Morning over the Japanese rear area was gray and cold.
A thin wind moved across the valley where the supply camp had stood the night before. Smoke still rose from the ground in dark spirals.
Where rows of wagons and supply sheds had been only hours earlier, there were now charred boards, twisted metal hoops, and scattered crates blackened by fire.
Japanese soldiers walked silently among the ruins.
Some searched through the wreckage.
Others carried the wounded away from the burned ground.
Near the road several officers stood together, examining the destruction.
One of them slowly shook his head.
—"How many depots did we lose?"
Another officer answered after a short silence.
—"Almost everything."
He pointed across the valley.
—"Food stores… ammunition… fodder for the horses."
The first officer looked across the burned camp again.
—"Russian cavalry managed to pass through our rear."
A staff captain nearby was writing quickly in a small notebook.
—"Losses?"
—"Still unclear."
The officer sighed.
—"But the camp itself is gone."
The captain closed the notebook.
—"Then headquarters must know immediately."
The officer nodded.
—"Send a rider."
Within minutes a messenger was already galloping north toward the army headquarters.
Behind him the ruined camp continued to smolder.
Several hours later the news reached the Russian headquarters near the Shaho River.
Inside a large field tent several generals stood around a map.
The battle had been raging for days.
Positions of Russian and Japanese units were marked carefully in pencil across the map of the valley.
An officer entered quickly and stopped near the table.
—"Gentlemen."
He handed a report to the senior general.
The general read the message silently.
Then his eyebrows rose slightly.
—"Interesting."
Another officer leaned forward.
—"What is it?"
The general placed the paper on the table.
—"During the night a cavalry hundred destroyed a Japanese supply camp."
Several officers exchanged surprised glances.
One of them asked:
—"A reconnaissance raid?"
—"No," the general replied calmly.
—"A deep raid."
One of the generals stepped closer to the map.
—"Where?"
The officer pointed to a position far behind the Japanese lines.
—"Here."
The general studied the distance carefully.
—"They rode that far?"
—"Yes."
Another officer frowned.
—"That should have been impossible."
The staff captain answered quietly:
—"Our scouts confirm the fires."
He paused.
—"The Japanese lost their forward supplies."
For a moment the officers studied the map in silence.
Then one of the generals spoke thoughtfully.
—"If that is true… their attack cannot continue for long."
Outside the headquarters the battle still continued.
But the rhythm of the fighting had changed.
Midday wind swept across the valley of the Shaho River.
Artillery still fired from both sides, but no longer in the furious rhythm of the previous days.
Russian batteries on the hills fired measured volleys.
Japanese guns answered more slowly.
Forward observers watched the battlefield through binoculars.
One officer finally lowered his glasses.
—"Look there."
Another officer followed his gaze.
Japanese infantry stood in scattered formations along the slopes.
But they were no longer advancing.
—"They've stopped," the officer said quietly.
A general looked up sharply.
—"Stopped?"
—"Yes. No new attack for almost an hour."
Several officers watched the distant ridges carefully.
Yesterday those slopes had been filled with moving infantry.
Japanese units had advanced in waves, using every fold of ground for cover.
Now the movement had almost vanished.
Russian infantry cautiously began to rise from their trenches.
Small groups moved forward and occupied new positions.
One general frowned.
—"Strange."
Another officer tapped the map.
—"Perhaps they are preparing another assault."
The staff captain shook his head slightly.
—"Without supply?"
The generals looked at him.
—"If their depots are gone… their advance must slow."
The artillery thundered again across the valley.
But the infantry lines no longer moved.
Both armies now held their positions.
The battle was beginning to fade.
Farther south Japanese officers were reaching the same conclusion.
A column of infantry had halted on the road.
The commander raised his binoculars and studied the hills ahead.
Russian positions were still there.
But his attention moved behind him.
Supply wagons were approaching along the road.
But there were far fewer than expected.
He lowered the glasses.
—"Where are the rest of the convoys?"
His adjutant answered uneasily.
—"They should have arrived last night."
The officer turned toward him slowly.
—"Should have?"
The adjutant hesitated.
—"We received reports… that the supply camp burned during the night."
Several officers turned.
—"Burned?"
—"Russian cavalry."
Silence fell over the column.
The commander looked once more toward the battlefield.
Without ammunition and food, further advance would be dangerous.
Finally he spoke.
—"Send orders to the units ahead."
—"What orders, sir?"
—"Stop the advance."
He paused briefly.
—"And hold the current positions."
By afternoon the great battle was ending.
Artillery fire became sporadic.
Infantry units stopped advancing.
Both armies began reinforcing the positions they already held.
Inside the Russian headquarters the generals looked once more at the map.
One of them spoke quietly.
—"The Japanese are exhausted."
Another nodded.
—"Their offensive has stalled."
The senior general slowly folded the map.
—"Then this is the end of the battle."
He looked around the tent.
—"The Battle of the Shaho is over."
No one argued.
Several days later.
The camp of the Trans-Baikal Cossacks lay in a quiet valley.
For the moment the war seemed far away.
Some Cossacks cleaned their rifles.
Others brushed their horses.
Several wounded men sat near a fire wrapped in blankets.
Skoropadskyi sat beside another fire with a map spread on the ground.
His thoughts still returned to the raid.
The flames.
The shouting.
The men who had not returned.
The sound of hooves suddenly broke the silence.
A rider approached along the road.
When he came closer his uniform became visible.
An adjutant from headquarters.
He stopped his horse near the fire.
—"Captain Skoropadskyi?"
—"Yes."
The officer dismounted.
—"I bring orders from army headquarters."
Nearby Cossacks slowly gathered around.
The adjutant unfolded a document.
—"Order of the army."
He paused briefly before reading.
—"For the successful raid behind enemy lines and the destruction of a Japanese supply camp…"
The men listened silently.
—"All participants of the raid are to be decorated for bravery."
Several Cossacks exchanged quiet glances.
The adjutant continued.
—"Lower ranks are promoted to the next rank."
A few faint smiles appeared.
But the officer had not finished.
He looked directly at Skoropadskyi.
—"Captain Pavlo Skoropadskyi."
He paused.
—"Promoted to Colonel."
For a moment the entire camp froze.
One of the Cossacks finally muttered:
—"Well… looks like we have a colonel now."
Another chuckled quietly.
—"About time."
Skoropadskyi said nothing.
The adjutant folded the paper.
—"There is one more order."
The camp grew silent again.
—"Colonel Skoropadskyi is ordered to form a new cavalry regiment."
He placed the document back into his coat.
—"The best cadets from the military schools will be sent to you."
The officer looked at him directly.
—"The order takes effect immediately."
Skoropadskyi slowly rose to his feet.
He looked around at the Cossacks near the fire.
Many seats around the fire were empty.
Those men would never return.
He spoke quietly.
—"Then we will build a regiment."
Sergeant Fedor Litvin nodded firmly.
—"We will."
Evening slowly descended on the valley.
Campfires burned quietly.
Far away artillery thunder rolled again.
The war continued.
But now Skoropadskyi carried a new rank.
And soon he would command a new regiment.
I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the novella, as I'm new to this. If you have any questions about it, please ask, and I'll be happy to answer them.
I'd be grateful if you'd add it to your library, thank you very much for your support.