Kingdom's Fall

Chapter 24, Part 1

Gray surveyed the wagons with a critical eye. There were eight in total, all heavily laden and being pulled along by oxen instead of horses. One was heavy with food for them, almost to the point of being overloaded. It seemed unnecessary, the ground being thick with grass and the grazing excellent. Still, Gray approved of the Carelian army's decision not to depend on it. Should anything happen - such as a forced march to catch a rapidly-advancing army off-guard - then the beasts could be fed where they stood without any need to unhitch them. Four wagons were loaded with what could be food; it was hard to tell at a distance, but they had the irregular, lumpy look that spoke of a civilian approach to loading. By stark comparison, the remainder had been stacked with military precision. On one a sparse complement of long boxes lay covered and well-padded on the wagon's bed. They were the guns, and Gray was glad to see them. The Engineers had scavenged all they could from the prison stockade, but the weapons they had gathered were cast-offs, well-maintained but badly worn from long use. Firing mechanisms weren't delicate things as such, but they had a definite lifetime. New guns would mean one less concern when the time came to move over the border.

The last two wagons were the most important of all. Both of them were carrying squat wooden barrels, stacked on their sides two layers deep. They were full of gunpowder. Gray's spirits had lifted at the sight of it - he had been terrified that they would find food and nothing else - and he hoped that it would be enough to bring down the dam. It had to be enough.

He was relieved to see there was no cavalry, no outriders who could ride out to cut off their approach. There were guards, Carelian regulars by the look of them, but they were all on foot with the supply train. The party of Engineers were dressed in Carelian uniform and would have to advance over open ground to intercept the supply train. The closer they could get before the guards realised their subterfuge, the better.

Not having skirmishers to protect the train was sloppy work, but then the main body of the Carelian force was across the border already. The risk of an attack on their own territory was so small that assigning men and horses to escort them would have been a waste.

The Engineers marched towards the supply train at a slight angle, anticipating their advance. As the train came to a halt, they adjusted slightly, their path curving. Gray was pleased to see them simply coming to a halt, not even attempting to form a defensive line or move the powder clear. One of the Carelian soldiers hopped up on the side of a wagon, shielding his eyes and trying to get a better look at the advancing party. Gray took off the hat he was wearing - a hat he had taken from Holder - and waved it twice before slamming it back down on his head and continuing onward.

"Shouldn't we wave a white flag or something?" Cuan was marching on Gray's left shoulder, the first of two ranks that walked side-by-side in the commander's wake.

"No," said Gray. "No point in trying to look too friendly. Makes us look weak, and a proper officer is the sort of self-important bastard that would assume a wave of his hat is enough to identify him." He adjusted the angle of his hat and tugged at the corners of his uniform jacket, making sure it was straight. "Besides," he said, "You don't wave a white flag unless you mean peace." Everyone but Gray carried a gun. Some had them shouldered, others held them low at their sides in a semblance of idleness. Every single one was loaded and ready to fire. If he could get away with a bloodless surrender then Gray would be happy, but he sorely doubted that was going to happen.

"Hello!" The soldier had stepped down from the wagon and was striding forward to meet them, trying his best to fill the role of outrider and scout alone and on foot. It was foolhardy, but if things went poorly it was a reasonable trade of one man's life so that the others could rally to defend themselves.