As orders were issued one after another, all the soldiers in Burning Dawn's camp began making preparations in an orderly fashion.
The soldiers did not worry about war, much less fear it.
They had been mentally prepared when they joined Burning Dawn. In fact, they even felt a faint sense of anticipation toward war.
Of course, that included the new recruits who had seen battle once or twice.
The true veterans had already begun seizing every moment to rest and conserve their strength.
They knew very well what would cause them the most suffering and most easily cost them their lives once the war began: exhaustion.
Continuous fighting, going days and nights without sleep or rest, was enough to leave a strong-willed, nimble veteran unfocused and slow to react.
At a time like that, even a stray arrow could be fatal.
However, the cavalrymen about to head out to scout and harass Golden City did not fall into that category.
They paid more attention to their partners: their warhorses.
One cake of bean meal after another, mixed with egg whites, was fed to the horses from their hands.
Their murmured words made the horses paw the ground repeatedly.
Every cavalryman had his own set of "horse-training techniques." They were more refined than those of farmers and hunters, but ultimately served the same purpose.
They were all meant to dispel the horses' fear and make them more obedient.
However, a loud shout undid much of the cavalrymen's work-
"No!"
"I absolutely refuse!"
Faced with Qin Ran's demand to join the fighting, Valen loudly objected.
The major shook his head repeatedly, making his thick beard swing, and planted himself directly in Qin Ran's path.
His resolute gaze seemed to tell Qin Ran not to even think about leaving.
"That's an order."
Qin