"Surely not," said the duke. "Professional soldiers have been around since the dawn of time, haven't they?"
"They have," admitted the knight, "but not in such numbers. Therengia was the first kingdom to create a permanent standing army. Its warriors were said to be the best trained anywhere."
"It's all a myth if you ask me," said the duke. "I'll put my faith in the modern knight. There's no footmen in the world who could stand against them."
"Knights cannot fight alone," said Sir Raynald. "You still need footmen and archers to win battles."
"I'm not denying that, but it's the knights who give us the decisive edge. Ask the father general; he'll tell you." The duke tore his eyes away, scanning the crowd. "Where in the Continent did he get to?"
A Temple Knight approached, bowing his head. "Your Grace, Master Talivardas asks you to come with me. The meeting is about to commence."
"Very well," said the duke. "Lead on."
He began following the man but then paused, looking back at the assembled group. "You'd best come as well. We'll need your advice."
"Ours?" said Athgar.
"Yes, you're the spell casters. You can give us an idea of what to expect."
"What makes you say that?" asked Natalia.
The duke gave them a puzzled look. "We're fighting Necromancers, remember? Who better than a pair of mages to tell us what to expect?"
"Wouldn't a Ragnarite be better?" suggested Sir Raynald.
"Don't be absurd," said the duke. "Ragnarites don't use magic. Come along, we haven't all day."
He led them towards the stairs, the same place they had been turned aside earlier on. This time, however, the guards parted, allowing them to ascend.
They followed some other knights who made their way into a decent-sized dining room where the table had been removed, leaving an ample open area. On the far wall, someone had pinned a large map, though even Athgar, with his limited knowledge of the area, could see how inaccurate it was.
Master Talivardas entered once everyone else was settled, commanding the room's attention. He took his place by the map, producing a rolled parchment.
"I have here instructions from the grand master," he announced. "It authorizes a new crusade to wipe out the evil that has for so long infested this area." He gazed around the room, locking eyes with several others. Athgar could feel the excitement building as if the entire room was ready to spring into action.
"As to the actual campaign, I shall leave its conduct in the capable hands of Father General Hargild." He nodded to the father general, who now moved front and centre.
"As you know," the man began, "we have received troubling reports of death worshippers to the east. Our mission is to seek out these nests of evil and eradicate them. To that end, we have assembled an army the likes of which has never been seen in this part of the Continent." He paused, drawing everyone in. "I am pleased to announce that as of this morning, our total forces exceed two thousand men."
He waited for the noise to die down. "Now I know what you're thinking: two thousand is small in comparison to some of the armies of the northern states, but here, this close to the wilderness, it is unprecedented. And it's also the largest Holy Army to be raised in more than two centuries."
"Might I ask the breakdown of the army?" said the duke.
The father general smiled. "You certainly may. As you know, this is a Church operation, and to that end, we have assembled more than five hundred Temple Knights. This represents a significant investment from the Church. We have even had to strip away some of our garrisons from nearby cities in order to assemble it. This force will constitute the heavy contingent of our army and will be the sword by which the wrath of the Saints is delivered."
"And the rest?" asked the duke.
"Your auxiliaries will be used to screen the advance of the Temple Knights. Your task, Your Grace, will be to locate the enemy, and then pin them in place so we can bring them to battle. To that end, you will have a multitude of footmen and archers at your command, in addition, of course, to your own knights. We are also marching into extremely rough terrain, forcing us to bring our own supplies. That means you'll have to detail troops to escort them."
"Anything else?" asked the duke.
In answer, the father general turned to the map. "This is the area we are marching into. It mostly consists of dense forests with a few open spaces. Our plan is to strike eastward, rolling up the enemy as we find them."
"Rolling them up?" said the duke.
"Yes, pushing them back. Make no mistake, sooner or later they'll decide to make a stand, and when they do, we shall hammer them!"
There were nods of agreement all around, but Athgar couldn't help thinking the plan was lacking some important details. He was about to say something to Natalia, then reconsidered. If the campaign were to be poorly planned, all the better for the Therengians.
"Now, gentlemen," continued the father general, "return to your men and prepare them. We march in two days."
He turned, following Master Talivardas through the door. Immediately after they left, those in the room erupted into a myriad of discussions.
"Fascinating," said the duke.
"I think it was a little light on details," said Sir Raynald.
"Nonsense. It gives us more leeway."
"What happens now?" asked Athgar.
"Now," said the duke, "I can return home and begin planning. What will you two do?"
"Probably go home and sleep," said Natalia. "All this excitement has made me tired."
They drifted from the room, following in the wake of all the knights. As they descended the stairs, Natalia stopped, grabbing Athgar's forearm.
"There's that man again," she said, pointing. "Do you see him?"
Athgar gazed across the room to see a man of average height, with short brown hair and a scruffy beard, making his way to the exit. Every so often, he would pause
