by Seth Ring
“An autograph? No, you don’t understand. I’m not here to suck up to a two-bit noble who bought his way into an earldom.” Lieutenant Colonel Rivera sneered and leaned forward. “I want to know what right you think you have to command us?”
“Command you? I’m sorry, I’m not following?”
“You don’t need to pretend, Earl Greymane. We have all heard about how you bribed your way into your position. Just because you have the money to buy a brigadier general position does not mean that the men of the Ironhold army will obey you. In fact, all your stars will earn you is disgust.”
“Brigadier general?” Looking at Mina and Corvo, Thorn was legitimately confused. “Please explain what you are talking about, I’m not sure what is going on.”
“Hah, so you’ll pretend to the end? I guess you really are a good fit for the Earl of Scorchfrost. Considering both of you are cowards, I am sure you’ll get along well.”
With a disdainful sniff, Lieutenant Colonel Rivera turned away from Thorn’s table. He began to lead the two other officers away when he heard Thorn’s calm voice.
“Mina.”
A flash of cold air rolled around the three officers as Mina appeared in front of them, three spinning ice orbs floating above her head. Shocked by the Ice Witch’s sudden appearance, Major Ritter started to step back, only to realize that his feet were encased in ice, locking him in place.
“The earl asked you gentleman a question.”
Mina’s tone was upbeat but the spinning orbs above her head had already begun to lengthen into razor sharp ice spikes that glinted dangerously. Gulping, Major Cline glanced at the spikes and then at Lieutenant Colonel Rivera.
“What is going on here?”
Baron Oleander appeared behind Mina, a deep frown on his face.
“We…”
“Oh, Baron, you are just in time.”
Thorn’s deep voice drowned out Lieutenant Colonel Rivera who had just started to answer. Standing up from the table, he gestured to the three frozen men.
“Maybe you would be so kind as to tell me what is going on here. Why are these individuals insinuating that I am their superior? That seems like quite the accusation to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“This…” It took Baron Oleander a moment to find his words, though that did not stop him from shooting a dirty look at the three officers who had tried to make trouble for Thorn. “Earl Greymane, you have been assigned the position of brigadier general by the duke, making you responsible for one of the four main sections of the army.”
“Oh? Why haven’t I heard anything about this?”
“That’s, uh, that is a good question. Someone should have informed you at your camp earlier today.”
“Hm, Corvo, did anyone show up at our camp today?”
“Nope.” The avatar of Huginn smirked at Baron Oleander as he answered Thorn’s question. “We had no visitors. In fact, it was pretty strange, considering that the law says that a noble has to be notified within two hours of an official appointment if they are in the military camp where the appointment was issued.”
“I remember reading that.” Thorn tapped his chin as he thought for a second. “Section six thirteen. So as to prevent officers from being held liable for responsibilities that they are not aware they possess. Quite the handy rule. Incidentally, Section six fourteen states that I do not have to accept my duties until I have the officially sealed appointment notice in my hand. As I still have not even seen that document, I’ll have to apologize, but I can’t bear the title of brigadier general.”
“My dear earl, I’m sure this is just an oversight.” Baron Oleander calmed down almost instantly, earning himself an impressed look from both Thorn and Corvo. “The appointment notice is a mere formality, I’m sure. I’ll be happy to look into it to see what happened and where the confusion was. However, we shouldn’t allow that to get in the way of the banquet this evening. Let me apologize on Lieutenant Colonel Rivera’s behalf if he has said anything offensive.”
Seeing that Oleander and the other three officers were backing off, Thorn waved his hand and Mina vanished from in front of them, appearing in her seat once more. Watching their backs as the four men walked away, Thorn returned to his seat. Beside him, the Earl of Scorchfrost had finally stopped stuffing his face with food and was watching the Titan, an unfathomable gleam in his eyes. Beside the fat earl, Captain Falcher sat down again, seeming used to her lord’s strange behavior.
Apart from the short interlude with Baron Oleander and the three officers, the rest of the banquet passed without incident, and Thorn soon found himself back at his camp. While he was at the banquet, a soldier had arrived to give him his appointment, along with directions to attend a meeting in the main tent the next morning. Accepting the orders with a smile from the soldier who had been stopped at the entrance of the Iron Wolves’ walled camp, Thorn sent him on his way and entered the camp.
“So, what do you think?”
Thorn, Mina, and Corvo were sitting in Thorn’s tent along with Hasta and some of the other officers going over everything they had observed on their first day with the duke’s army.
“I think that someone is out to get you,” Corvo said. “Probably Baron Oleander, but also Lieutenant Colonel Rivera and his cronies. I was able to confirm that Rivera is part of the third prince’s circle, which means that Oleander probably is as well.”
“No wonder they’re messing with you.” Mina grinned as she recalled the hearing in the capital. “The third prince must still be really steamed about you getting one over on him.”
“Hmm. Let's reach out to Esme and see if she has any information about what is going on. We don’t want to get blindsided if possible. Try to get as much information as we can from our allies in the capital. This mission is too important to let petty rivalry screw it up.” Thorn tapped the armrest of his chair as he spoke. “Hasta, any news about the matter I asked you to check on?”
