Conscription; Pt. 2

It was a little bit difficult for Angus to avoid the army recruiters on the way to school. When he wasn’t sneaking around them, he could outmaneuver them. They pursued him like a commoner even though he was clearly dressed like a Baron. “At least this poor looking body can be useful” he thought. Despite their persistence and aggressive movements to recruit Angus, he knew that if he got to the monastic school he would have a better chance at becoming an officer. Why were they so aggressive in their pursuit? Did they think he was dodging the draft?

When he finally got to the monastery, there were multiple soldiers posted on the staircase to get in. Angus’s strength and slim frame made him quite agile. Without so much as laying a finger on a single soldier, he did a split step to avoid one, increased his speed to pass between two, and slid into the door past three soldiers like it was a baseball game. He was in the monastery. He was safe.

In the doorway stood Peter, who watched the whole ordeal. Frankly, he was a little bit shocked that all of the soldiers he paid couldn’t catch Angus and assign him to a low position on the front lines of battle. Angus didn’t need to know about his plan, so he concealed his anger the best he could.

“Man, those soldiers sure are aggressive. Glad I made it here without getting caught.”

“Really? They didn’t really come after me very much.”

“Probably because you look rich.”

“Can’t deny that…”

Peter paused for a second. He knew that on the actual battlefield he would be completely outclassed by Angus, so he wanted to close the gap between them in any way possible.

“About that training dummy yesterday, how did you break it so easily?”

“Ah, my parents have been making me work again, and it’s made me stronger. My dad kind of knew about the impending war, so I guess he wanted me to be ready in case I’m on the front lines.”

“Right, but what about that swing technique?”

“Well, if you get hit with something heavy, there’s generally more force to it. I just threw my body into the swing so instead of just hitting with the sword’s weight, I hit it with my body’s weight too.”

“I guess that does make sense. Thanks for the tips, see you in class.”

“Yeah.”

Angus was more than a little confused. Why was Peter waiting there at the gates of the monastery? If he didn’t associate with poor people, why was he suddenly so willing to talk to him? Shaking these questions off, he walked into class where a draft of officers was sure to happen. What he didn’t expect was how the draft of officers would work. There were only three slots for infantry officers, which an unbiased group of officers would select.

James, Bertrand, Peter, Angus and a classmate named George all ran for the positions. George was interesting. He was calm, level-headed, and quite calculated. Although he wasn’t very wealthy, he somehow managed to get lots of books which he read and studied thoroughly. He wasn’t outspoken, but many believed he was incredibly knowledgeable about military tactics. They each had time to write brief speeches to plead their case and appeal to the officers. The speeches were presented in reverse alphabetical order.

Peter was first:

“My father is the Regent of the land, Henry of Leicester. He has been very generous to our officers. By making them Barons, they can own land, have servants, and pretend to be rich like little Angus over there. These Barons boast and have children who also boast, but it’s all for naught. They are overly content with what they have, and refuse to see that enough is never enough. I plan to take that philosophy to the battlefield; it is not enough to win, we must crush our opposition decisively.“

The class was generally excited, except for Angus. What a low blow. Of course, such a personal attack wasn’t common. However, most looked past that because of Peter’s father and his determination to decisively win.

James was next:

“As a baron I have experience with giving orders and accomplishing goals through delegation. There are two things to know when leading a group of men. One is that keeping the group’s morale high is of utmost importance when accomplishing a goal. The other is how to command the respect needed to motivate your men. I assure all of you that I have thorough experience in both of these aspects of effective leadership.“

James’s speech was more calm and level-headed, completely devoid of personal attacks. However, he had both the knowledge and the class that the judges were looking for. While the class wasn’t particularly riled up by it, things were looking pretty good for him.

Followed by George:

“Although I am poor, it is clear that I show much promise. Being at the top of my class, I have been actively courted by nobility. Charles, the Marquis, has taken me in and allowed me to use his personal library whenever I like. Through his generosity, I have learned everything there is to know regarding battle strategy and tactics. I have memorized every book on the subject. With my knowledge on the subject, I can guarantee I will deliver results. Charles has let me in on the secrets as to what our next battle will actually entail. I know that our upcoming battle is certainly a strange one. Also through Charles, I personally know King Edward. If you ask his highness, I believe he will tell you anything else you would need to know about me.”

George was telling the truth. One judge brought a book out of the monastery’s library and asked George to recite a full page chosen at random. He was correct down to the word. In an unprecedented move, the judges immediately accepted George as a military officer. One of the three slots had already been filled before all of the campaign speeches had been delivered, and for good reason.

Bertrand and James looked at each other. They both wanted to be officers, but they felt like Peter was assured a position due to his class. Without communicating verbally, Bertrand knew what he had to do.

Bertrand was fourth:

“I would like to drop out of the race and be placed as James’s second in command. I know that this move may be controversial, but I believe I can assist him by being a second set of brains behind the operation. We have a history of working very well together and I believe this teamwork will lead to great success on the battlefield.“

Despite initially being taken aback, the judges allowed this move. James was confirmed as a second infantry officer, and Bertrand was placed as his second in command. Running for second in command was seen as a great display of humility, and the judges wanted to reward it.

Angus was last:

“I may not be wealthy. I may not be related to King Edward. However, I know that I have the skills to relate to and motivate the men in my squadron. Many of the men will be the very ones that I worked with in construction and in my mother’s shop. We treat them well in our family business to make sure the life they fight to protect is one worth living. My father has taught me everything he learned from his great success as an Infantry officer in Ireland. He taught me what it takes to deliver victory after victory. He taught me how to keep the morale of your men high, even in tough situations. And most importantly, he made the very plan that we will use to protect Warwick! I am already familiar with its intricacies and am fully prepared to execute it.“

The judges were taken aback. Angus was clearly qualified, but Peter was the son of the Regent and had already given them a large bribe. In the end, they gave the job to Peter, but they made Angus his second in command. Although he was pissed about it, Angus had a plan. Before everyone went home, they were notified that their military training would begin the next day.

“Hey Peter, congratulations.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

Peter put on a sheepish face, acting as if his speech didn’t occur at all.

“I have a quick question for you, though. How much did you pay the soldiers outside to catch me?”

“Uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about-”

“I think you do. After all, it’s not like the other sons of military barons had any difficulty getting here. Many of them look as poor as me, so it seems like I was specifically being targeted.”

“Look, although I do remember the soldiers chasing after you, it wasn’t me. I’ve got nothing against you at all!”

“... Sure. Your speech perfectly reflected that statement.”

“Don’t get sarcastic with me! I’m rich. You’re poor. Know your place.”

“Look, wealth matters less than respect on the battlefield. Unless you want to be seen as a stain on England’s infantry, you need the respect of the men. Interestingly enough, I know most of them. If you talk down to them or to me, they will not listen to you. Then, you’re going to have to answer to the king about your lacking performance.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you’re going to need me starting tomorrow. I know what you have been trying to do, and now I have a lot more leverage than you would expect. On the battlefield, your wealth and power among nobility is thrown out the window. If I wanted, I could control you like a dog out there but I won’t unless I have to. I already know the overall defense plan. We have little room for error, so get on board or get out of the way.”

Angus didn’t like being aggressive, but he knew he had to reign in Peter or Warwick could fall. No further words were exchanged between them, and they went to their respective homes to mentally prepare themselves for military training.