The planning meeting was awkward. The group was evaluating the wizard corps portion of the battle and Quint’s action with the sappers.
“It isn’t often that we have an eyewitness to help us with our after-action reports,” the captain said. “Quint was actively involved in one action and stood on the battlefield minutes before the wizard corps fought. Let’s start with the wizard battle.”
Quint observed the discussion while one of the group read the official report. Quint’s vision of the battlefield had been consistent with the report.
When the recitation was over, Quint raised his hand.
“What did your group recommend?” Quint said. “I’d like to know that so we can compare what was proposed and what was implemented.”
The captain laughed. “You criticized a Field Marshal about the wizard part of the battle, didn’t you?”
Quint nodded. He admitted he had cast a portent string before the battle and gave his impression of what happened. “It had no impact on the battle’s outcome,” Quint said. “Unless the intent was to isolate the wizards.”
“You are questioning the Wizard Corps headquarters strategy?”
“I suppose I am. Please let me know if I am out of line doing that or anything else. All this is new to me, sir.”
“We are allowed to question,” the captain said. “That is part of our job. There was no intent to isolate the wizards, but those are traditionally the orders.”
“Was that what you proposed?” Quint asked, emboldened since he wasn’t told to shut his mouth.
“No. Senior Lieutenant Morioso, please explain in simple terms what our recommendation was.”
Morioso was a tall woman with her hair pulled back into a tightly wound bun.
“We suggested, as usual, that the wizards be split into groups of three and used to pierce the front lines with magic, enabling our troops to advance in the field,” she said.
“Did you dictate the strings the corps was to use, ma’am?”
“We gave suggestions. Dictate is too strong a word to use on the battlefield.”
“Can archers be employed to contain enemy wizards?” Quint asked. “It’s been done in battle before.”
“A hundred years ago,” one of the strategists said.
“And why did that fall into disuse?” the captain asked.
The man shrugged. “We won the war and didn’t need to keep the strategy.”
“Maybe it’s time we tried it again. I see what Tirolo is trying to say. We intentionally put our wizards out to pasture for the duration of the battle,” the captain said.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh, captain? We lost a wizard in that conflict,” another lieutenant said.
“The valor of our troops isn’t being questioned,” the captain said. “The deployment is. Let’s diagram our proposed plan and see what our new lieutenant has to say.”
Quint looked on while the group took the Wizard Corps battle plan proposal and their proposal for the entire battle and laid it out with the formations, the movements, and the projected results.
Quint had expected the battle to be run more like their plan.
“Your proposal was pretty much like I suggested,” Quint said. “Do your plans ever get used?”
“Not our proposed battle plans,” Lieutenant Morioso said. “They are always tampered with by wizard corps headquarters or rejected by the Racellian army planners.”
The captain stared at the lieutenant. “That is not to be talked about in an open meeting!”
Morioso took a deep breath and nodded. “My apologies, Captain.”
Quint wondered if Amaria Baltacco was involved. That was probably another topic not for an open meeting, so he kept his suspicion to himself.
“Where have you picked up your tactical knowledge?” the captain asked.
“From books. I’ve been spending the last months since I arrived reading strategy books in the third-floor library and taking notes,” Quint said before he realized he probably didn’t have permission. “I used to clean the library and took advantage of being there,” he added.
“Time well spent. Continue to do that. Do you have recommendations to minimize the chances of an attack on our supply wagons?”
“I’d start by tossing the useless little spears the drivers get. They were useful only because I had disabled the enemy. Real spears might be better, but I’d train the drivers as a fighting unit. Scouts would be useful. The sentries that monitored the battle camp left when the fighting started.”
“They left the back door unlocked, eh?” one of the junior lieutenants said.
“Exactly,” Quint said with a smile.
“Tirolo, you are assigned to write that up. We will review it as a group and include it in our report.”
“Yes, sir,” Quint said.
“I think that wraps it up. You all know what to do. We will meet again in two days, on schedule,” The captain said. “Tirolo, you stay behind.”
Quint tried to smile at his peers, but his nerves were getting to him. He was way over his head.
