The Thousand Names - Chapter 1

Four soldiers watch as the Vordanai reinforcements come ashore. One of them, Winter Ihernglass, is told to report to Sergeant Davis and then Captain Marcus d'Ivoire. To her surprise she is promoted to senior sergeant.

Synopsis
Atop one of the walls of Fort Valor, four soldiers are watching as the Vordanai reinforcements make their way to shore. Three of them, rankers Buck, Will, and Peg talk what the new colonel will do in light of the Redemption which forced them to flee Ashe-Katarion to Fort Valor, the prospect of going home, and eventually start to tease the fourth, whom they call Saint. Saint’s real name is Winter Ihernglass and is in fact a girl, although no one knows it. She once belonged to the Royal Benevolent Home for Wayward Youths, aka Mrs. Wilmore’s Prison for Young Ladies. She escaped from it three years ago and soon passed herself off as a man to enlist in the Vordanai Royal Army and was shipped off to the 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment in Khandar.

Corporal Tuft climbs one of the ladders on the wall and informs Winter that Captain Marcus d’Ivoire wants to see her, but also to first see Sergeant Davis. Winter descends the wall and finds Davis and a crowd of soldiers watching a fight between two rankers. Davis explains as insultingly as possible to Winter the Captain has requested men for a special detail, which Davis has interpreted as a suicide mission so he recommended her. Winter stands stoic and responds as minimally as possible, letting the sergeant wear himself out, as she’s learned to do since being transferred to his company a little over a year ago. Davis eventually dismisses her.

Winter enters the captain’s quarters and is greeted by Staff Lieutenant Fitzhugh Warus, younger brother of the late Colonel Ben Warus. Captain d’Ivoire tells her to sit across from him at his makeshift desk and throws her a synch bag with a pair of sergeant pins in them, indirectly informing her she’s being promoted to senior sergeant. Captain d’Ivoire explains the new colonel had brought lieutenants, but no junior officers and so field promotions were required to fill thirty-six senior sergeant positions. Winter attempts to refuse the promotion but d’Ivoire says it’s an order. She is given a slip to get a new jacket from Rhodes and Lt Fitz leads her outside.