After leaving my meeting with Lieutenant Berger I headed to my temporary quarters, stored my personal effects within and then headed out to look for my fellow temporary Lieutenant, Ashton Ardent. I didn’t find him in the first place I looked, his own quarters but I got lucky with the second. He was in the area of the mess set aside for sergeants, talking with two of them about nothing in particular, well nothing of interest to me anyway.
“So your back Niel, have a nice break, mine was terrific, didn’t have to kill a single thing and I got to see my family which is always good.”
“Yeah, mine involved more travel than most I imagine but it had its moments, even if the snow was a bit of a bummer. Ran into some bandits but I wasn’t alone at the time, though one of them didn’t make it.”
“So what can I do for you, I was nearly finished with these two anyway.”
“With the captain away and Berger busy filling in for him I thought it best not to disturb him more than necessary. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to ask you to fill me in about the pre-campaign season training Captain puts everyone through. I can’t imagine it’s the same as the brothers especially not with the differences between the two companies and how they operate ”
“I’d be happy to, can you give me two minutes.”
“Of course, I’ll be waiting for you in the officer's mess.”
It took him a few minutes longer to arrive than I had anticipated but once he did we had a long discussion about the training and by the time we were done I had a much better understanding of what the next month or to had in store for most of the company.
Whether or not the captain managed to find long-term replacements for Morton and Yeaton I would have to get together with him, Young and probably others to work out the changes required to the training so we could better coordinate between the scouts and the rest of the company never mind the dedicated training of the scouts themselves.
“That’s enough for now Niel, I’m sure the captain when he returns will have lots to say on the subject. I’m not sure about you but I at least hope he’s found some replacements. If I do say so myself I make a pretty good sergeant but I don’t think I’m cut out for this officer malarkey.”
“Now don’t sell yourself short, I think you make a fine officer but if your heart's not in it then that’s that. I am of the opinion that you should fake it till you make it but it’s your life and theirs no point in living it in a way that you're not comfortable with.”
“Your right about that, now what do you think been keeping the Captain, he should be back by now!”
“I imagine that while his lead didn’t really pan out it clued him into another prospect and not wanting to waste any more time coming and going than necessary he decided to chase it down right then and there. I’m sure he’ll return soon enough, probably no later than tomorrow.”
“I imagine you are right and I don’t know about you but I’m hungry and it’s nearly dinner time.”
After dinner, I went looking for Sergeant Tucker to find out how his break had gone and to see if any more of the platoon had shown up yet.
“I had a terrible time of it lieutenant, I arrived at the family farm to discover that my dear old mum had passed on not a day beforehand. My pa and my two elder brothers were devastated as was I of course. She hadn’t been all that well these last few years but we all thought our pa would have been the first to go. The less said about the funeral the better, my two sister-in-laws never got on with each other and it was my mas force of will keeping the peace between them. I’m surprised they didn’t end up killing each other but thankfully they're more shouters than fighters.”
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“I’m sorry to hear about your ma, I was only twelve when mine passed on and not a day passes that I don’t think about her.”
“Well enough about me, how are you holding up, I’m sure the not knowing’s the hardest but the captain will be back soon and I’m sure you’ll learn your fate not long after that.”
“That’s more than enough talk about ourselves, have any of the platoon returned yet?”
“No, and I’m not expecting the first of them to return until tomorrow at the earliest. Now from what I hear you were talking to Ardent earlier about training so I won’t go over it again. He’d make a fine lieutenant or at least a better one than I, perhaps even more than you but you can’t make even a young dog learn new tricks if he doesn’t want to.”
I went to bed that night with there having been no sign of the captain and there still hadn’t been by the time I had awoken. It wasn’t until the evening when a messenger arrived from him that we learnt what was going on.
“Well, you two you’ll be happy to know that Captain Walker will be returning sometime tomorrow but the message doesn’t contain anything else I’m afraid, not even a hint.
Now in four days, the last of the men should be back and when they are we’ll have our work cut out getting them into top fighting shape and that’s before we integrate the new hires, more than half of which haven’t even been hired yet. We know what positions have to be filled and hopefully we won’t have too much of a problem filling them.
That said I don’t think even the captain has ever faced having to find this many new hires at the same time. With that in mind, I would like to draw up two lists before he returns. The first list should include anyone known to either of you or myself who is looking or maybe looking for a new position. The second listing individuals that for whatever reason we really shouldn’t be even considering hiring.
And when it comes to the second list I don’t want you adding people just because you don’t like them or get on with them. They need to be on it because they have discipline problems and the like. Could you please submit it to me by this time tomorrow and when the captain returns I will pass them on to him.
On a side note, the messenger also carried a missive from the Mercenary Guild informing the company that while some changes to the articles had been discussed none of them had been passed.”
“Not surprising no changes have been made to the articles since Joshua Ryan was made chairman of the executive council eight years ago.”
“I suppose not Ashton but even before then chances were rare and it’s not just the council that has a say in the matter.”
“Well, that must mean that article 27b, subsection 12 has now been in place for a whole fifteen years, a new record for that particular clause I believe.”
“I suppose so but who knows what the future has in store and that particular clause has no real impact on a company such as ours.”
The Articles or if you want to give it its official title The Articles of the Mercenary Guild are the set of rules that govern the operations of the various mercenary companies including such things as what you can and cannot hire mercenaries to do and the treatment of prisoners.
During the first century or so of the Guild's existence, major changes to the articles were common but ever since then for the most part that has not remained the case. That is not to say that no changes have been made but rather that they are mostly of a cosmetic nature or have come and gone many times. The last change that I am aware of occurred ten seasons ago and removed a restriction on the use of a particularly brutal type of siege engine that hadn’t even been in place for a decade beforehand.
Captain Walker arrived back at around noon the following day and although it didn’t necessarily mean anything he showed up by himself. Upon his arrival, he met with Lieutenant Berger for half an hour before summoning me and Ardent.
“Alright, you two I’ve got some good news and some bad news, at least from my perspectives that is, which do you want first?”
“Best to get the bad news out of the way Ashton, don’t you agree.”
“Yes.”
“In that case, I’m afraid that while my initial approach failed he was able to point me in the direction of another individual he felt might be more amenable to my offer and while it took longer to track him down than I had originally planned I did manage to find him and he accepted my offer of employment. Consequently, this means that I won’t be needing the services of one of you as a lieutenant. Now for the good news or should I say, better news since it may only be a temporary reprieve for the other one of you.
Considering how hard it was to find one qualified person willing to join us I don’t believe I will be able to find another, not until after our first contract anyways. Ardent my understanding is that you would rather revert to the rank of sergeant, now after having the winter recess to think it over is this still the case?”
“Yes, sir.”
“In that case Niel are you still willing to continue on as a lieutenant for at least a little while longer?”
“Yes.”
“Alright that being the case, Ardent have you any qualms about returning to your original unit after your stint as an officer.”
“Not at all.”