Our Land (Queen's Own Book 1) Read online

  “No sir.”

  “Find one that looks likely and do so. Gather ropes and other supplies from the quartermaster if necessary.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  It was a bit of a daft request, but as the surgeon was convinced these furry natives were at least partially arboreal in nature, it was best that Jacob examined trees where they had been known to stop when possible. Perhaps there was some information that would incur an advantage when properly examined.

  The second platoon had much the same information as the first, once again with no physical evidence. So the natives helped their wounded, displaying at least some kinship ties. Wolves did that as well, supposedly. Although Jacob had never been to the northern reaches of his homeland to confirm such research. He preferred his hunting expeditions to be in the tropics. The animals were more impressive, the climate more pleasant, and the women didn't look like some kind of bundled snow-monster. Although, unfortunately, they wore almost as many layers. Deeply frustrating, that.

  As it turned out, there was little enough that could be discerned from the treetops examined. One showed the mark of several musketballs and a spray of red, but the knowledge that his men had hit at least one of the natives fired upon was hardly new. He would have been exceedingly disappointed if they hadn't. Still, given not all of them had struck their targets, he ordered a round of target practice, under the watchful eye of the sergeants. There would be no liquor ration for the Lifeguards today unless every man exceeded the unit minimum by five in fifty.

  Of course, given the unit average was seven better than the minimum, it would not be overly hard. He was confident he would be passing out the daily tipple tonight.

  Having found the Colonel and reported both a detailed overview of the skirmish and his suppositions on the nature of the natives, Jacob then found himself engaged in the traditional army pastime of waiting. But not for long, as once Colonel Sherman had collected information from those regiments affected by the attack, he dismissed the soldiers to their rest.

  Dawn, and with it the resumption of the march, saw the Lifeguards given a prestigious assignment. As they had outperformed the other regiments in the minor scuffle of the early morning, they were to march ahead and begin construction of a temporary encampment, one that could house the entire Royal Expedition. Smiling with relief that he and his men would not have engage in the mud and drudgery of the wagon train, Jacob sent his men into the forest at a quick march, eager to be out into the open plains, where the volleyed muskets of his men would be the deadliest weapon ever seen on this continent.

  ***

  The camp was well in hand by the time the rest of the army showed up, gridded out with immaculate precision and being filled in by squads of Lifeguards either erecting tents, digging trenches and forming berms, or building proper sanitation facilities. The artillerists started work on the emplacements for their cannon, while the general infantry pitched in with the rest of the work. Satisfied that all was in hand, the officers left their men to their tasks, and gathered for a briefing that led into a catered meal.

  “As you are no doubt aware, our primary purpose in coming to this land is to render it safe for civilization. In addition, we are to make a survey of the terrain such that its resources are distributed in an equitable way, once the Queen and her ministers see fit to make such disbursements as are their right. Thus, our primary mission is to construct a series of fortifications that encompass a large area of land, and thence to survey everything within the protected territories. Given that we have six regiments, and another six on the way, I do believe everyone can understand the nature of the outlay we will be undertaking.

  “This fortress here will be the arch stone, supported on either side by two more fortifications, curving back through the forest. Land around those fortresses will be cleared for one half mile, and a series of highways constructed with the timber thus recovered. In time, the roads will be converted from timber shod to macadam, but only when such is deemed necessary by the then appointed governor, or another appropriate minister.

  “Jacob, your Lifeguards will take this fortress we are constructing here. Matthias will be to the east, Richard to the west, while David and Willaby will take the final two. Thomason, you will oversee the docks, once our reinforcements have completed development of them. Each of you will have a junior regiment under your command from amongst those landing shortly. I will inform you of the names and regiments once orders are received.” With that, the Colonel swept from the room, no doubt to continue his practice of command by strolling.

  Congratulations fell upon Jacob for his appointment to the position of honour, even from Matthias, although it was plain for all to see that the officer had desired the seat for himself. Still, good graces won out over ill news, and he deported himself as a noble should.

  Toasts were raised to each of those present and their appointments in turn, and then, having been informed that the Colonel would dine in private tonight, the officers set to with a will, enjoying a full seven course repast, complete with freshly baked pheasant breast, the birds having been shipped alive from the homeland.

  Sadly, there was an interruption during the main course. One of the servants bowed and requested a private word with Matthias, who then had to excuse himself from the table, putting quite a damper on the conversation. Now everyone eyed the tent flap and wondered if their men would request their presence as well.

  Matthias did not return for dessert, nor for the fine digestive liquors that ended the meal. Stomachs somewhat unsettled by the failure of that fine officer to return, each of the noble-born took their exits with as much haste as was seemly, and then went to roust their sentries and demand information.

  Jacob, trusting in his men somewhat more than the others, was the last to leave, remembering to thank the servants and chef on the way out, and apologizing for the speed with which the officers had departed. The cook was understanding of the matter, having been on campaign a time or two before.

  Pleased that there were no ruffled feathers in the kitchen, Jacob made his way to the Lifeguards' square, neatly laid out by platoon, with his tent dominating the middle of the enclosure. A quirked eyebrow at the nearest of his men brought the soldier running.

