Chapter 3
Dev was housed in the Officer's Quarters. To him, it was a nice enough place to live. It was one room, but rather largish, with a real bed, not the wooden board rack he had slept on as a private in the army.
He had a footlocker that contained his uniforms, hose, and his civilian clothing. His extra riding boots and regular army boots were under his bed. Instead of a fireplace, he had a small potbelly stove that kept the room warm enough in the cold weather.
The stove was a fairly new innovation to Westford. Still, the Army had bought a number of them, and had had them shipped and placed in Officer's Quarters in the colder climate areas of the kingdom. It seemed sensible to Dev.
He sat in one of his two chairs and thought about one of his problems that he was going to have to deal with. His platoon sergeant had not been pleased to be put back into the position of just platoon sergeant. Until Dev came along, he had been the platoon sergeant and platoon leader, and he resented Dev's being there.
Dev already had developed a plan of action. He was going to let his platoon sergeant go, and promote corporal Alder to platoon sergeant. He would then promote file leader Kitch to corporal and move a couple people around, in the platoon. This would balance the files. He would still be short of people, but at least the files would be well matched.
The next day Dev got up and decided that this was the day he dealt with platoon sergeant Cryder. There was a knock on his door.
"Come," he said.
The door opened and sergeant Cryder came in.
"You wanted to see me?" Cryder asked, almost sneering.
Dev studied Cryder a moment. What he saw was a man of about forty, getting a bit overweight, with short brown hair peppered with gray. He was about two inches shorter than Dev.
"Cryder, you have resented me and have been just short of out and out disrespectful of me, since I arrived. I am tired of your behavior, so I am relieving you of your position as platoon sergeant.
"I am informing the captain as soon as we are finished here, and if he finds a position for you, it will surprise me. If I were you, I would look for a position somewhere in the civilian portion of town," Dev told the man.
Cryder's face had gotten ugly as Dev spoke and his hands closed into fists.
"Why you little popinjay. You come in here and in just a couple weeks you think you can run this platoon? I was in the Army before you were out of your mamma's belly! You can't come in here and try to ruin me, without taking your lumps," Cryder snarled and rushed at Dev.
Dev dodged and hit the man in his kidney as he went by. Cryder winced but was game and turned. He drew a knife and glared at Dev.
"I was just going to beat you to a pulp, but now I think I will carve my name in your face," Cryder snarled.
Dev found himself in a fight for his life! He dodged twice and then managed to trap the arm with the knife. He used a trick he had learned and forced the elbow up. He heard a gasp, and Cryder dropped the knife.
But the platoon sergeant was not done yet. Even as he was dropping the knife, he brought his other fist around and hit Dev in the side of his face. Dev dropped the trapped arm and stumbled backwards.
'Damn, but the man could hit hard' Dev thought to himself. He circled Cryder, his training he had received during the last year standing him in good stead. While he had always been strong and had never shirked a fight, this was a very serious matter. A weapon had been drawn against a superior officer, and that was an offense, which would send sergeant Cryder to prison at the very least.
"You're going to prison now, Cryder. You made a mistake by drawing a weapon on me," Dev told him.
Cryder had been shaking his right arm and now reset himself.
"You need to be alive to make those charges, boy," Cryder said and launched himself at
Dev.
That was when Dev won the fight. As he had been trained, he spun around, and helped the sergeant in the direction the sergeant had been going. The sergeant smashed his face against the wall, breaking his nose.
As the sergeant staggered back from the wall, Dev launched a punch at the base of the man's skull, and down went Cryder, out cold.
Dev took a deep shuddering breath, and walked to the door and opened it. He went out and saw a few troopers walking by.
"You two! Go get the guard! I have a prisoner for them," Dev told them.
Startled, the two took off at a run and Dev went back in to his quarters and kept an eye on the unconscious Cryder. Shortly two guards showed up at about the time Cryder started to regain consciousness. They took him into custody, and Dev went to report to his captain what had happened.
