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u to think！’ The captain’s eyes descended to the ground。 ‘You can’t push a boulder with a stick！ The only way to move them back this way is to frighten them into moving back。’ She thrust her arm out； pointing off toward the enemy again。 ‘Those are experienced； battle…hardened men！ They’ve been fighting and killing for a good long time。 Do you think they don’t know what a Hammer and Anvil is？ Do you think that just because they’re the enemy they are stupid？’
‘Well； no； but I think 。。。’
She jabbed a finger at his chest as she cut him off。 ‘Do you want me to tell you what’s going to happen； Captain？ You don’t have enough men to push them。 When you send that detachment around them； they will acmodate you and move a little； and as they do they’ll wing out to let your force in。 That’s called a Nutcracker。 Guess who the nut is。
‘Then they will move。 For your Anvil。 They will be hounds roused to the scent of blood。 After they’ve wiped out your Hammer； there will be nothing to contain them； nothing to keep their flanks from wheeling as they drive in。 They have battle experience and know exactly what to do。
‘They’ll split your pikemen and their archers； and cut them off from their supporting swordsmen。 A flying wedge protected by shields will drive into those pikemen。 Crescents to the sides will trap them。 Their armored cavalry will e at a full charge and rake down your wings of archers； who will by then have no pikemen to blunt the charge。 You will all fight bravely； but you will be outnumbered perhaps twenty to one； because you’ve already sacrificed part of your force to be the Hammer； and they will all be dead by then。
To fight a larger force； you must divide them； and conquer them one bit at a time。 Instead； you will have done the opposite。 You will have divided yourself in half for them； so they can kill half at a time。 At their leisure。’
The captain stood his ground。 ‘We can make a good show of ourselves。 You don’t know how good we are。 We’re not novices。’
‘Every one of those children under your mand will die！ Have you ever seen anyone die； Captain？ Not die like an old man in bed； but in battle？ You will be run through with spears； shot through the eyes with arrows。 Swords will hack off arms； split open ribs。 Blades will rip your bellies open and spill your guts across the cold ground。
‘Faces you know； your friends； these children； will look up at you in panic as they choke on their own blood and vomit。 Others will be screaming for help as your enemy moves through the wounded on the ground and eviscerates them； to make them suffer a gruesome death。 The ones who surrender will be executed while your enemy dances and sings about the great battle they have just won。’
Captain Ryan’s head finally rose。 His lieutenants still stared at the ground。 ‘You sound like Prince Harold； Mother Confessor。 He has given me close to the same speech on a number of occasions。’
‘Prince Harold is a smart soldier。’
Captain Ryan buttoned two of the brass buttons on his dark brown wool coat。 ‘But that doesn’t change my decision。 Of all our choices； the Hammer and Anvil is the best chance we have against them。 I believe we can make it work。 We must。’
Chandalen leaned toward her and spoke in his tongue。 ‘Mother Confessor； these men are the walking dead。 We should be away from them so we do not get caught in their foolishness。 They are going to die to a man。’
The captain frowned。 ‘What’d he say？’
Kahlan leaned close to the young captain。 ‘He says you are all going to die tomorrow。’
Captain Ryan looked Chandalen up and down。 ‘What does he know about battle？ He’s just a savage from the wilds。’
Kahlan lifted an eyebrow。 ‘Savage？ He’s a pretty smart man。 He speaks two languages。 His； and ours。’ Captain Ryan swallowed。 ‘And he has fought in battles。 He has killed men。 How many men have you killed； Bradley？’
He glanced to his two lieutenants。 ‘Well； none； I guess。 Look； I’m sorry； I meant no offense； but I know about war。’
‘And what do you know about war； child？’ she whispered。
‘We’re all volunteers。 Myself； three years ago。 Almost no man here has less than one year。 We’ve all trained hard。 Prince Harold himself has worked with us； taught us tactics。 We’ve won mock battles against him several times。 We may be young but we have experience。 We were sent on this expedition as a final test before our assignments。 We’ve been afield nearly a month； practicing war games and battle tactics。 We know what we are about。 Just because we’re young； that doesn’t mean we can’t fight。 We may be young； but that also means we’re strong。’
Chandalen laughed。 ‘Strong？ You travel like women。’ He cleared his throat when Kahlan lifted an eyebrow to him。 ‘Well； some women。 You are not so strong as you think。 You are soft。 You have wagons to carry your needs。 That makes you soft。 You will die tomorrow。’
Kahlan turned back to the three soldiers。 ‘My friend is wrong。 You are not going to die tomorrow。’
The captain brightened。 ‘We’re not？ You believe in us； then？’
She shook her head。 ‘You are not going to die tomorrow because I will not allow it。 I’m sending you back。 You are to take your division back to your mand unit。 That； Captain； is an order。 I’m on my way to Aydindril to take care of this。 I will put a stop to that army of killers。’
Captain Ryan’s expression hardened。 ‘We have no mand to return to。 They were wiped out in Ebinissia。 That was where we were training； but we were out on maneuvers。 We have the trail of the ones who did it； and we are going after them。’
‘Those soldiers in Ebinissia were many times your number； and they were crushed by the force you chase。’
‘We know。 Those were men we lived with； ate with； slept with。 They were our teachers。 They were our brothers； our fathers。 They were our friends and panions。’ He shifted his weight and cleared his throat in an effort to keep his voice steady。 ‘We should have been there with them。 We should have been there to stand with them。’
Kahlan turned her back to the three Galean soldiers。 She put her fingers to her temples； closing her eyes as she rubbed in little circles。 She had a headache from the worry of these young men all being slaughtered。 She grieved for the friends of these men； friends and rades who were killed defending their city。 The faces of the young women floated before her mind’s eye。
Kahlan spun around； looking into the eyes of the young captain。 Eyes； she realized； that had seen more than she had at first thought。
‘You were the one；’ she whispered。 ‘You were the one who closed the doors。 You closed the doors in the palace。 The doors on the rooms of the queen and her ladies。’ He swallowed and then nodded。 His blue eyes were wet。 His lower lip quivered。 ‘Why would they do that to those poor people？’
Kahlan answered in a gentle tone。 The object of a soldier is to make his enemy do foolish things。 Either by making them too frightened； or too angry； to think。 They do it to strike fear into your hearts； but more than that； to