Chapter 34: Lessons Learned

Atter laid out the valley fort’s immediate priorities, then turned to Odo and the others.

“Odo, tell us about the soldiers.”

The lightness had plainly gone from Atter’s voice.

Odo was still weighed down by guilt over Ambo, the soldier who had been killed at the Wincheston Estate. “My lord, Ambo’s death was entirely my fault. I am unworthy to serve as deputy captain.”

“Odo, what is past is past. You may blame yourself, but do not become trapped in that blame. Remember the lesson this has taught us.”

“Continue.”

Odo steadied himself and spoke with renewed vigor. “Yes, my lord. In the clash at Wincheston Estate, we lost one man, one was gravely wounded, and three suffered minor wounds. Bass also injured his leg, bringing our total casualties to six. Nearly every man in the company bears some injury. Even so, our results were not poor. Though faced with several times our number, we killed four enemies on the spot and struck down eight more. The Second Combat Group of the First Squad performed especially well, and Ron was exceptionally brave.

“At present, eleven men in the company are still fit for battle. Two others, once they have received treatment for a while, should also be able to return to service. As for our spoils, at Wincheston we seized a set of iron-reinforced leather armor, a greatsword, two iron chain flails, a lance, two arming swords, two bows, two kite shields, three short spears, and three short swords. We also captured a black warhorse.

“I have taken stock of everything we possess. At most, our weapons and military supplies can equip eighteen light infantrymen, two light cavalrymen, and four archers. However, after this battle, we are no longer fit to venture out and suppress mountain bandits and roaming brigands until we have recruited more men and strengthened their training. That is all, my lord.”

“Atter added, “Let me supplement that with the matter of our finances. We received more than four thousand fenni from Kitzby City on two separate occasions, and at Wincheston we seized roughly seven thousand five hundred fenni, along with a small quantity of silverware. Including what we had left before, we now possess nearly fourteen thousand fenni. That will support the valley fort and the patrol company for a year. After the autumn harvest, the people of the fort should be able to feed themselves, so our funds ought to last nearly two years.”

“My lord, war certainly brings money quickly. If we could encounter a few more Winchestons, we could afford to maintain many more soldiers.” Having heard Atter’s words, Bass swept away his gloom, rose to his feet, and spoke excitedly.

“Bass, it would be best if we never encountered another affair like Wincheston Estate. We took the estate’s money, grain, and supplies, and I do not know whether the fury of the Deputy Chancellor will reach us. Though I have already asked His Grace Bishop Olof to intervene on our behalf, disaster may still be on its way. But since we have done it, there is no point in being afraid. We must simply do what needs to be done.”

Atter noticed that Kazak, seated in the corner, had grown somewhat quiet.

“Kazak, do you have anything to add?”

Kazak abandoned his usual smirking expression, raised his head, and answered heavily, “My lord, my squad suffered the heaviest losses in this battle. One group leader was gravely wounded and is essentially crippled, while one supporting fighter was killed. I deeply regret that I did not train them as relentlessly as Odo and Bass trained their men. Therefore, I believe our future training must be harsher. It is better for everyone to take more blows from sticks in peacetime than to receive sword cuts on the battlefield.”

Atter nodded gravely. “Yes. These are lessons written in blood. Once you leave here, you must review the experience with the soldiers and draw out the lessons, especially the problems revealed by this sudden battle.

“For instance, our three-man formation has obvious weaknesses. Three men in such a formation can attack only one target at a time, which gives it insufficient offensive force. Moreover, the principal attacker in a three-man formation has limited stamina. Once a battle becomes a stalemate and the main attacker is exhausted, the formation loses its striking power.

“Defensively, too, the formation is flawed. A three-man formation must guard three sides. If one defensive side is lost, the remaining men are exposed to the enemy’s swords, axes, spears, and other weapons. That was what happened to Simon of the Fourth Combat Group. During the melee, the supporting fighter on his left wing was wounded and could no longer protect him. No replacement was sent in time, and the enemy took advantage of the weakness to hack off his arm...”

Faced with the flaws in the patrol company’s current formations and training, Atter himself could not devise a perfect solution at once. He had originally believed that the three-man formation he had adapted from later ages would prove tremendously effective, but in an era when physical strength was synonymous with combat power, the formation was clearly ill-suited to its surroundings.

Atter had already noticed the formation’s weaknesses in attack and defense during the tournament at Kitzby City, but he had not expected them to be so severe. Yet his force was still too small. Even the finest formation was useless if there were not enough men to form it. Apart from employing the era’s standard spear-and-shield line, he could think of no better arrangement for the moment.

“From now on, the dispersed three-man formation will serve only as an auxiliary formation. We will use it during recruit training, and in battle mainly for pursuing remnants of the enemy or handling scattered engagements. The combat-group organization will remain for now, but combat groups will generally not fight independently. Two combat groups, forming a six-man squad, will be our basic combat unit.