“Yes, my lord.” Hasta saluted Thorn. “They’ll meet us tomorrow.”
“Great. Alright, let's get some rest. I have a feeling it's going to get crazy from here on out.”
The night passed quietly for the largely empty Iron Wolf camp and the next morning found Thorn in the duke’s command tent. All of the officers were there for one final briefing before the army set off for Rasyn.
“Now that we have everyone here, let's go over the plan one last time,” Duke Carlton said, looking around at the gathered officers. “The Orcs have taken control of most of the island, but they still do not control the western mountains or the Elven forest on the northern side of the island. Even though they’ve been concentrating their attack on the forest, the new Elven queen and her allies have managed to awaken the forest which has effectively stopped the Orcs in their tracks. This is a huge boon for us, and I plan on taking as much advantage of it as I possibly can. Likewise, the Dwarves that control the mountains have been able to avoid the Orcs as well.
“There are a few different spots we can land so we’ll be splitting up our forces. The North and South dukes are launching their fleets to deal with the Orc armada, so we should be able to avoid any naval battles. We will split into five total armies, each one led by one of the generals I have appointed. One army will land on the northern shore of the island, one will land on the western mountain region, and the other three will go to the south. I will command the core force, landing on the southern shore. Each of the other armies will land where they are assigned. If you have a preference, please speak up now. If you don’t speak up, don’t complain later. Now is also the time to raise any issues or concerns you have regarding the army distribution.”
The tent was quiet for a few seconds before Lieutenant Colonel Rivera stepped out, causing a small commotion. Taking a moment to bolster his courage, the lieutenant colonel saluted the duke.
“Yes? You have an issue?”
“Sir, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I am not sure that Earl Greymane is the best o
ption for the general of the fourth army. We have all heard stories about his personal combat prowess and the Iron Wolf army that he commands certainly looks impressive, but my concern is that he does not have the necessary tactical experience. The position of general is more than simply being able to fight.”
“I see.” Duke Carlton nodded seriously, running a finger across his salt and pepper mustache. Looking around at the rest of the officers in the tent, he could see that many of them agreed with Lieutenant Colonel Rivera. “Hmm. How many people here agree?”
Casually looking around, Thorn counted seven nobles and officers who stepped out to support Rivera.
“All of you think that Earl Greymane is not fit for the role of general?”
“Yes, my lord. It is not to say that the earl will not be a good general someday, but right now he is still too inexperienced.”
“I see.” Duke Carlton glanced up at Thorn who seemed unperturbed. “What do you think about this, Earl Greymane?”
“I think that you already took my inexperience into consideration when you picked me, my lord.”
“Oh? Explain what you mean.”
“I have never been to war, my lord. So I have no experience commanding an army like this one. On the other hand, you’ve fought in countless wars and battles and there is no way you would make such a rudimentary blunder simply for the sake of getting on a small noble’s good side. Instead, it must have been a calculated move.”
“Oh?” The duke’s eyes held a glimmer of humor as he looked up at Thorn. “Maybe you can tell me how it was calculated.”
“Of course, my lord.” Thorn’s voice was as calm as a still pond as he began to list reasons. “First, you selected me as a general to take advantage of my army. Any noble who is made the commander of a force will do their best to maximize their contribution while downplaying the contribution of the other nobles under them, which means having their own army at the forefront. Given the nature of my force, it makes sense for them to be the vanguard against the Orcs. Second, you wanted to take advantage of the people I have around me. What does it matter if I lack the experience needed for this position if my officers are good? You assumed that considering the quality of my army, there is no way I would not have competent officers serving under me. To say nothing of one of the Witches of the Frozen North. Finally, you wanted to see who was in the faction that opposed me.”
When Thorn’s last words echoed around the tent, the eight nobles and officers who stepped forward to protest Thorn’s position began to glance at each other nervously.
“And do you think you are up to this task?” asked the duke with a chuckle.
“By myself? Certainly not. But my team is more than capable.”
“My lord, I still don’t think it is advisable,” Lieutenant Colonel Rivera said, stepping forward.
“Stand down, Rivera. It is not up to you.” A frown crossed the Duke’s face as he glanced at the Lieutenant Colonel. “Listen well, everyone. I don’t condone blind obedience, which is why I am taking the time to explain my thoughts in this case. Earl Greymane was correct with his three guesses, but he actually missed the most important reason.”
Pausing slightly, Duke Carlton’s eyes scanned the tent.
“The number one reason is because he can fight. The war we face is unlike any you have ever fought, a war where the tactics and strategies we know well will come up against unrivaled ferocity and force. We fight an enemy that respects nothing but pure strength. The Orcs’ greatest champions will seek out the highest ranked among you and will grind you into the dust if they can. The moment you step onto the battlefield you will be hunted. Should you lose your head, the Orcs will fight all the harder. The truth is that our army’s strength is nothing compared to the might of the Orcs, and if we lose our generals we will fall even further behind. So, if any of you think that you can best Earl Greymane in one-on-one combat you are welcome to try.”
A deep chuckle spread through the tent, and every eye fixed on Thorn who waved his hand in pretend embarrassment.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, it's just that the thought of any of you being able to beat me is amusing.”
