Personal Account 13

From the 2nd Combined Army

Nicholas d'Fayme gazed at the defenses for a long time through his spyglass. Trenches, log walls, and artillery to cover all approaches. It was an...intriguing defensive position, the most intriguing being why they bothered.

"Amazing," he mumured to himself, "Tying themselves up in long fortifications? They did our job for us."

General Anentophras scanned the defenses as well, his gaze focusing on the road that the defenses sat astride. "Is that the road to Beldorford?"

"Yes sir. That means Alexandre and your friends in the 4th are somewhere beyond them. The supply lines are still open farther to the wets, but they're sitting right between us and the town."

Anentophras removed the glass from his eye and stared at the defenses silently. They would have little trouble breaking through, but at what cost?

"Brigadier, are the siege mortars still with us?"

"Yes sir, they are."

"And do they only carry solid shot?"

d'Fayme flashed his grinned as he caught on. "No soldi shot for them. Hundreds of beautiful 15 inch shells, ready and waiting to fire."

"Good." The usually somber Akaeian returned the smile. "Set up a main line of resistance and be prepared to hold off any counterattacks. Watch out for surprise attacks." he gestured at the crude wooden and earth defenses. "We're going to blast their souls to hell."

"Mi-se-ry, oh mi-se-ry, Look what the Army's done to me..."

The baritone, off-tune voices of the soldiers were carried on the wind above the sound of picks and spades. The army was building trenches of its own, which were linking the larger holes of the gunpits.

"Drip-drop, drip-pe-ty-drip-drop; Sit-tin' on a hill-top, raindrops on my head; My sweetheart left me, she left me for dead..."

The rest of the army stood at the ready, muskets in hand, alert against the possibility of counter-attack.

"Momma, momma, can't you see? Look what the Army's done to me. ... They took away my faded coat; Now I'm wearing Army red. They took away my gin and rum; Now I'm up before the sun..."

A rumbling and creaking of wooden and wheels, combined with the rasping screech of poorly oiled axles, made all pause. A long line of caissons came up the road, guarded by cavalry and a full regiment. The mortars were pulled along, their wide squat barrels making them look like beasts from a nightmare. the men returned to work.

"Mi-se-ry, oh mi-se-ry, Look what the Army's done to me..."

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