"He is a Private when it comes to Army matters but when it has to do with our kind. He is the Commander-in Chief. Do you understand me? If you do not comply. He will have me destroy you." She was so angry so was spitting. "And another thing I did not give you permission to hunt mortals."
"How do you know I had mortals?" He stared at her.
"One Kylie has stopped breathing because mortal blood repulses her and two your eyes are red." He turned to Paddy. "I apologise Sir. I have a lot to learn about this life."
"Yes you do. Pay attention to Rachelle's advice or I will order your destruction."
"Yes Sir." The Commander said sincerely.
"Sir, I will take him to his tent and retell him the rules and laws." Rachelle informed him.
"Good idea Rachelle."
She walked him to his tent. He was whispering about me moving away from him. He wanted to know why.
Paddy and Cory shook their heads. 'I think he is going to be trouble.' Cory signed.
'I agree.' We all signed back.
The Commander came back a few hours later. "I am sorry Private Sir. I did not understand the chain of commander when I was told it the first time."
Paddy nodded.
"At dawn we will be going into battle. The French have taken positions on the other side of those trees." He pointed to the trees he had run through earlier that evening. "My officers are going around waking everyone up, we should be in position by daybreak."
"On the other side of those trees Sir?" Paddy pointed to the same trees.
"Yes."
"You must remember Sir. Mortals do not move as fast as we do. It will take them a full day to reach the other side." Paddy told him.
"I see. If it takes a full day then it takes a full day." Then he walked to the training square and waited for his troops to assemble. An hour later all the men were standing at attention listening to their Commander.
"We will have the element of surprise. They will not be expecting us to meet them." The Commander turned to next in Command. "Let us go."
"Yes Sir."
"Move Out!"
They went into their squads and started for the trees. Scott had us prepare packs to carry on our backs. "We are going to setup a temporary hospital close to the fighting. It will take the too long to bring the injured back to the hospital." He told us.
Samantha stayed with our patients. Rachelle was determined to keep an eye on the Commander. This will be his first time in battle as a vampire. She wanted to make sure he did not show himself.
We ran to catch up with the soldiers then slowed to a walk when we neared them.
Scott started to setup the hospital a mile from our front line. We hung up some canvas sheets on the trees for protection from the weather.
"We are far enough away from the fighting but close enough to save most of them."
"All right."
It was early evening when we started. We had a tent up for Scott's surgery and a lot of cots for the injured. The Commander had his troops rest for the night.
Commander Comerford told them. "We will not fight tonight unless they fire the first shot."
Paddy and Cory came to our tent.
"Are we far enough away from the fighting Paddy?" Scott asked him.
"Yes you are Scott. It was a good idea." Paddy pointed to the tent.
"It would have taken them too long to bring the wounded to me."
"That is true."
We went and sat under the trees and pretended to sleep. During the night we heard some mortals moving around the area. Paddy and Cory shifted and went into the trees. They were back a short time later.
"The French have surrounded us." Paddy whispered.
"What do we do now?" Annabelle asked
"We tell the Commander." Paddy told her.
Cory went to find the Commander and Paddy went to gather up our people. He brought them back to the hospital tent. The Commander came in with the Cory.
"We are surrounded." He looked shocked when we told him.
"Impossible. We would have heard them."
"We did. That is how we know we are surrounded." Paddy said.
"Oh?" The Commander looked nervous. "I have never been surrounded before."
"We have." We said together.
"How did you fight them?"
"We fought on all fronts." Paddy told him. "I suggest you move your men into a circle leaving this tent as your center."
"Good idea." The Commander left to do what Paddy suggested.
"How do you plan to keep the mortals alive?" Scott asked.
"I do not know." Paddy shook his head. "I think this might end very badly for us."
We nodded in agreement.
Our fellow soldiers were moving into position. They were not very loud. Many of them try to be as quiet as us.
The Commander came back into the tent an hour later. "Everyone has been moved into position."
"That is good Sir. Now we wait for dawn." Commander Comerford nodded.
We joined the rest of our brothers in arms.
Annabelle, Rachelle and I had dressed in our trousers so that we would blend in with them.
When the sun rose the French Army did not realise it had lost the element of surprise. They were quite surprised themselves when they were face to face with their opponents.
They fought furiously when their plan of surprise did not work. It was not long before we were busy with wounded soldiers.
Our soldiers fought just as hard keeping them away from the hospital tent.
It was early the next morning just before sunrise I heard Paddy and Quinn talking in whispers. "That idiot will expose all of us with his behaviour." Quinn said to Paddy as they carried in a wounded soldier.
"Yes I know we will have to do something soon." Paddy agreed.
"Where do you want him?" Quinn asked me. I pointed to an empty space on the floor. They put the wounded man down then Paddy signed that he wanted to talk to all of us. We went into Scott's surgery. Rachelle was the last one to enter.
"What has he done?" She whispered.
"He is running around the entire perimeter trying to see what is going on."
"Oh no. I warned him."
"I know you did. We might be all right if no noticed him. Everyone was busy with the French."
"Let us hope."
"If any of you hear anything we will discuss it." Paddy told us. We nodded.