  “Yes, Fredericks?”

  “There are fires on the horizon, sir.”

  “Fires?”

  Rather than answer directly, Fredericks led the way to one of the sentry mounds bulking into the sky on the edge of the camp. With a single gesture, he encompassed the horizon, which had three clusters of twinkling lights, almost certainly fires, just as they had been described.

  “And has there been any scouting undertaken?”

  “No sir. Although I believe Matthias might have been overheard to mention a patrol in force on the morrow.”

  “Well, I shall have to speak to Colonel Sherman about that. Now tell me, Fredericks, why did no one think to inform me?”

  “Sir, it was viewed that as a matter without urgency, it was not worth disturbing your repast. We did double the number of Lifeguards on the wall, just in case.”

  A quick glance up and down their section of the wall confirmed that statement.

  “You have done superbly. But in the future, I would prefer to be alerted. Shows a good sense of duty, does it not?”

  “Of course sir.”

  “I think we can stand down the men now, back to their normal duties. If we're going to patrol tomorrow, we might as well rest when we can.”

  “Understood. I'll see to it.”

  “Good man.”

  ***

  Each of the regimental commandants had arisen early, dressed formally, and made their case to the Colonel that they should be the officer leading whatever patrol was undertaken. After the second, Willaby, had pressed his intentions, the Colonel had glanced at him with a withering eye, and told the unfortunate gentleman that his unit would do nothing more today than dig trenches and cut down timber. Upon hearing of that particular result, all th
e following officers, of which Matthias and Jacob were both part, decided that perhaps discretion was the order of the day, and simply took early morning constitutionals, followed by a quiet breakfast.

  There was, of course, the question as to who, or what, had been the cause of those fires the night before, but almost everyone assumed it was another group of barbarian tribesmen. The debate soon began to swing between those who thought the barbarians were acting in an actively hostile manner, and those who thought they were simply uneducated fools. Given what they had discovered regarding the natives thus far, uneducated fools became the consensus opinion.

  Matthias leant back in his chair, smiled, and spoke. “I'd like to put the fox among the hens, if I might. If we captured one of these creatures from their parents the day it was born, and raised it in the best houses of our homeland, what would happen? Set aside physical characteristics for the moment, as we all known it would grow to be an ungainly freak. There is no disputing that. But intellectually, culturally, could it be educated?”

  Richard answered. “Well, dear fellow, you have to define what you mean by educated? Must it be able to quote from the classics, and see the differences inherent in the paintings of Picaro compared to his contemporaries? Or does a general understanding of subjects suffice, such as any boy might have upon finishing upper sixth?”

  “For the moment, let us use the lesser definition of upper sixth. After all, most of us,” this with a glance over at Jacob, “have the greater or lesser part of our units comprised of men with schooling of this level and no more, and they produce exemplary soldiers, which we can all understand as a useful contribution to society.”

  “In that case, I am inclined to answer in the affirmative.” Richard held up a hand before any interjections occurred. “I am by no means saying they would be overly intelligent, even for the low standard to which we are holding them. But these creatures possess enough knowledge to use tools, coalesce into family groups, and presumably enjoy basic communication and language. And they are quite accurate with their bows. Thus I think they could be used as soldiers and general tradesmen. I will give them no more praise than that though.”

  Willaby decided to take the opposition. “But we have seen no actual evidence of any facility with language. Nor of cultivation, a fact Jacob's surgeon was able to discern.” Jacob nodded in confirmation. “And the largest group of them we have encountered could easily be an extended family, which hardly argues for their capabilities. Likewise, we have seen no structures, no shelters of any sort. While indeed they may have the capabilities thus described, I think it is far more likely that they are a bare step above the beasts whom they hunt.”

  “And so we have one vote for yes, and another for no. As I recuse myself from answering, that leaves three to be cast. Step in, gentlemen, and let's resolve the matter.” Matthias then sipped from his tea, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.

  Both David and Thomason answered in the negative, using much the same arguments as had been advanced by Willaby.

  “And Jacob, your thoughts? I know the vote is decided, but I am rather curious.”

  Jacob paused, marshalling himself. “I feel somewhat inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, although as to why I am not entirely sure. I do believe, however, that they must interact with at least one different group of barbarians. Namely, those who occupy the plains. As I believe you have seen in my surgeon's report and subsequently, the creatures seen so far are entirely adapted to arboreal living, right down to bone spurs on the inside of the limbs that can be used to assist in climbing. Given that, I find it extremely unusual they would be some miles distant from any forest, huddled around camp fires. Thus, I do believe we are going to meet an entirely new group of inhabitants this morn.”

  It was a thought that had clearly not occurred to any of the other officers there, and they looked at Jacob with surprise on their faces, surprise that was quickly replaced by studious expressions. As each man fell silent to ponder, there was a polite cough from behind them. Turning, they saw a soldier standing there, the day's orders written on the paper proffered with one hand.

