Over the next few weeks, Horyse took part in more patrols into the Old Kingdom, and was soon trusted to lead a patrol himself, though always with an experienced Charter mage from the Scouts as backup. As autumn advanced into winter, northerly winds became more and more common on the Perimeter. Reports came from as far south as Bain of technology failing. The attack which Karim had warned of did not happen; if anything, attacks from the Dead became less and less frequent. What did happen, though, was that a strange, cold fog rolled in from the north, settling in the trenches and dugouts.
At the same time, there was an outbreak of influenza which spread quickly through the Perimeter garrison. It soon became apparent that the illness was linked to the fog. It seemed to affect the Charter Mages of the Scouts much more than the regular troops; and the stronger the Charter Mage, the worse they were affected. A hospital was set up behind the lines, out of reach of the fog, where soldiers were sent to recover. Once recovered, the regular troops seemed to develop some sort of immunity, but the Scouts could still only tolerate the fog for a limited amount of time before falling ill again. The fog proved to be the final straw for Colonel McGovern, who succumbed to pneumonia and was evacuated to Bain and an eventual medical discharge. To the universal relief of the garrison, this left the second-in-command, Major Collins, in charge. Collins was not a Charter Mage, but he was well regarded as soldier and a leader, and he had an intimate knowledge of the Perimeter and the Old Kingdom.
Horyse found himself among a small group who were completely unaffected by the fog and seemed to have some sort of innate immunity. As a result, he was kept busy with extra duties, filling in for other officers who were stricken; at one point, even taking command when Major Collins was hospitalised. Collins had only just returned, and the fog was at its densest yet, when he summoned Horyse to his office. On entering, Horyse was surprised to see Captain Tindall there. Even though he had seen other victims of the fog, Horyse was shocked at how pale and drawn his friend looked.
"Lieutenant Horyse," Collins began, and was overcome by a bout of coughing. "Lieutenant," he said again.
"Sir?"
"Captain Tindall and I both agree that this can't go on. Things are getting pretty desperate. Most of the Scouts are out of action, and Frank here is under direct orders from the MO to return to hospital once this meeting is finished."
Horyse nodded. On medical matters, the MO had absolute authority and even a more senior officer would have to obey a direct order.
"I've thought long and hard about the best course of action," continued the major. "It seems to me that this is some sort of deliberate attack from the Old Kingdom, aimed specifically at weakening our Charter mages. Possibly this is the attack that Captain Karim warned us about?" He looked enquiringly at Tindall, who nodded.
"That is what I think. Remember, the message from the Clayr said that the attack would take a hitherto unseen form. This fog would certainly fit that description."
Horyse nodded his agreement. "What could be behind it, sir?"
"I've no idea," admitted Collins. "In matters pertaining to the Old Kingdom, I am happy to listen to the experts. Captain?" he nodded at Tindall.
"There are several possibilities," said Tindall. "A Necromancer is the most likely. But it could be one of the Greater Dead, or a free magic being. A Mordicant would have power enough."
"What about sending to Barhedrin, to ask Karim for advice?" asked Horyse.
"The problem is, we don't know how far this fog extends beyond the Wall," answered Collins. "I sent a four-man patrol out before I was taken ill, to reconnoitre along the Wallway, and try and make contact with Barhedrin. Only one returned, and he cannot speak. The MO had to send him back as NYDN."
The major paused, fiddling with a pen and doodling something on his blotter. Then he looked up and fixed Horyse with a penetrating glare.
"Mr Horyse, what I am about to ask of you is extremely dangerous. So dangerous that I will not order you to do it, nor any other man. I want you to take command of a larger patrol, ten men including yourself, into the Old Kingdom. Establish the perimeter of the fog, and if you can, either link up with a patrol from Barhedrin or go there in person."
Horyse paused in thought. "Sir, may I ask a question?"
"Of course," Collins replied.
"Just that… What makes you think I can succeed where the last patrol didn't?"
"Two things," answered Collins, and looked at Tindall. "You explain, Captain."
"Yes sir," answered Tindall. "Mr Horyse," he began, and was overcome by a fit of coughing. "Sam," he began again. "You seem to have an affinity with the Old Kingdom. You have a definite connection to the Charter, though you have no Charter Mark. Sergeant Curran and I have both sensed it, and your strong reaction to the broken stone in Kallnesh backs that up. Tell me, what do you see when you go through the Crossing Point? Be honest, now."
"I see strange symbols," admitted Horyse. "They are right on the edge of my vision, and seem to be moving somehow. But whenever I try to look at them directly, they vanish."
"Quite so," said Tindall. "What you see are the Charter Marks that are woven into the very fabric of the Wall, giving it its power to protect Ancelstierre from the various supernatural powers and beings that affect the Old Kingdom. It's virtually unheard of for one who has no baptismal Charter Mark to see them, or to experience a reaction to a broken Charter Stone."
"But what does that mean, sir?" Horyse asked.
"It is clear that you have a connection to the Charter, and you are also one of a small handful of men who are immune to this blasted fog. It is my speculation that this will give you some protection from whatever is causing it."
Horyse nodded. "You mentioned two things, sir?"
This time it was Collins who answered. "The last patrol I sent out had no Charter Mages. But we have one now that we can send with you, one who also seems immune to the effects of the fog."
