In the dry part of the sewers, where the Crimson Calling has paused, and as Alexis starts to relax: Rask is on guard facing back the way the came when he quietly but clearly starts to speak to the leader.
“Alexis, you – all of us -” He looks around in the darkness, “Need to understand the Army and the Raidensblud.”
“The second group we fought was Raidensblud and probably some their soldiers, maybe mercenaries. They are, in theory, the King’s Guard, right? The sworn brothers at least, and serve the King Directly. In theory.”
Rask looks at Ca’armine briefly.
”Out in the world, the Sworn Brothers primarily act like officers do in the Armies. The Raidensblud have their own men at arms, most are not much better trained than a common foot soldier. And they hire mercenaries.”
Rask’s disdain for mercenaries is as evident as ever.
“In the field, the Kings Dogs work like that Blade did, leading a group of 4 to 10 men at arms, archers, crossbowmen and sometimes a specialist or two, trackers, trap-breakers etc.”
“The Raidensblud, all of them and their soldiers, are probably about the size of the First army, but they… operate in the King’s Interest… anyhow…”
He looks to where he thinks Ca’armine is again.
“They are separate from the armies, but do work together on occasion. Sometimes the lead groups of soldiers, sometimes the really high ranking ones “advise” commanding officers in the Army.
In addition to one leading a group of men at arms, they travel in pairs, or in small groups, and some times lead larger forces in pairs or small groups, The army in general doesn’t usually work that way, but some of the small companies, like mine, do.
“There is a bit of a rivalry between the Armies, especially units like the one I was in, and the Raidensblud. There are a lot of high born in the Raidensblud, and even the ones that aren’t… often act like their shit doesn’t stink.”
“My unit, Captain Thorne Blackwood’s unit really, Company A, Fourth Battalion of the Second Army’s 9th-Infantry, numbers about 100, mostly probably about half soldiers, a quarter scouts and a quarter specialists and leadership. I was a sergeant, so lower level leadership. I did what that Blade was doing, led a group of soldiers though, no mercenaries.”
“So, not exactly what Darius was doing, but.. still, I led a group of solders and a specialist or two. Most often I was second in command, under a lieutenant, and had a small group that was the ‘distaff claw of the pincer,” or the ‘bolt of the ballista.”
Rask smiles ruefully recalling a some of the ambush maneuvers he used to drill with Lt. Nightshade.
“Sometimes there are two or three of us of rank, Sergeants, a Lieutenant and maybe a promising corporal or two, in a small hard-strike team, or surveillance team. I was less on the surveillance teams.”
“The battalion had 5 fighting companies, most of them larger than 100, not all of them as well trained as ours, and but the Fourth is a proud fighting battalion, even the support battalion had some tough cooks and paper-pushers. The 9th Infantry.. has maybe 5 battalions? The Second Army doesn’t really have 9 Infantries, really, the 9th is just the division that the Infantry is in. I’m honestly not sure how many Army’s there are, at least three, I think?”
“I have no idea how many battalions… or Army’s Aedelfred has in Sutheron, nor how many Raidensblud are here, but I doubt more than Company A is here with Cedric and Maris, it may not even be the whole Company, though, just survivors that worked with me closely enough to recognize me.”
“I am my own Kaelen Darkwater.”
Rask shakes his head.
“I led the Bolt of the Ballista, the frontal strike team on that mission. Our whole team was about thirty people. Kaelen Darkwater was a former Aegierian soldier who had served in the First Army under Ursill, and had been one of their toughest commanders. He knew of Aegierian military tactics well, and used them.. quite effectively against… us… his former comrades in the Aegierian army…”
Rask becomes very quiet.
