A messenger with green helmet tassels charged toward the militia garrison, bringing official intelligence to the Jeska Squadron:
A large contingent of Herd Cavalry was pressing in from the north; scouts had been repelled by the enemy's light cavalry on the periphery and failed to discern the exact strength of the troops, estimating a force of several thousand cavalry.
The messenger also brought orders for the Jeska Squadron:
Proceed immediately to North Bridge, fortify and defend the bridgehead encampment.
...
The siege was suddenly called off, and rumors of all sorts spread like wildfire, leaving mid- and lower-ranking officers and soldiers in a state of unease.
But the command chain of the Paratu army was still operating normally, and the legion headquarters was issuing orders methodically, as if they had anticipated this situation.
In such times, orders became the ballast of the soldiers' morale, providing a sense of security in their mechanical execution.