Shira had been dozing. She rubbed her eyes hard and followed the congregating troops. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Anne.

"Anne! How do you feel?"

Anne smiled. "Better."

"What's going on? Are they going to tell us how the battle went?"

"No." Anne's smile fell. "Since we won, they'll tell us how glorious our victory was. They might mention a number dead and wounded, but medics knows better than to believe this inspiring speech. Devon knows how many were wounded, how many died, and it's a lot more than we'll ever be told." Anne looked at the ground and ran a finger along her hairline.

A general mounted something that raised his head above the assembly. He spoke with his most full voice, making grand gesticulations to encourage those around him.

"My valiant soldiers! We have been victorious!" Most of the soldiers cheered. "The enemy has a fearsome calvary and many skilled swordsmasters, but our superior training and firearms drove them away before us. I want to personally congratulate each and every one of you on your bravery and determination, because those are the greatest assets of our country. With those, we will win this war." Soldiers cheered again.

"We are going to pursue our advantage by following the enemy army into their territory!" The soldiers and medics began to murmur sharply among themselves. The general waited for silence. "This is a dangerous maneuver, but I am confident we can execute it. We will march as soon as we strike our camp. All wounded will travel to the nearest military hospital. All others, begin assembling now. I will give you further instructions after we assemble by platoons and squads."

Captains and Lieutenants began shouting orders for the troop organization.

Shira looked at Anne. She glanced up.

"Anne, can you keep going with us?"

Anne grinned. "I don't care what anyone says, Devon can't spare me."

Shira still looked at Anne, eyebrows raised slightly.

Anne was still smiling. "Come on, let's form up. I think your medic division is somewhere over there."