Caught?

As the corporal returned, Ilse expressed her thanks, but Schmitt waved some papers he had found in her saddlebags “Didn’t say at the time Corp, not proper writing, might be some sort of code?”

Ilse realised that she had never checked the contents of the saddlebags and wondered whose horse she had stolen.

“Right we had better get back to the Lieutenant and report this, you lot keep a close eye on this girl?”

As they rode into the hussar's camp Ilse’s heart sank. The Lieutenant was one of those prim and proper types who did everything by the book. Then after hearing the Corporals report “Well done Corporal, it seems you have caught a spy”

“I am not, I have vital information from Pommaine for my father Major Von Barner”

“Sergeant, fetch some shackles, we’ll lock her up until the Captain arrives in the next day or so”

“I’m Ilse Von Barner a citizen of the Frei Stadt and you have no right to hold me against my will”

The Lieutenant just laughed “Secure her”

Ilse leapt forward and slapped him before being grabbed by several dragoons.

“It’s as well you are a girl otherwise I’d consider it a challenge”

“It is. Or are you afraid of fighting a girl?”

Observing his officer’s face the sergeant commented “Sir I don’t think this is wise”

“Fetch my foils, I’m going to teach this whelp a lesson”

Once his batman arrived with a pair of fencing foils, the Lieutenant took off his jacket and handed it to one of the dragoons and took a foil “We do not fight to the death like the French and we will keep the buttons on to avoid spoiling your pretty face”

Ilse responded “I fight for my freedom and the rights of the Freistadt”

Ilse took her foil and was glad to find its weight and balance felt similar to one she had used before in practice. Looking around she could hear the men betting on how long it would take the Lieutenant to beat her. Then she saw an old Jaeger who winked and then shouted “who’ll give me 10:1 on the girl winning”