“Our primary focus in formation training will still be the dense spear-and-shield line, or shield formation for short. But our shield formation also has a weakness: it lacks depth. A single rank of shield-bearing soldiers can easily become exhausted, and there is no reserve behind them to reinforce their strength. We can solve that only when we have enough soldiers to increase the number of ranks, practice changes in formation, and rotate men from front to rear...”

“Everyone, there are certainly many other weaknesses in our training and formations. We must improve them through our daily drills and battles. I will personally oversee the improvement of our formation training. Once you leave here, you must also give the matter serious thought.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Bass, do you have anything else to add?”

“My lord, the weather will soon begin to warm. We must not only resume patrols and maintain order, but also go to Andermat Fort to assist in suppressing the bandits. Judging from our performance in this battle, I fear we still lack both sufficient manpower and fighting strength.”

Bass had raised the patrol company’s shortage of men and its inadequate combat power.

“Hmm. The problem Bass mentioned is indeed our patrol company’s present weakness. Very well. Tomorrow, ask whether the three young men who returned with us last time are willing to join the patrol company. If they are, enroll them. I will also go out and recruit more soldiers.”

Atter paused, then continued, “Everyone performed well overall in the battle at Wincheston Estate. Since you follow me, I cannot allow you to shed blood and sweat for nothing. We obtained some spoils at Wincheston, so I will distribute military rewards.

“Each ordinary soldier will receive thirty fenni, each combat-group leader fifty fenni, and every officer of squad leader rank or higher sixty fenni. In addition, every wounded man will receive another twenty fenni. A soldier who killed one enemy will receive fifty fenni, while an officer who killed one enemy will receive thirty.

“Odo, you will handle this. From now on, military rewards will follow this standard, adjusted according to the amount of spoils captured.”

Odo acknowledged the order.

“I now command the patrol company to remain at the valley fort and recuperate for one month. During that month, the five of you will train the soldiers without mercy, because we are about to face enemies stronger and more savage than before.”

“Bass, tomorrow you and Ron will accompany me to the southern frontier once more to recruit refugees and patrol soldiers.”

“Odo and Kazak will train the soldiers here at the fort.”

“Lawrence, during this idle period before planting begins, you will also take part in the patrol company’s basic training. Once the farming lull arrives, you will train the fort’s guard militia...”

The men rose and acknowledged their orders.

…

Atter, accompanied by Bass and Ron, stationed themselves for two days on the north-south trade road west of the Boulder Mound. From among the refugees fleeing south, they selected six families totaling seventeen people, along with five solitary men of reasonably sturdy build.

These men were weaker than the recruits Atter had taken from Kitzby City last time. After all, young and vigorous men could generally find some way to survive; they would not choose to flee north to a foreign land unless driven to the very brink...

The valley fort welcomed another group of new residents.

Atter handed the refugees over to Cooper for settlement. After registering the newly recruited men together with the three sturdy fellows brought back earlier, he formed them into a recruit company. Odo personally trained them for six days, after which, according to their performance, they were mixed with the veteran soldiers and reorganized into six combat groups and three squads.

Atter’s wooden house had now become the fort’s council hall. A long wooden table occupied most of the room, with seven or eight wooden benches arranged around it. At the head of the table, facing the door, stood a high-backed chair.

Seated in that chair, Atter announced the patrol company’s new organization.

Bass would command the First Squad. Kazak would command the Second Squad. The deputy captain, Odo, would also serve as commander of the Third Squad.

“Everyone, that is how the soldiers will be assigned. The one extra man will temporarily be placed under Ron, who will serve as my guard.”

Atter then turned to Odo, seated to his right at the head of the table.

“Odo, you are now both deputy captain of the patrol company and commander of the Third Squad. You must manage military pay and weapons supplies, enforce military discipline, and ensure that the Third Squad is properly trained.”

Odo was delighted. Although he had long held a high position and carried many responsibilities as deputy captain, he had never had any soldiers truly under his command. Becoming commander of the newly formed Third Squad finally fulfilled his long-standing wish.

Ron, seated near the doorway, was much quieter. He had always believed that he would become a squad leader this time, yet he had been passed over again, just as he had been before. Though Atter had spoken with him in advance, he could not keep the disappointment from showing on his face.

Noticing Ron’s mood, Atter consoled him. “Ron, you need not lose heart. Think back to when you first came to the fort. How many people did we have then? And how many do we have now? You must admit that you still fall short of Odo and the others. You should strive to catch up with them instead of moping like a woman.”

Atter had too few capable men at his disposal. Ron was still young and lacked sufficient strength to command the respect of the others, so Atter could only keep him at his side and continue training and cultivating him.

For some time afterward, the fort once again rang each day with the shouts of drilling soldiers and the dull thuds of clubs striking flesh.