On one end of the map, it began with Castle Vrell and covered the enemy’s encampment. The map followed the Vrell road all the way out to where General Kromen’s encampment had been. Points of interest were marked on the map, including the two dwarven roads, the Tol’Tabor and Tol’Ket. Stiger had even had the scribe add Delvaris’s tomb and the Eighty-Fifth’s initial campsite, the one they had constructed before he and his company had departed for Vrell on that fateful march.
“At ease,” Stiger called as he made his way deeper into the hall. His officers moved aside as he walked up to the middle point of the map. Salt took a position to Stiger’s right. Dog sat down on his other side. Eli chose a free spot a few feet away.
Stiger paused, glancing down at the map, then swung his gaze around his officers and motioned them closer about the table. Every single senior officer and cohort commander was present. There were a good number of junior officers present too.
“How are your horse soldiers, Hux?” Stiger asked as they gathered around the table. “Are you prepared for an extended movement?”
“As ordered, we’re assembled, sir,” Hux said and glanced down toward the map, then back up at Stiger. “My horses and boys are well-fed, rested, provisioned, and ready to go, sir. Just give the word.”
“Very good,” Stiger said, pleased. He had expected nothing less. His gaze moved on, then came to rest on Blake. He gave the centurion a nod. It was the first time since returning to the present that he’d seen his old sergeant-turned-centurion.
“Good to see you, Blake.”
“You too, sir.” Blake nodded in return.
Stiger’s old company, the Eighty-Fifth, was camped in the valley, near the road that led up to Vrell. Next to Blake stood centurions Sabinus and Nantus.
“Brent,” Stiger said, turning his attention to the man. “How’s your new cohort coming?”
“Shaping up nicely, sir,” Brent said. “I just wish we had more time together, sir.”
“Understandable. Unfortunately, there’s no helping that. I am sure you will do all that you can.”
“Yes, sir. I will, sir.”
Stiger gave a nod. Despite the inclement weather that had dropped several feet of snow over the last few days, the officers knew something was up. They would not have been called were it not so. Many looked tired and weary from their journey to the castle but no less eager to hear what was planned and in store.
Salt had also been busy meeting with each of those present to ensure they were ready for the coming campaign, though none of them knew what that would be. The anticipation that hung on the air was so thick, Stiger thought he could cut it with his sword.
Stiger saw Therik was present, standing against the back wall. The orc was playing with the nail of his right index finger, as if dislodging something that had become stuck underneath. He was acting as if this all bored him terribly. Stiger knew it to be an act, especially after he’d let the former king in on his intentions earlier that morning. Therik was more than ready for action, eager even.
Taha’Leeth and Aver’Mons were standing together. Stiger’s eyes locked for a moment with hers. He almost smiled—almost. The last few nights had been not only exciting, but had left him feeling strangely whole for the first time in a long while.
Aver’Mons, on the other hand, appeared sullen, unhappy. The elf’s eyes were not friendly. Eli’s warning fresh to mind, Stiger resisted a frown.
“I appreciate you coming,” Stiger said. “I know many of you traveled up from the valley floor and, what with the fresh snow, the going was difficult, with your travel taking most of the day. It was necessary. You have been called together to be briefed on the upcoming campaign, for the army will soon be stepping off. We will be moving from the defensive to the offensive, taking the initiative from the enemy and finally striking back.”
“Surely not in this weather, sir?” Lieutenant Brent said. “I’ve spent two winters in Vrell, sir. There is a lot of snow out there, and I can assure you, more is on the way.”
“That is exactly my intention,” Stiger said and then held up his hands to forestall any additional comments, as several of his officers began to whisper amongst each other and some looked ready to speak. “Before I take any further questions, allow me a moment to review the situation and outline my plans. Despite there being challenges to overcome, I believe everything will rapidly become clear.”
Stiger paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. He waited for the whispers to die down and then pointed toward Castle Vrell on the map.
