by Jeff Inlo
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Sy rode side-by-side with Colonel Haravin, the commander of Fort Nebran. Haravin had already heard what happened to Connel from the cavalry that reached the fort days earlier. He needed little convincing to assist Sy in his plans. In less than two days, they combined their forces with every outpost in the region.
The entire militia rode upon horseback as it set out for Connel. For the most part, the eastern farmlands were flat, wide open plains which allowed for the battalion to stretch across the horizon. They moved in unison, a long unbroken line, several horses deep. They carried spears and bows and mulled over the coming battle. Those that belonged to Connel’s cavalry took the lead. They vowed to free the city or die.
Sy looked over the impressive array of men, horses, and weapons. “He’s going to see us coming, no reason to hide. Might as well let him see our numbers and give him something to think about.”
The colonel grunted. “He won’t need scouts, either. From every report I have, he’s got those blasted hook hawks circling the city. With those foul creatures in the air, he’s going to see us before we see them.”
“If you were Sazar, what would you do?” Sy asked.
The colonel didn’t need time to answer. “I’d stay put. He knows we didn’t come out here to just free the farmlands or retake supplies outside the city. With this many men, our mission is pretty clear. We’re going to attack. Now from what I’ve heard from Connel’s cavalry, he has thousands of goblins in that city. They’re armed with crossbows. If I were in charge of that force—keep them in position, that’s what I’d do. If he comes out to meet us in the open field, he gives up the advantage. He may be a bastard of a serp, but he’s not dumb. We need to give him the credit he’s due. I would bet the 4th regiment he’s going to force us to come to him.”
“So we’re going to have to face him in Connel’s streets.”
The colonel had already accepted that as fact. “Indeed, and that’s not going to be easy.”
“Well, it might not be easy, but if you’re right, and I’m sure you are, we can make time work for our advantage. From what Lief told me, he’s going to be having the farmers work the fields. We can start by freeing them first. We hit any goblin packs guarding the farms hard. We can do that while it’s still light. Once we have the farms secure, we do what he did. We surround the city. Hopefully, we can make him sweat a bit. Let’s focus on our strengths.”
“Aye, that’s never a bad idea,” the colonel replied as he clicked on his mount.