  Matthias took it, and read aloud. “David, Thomason, Richards are to stay and begin erection of the permanent fortress to be built here. Willaby has already had his orders explained to him.” That earned the officer in question looks of sympathy. “And Jacob and I are to each lead our regiments towards one location of the fires from the night before, Jacob the eastern and I the western.” Matthias smiled inwardly. “Very well then, I wish you all the best of luck. I must prepare my men.”

  With a similar statement, Jacob departed, glad he had been chosen for the more interesting of the day's duties.

  ***

  Jacob departed that morning with the Lifeguards in three tightly spaced columns, the outer two with standing orders to flank any enemies if their numbers were small, or to form a square if considered truly dangerous. It was standard procedure for an excursion like this, but he had felt the need to repeat the orders. Another standard procedure.

  The plains themselves were quite dull, waist high grasses atop slight undulations of the ground. Although there was a rather pleasing ripple effect whenever a gust of wind spilled forth. Unfortunately, that same ripple had a rather irritating corollary, inasmuch as it meant there was constant movement around the regiment, movement that distracted the scouts, and made them hard to spot for the observers in the main body.

  Within a short time, Jacob passed orders to recall the scouts and shorten the distance between the columns. He also stationed men with swords as the front of each column, cutting through the grasses to make the way easier. It would spoil the good steel of the blades after a time, but it would be nothing a good polish and a visit to the blacksmith couldn't account for. Ever were there sacrifices to be made in the name of duty.

  Over in the far distance, he could see Matthias’ force as it stomped through the grasses, although as little more than a wavering line of crimson that wandered in and out of view. It seemed these days that he was always being placed into contention with Matthias. Most likely, it was the Colonel's intention to test the two of them, and determine which was worthy of the highest posting. Despite the initial proclamation of who would hold which fortifications, Jacob was quite sure that Colonel Sherman would feel no compunction whatsoever in altering those orders should he feel the defence of the realm was at stake. Nor should he. Loyalty and skill should trump all other considerations when fighting for Her Royal Highness. Although privately Jacob admitted he could feel magnanimous on that score because he was the commanding officer of the Lifeguards, the best regiment in all the army.

  Making a mental note to be careful about vanity, Jacob turned his attention outward once more, and found that the scenery had changed not at all. Grasping a runner, he sent the man forward, with orders to discern the location of the previous night’s campfires. Or, more properly, to have the scouts do so and report to him.

  Within a few short moments, one of the campaign's cartographers trotted up to Jacob.

  “Sir.”

  “Carry on.”

  “Sir, I can assure you we are on the right heading. Both myself and the other cartographers took bearings last night using the location of the fort, the stars, and the moon, all to determine the appropriate angle to approach the campfires. I am quite sure we are still on it.”

  “If you would be so kind as to tell me how much further you anticipate us having to march before the arrival at our destination?”

  “No more than half an hour. Were this land better for seeing long distances, I feel quite sure that I could point in that direction and you would see the camp spread out ahead of you, along with whatever occupants might still remain.”

  “Very well. Dismissed.”

  The cartographer stepped back, knowing that any error on his part would go on his permanent record. Although not as a matter for much discussion. It was well acknowledged in military circles that cartographers and their ilk
were unreliable, and as equally likely to get you into a jam as out of one. Still, on the whole their benefits outweighed their costs.

  Turning to the flag bearer, Jacob barked an order. “Signal line abreast, and send runners to the other two columns to ensure they understand. And follow with an order for silence.”

  A quick nod, and the flag was already weaving through the complicated pattern. Others took up the form, and within but a few moments, the ranks of the column in front of him were peeling out left and right, locking strides with the men in front of them and bringing the muskets to the ready. Despite it somewhat impeding the reloading of the muskets, his soldiers already had bayonets fixed, a command Jacob had given this morning, due to the difficult nature of seeing long distances in the tall grass. If anything was going to crawl through it and leap at his men, he'd rather they were ready.

  The wind turned, and brought with it a hint of something in the air, a faint tang that nipped at the back of his throat. And a rather unpleasant stench at the same time. That must be the camp of whatever was here the night before. Hand signals went out for 'Advance and Surround', and Jacob was gratified to see them being undertaken with swift thoroughness. Then he fell into place behind the main line of his forces. From here on out, he had to rely upon the judgement of his officers and sergeants, even down to that of the individual enlisted man, a nerve-wracking experience if there ever was one.

  A commotion broke out ahead as the soldiers pushed through into a clear area. A clear area a fair bit larger than he had anticipated from seeing the fires the night before. And it was absolutely heaving with a frantic collection of small vermin. Well, perhaps vermin was being too unkind, but it was most certainly the first word that sprang to mind. What they were better described as was grubby, unclean humanoids the size of a young boy, with overly long arms, and faces that would be more appropriate on some kind of ferret. Most noticeable though, the stench radiating from them at such proximity was horrendous. Jacob had thought there might be a greater hope for some form of civilization here, out on the plains, but these creatures were clearly overshadowed by their arboreal neighbours, however primitive those beings were.