Captain Onders was not pleased.
"I can't believe you were so naive as to as to confront someone in your quarters, alone. Particularly when you were telling someone their career was over, just like that," the captain said scathingly, with a snap of his fingers.
"Yes, Sir. I underestimated him," Dev responded.
"Yes, you did. Also, he was a damned good sergeant. Oh, I knew he could be a troublemaker, but to attack you like that..." the captain shook his head in disbelief.
They talked a while longer with the captain ordering Dev to write up a report on exactly what happened, and to have it on the Captain's desk by the noon meal, after which he was dismissed back to his platoon.
Dev had a small office in the company's headquarters, and went in there to write up his report. He finished it within an hour, and sent it over to the captain via a clerk. He then decided to go over the platoon's books that had been taken from the sergeant's quarters, very carefully.
Each platoon was given a set amount of money a month to spend for supplies and needs. As Dev went over the books, he started noticing a pattern. Cryder had started taking out cash, as was the platoon leader's right, to buy for the platoon. Most items in the platoons books when he did this were headed as miscellaneous. Usually small amounts, of two or less silvers a month.
Dev brought the books and his suspicions to the captain. Dev explained his thoughts and the captain went over the books with him. Two hours later they were both convinced that the sergeant had been skimming from the company.
Dev was sent back to his platoon, and the captain took the books with him to the colonel's office. This was something that would have to be dealt with by the colonel. The colonel had left standing orders to notify him of any theft at all. Theft was becoming a problem in the Army, and the King had ordered it stopped at all costs.
Dev was surprised when the captain came into his office. Dev jumped to attention.
"At ease, Dev. Sit down," the captain directed, then placed Dev's books on the desk, and sat down himself.
"The colonel was not pleased with what you discovered. I am going to fill you in on an open secret. Skimming has been going on since armies first appeared. Mostly by supply sergeants, and officers. The lower ranks are not in a position to get involved really. An occasional guard will turn a blind eye, that's about it.
"I suspected Cryder was skimming, but the amount he has taken is in golds, not brass, or even a few silver. It adds up to over seven golds, since he took charge of the platoon, and that's way to much," the captain paused while Dev digested this.
They discussed what was going to happen to Cryder. In addition to attacking a superior officer, and attempted murder; theft of Army funds was being added to the charges. The Colonel wanted to set an example.
A trial was held after a short investigation. Dev was called to give his account of what had transpired between him and sergeant Cryder. Secondly, the platoon's books were entered into evidence, and the theft charted.
Sergeant Cryder was asked if he had anything to say in his defense and he refused. The Colonel found him guilty and sentenced him to hang. Dev was surprised, as he had understood prison was what Cryder was going to receive.
A gallows was built in front of Troop D headquarters, and the sentence was carried out on a bright and clear day at fourth hour in the afternoon. Cryder was marched out with his hands tied behind his back. The colonel asked the condemned if he had any last words.
"Just that my friends will take care of Cantor for me. You might think you have settled this with hanging me, but you are dead. You hear me Cantor? DEAD!" Cryder shouted the last.
Dev watched as Cryder was forced up the steps of the gallows and a rope placed over his head. A moment later it was all over, with Cryder dropping through the trap door and his neck breaking cleanly with a loud snap.
Spring came, and everyone was ready for it. It was also a busy time for Troop D. The King was serious about maintaining the safety on his roads, and the troop was given the task of patrolling the roads east from Westford all the way to Litchman Falls.
Litchman Falls was over seven days ride from Westford, and the troop split up to take sections of the road. Dev's platoon, being short on people, was given the section of road between Litchman itself and the second inn along the road to the west.
Dev had a little secret to help out with the patrol, though. He had capabilities that were magical in nature, and he used them with some success. He split his platoon into two parts, which kept the roads covered between Litchman and the two inns.
Dev divided his time between the split patrols. He had two men assigned to himself, at all times. This was compliments of his new platoon sergeant, sergeant Alder. The platoon sergeant commanded one of the split portions, and the new corporal commanded the other.
