“I must thank you,” Arthur said, leaning back. “Given how quickly I prepared my forces, I feared I would have no choice but to take from the villagers we passed to keep my men fed. Instead, I find myself given more than my fattest soldier can eat. Never did I think the hearts of the people had abandoned my brother so.”
“The hearts of most can be bought with coin,” Kaide said. “And I’ve spent every day since Ashvale buying hearts using Sebastian’s own gold.”
Arthur let out a bitter chuckle.
“I see. I pray you never turn on me, Kaide. It could be disastrous for us both.”
“When will your entire force be assembled?” Jerico asked, trying to bring the conversation to the tasks at hand.
“When? It already is, paladin. Are you disappointed?”
Jerico was unsure of what to say, so Kaide said it for him.
“Yes. We are. What challenge will we be to Sebastian’s men with only, what, a thousand?”
“Fourteen hundred, not counting retainers, squires, and the women lurking about waiting for night to fall. I summoned those loyal to me to fight, and now you act disappointed? I’d hoped the legendary bandit would make up for that. How many men did you bring me?”
Kaide’s face remained passive as stone.
“Three hundred.”
“Three hundred?” The lord laughed. “Surely the might of the people rises up against my brother. Three hundred, armed with what? Pitchforks? Knives?”
“Enough,” Jerico said. “What is it you plan to do, Arthur?”
The lord gestured to the map, and the two looked over it. Its location marked with an embedded dagger, they saw his proposed site for a battle.
“Green Gulch?” Kaide asked.
“Sir Gregane has already sent a rider agreeing to the place. We’ll meet at midday, and fight each other on an honest field of battle.”
Kaide looked ready to fall over.
“ Honest field of battle? We’re going to be outnumbered, and you want to march south into a scattered forest full of level ground and fight an honest battle? Would you throw this war away so easily?”
“Men fight wars, Kaide. A skilled, proud man fighting a worthy cause can defeat ten sworn to something they do not believe. How many men have you killed with just your few?”
“With surprise. With stealth. Abandon the designated spot, and march with all haste toward the cities. Take Murkland. Take Valewood. With them in your control, Sebastian will have to come running, and by then, we might already have a second army headed for his castle!”
Arthur waved him off.
“You appealed to my honor to start this war, now ask me to cast it off when you find it inconvenient? A victory here means the end of our conflict, with no villages burned, no lives lost other than fighting men sworn to such a fate. Now enough of this. You have your three hundred. What is it you would like to do with them? I can find a place among my ranks, not the front lines, of course…”
They heard commotion from outside, and then Bellok entered, adjusting his robes.
“It’ll do,” he said to Kaide, referring to the encampment. He turned to Lord Arthur. “Oh, and the Irons twins might have knocked one of your soldiers unconscious. Well, several of your soldiers. No one died, I promise.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“May I ask the reason?”
Bellok bit his lip and glanced at Kaide.
“I’d suggest not. Suffice to say, your men will not speak ill of those two again, nor their mothers, nor the animals they ride on.”
Arthur rubbed his eyes and looked ready to dismiss them all.
“My men,” Kaide said, bringing his attention back to the map. “I have a plan for them, though it might insult your honorable tendencies. Where will you set up your lines?”
Arthur gestured to a small white space.
“There runs a gap of nearly half a mile between the trees. My men will be stationed along the tree line. That should keep Sebastian’s mounted knights from running us over.”
Kaide looked at it, and gestured for Bellok to do the same. The wizard ran a hand through his white hair, and then nodded in approval.
“It’ll work,” he said.
“What will?” asked Arthur.
“I think it best you not know,” Kaide said. “I have my tricks, just as you have your noble honor. Until we reach the Gulch, we’ll march with you, but continue on when you begin setting up lines.”
Arthur looked none too pleased with this, but he did not argue.
“Sir Gregane is leading Sebastian’s forces,” he said. “He’s a good man, and knows how to fight. Whatever you do, prepare for it to not work as you expect. Other than that, from where we believe them camped, we’ll have about a half-day’s preparation before he arrives. Can you do what you hope to do in such short time?”
“I could do it in less,” Bellok said, shooting the lord a grin.
“Just who are you, again?” Arthur asked.
“The card I have hidden up my sleeve,” Kaide said, bowing low. “Now by your leave, I’d like to return to my men.”
“Go.” He waved them on, but when he saw Jerico about to leave, he stopped him.
“Yes, milord?” Jerico asked.
“I heard plenty of opinions, but none from you. What say you to all this?”
“I don’t know Kaide’s plan. He’s hidden it from even me. As to where you battle, the advantages are as you say, and will be better if you can dig even a single trench beforehand. How many men do you expect to fight?”
“Four to five thousand.”
The two stood there a moment in the quiet, and then Arthur began to chuckle.
“I march men to their deaths, all for a cause I cannot win. That’s the truth of this, isn’t it?”
Jerico shrugged.
“If that is so, then why do you continue?”
Arthur sat in his chair and leaned back, eyeing the paladin.
“I looked into you, Jerico, to see what I could find. The Citadel
… there’s a story spreading, though how it fell no one seems to agree. Your paladin friends are vanishing, and some whispers even say they are gone completely. Yet here you are, still fighting. Why is that?”
Jerico shrugged.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“Aye,” Arthur said, and for once he smiled. “It is. After hiding in caves for years, it feels good to stand tall and do just that. I dare say, it is about damn time. Will you fight at my side, or will you join Kaide’s dogs lurking at the edges?”
“I don’t even know what Kaide is doing. Until I do, I must stay with him. I think he’ll need my help more than you will. In fact, I’m certain of it. I did help train his men, after all.”
Arthur laughed.
“You did? How did that go?”
“I lasted a day before I wanted to break my vows to Ashhur involving decency and murder.”
Arthur stood, and he clasped Jerico’s hand and shook it.
“Stand tall, and fight bravely,” he said. “Consider me honored to have known you, and have you fight against my brother, wherever you may be.”
Jerico smiled, and he did his best to push away all thoughts of the coming battle.
“Ashhur be with you,” he said, leaving the tent to speak with Kaide and find out just what chaos he had in mind.
*
Darius and Velixar camped alone several miles from Deer Valley. Velixar never slept, but he often vanished for long periods of prayer. It was then Darius would sleep. Rarely did he feel rested come morning. Nightmares
