asking questions just might yield me answers. “Do they know that we know?”
“All information from scouts and mages says no. But busting their communication lines is more important than ever if they’re planning something major for tomorrow.”
“How are we going to counter their movement, sir?”
“I’m moving the Seventh Regiment to the western front. They should be able to defend it while the rest of the army focuses on the main assault at dawn.”
I clicked my tongue.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“We might be underestimating them.”
“How so?”
“The Geneshans have always been the most resourceful when their backs are against the wall. Isn’t that where they are now? We hold the better position and have better numbers. Yet, they managed a last minute alliance with the Malduks and brought around a regiment to flank us with little warning. We’re missing something.” I paused. “I know you don’t want another Wadlow Hill, General.”
He clenched his jaw.
No one on our side wanted another Wadlow Hill. Five years ago we had nearly lost the war despite having a better position and better numbers. Casualties set us back for years. A little luck from weather and my unit’s assassination of their top general bought our army the time it needed to make it out with enough strength to regroup.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Geneshans recovered most of their lands and had even begun to gain a foothold into Turine again.
Balak’s jaw relaxed and he grunted. I knew that grunt. It meant he wanted my thoughts on what to do next, but was too prideful to ask for it. I walked to the map. He came up beside me, smelling of sweat and worry.
“Would it be possible to add the Eighth and Ninth regiments to the Seventh, sir?”
“And pull away a full third of our forces from the main lines?”
“Well, it’s likely the Geneshans have more than what the reports indicate. You know they’re good at masking troop movement. Why not throw them off guard and attack? Those three regiments won’t break unless the entire Geneshan front swings that way. There’s no way they could conceal that.”
“But what if it’s only the few thousand we know about?”
“Then have the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth keep pushing through. Have them clear the area then break off back toward the main line while our other forces hold their ground.”
I doubted it would come to that. It was probably a hunch, but I just knew the Geneshans were planning something big along the western front.
“I’ll give it some thought,” Balak said. That was code for “I agree but I won’t start issuing orders until after you leave.”
I backed away from the table. “Sir, I really need to get to my unit.” I raised my hand, which held the parchment he gave me earlier. “Orders and all.”
He stared at the map, waving a hand at me.
I took my first step toward the tent flap when he called again. “Tyrus.”
“Sir?”
“Those targets are crucial. Even more so if your hunch is correct.”
“Yes, sir.”
I left the general’s tent in a hurry, noting that despite the late hour, the camp bustled with life. Men took advantage of light offered by the moon, stars, and raging campfires to complete their work. Officers barked orders while messengers darted between gaps in the chow line to reach their destination. Everyone seemed to move with purpose, even if their purpose was simply to find a place to eat their steaming bowl of stew. A lot still needed to be done before soldiers tied down for the night.
Hamath, my second, met me a few steps outside of the command tent. He shook his head, red hair flopping over thick sideburns as we walked. A couple inches over six feet, he had me by as many, easily matching my gait. Like most in my unit, he didn’t carry a lot of extra weight, but what he did carry was solid.
“The old whoreson kept you back so you could tell him how to run his army again, I see.”
I chuckled. “Depends on how you look at it. He never has come out and asked me for advice.”
Hamath spat. “Why should he? You tell him everything he needs to know, and after it works, he takes all the credit. He never would have become a general if not for you. He’d probably still be stuck as a captain.”
“That’s not true. He’s good at getting men to fight for a cause. He just needs a little help now and then when it