Eastern Lombardy, Between Mantua and Verona
February 12th, 1836.
The cold still held across the plain, but it no longer slowed movement the way it had in January. The roads had already been broken in by days of marching. Tracks were set. Routes were known. Units moved through them without hesitation.
French columns advanced in sequence, each unit maintaining distance from the next. Infantry led, spread across the road and adjacent fields. Artillery followed behind, positioned close enough to respond quickly but far enough to avoid congestion. Supply wagons moved in timed intervals, never bunching, never delaying the line.
There was no rush.
But there was no pause either.
Ahead of them, Austrian forces had pulled back again.
Not far enough.
A cavalry scout returned just after first light, his horse breathing hard from the ride.
"They've taken position near the Mincio crossing," he reported. "Light fortification. Infantry and guns. Not a full line."
