Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

The French officer assigned to the semaphore station located not far from the Rhine Tavern enters the common room, striding up to the bar and ordering a drink.

The scribe, always eager to hear reports from the front, approaches him, and in his thick Scottish accent, inquires of any news.

"Here you go sir," the officer says while handing him a large sheet of parchment.

"Wot is this?" the scribe asks, examining it closely in the dim light of the tavern.

"It just came through the signal relay, and is for general proclamation," the officer explains between sips off his mug of ale.

The scribe begins to read aloud, " Hear ye, a Brigade Challenge has begun, between La Grande Armee's Tirailleurs et Dragons! and forces from the Anglo-Allied army.

"The first engagement involves LGA's Lt Col's William Reaves and Al Kling vs Captain's Thomas David Phillips and Mike Peccolo, of the Hanoverian Brigade (Oh, the scribe pauses momentarily, to add, Der Falke and Der Shrike).

"These fine officers meet in battle upon the Russian steppes, in the Tournament scenario, from NRC.

"The second engagement pits Chef de Battalion Todd Schmidgall and Lt Michael Hoedl of the LGA vs Col Zafer Ejder and Lt Omar Quatar, of the Brunswicker Brigade.

"These gallant officers are doing battle in the Dennewitz #60 scenario from Leipzig."

"Well, I'm off," the officer says, laying some coins on the bar for the keep.

"I will post this here for you, sir," the scribe tells the man as he is leaving.

"Thank you, and I will bring more reports as they arrive. Whew," he wipes his brow for effect, "There are a lot of messages passing through these days, lots of battles raging now."

Watching him depart, the scribe reads the missive again to himself. Yes indeed, the battles are raging across Europa now, he thinks to himself.

Returning to his table, he finds the cat Josephine waiting for him. She jumps into his lap as he takes his seat, turning once more to his omnipresent journals, and picking up his pen in one hand, the other softly petting the cat upon the head, he begins to write.