“The enemy has an army of around thirty thousand blocking the entrance to the castle and pass. They believe going through the castle is the only way in or out of the valley, which means, in their mind, we are trapped. It is a reasonable assumption, as the mountains surrounding the valley are too rugged and steep to move a large force over.”
Stiger paused again.
“There is, however, another way out of the valley and we’re going to use it. We will not be going over the mountain, but under it.”
That set off a few excited whispers. Stiger held up his hand for silence and got it.
“The dwarves have tunneled and mined out the surrounding mountains around the valley. These tunnels are old and have been abandoned for quite some time, with many that are far from safe. However, there are two underground roads that are suitable. One, the Tol’Tabor, will take us out of the valley, to this point here, just to the east of the enemy’s camp.” Stiger paused again, glancing up and looking at Brent. “Snow will not present a problem, at least until we exit the dwarven road. The enemy will not expect us to appear behind them. The dwarves are working on the road to reinforce it and make it safe for use. They are also working on the other road, the Tol’Ket, which lets out farther out into the forest. The repair work was originally expected to take two weeks. It is ahead of schedule. I am told that their work is almost complete and that within four days both roads will be ready for use.”
Stiger allowed that to sink in for several heartbeats.
“So, let me tell you what I know of the situation outside the valley.” Stiger pointed toward where General Kromen’s encampment had been. “The legions, specifically the Fifteenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-Ninth, and Thirtieth, making up the heart of General Kromen’s army, were forced into retreat by the Cyphan Confederacy and Southern rebels. Since that point, we do not know what has occurred. I have had no communication with the empire since before the legions pulled out and retreated. Whether or not there was a battle, I do not know. Riddled with sickness, those four legions were in poor condition to begin with. We can assume that since the enemy has an army encamped on our doorstep, General Kromen was unsuccessful in throwing the Cyphan back.” Stiger privately suspected that all four legions had been brought to battle and defeated. But he did not say that. “It is likely, and please keep in mind this is all supposition, the battle lines have moved far to the north, perhaps even to the empire’s border or beyond.”
Stiger gave another pause. The officers about him were grim-faced. Several shared looks but they said nothing.
“What we do know is that the confederacy means to destroy the empire. All of you, at this point, understand why we are here. The Thirteenth Legion was sent to Vrell to reinforce the Compact, the alliance between the empire and the dwarves, aimed at protecting the World Gate. More importantly, the legion was also sent to help the empire in its time of greatest need, which is now.” Stiger sucked in a breath. “Emperor Atticus had forewarning of what was to come and he dispatched his most experienced and finest formation.”
There was some shifting of feet at that, especially from those not of the Thirteenth Legion. Atticus was long dead, an emperor those in Stiger’s time knew only through history. For those original legionaries of the Thirteenth and her auxiliary cohorts, Atticus was their emperor, not the current one, Tioclesion.
“We’ve all seen hard fighting,” Stiger said. “I can promise you we’ll see more difficult times to come. That’s a c
ertainty, for the Cyphan mean to control the Gate. To do that, they need to first get the Key. The High Father entrusted the Key into the first emperor’s keeping. Since then, it has been passed down from one emperor to the next. The Key has the power to unlock and unseal the World Gate. The emperor, as far as I know, still has it in his possession.”
“I’ve never heard of it, sir,” Blake said.
“That’s not surprising,” Stiger said. “As you can imagine, it is quite important. Steps were taken to conceal its true nature. It was intentionally hidden.”
“Have you ever seen this Key, sir?” Sabinus asked.
“I have,” Stiger said, “though at the time I did not know its importance. The thing to understand is that the Cyphan don’t care about the empire. They don’t want our lands, or our people enslaved, well at least not yet. Make no mistake, gentlemen, their objective is the World Gate. That is the purpose of their invasion. They will tear the empire apart to find the Key, and that is what they are likely attempting to do at this very moment.”
There was more shifting of feet.
“The empire is in mortal danger. The Cyphan have assembled a vast army that, as impossible as it sounds, could see the crushing of the legions and the fall of the empire. If they are successful, once they’ve seized the Key, they will turn their attention to Vrell and us.”