"Who, sir?"
Collins grimaced. "A man named Hedge. A rather unsavoury character, truth be told. He was a sergeant in the Scouts until recently. He went missing from a patrol that had been attacked by dead hands, only to turn up a few weeks later, unharmed. He claimed he had been knocked unconscious and that was how he got separated; and that he had been wandering the Old Kingdom, suffering from memory loss. Then there was a bit of a brawl in a tavern in Bain. One of the other lads from the patrol claimed that Hedge had run away. Hedge punched the man and knocked him out cold. Got busted to private and given a month in the glasshouse. He's been back about a week."
Tindall frowned. "How on earth do we get him to volunteer, sir?"
"That's the big question. Anyway, I've asked the RSM to fetch him so we'll see. Maybe he's turned over a new leaf." Collins spoke a few words into the intercom, and a moment later the door was flung open, and they could hear RSM Hollins in the outer office.
"Private Hedge, Private Hedge… 'SHUN. By the left, quick MARCH. 'Eft 'ight, 'eft, 'ight, MARK TIME! Private Hedge, HALT! SALUTE. Orrrrf… CAPS! Private Hedge, sir," he added, somewhat unnecessarily.
"Thank you, Sar' Major," replied Collins. "Now, Private, I expect you are wondering why you've been called in."
As Collins outlined the situation and the mission, Horyse to the opportunity to surreptitiously study Hedge. He was a small man, with red-brown hair and a pointed face the reminded Horyse somehow of a fox. Unlike most of the Scouts, he wore his fringe low over his forehead, concealing the characteristic tattoo. Horyse felt uneasy about this, though he could not say why. He also felt that something important had been missed. He realised that Hedge and Tindall had not carried out the ritual of touching one another's tattoos that seemed to be a custom whenever two Scouts met. Horyse assumed that this was because Tindall was an officer and Hedge an enlisted man; it was only much, much later that he realised how different things could have been had the ritual been carried out.
As Collins continued to speak, Horyse noticed that Hedge's face seemed to take on a sly, calculating expression. Horyse felt a dislike bordering on revulsion for the man, along with a slight feeling of nausea, echoing what he had felt at Dockey Point and the broken Charter Stone. He hoped that this did not mean he was, after all, succumbing to the effects of the fog. Collins leaned back in his chair.
"Well, Private, what do you say?"
Hedge's face took on a sneering expression. "What I wanna know, sir, is what's in it for me?" Hedge's voice and demeanour had that subtle quality known as dumb insolence, and Horyse was not surprised to hear a bark from the RSM.
"HEDGE!"
"That's all right, Sar' Major," said Collins, in a deceptively mild tone. "I would have thought, Private Hedge, that the chance to restore your good reputation after recent events would be compensation enough."
"Well, sir, it depends exactly what you mean by 'restore my good reputation'. I mean, reputation's one thing but it don't pay no bills. I got my retirement to think about."
"So, it's money you want?" Collins looked disgusted.
"Now, sir, I ain't no mercenary," Hedge answered, pretending to be shocked. "No, I was thinking more like restoration of rank, sir."
Collins frowned. "The sentence of the Court Martial was six months' reduction in rank. I can't go against that."
"Then, I can't help you, sir. I promised my old ma, see, that I'd never volunteer for anything. Can't break my word, sir."
Collins sighed. "Alright. I will make you acting corporal for this mission, the rank to be confirmed if the task is completed successfully and subject to a satisfactory report from Lieutenant Horyse. And provided you keep your nose clean, I will promote you to sergeant as soon as the six months expires. That is the best I can do, take it or leave it."
"Then, I guess it'll do me, sir. After all, gotta do my bit for flag and country, and my comrades."
"Alright, RSM, march him out."
Horyse fancied that there was an extra tone of disgust in the RSM's voice as he marched Hedge out of the office. Horyse turned to the other two officers.
"Can we trust him, sir?"
"I doubt it," answered Collins. "But I think that as long as he believes there's something in it for him, he will follow orders. What do you think, Captain?"
"I agree," Tindall answered, and was interrupted again by a paroxysm of coughing. When he recovered, he continued, "don't trust him, and never turn your back. Follow your instincts. I wish I could lead this mission, sir," he added, looking at Collins. "It may be that north of the wall is clear of the fog." Collins shook his head firmly.
"Only place you are going, Frank, is back to hospital. You've already been here longer than is good for you. Now, Mr Horyse, pick eight men to bring the patrol up to ten. If I may make a suggestion, take Corporal Razoul, if he's willing to go. He's not a Scout, but he's one of our best regular NCOs, and certainly more than a match for Hedge. For the rest, pick men who are dependable. The RSM can help with that."
"I'd like Anshye, sir, if he'll volunteer. Rowland as well."
Tindall gave a bark of laughter, which turned into another coughing fit that left him pale and gasping. Collins also laughed. "You'd have a bigger problem stopping Anshye, he seems to have appointed himself as your bodyguard as well as batman. Alright, Frank, there's an ambulance waiting for you. Thanks for coming, but I don't want to see you here again until this blasted fog has gone. Mr Horyse, you cross the Wall at sunset. Be here with Razoul and Hedge for a final briefing at 4 pip emma. Carry on."