What he was not doing, she saw, was deploying into line as he came on. That was less encouraging. Tactics manuals said that all attacks should be delivered in line, but the long, cumbersome formation was difficult at best in rough ground like the woods. She’d hoped the Hamveltai would stick to their doctrine and get bogged down, on ground that would favor the Girls’ Own and their skirmish tactics. Clearly, though, the enemy intended to simply bash ahead by sheer numbers, not bothering with the niceties of a firefight.

On the other hand, the tighter confines of the columns gave Archer’s guns a better target, and as the range shrank the cannonade began to inflict serious damage. Yellow-clad bodies littered the slope, and a well-aimed shot could plunge through an entire column, snatching a dozen men out of the ranks and laying them in pieces on the hillside. Hamveltai discipline held, however, and they kept to their formations in spite of the pounding they were taking.

Bobby returned, with Abby and Jane at her side. Behind them came the women of the Girls’ Own, those who’d kept up on the march and were still fit enough to fight. They spread out along the edge of the woods, not attempting any kind of formation but taking whatever cover they could find among the trees and rocks. Folsom led his company to the area where Winter and the other officers were standing, offering a cursory salute before turning to his rankers and assigning positions. The soldiers looked grim, and their new blue uniforms were travel-stained, but Winter was glad to see determination in their faces. After coming this far, they won’t break easily.

But anyone could break in the face of overwhelming numbers. Winter turned to Abby and Jane.

“Remember the plan,” she said. “Stand as long as you can, but give ground when they push too hard. No heroics.” Not yet, anyway.

Abby nodded. “We’ll bleed them.”

“That’s all we need.” Winter turned to Bobby. “Find Archer and tell him to give them one round of canister at a hundred yards, then pull back. I don’t want him around when it comes to musket range.”

Bobby saluted and rushed off again.

“Speaking of musket range,” Jane said, looking at the approaching Hamveltai. “You should be moving back, don’t you think?”

Winter chewed her lip. She was right, of course. Once the fighting started, here in the woods, there was nothing she would be able to do, no meaningful control she’d be able to exert over the battle. All she could do was put herself in danger, and risk disorganizing the whole regiment if she was injured or killed. But I can’t just leave them.

Jane seemed to read all that in her expression. She gave a crooked smile and put a hand on Winter’s shoulder.

“Go back,” she said. “We can handle things here.”