Book 4. Chapter 28
Apparently the Order had no plans to let Brin and the Lance stay in their comfortable bunk room while the rest of the Lances were spread out in tents, because right after dinner a page entered their rooms and announced, "Order Of the Long Sleep Fifty-First Lance, you are hereby directed to assume battle posture in preparation for the joint activities on the morrow. Report to Commander Delwin for your camp location." The boy left again before anyone could question it, no doubt to go tell another Lance the same thing.
"We're the Fifty-First Lance?" asked Brych.
Brin made a derisive snort, but he only know that from asking Cid a while ago. Most people just called them "Gurthcid's Lance."
Brin didn't have a great idea of what "battle posture" meant, either, except for what he'd read in the manuals that Galan had given him. Normally discipline in the Order was fairly casual, with everyone working things out inside the boundaries of their individual Lances. He gathered that in a battle posture, that would change and leadership would be a lot more top down and formalized.
Right now, all battle posture meant was confusion and chaos. Brin and Cid spent two hours wandering around trying to find someone who knew where Commander Delwin was. When they finally found out exactly which locked room Commander Delwin was operating from, the guards at the door made it clear he didn't want to talk to any lowly Primes without an appointment. They spent another hour before they finally found a random servant who could tell them where to set up camp, and it took another hour before they figured out what supplies they were supposed to use.
When Brin and Cid got to the campsite with the tents and other supplies, the men were all upset at having to wait around forever with nothing to do, and a very irritated-looking Lyssa was waiting for them as well. “Where have the two of you been? You’re an hour late and you missed the briefing, so now I get to do it all again. How wonderful for me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Cid.
Lyssa groaned in irritation and said, “Whatever. You’re to make camp here. Tomorrow morning when you hear the horn, you’ll pack everything up again and then ride out with the rest of the knights. There are going to be a lot of eyes on us, so try not to embarrass the Order too badly.”
“We’ll do you proud, ma’am,” said Cid.