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Lieutenant is the second-in-command position of the Black Company, answering only to the Captain. The term is used regardless of the size of the Black Company. The Lieutenant coordinates the sergeants, handles discipline, and decides which issues should be escalated to the Captain.

The Lieutenant is normally appointed by the Captain, unlike the captaincy which is an elected position. One exception, however, was Candy, who was voted, not appointed, to be Lieutenant. If the current Captain is killed or resigns, in practice the Lieutenant is elected Captain, or simply assumes the role.

In one instance, the responsibilities of Lieutenant were not fulfilled by an active Company member. This was during the Kiaulune wars and the years leading up to Water Sleeps, during which Ky Sahra did much of the work of the Lieutenant "despite her official status as an outsider". Croaker confirmed in Soldiers Live that Sleepy "never filled that position [Lieutenant] officially". The actual Lieutenant at the time, Lady, was frozen in magical stasis among the Captured.

In the modern Annals, five different individuals have held the position of Lieutenant.

  1. The Lieutenant
    • Appointed sometime before or during the Company's service to the Syndic of Beryl. He would be elected Captain after the Battle of Juniper, while he and the other senior members were at sea en route to Meadenvil. However, he still continued to be addressed as "the Lieutenant".
  2. Candy
    • Voted to become second-in-command of the Company at the same time when the Lieutenant was voted to become Captain. The vote took place during the Company leadership's time at sea, en route to Meadenvil (Shadows Linger). He retains this role through "Cranky Bitch", after which he is not mentioned again in the Annals. (It is possible but not confirmed that Elmo may have – for reasons unspecified – taken over the role afterward, as he appeared to be functioning as second-in-command during the subsequent events of "Shaggy Dog Bridge" and The White Rose.)
  3. Lady
    • Appointed at the beginning of the Company's service to Taglios. Assumed captaincy after the presumed death of Croaker and the isolation of other officers during the Siege of Dejagore. Later resigned the position when Croaker returned, and she was again appointed Lieutenant.
  4. Suvrin
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