Stiger stopped once again, dragging his gaze around the room, looking at each officer in turn, meeting their gazes with his own steel. There was silence. No one moved. Everyone hung on his words, almost as if they feared breathing. It was clear to Stiger they understood what was at stake. That was good.
“I do not intend to wait for the enemy to come for us, or to allow them to destroy our beloved empire. We will take the fight to them. First, we won’t just break the army before Castle Vrell, we will grind them under the heel of our boots and sandals. Then, we will go to the aid of the emperor and our comrades in the legions.”
“Aye, sir,” Centurion Nantus shouted, “we came to fight and fight we will.” The centurion looked around at the gathered officers. “Isn’t that right?”
The officers present gave a hearty cheer.
“Sir,” Centurion Mectillius spoke up, once the cheer died down. “It seems to me that after we deal with this enemy army, and go looking for more, we will be behind the lines, operating in occupied territory. Is that not correct?”
“It is true,” Stiger said, “that we are, and with the defeat of the army on the other side of the pass, we will still be behind the lines. Our enemy thinks that only a couple thousand men are trapped in Vrell. That’s all. They have no idea there is an entire legion here, along with five auxiliary cohorts, not to mention a dwarven and a gnome army. Combined, we number close to one hundred thousand strong. We also have a wizard on our side and Sian Tane, a dragon. Gentlemen, we are far from helpless. We are quite dangerous, and soon I intend to give the enemy an education they are not likely to forget.”
Stiger drew in a breath.
“We are right where we need to be.” Stiger pointed at the map. He felt his anger stir at what was coming. “When we strike, it will catch the bastards completely by surprise. The hard part will not be destroying the rabble before the walls of the castle. Nor will it be working our way along a snow-packed road and down into the heart of the forest.” Stiger pointed again downward, this time at the map. “The most difficult part, as I’m sure all of you can guess, will be after we march out of the forest. The tough bit will be fighting our way north to our comrades. We must help them completely and thoroughly defeat the confederacy. There should be no doubt. A hard path lies ahead. I have come to know you, fought alongside you. You have come to know me. I trust you, as you trust me.” Stiger brought his hands together in a clap that echoed off the stone walls of the room. “We can do this.” He paused a moment. “We cannot, under any circumstances, fail in this sacred duty. We must save the empire and, by doing so, the emperor. Once the Cyphan invasion is stopped and the threat over, only then will the Key and the World Gate be secure…as will the empire we love. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” came the unified chorus.
“Now,” Stiger said, “I will take a few questions before I continue.”
“What is on the other side of the World Gate?” Centurion Vargus asked. “Do you know, sir?”
“Other than it being another world called Tanis, I do not know what waits should the Gate be opened,” Stiger said. “The enemy has staked everything on getting the Key, so I can only assume that whatever is on the other side will not be friendly, or welcoming. It is more likely that allies of the confederacy stand ready to pour through the Gate into our world.”
“Seems hard to believe, sir,” Lan said, shaking his head in near disbelief.
“A few weeks ago,” Stiger said, “you’d have thought orcs, dwarves, dragons, and gnomes were myths, creatures of fantasy. Am I right?”
“Yes, sir,” Lan said, looking somewhat abashed.
“Why don’t we wait for the weather to improve, sir?”
Stiger saw that it was Centurion Blake who had asked the question.
“You deserve honesty,” Stiger said. “I’ve done my best to give it to you, as I see it. Blake, time is an issue. I am told by Ogg, the dwarven wizard, we have a little over twenty-four months to secure the Key. The World Gate has been sealed for many years. Apparently, something is about to happen, magically, that allows the Gate to be opened or, more correctly, unlocked. Once it is, the World Gate will remain open for a long time—or shut. So, we do not have the luxury of time. We must act. If we wait or delay, we may lose this opportunity before us. The empire may be defeated, and when the enemy comes, it will be in overwhelming numbers. No. We cannot wait. We must go now, while they remain ignorant of our presence. Surprise, initiative, and boldness will be our allies, at least in the beginning.”
“I understand, sir,” Blake said.