“Do you really think you’re unbeatable?” His eyes blazing with anger, Lieutenant Colonel Rivera stepped toward Thorn.
“No, not really. I’m pretty sure that I’d lose to him, him, her, and my lord Duke Carlton.” Thorn pointed out two military officers and a noble from the crowd and then turned his finger to point at the Lieutenant Colonel. “But I could eat three of you for breakfast without breaking a sweat.”
The three people that Thorn had pointed out looked at each other briefly and then glanced at the duke who waved for them to continue watching.
“In fact, I’d be fine if you brought some of your friends, too,” Thorn continued, stepping forward until his finger was only an inch from Rivera’s chest. “What do you say, Lieutenant Colonel? Want to take my spot as the general of the northern army?”
With a sneer, Lieutenant Colonel Rivera tried to push Thorn’s finger away, only to find himself unable to budge it in the slightest. His confusion gave way to a brief moment of horror but then the finger shifted, causing him to feel like he had just imagined it. Before he could respond, he felt two people step up next to him and stare up at Thorn.
“Since you are so eager to be made a fool of, it would be impolite of us to refuse, wouldn’t it?” Major Ritter said.
“That’s right. If you really want to fight we’ll keep you company,” Major Cline chimed in.
With all eyes on him, Rivera found it impossible to back down from the challenge that his two friends had accepted on his behalf so without any other choice he turned on his heel and led the way out of the tent. Chuckling, Thorn was about to follow him out of the tent when he heard Duke Carlton calling him.
“Earl Greymane, a moment if you would.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Come here, I want to introduce you to the other generals.” The duke motioned for Thorn to come over and then gestured to the three people that Thorn had pointed out earlier. “General Thiera, General Rensfaul, and Marquis Glettenberg are the other three generals for this campaign. It would be good for the four of you to become familiar with each other on the way to Rasyn as you’ll be coordinating closely.”
“Hello,” Thorn bowed at the waist to the three of them.
“No need for that, Earl Greymane. You outrank me quite a bit so you’ll only make me feel uncomfortable if you do that.” General Thiera was a middle-aged woman with a tough look about her and platinum blonde hair gathered in a bun on the top of her head.
“It’s true, a normal salute will be more than enough,” said General Rensfaul, brushing his long, faintly green hair back over his pointed ears.
“Well met, Earl Greymane. I’ve heard quite a bit about you, but it would seem that the rumors of your shy and retiring nature are exaggerated.” Marquis Glettenberg was the last to speak up, his dark eyes staring intently at Thorn’s face.
“Shy and retiring? I wonder who has been mocking me?” Thorn chuckled.
“Are you confident in beating Rivera and his gang?”
“In a friendly spar? I’d say about seventy five percent.”
“What about a real fight? They’re probably about as strong as an Orc champion, you know.”
“In a real fight I would crush them.” Thorn smiled, but his tone was absolutely certain. “If you don’t have anything else pressing, why don’t you come and watch?”
“That sounds good, I’m curious to know how you stack up.” This time it was General Rensfaul who spoke up. “After all, we can’t have a general who is not up to the standards of the Ironhold army.”
Together the five of them left the tent and walked into the center of the large empty space that the other officers had cleared for the fight. Noticing that some of the officers were hurrying off, Thorn’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing it, Major Cline sneered.
“You are not getting cold fee
t, are you Earl Greymane?”
Chapter Thirty-Four
“No, I’m just concerned about the impact to your reputation. How are you supposed to lead your men after you lose miserably in a three-on-one fight?”
Thorn looked down at the three officers with a wide grin on his face as soldiers continued to gather around them.
“Haha, our reputation? You are the one who is going to have no reputation after this fight.” Major Ritter jumped into the conversation. “Or maybe you don’t want anyone to come because you are concerned that your soldiers will see you ground into the dirt?”
Glancing at the posturing major, Thorn just chuckled and walked over to one side. After waiting for a few minutes the crowd of soldiers watching had grown large enough for Rivera’s taste, and he indicated that they could begin. Duke Carlton stepped forward and looked at both parties.
“This is a friendly spar, so don’t let me see you intentionally trying to harm each other. That said, if you want to convince everyone you’ll have to put on a good show. If Lieutenant Colonel Rivera, Major Cline, and Major Ritter can win, they’ll be able to nominate someone to replace Earl Greymane. If they lose, I don’t want to hear any more about replacing him, alright?”
Seeing that both sides agreed, Duke Carlton took a step back and waved his hand.
“Begin.”
Immediately, Thorn spread his [Spiritual Sense], covering the three officers who had begun to rush toward him. Closing his eyes for a brief moment he could feel the vibrations from the officer’s footsteps rippling through the earth. Countless pieces of information filtered through his head, nearly overwhelming him as his [Spiritual Sense] fed him a torrent of data. Taking a breath, Thorn forcefully cleared his mind, allowing the bits and pieces of feedback to fall into his subconscious. A particularly strong ripple in his [Spiritual Sense] rose to the surface of his mind, alerting him to a change, and by focusing on it he could tell that Major Ritter was beginning to circle to one side.