quote:
I had noticed ... So you are still up in Freehold with Melinda. Your father has recovered some (nice to have the kids home and safe) ... The army has moved South.
You have recruited something like 356 deserters from the enemy's army. A surprising number are concerned about their Families back home and with the 30 Sergeants that turned loyalist, you have a small but significant force. Arming them hasn't been hard as quite a few kept their weapons and the cast off stuff from the Noble Army's rout filled in all the holes.
Your father suggests you take a small loyal body guard and lead these guys back south, he'd like them away from Freehold.
You should be able to take it from there ... figure about 3 weeks have passed; Melinda has been good company and a big help, day and night.
The army had marched a while back and Padraig had stayed in Freehold with Melinda to ensure that his family's affairs were in order and that the town did not suffer as a result of the recent battle that had occurred.
In truth, he'd been reluctant to let the commander and his squire head off without him, but thought it was best to attend the recent affairs so that they could bring more of a force to bear, and not falter should an insurrecting force rise up behind the main body of the force that had gone south already.
On the first day that the group of soldiers Padraig had made them stand in order, letting his sergeants have strict regiment of training and pushing them hard - and ensuring that further deserters were hung in public.
"Deserters, scum, villainy, traitors. These are the whispers of the Duke's forces, those that have fought and bled for the loyal cause.
They look upon you like you're the shit of dogs and I don't doubt that many of them would take pleasure in beating you into a bloody and messy pulp. Rightly so, some may claim and to them you are dead men. Nothing more than Bones.
But we are a company, we are The Company of Bones and in our efforts to fight for the Duke we will use the blood of the rebels to rebuild ourselves bodies of the Kingdom and once again be part of it. Either that, or you'll feed the kingdom with your bones.
So I take you all at your word now, come and pledge to me. There will be no retreat, there will be no acquittal, your only way out is through death or retribution. Any can join, but none will leave the same.
he said, riding along the line and addressing groups of men in turn. He left them with no illusion, punishment of desertion or failing to follow orders, or retreat was death, and nothing else.
He rode up and down the lines after finishing, waiting to hear any rebuttal, complaints or questions but then turned.
"Sergeant Humerous! Form the ranks, and march south, double time!" he called out, before spurring his horse back to Melinda.