Stiger gestured with a hand over the map toward the Sentinel Forest. He pointed down at it. “The fighting season in the South is winter, except for here in Vrell, the surrounding mountains, and foothills. The elevation is such that winter is winter. However, at lower elevations to the east, beyond the foothills”—Stiger pointed toward the far side of the Sentinel Forest—“the ground hardens. The rest of the year sees a lot of rain and mud. So, whether we like it or not, now is the time to make our move, to strike. We must beat the enemy army besieging Vrell, then slog out of the mountains and foothills to the lower elevations, where the ground is firm. Any questions so far?”
There were none. That surprised Stiger. He had expected more questions. Very well, he thought. It was time to get into the operational and organizational aspects of what was to come.
“So, this is the plan of action,” Stiger said. “Thane Braddock’s army will march before us. The thane’s pioneers have already cut the Vrell road. The enemy is being deprived of supply, and though likely not yet stretched for food…they will soon be.” Stiger pointed at a line on the map. “Thane Braddock will take his army through the other underground road I mentioned, the Tol’Ket, farther out into the forest. At the point where he will emerge, the ground should be firm, at least the pioneers tell us so. Braddock will move his army onto the Vrell road about here and march down it toward where General Kromen’s encampment was located, here. Our cavalry will go with him. Prefect Hux?”
“Sir?”
“After we’re done, I want to see you and give you your orders personally. You will need to coordinate with the dwarves, and that, as you know, can be tricky. Braddock will be assigning you an officer as a liaison. With any luck, it will ease any problems that develop.”
“Yes, sir,” Hux said.
“The dwarves have some cavalry of their own,” Stiger said. “Braddock and I have decided they will be under your command, and while attached to Braddock’s army, you will be under his. You will also be spearheading the advance.”
“Yes, sir,” Hux said. “I understand, sir.
”
Stiger returned to addressing the officers in the hall. “While the dwarves, gnomes, and our cavalry forge ahead, it will be our responsibility to deal with the rabble blocking the castle gates and the pass. We will emerge from the dwarven road and set up a blocking position about here.” Stiger pointed to an X that had been drawn on the map just to the east of the enemy encampment. “I wish we had the luxury of time to starve the bastards out, but for reasons already explained, we do not. We will fortify this line here, which cuts right across the road. I am told by the pioneers the terrain is quite good and lends itself easily to defense. It is inconceivable to me that the enemy will not notice our presence once we begin digging in. I think it very likely they will immediately move to attack, before we become too entrenched. It is either that or, in their minds, go hungry as their food stores run out and they slowly starve. Melting into the forests is not an option either. They are too far from civilization to support themselves. Make no mistake, gentlemen, they will attack our line, which is what I want them very much to do. They will throw their strength against our defenses and we will beat them like a rented mule. Then we will break them.”
“Why not attack the enemy first and with everything we have?” Nantus asked. “Why bother to split our forces? It seems a risky move, sir.”
“That’s a good question,” Stiger conceded. “We considered doing just that, but ultimately decided this was the better path.”
“May I, sir?” Salt asked as Stiger was about to say more.
Stiger gave a nod.
“Once we deal with the enemy army,” Salt said, “the problem becomes the Vrell road itself. It is the only road we have out of the Sentinel Forest. We know the enemy we face here at Vrell.” Salt leaned forward and moved his hand eastward along the road. “What we don’t know is what lies beyond the Sentinel Forest, essentially what has been going on in the war between the empire and the Cyphan Confederacy. With the numbers we have between the legion, dwarves, and gnomes, if we all march at once, the road will quickly become clogged with soldiers, supply, and artillery. Putting the entire army on the road at one time, narrow as it is, will see continual starting and stopping. All it will take is a broken wagon axle or a fallen tree and movement will slow to a complete crawl, not to mention any action from the enemy.” Salt tapped the map with his index finger. “The road will become clogged. We won’t even be able to move supply up to provide sufficient food for the advance units.”
The Tiger’s Wrath (Chronicles of An Imperial Legionary Officer Book 5) Page 8