn said nothing until Fynal's bootsteps had died away. "Nice fellow. Got
badly hurt, head wound, in a skirmish with the easterners a year ago. Needs
another year for a full stipend, so he runs messages inside the post." He
turned on the stool, ignoring the rifle before him. "I'm the head marksman
instructor.
You a marksman?"
'Ah& class one in blade and rifle."
'Jesorak and I will probably fight over you." Heltyn shook his head, ruefully.
"They've stripped us clean."
Alucius smiled. "I don't know for how long. I was sent for reassignment "
Heltyn laughed, long and hard. "Without the overcaptain around, Undercaptain
Sulkyn can't offer directions to cross the courtyard."
Alucius took one of the empty stools and sat down.
'Where did you come from?"
'Zalt."
'They're sending a class-one marksman and squad leader back?"
'Only for reassignment," Alucius said.
'Because you're good and too young, and can't stay in the same company and
post?"
'You don't seem surprised."
'No. It happens. Too often." Heltyn shook his head. "They want father figures
as much as leaders. Too many young squad leaders, and the youngest get
transferred to an outfit where there are older ones. You'll stay here for a
season, or until they've got an opening where you can be the number-two squad
leader, and you'll be the one who leads from the front."
Alucius nodded, although he doubted he'd have anywhere near that much time.
'The Lanachronan assault couldn't have come at a worse time. That's why it
did. We've had to pull company after company out of the north. Had to pull
back out of the Iron Valleys, establish a perimeter barely into the
Westerhills. Soon as a returned company gets furloughs and replacements,
they're pushed south. The new Forty-second left a week or so ago, along with
the Thirty-seventh and the
Eighth." Heltyn leaned back on the stool. "If you're lucky, and we're lucky,
you'll be here two months." He grinned. "Least you won't be in the south for
the hottest weather."
'I can't say I'll miss it."
'What sort of heroics got you promoted?"
'Being foolhardy. I took over my squad when the squad leader got potted in an
ambush. Ordered a charge that should have gotten us all killed, but didn't.
We killed almost two squads." Alucius shrugged. "Made me junior squad leader
for that."
'And full squad leader?"
'Last battle with the Lanachronans, we lost the captain, one under-captain,
Page 248
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
and the senior squad leader. Already had lost the assistant senior squad
leader.
Easterners tried a concealed flank attack. We were on the flank. I ordered the
entire company to follow me. Slowed the attack enough to allow the auxiliaries
to wipe out the force on the flank. We were down to half strength after that.
Guess they didn't want any more successes like that."
'Why didn't they " Heltyn shook his head. "Why do I ask. Let me guess. You
weren't the most senior of the junior squad leaders?"
'Ah& actually, I was the most junior," Alucius admitted.
Heltyn laughed, harder than before. "If& if& it weren't so stupid& it'd be
even funnier."
'What would be?" asked another voice.
Alucius stood as Jesorak stepped into the long room. "Squad leader Alucius,
sir. I've been assigned here temporarily."
'Alucius& Alucius& didn't I train you?"
'Yes, sir."
Jesorak looked at the pair of crimson chevrons on Alucius's sleeve. "And they [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
undercaptain. "There was some difficulty with the engineers there.
I can offer the squad leader a temporary assignment, but she'll have to review
that when she gets back." There was a pause. "We're short of squad leaders in
the training group." She motioned for Gerayn to hand over the folder.
Gerayn did, seemingly reluctantly.
After scanning the sheets for several moments, the undercaptain nodded and
looked past Gerayn to Alucius. "You're a class-one blade and a class-one
marksman. You can help with that until the overcaptain returns. I'll have
Fynal
take you over to see Jesorak and then show you to the barracks bay for the
squad leaders who are instructors." The undercaptain looked at Captain Gerayn.
"Sir, we can take it from here."
Gerayn turned to Alucius. "Take care of yourself, squad leader."
'Thank you, sir. You, too."
'I will. They'll just have me audit reports until it's time for another supply
convoy south." She nodded, then turned.
Alucius waited, but only for a few moments. A graying older man, a junior
squad leader who came to Alucius's shoulder, stepped into the room and
reported. "Undercaptain Sulkyn, sir?"
'If you'll escort the squad leader& " The undercaptain stopped and looked at
Alucius. "You have gear, don't you?"
'I left it in the stable, sir."
'You can pick it up after Jesorak decides where to use you."
Fynal cleared his throat. "This way, sir. The instructors share a space on the
next corridor."
