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SilverFox was brought out of his reverie as the captain of the first elite command approached him. A captain was in command of both Heavy Lancers and Horse Archers of his elite command unit, a sergeant was in command of the Heavy Lancers and a sergeant was in command of the Horse Archers. Each elite command had one captain and two sergeants.
“Lieutenant, Sir,” SilverFox looked up from the enemy ciphers that he was working on translating into The Grand Reach ciphers and caught the ending of a salute,
“We should be moving out. The enemy is pressing on us and we are afraid that you may not make it back to your father in one piece. We have discussed it among us that you should be sent out in a group disguised as bandits. Us being close behind you, it is hoped, should keep any of the enemy from following you and a small party.
“Many possible plans were put forward, but the most plausible was to have you leave at the break of dusk. With the night sky shielding your departure from the enemy you would arrive at your father’s command tent within six days. This would be ten days before reinforcements arrive at the same location.
“It is imperative that you get the information to your father. We all depend on this for this to be a successful campaign.”
The captain stood still while he waited for SilverFox’s response. He wiped mud and sweat from his brow with a handkerchief that he kept in his pocket. Captain Greenwood would always sweat profusely when he had approached his superiors especially when he was put up to a task like this and the nature of its impact on his superior. SilverFox felt that his men presumed too much of him and he was really getting tired of it.
Before the war had begun he had most of them as acquaintances more than friends, but he expected them to treat him like any other superior officer. After all he did earn his status, even though most figured that he had gotten it because of his relationship with his father, the general and high ruler.
This Greenwood guy was most likely sour because it took SilverFox less than a third of the time to get to his post as a Lieutenant than it took him to get to his captainhood.
He decided to find out why his men were so afraid. Fear, as he knew fairly well, hindered the fighting of his men,
“Presumptions, presumptions. Presuming or assuming something about someone should be against the law. What has gotten you and your men all riled up? What happens to be the situation out there today that would make you talk amongst yourselves and suggest such a thing to me? You know very well that I don’t turn coat and run.” SilverFox waited for an explanation from Captain Greenwood.
Greenwood gulped down the pride that he struggled against that wanted him to reach down and strangle the Lieutenant. He worked hard and hated when people got promoted above him when they had not done as much work for the kingdom as he did. Taking a moment to gather what he should say without being sarcastic was not easy, but he knew that that is what he had to do for the good of the kingdom.
It would take convincing to have the Lieutenant leave the protection of the compound considering the intelligence that he was reported to have,
“Half of our men have been taken or killed by the enemy. The few of us left realized that, with so many of the enemy fighting against us and that they are numbered in upwards of five hundred, you and all of your ciphers may be taken by dawn. If this were to happen the kingdom would fall.
“Of course you would prefer to stay here and fight till the end, but we will be surrounded by morning. Every hour the enemy’s forces increase by twenty-five, by morning they will have massed about seven hundred men. I am not afraid of dying for the kingdom and will remain loyal to it.
“Even though I have never liked you, I respect your father and his reasons for appointing you in the position that you are in and trust that the kingdom will fall without your aide.
“Your death would be a grave mistake that I could not have on my conscience. That is why I have proposed this ruse to play on the enemy.”
Greenwood noticed the smile on SilverFox’s face and SilverFox knew that Greenwood had seen his smile,
“Greenwood, this is what will happen. Your sergeants will lead most of your first elite command. Let me finish speaking, I am not demoting you, I need you at my side.
“My father has always told me to keep someone at my side that I know values my life and will make sure that I survive, even if they are only doing it for the good of the kingdom.
“You are right, the information that I have is so important that I have not told anyone, my message is for the king alone.
“Now for the plan, bandits do not wear the clothes or the armour that we happen to be wearing. We must exchange it with one of our other men. It may be disheartening to do this, but it is only temporary and will change in the near future.
“I still carry my former robes from my monastic life that I had discarded not so long ago, when this war had started and I have one extra one that would even fit one of your size.
“From the puzzled look on your face I can tell that you did not know this. Not many know this of me, not even my father. To them, I just disappeared and then reappeared.
“I was gone for more than ten years and learned many things that I have not used for the last five years of my military career. Now, I feel that I must use those skills to serve the military.
“We will not be able to take anything heavier than chain mail and our weapons must be limited to what will be necessary for our survival.
“That being what must be done, us two will be dressed as monks with light chain mail beneath our robes. It is possible to wear a chain mail coif, but it is better not to. You have your choice of sword, a dagger, numerous hidden weapons and your choice of a shortbow or a crossbow.
“I will be carrying my broadsword, dagger, two boot knives, four throwing knives and a light crossbow. We will be riding on light warhorses dressed in monastery fashion with light barding that covers the neck, head and chest of the horse only.
“The monks of the monastery normally are accompanied by an escort of armed guards. Our guards will consist of five members of our force. The captain of the second elite force will be our captain of the guards.
“Two of the guards will come from the first elite force and the other two will come from the second elite force. We will choose the best horse archer from each elite force and the best heavy lancer will be chosen from each elite force.
“This will give us two horse archers and two heavy lancers for our guard. They will have the usual weapons and armour that they would normally have in the elite command unit. Unfortunately, we only have a few hours till dusk to get ready.
“It must be done discretely in order not to raise any suspicions amongst our enemies. I will be done with the ciphers in an hour, which means we will discuss more of the plans at that time.
“You need to contact Captain McOrton and both of you must pick the most loyal and skilled men for our guard.
“Come back here with him and those other men in one hour and also bring the four sergeants. All of us have to discuss our plans,”
SilverFox reached down behind his desk and pulled out his extra monk’s robe and tossed it to Captain Greenwood.
“and this should be placed over your light chain mail and weapons. Tell me what weapons you have chosen when you return so that I can organize our attacks later.”
As the captain was heading out after his salute, SilverFox realized that they would need pack horses,
“...captain we also need four pack horses for our main provisions and two days of provisions on each horse in the event that we are separated from our pack horses.”
The captain nodded and finally left to get things ready. SilverFox went back to his work on the cipher.