Dev and his two troopers were cantering towards the inn closest to Litchman when the spell that Dev had cast that morning twanged. Some one, or several some ones were up ahead, and off the road. He held up his hand and brought the little group to a halt.
"This is a good place for an ambush. I want us to go off the road and check the woods to either side. Let's do the left side first, and be very quiet," Dev commanded.
His two men nodded and silently led their horses into the woods and tied them to a tree. They quietly drew their sabers and spread out, and moved silently through the forest. It took them about thirty minutes, but they crept up on four people hiding in the brush close to the road.
It was obvious to Dev they were not camping, resting, or having a meal. The only reason for these four to be hiding was they were planning to attack and rob someone. Dev wished that he had more men to handle this bunch. Still, it was only three to four, and Dev was sure of himself and his men's capabilities.
Dev silently got a tanglefoot spell ready. When the four hiding showed signs of attacking, Dev and his men would attack the attackers from the rear. All this was communicated by hand signals.
Dev could feel people coming down the road from the direction of Litchman. There was a very good possibility these four were going to ambush those people, and Dev and his men would be ready.
Dev could avoid a fight totally by confronting the men and turning them over to the authorities, but without them doing anything, there was a good chance the judge in Litchman would just let them go, which was why Dev wanted to catch them in the act.
The four persons who were waiting hidden from the road were dressed roughly, and did not speak. This indicated to Dev that they had done this before, as they were quiet and felt no need for conversation.
The person or persons that Dev felt with his spell was now close enough to be heard. It was a wagon and there were two people riding on it. A man and a boy. Dev watched the four and when one man started raising a bow, Dev gave the signal.
With yells, Dev and his two troopers charged, startling the four people they had been watching. Dev threw his tanglefoot spell at the man with the bow. The man, who was turning, fell. His feet appeared tangled in the underbrush.
This let Dev and his men take out the other three with relative ease. They were poorly armed, and gave up quickly. The man on the wagon had stopped it and he and the boy had gone over to the other side of the wagon, and out of sight.
Dev soon had the four securely tied, and marched them out onto the road.
"It's over, Goodman. You and the boy can continue on your way. We have the ambushers," Dev said loudly and clearly.
"Who are you people?" the man asked cautiously, still behind the wagon.
"I am Lieutenant Devlin Cantor, Second Platoon, D troop, Westford. My platoon is assigned to patrol this road," Dev responded.
Shortly the man and boy were back on their wagon. After offering much thanks, they went on their way. Dev had one of the troopers go back to get their horses and he and the remaining trooper kept an eye on the prisoners.
Dev asked them who they were, and where they had camped before they set up their trap. None of them spoke. They just looked sullen. After the trooper came up with the horses, Dev asked trooper Daro to track the four back to their camp if possible.
Trooper Daro came back about thirty minutes later and said there were signs that someone else had been there, and that five horses had left the area in a hurry. Apparently they had missed one of the ambushers.
Dev sent Daro ahead to Litchman Falls and asked that a wagon be sent for the prisoners. In the meantime, he had the four roped together and started walking them in the direction of Litchman Falls.
Captain Onders had all four of his platoon leaders assembled, in a clearing, halfway between Litchman Falls and Westford.
"We have new orders. We are to equip for an extended march to the south. The southern borders are being raided and it looks like we are being sent to reinforce the southern Army, which is stretched thin.
"The King is sending troops C and D along with one thousand foot. Since we are mounted, we will arrive well before the foot soldiers. The foot has already pulled out, but won't get there for at least six to eight weeks.
"That means we will be representing fifth Army in the south. Because of the nature of what's happening, troopers have been transferred to us to fill out our short fall. Gentleman, I want to make this clear, we are going to probably see skirmishes. Make no mistake, despite what this is called, it is a war," Captain Onders stated grimly.
Edited by TeNderLoin