'Thank you, sir." Alucius bowed.
The undercaptain didn't even look up from the papers on her table desk as
Alucius and Fynal left.
Alucius took a moment to study the threads around Fynal. The obvious pink link
ran almost due west, confirming Alucius's belief that the torque threads
centered somewhere close to the Matrial's dwelling. Beneath the obvious was a
yellowish brown thread, so thin and frail that Alucius made an effort not even
to investigate with his Talent, and that thread ran to the southeast.
Page 247
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Unaware of Alucius's Talent investigation, Fynal led Alucius to the end of the
corridor, past closed door after closed door, around the corner, and then
another twenty yards to an open door, the first open door since they had left
the undercaptain.
Inside, a full squad leader that Alucius had never met looked up from the long
and narrow table where he was reassembling a rifle.
'I'm Alucius. I was looking for Jesorak. They've assigned me here."
'Heltyn." The squad leader looked to Fynal. "You can go. I'll make sure that
he stays here until Jesorak returns."
Fynal frowned.
'I really will, old man. You can tell the undercaptain it's all my fault."
'Yes, sir."
Alucius took a quick Talent look at Heltyn, beyond the pink torque web.
Heltyn's lifeweb thread, for that was what Alucius felt the deeper threads
were, was a brownish amber and vanished into the northwest.
Heltyn said nothing until Fynal's bootsteps had died away. "Nice fellow. Got
badly hurt, head wound, in a skirmish with the easterners a year ago. Needs
another year for a full stipend, so he runs messages inside the post." He
turned on the stool, ignoring the rifle before him. "I'm the head marksman
instructor.
You a marksman?"
'Ah& class one in blade and rifle."
'Jesorak and I will probably fight over you." Heltyn shook his head, ruefully.
"They've stripped us clean."
Alucius smiled. "I don't know for how long. I was sent for reassignment "
Heltyn laughed, long and hard. "Without the overcaptain around, Undercaptain
Sulkyn can't offer directions to cross the courtyard."
Alucius took one of the empty stools and sat down.
'Where did you come from?"
'Zalt."
'They're sending a class-one marksman and squad leader back?"
'Only for reassignment," Alucius said.
'Because you're good and too young, and can't stay in the same company and
post?"
'You don't seem surprised."
'No. It happens. Too often." Heltyn shook his head. "They want father figures
as much as leaders. Too many young squad leaders, and the youngest get
transferred to an outfit where there are older ones. You'll stay here for a
season, or until they've got an opening where you can be the number-two squad
leader, and you'll be the one who leads from the front."
Alucius nodded, although he doubted he'd have anywhere near that much time.
'The Lanachronan assault couldn't have come at a worse time. That's why it
did. We've had to pull company after company out of the north. Had to pull
back out of the Iron Valleys, establish a perimeter barely into the
Westerhills. Soon as a returned company gets furloughs and replacements,
they're pushed south. The new Forty-second left a week or so ago, along with
the Thirty-seventh and the
Eighth." Heltyn leaned back on the stool. "If you're lucky, and we're lucky,
you'll be here two months." He grinned. "Least you won't be in the south for
the hottest weather."
'I can't say I'll miss it."
'What sort of heroics got you promoted?"
'Being foolhardy. I took over my squad when the squad leader got potted in an
ambush. Ordered a charge that should have gotten us all killed, but didn't.
We killed almost two squads." Alucius shrugged. "Made me junior squad leader
for that."
'And full squad leader?"
'Last battle with the Lanachronans, we lost the captain, one under-captain,
Page 248
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
and the senior squad leader. Already had lost the assistant senior squad
leader.
Easterners tried a concealed flank attack. We were on the flank. I ordered the
entire company to follow me. Slowed the attack enough to allow the auxiliaries
to wipe out the force on the flank. We were down to half strength after that.
Guess they didn't want any more successes like that."
'Why didn't they " Heltyn shook his head. "Why do I ask. Let me guess. You
weren't the most senior of the junior squad leaders?"
'Ah& actually, I was the most junior," Alucius admitted.
Heltyn laughed, harder than before. "If& if& it weren't so stupid& it'd be
even funnier."
'What would be?" asked another voice.
Alucius stood as Jesorak stepped into the long room. "Squad leader Alucius,
sir. I've been assigned here temporarily."
'Alucius& Alucius& didn't I train you?"
'Yes, sir."
Jesorak looked at the pair of crimson chevrons on Alucius's sleeve. "And they [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]