At a gentle pressure on the reins from the coachman, the horses pulling the four-in-hand slowed from a languid trot to an even more languid walk.
Sensing the change in pace, Don Rafael-Vidkun de Cerveza leaned over and drew back the door-curtain. "What the devil could be the matter this time -- another bridge washed out, roadway flooded, highwaymen, trolls, what?" he said.
Havelocke, who had been dozing in a corner of the opposite bench, arms folded, came awake on the instant and straightened in the seat.
A young officer of the carriage's escort, a cornet of the blanco horse regiment Norte del Alasqua, reined up next to the carriage as it bumped along and saluted the dim face in the window. "Forgive my intrusion, excellency, but we are less than a mile from the frontier at San Bruno. I thought it would be your wish to know."
de Cerveza, pique forgotten or abandoned, nodded in businesslike acknowledgement. "Very good, cornet. Please return to your station," he said, nodding again as the officer saluted and spurred away.
"Madre de Dios," de Cerveza said, "I feared we'd never get here." Havelocke's only reply was a smile that could have meant anything.
3 days ago
11 comments:
What intrigue can be behind this trip?
I echo Capt. Bill's comment . . . what will happen next?
-- Jeff
An excellent performance (both by the Prince and the author). Life is not simple for the ruling line of contrasted Scandalusia -is there a high-level plot behind the incident?
Now I'd really like to know more about the Guard Gretadiers - to see them, actually; but I doubt David of Tippelbruder has already designed their uniforms!
What minis do you intend to use? For some reason I feel the slashed shouder pads of Freebooter Miniatures Arquebusieres give them a 'Spanish' look, but if Blacks they should have benefited from the attentions of a very talended hairfresser / defriseur! While the Eureka Simpsons' and Saunders' Guards are perhaps a little too exotic, including in their pose?
Btw, what other European 'monstrous' maiden regiments do you know of? (not that I wish to discover full regiments of monstruous maiden... :))
Not a member of the 'Emperor vs Elector' League of Lace Wars Imagi-Nations as yet, Vorlund indeed as aregiment of "Sandras" (regimental artillery), but their status is not precised.
Outside Europe, the HMK Maiden Guard *may* recruit only maiden, and I have no information regarding the Amazon Guard of Neo-Byzantium, but Neues Sudland IR 3 was made of soldiers' wives and "ladies of negotiable affection", so no maiden requirement there!
Now the Moerish Arnauts, Regimiento Ligera de Borrachin,lanceros... here are units we'd like to know better and 'visualize'...
I had a line in mind for the Guard Gretadiers, but I am dipped if I can remember exactly what. Pretty standard coat & mitre, as I recall. My inspiration, naturally, was Qaddafi of Syria's bodyguard.
I expect I shall have to resort to Bosniaks to portray the Lanceros de Cuatrofenia. If I could work out a conversion -- maybe a late-period Bosniak with an Andalusian hat rather than the Bosniak cap -- that would be really ideal.
Hope you'll remember and paint a unit of Guard Gretadiers! Your vision /project for the lanceros is appealing.
A 18th C. female soldier in "pretty standard coat & mitre" - in 25-30mm? Hope you'll find the reference and share the information!
Jean-Louis, I think I remember Otto mentioning it at SocDaisy somewhere along the line. Doubtless I will track down the information eventually.
If the Regimiento Ligera de Borrachin is infantry, and for want of suitable minis of Fusilieros de Montana, anti- Napoleonic guerilleros in alpargatas, short breeches and short jacket, after a conversion such as that you endvisage for the Lanceros or receiving a tricorn, would both give the right 'impression' and be pleasantly original?
Now there's an intriguing idea...is someone making those guerrilleros?
Alternatively, *some* of the Napoleonic Andreas Hofer's Tyroleans now available from Eureka -those in 'short breeches and stocks', not those in lederhosen or long trousers- could be used as 'alternate' Fusilieros de Montana. For me I'd bother to sand down the flat-topped hats to round-topped ones: maybe personal, but I feel the former to 'look 19th C.'?
I guess they'll be sold by 'compulsory packs' rather than individually, alas?
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