by Peter Last
“Not to mention that if we target the right supplies, we could be taking away something necessary,” Josiah added. “But what about when they catch on?” he said as an afterthought.
“We have to keep our attacks random,” Nathan said. “Attack the front of the column one time and then the back the next. Vary the attacks between their soldiers and their supplies. Don’t attack every day, but then some days we can attack more than once. Basically we need to keep them off balance enough that they don’t know when we’re going to attack, so they have to be prepared all of the time.
“Another thing we could do is get some of the dragon riders to be in these groups. They have experience firing bows from moving beasts and so should be able to use them astride horses. That would give us another advantage in these attacks.”
“Why not just use dragons?” Josiah asked. “Couldn’t they do more damage with less injury? They could attack just as stealthily as we can on horses.”
“No, they can’t,” Nathan responded. “The enemy has magicians who have likely set up a spell to detect dragons as they approach. That means our dragons won’t be able to launch any surprise attacks; if they did, they would get beat up pretty good.”
“I don’t get it,” Josiah said. “Wouldn’t the enemy also have spells to detect our soldiers and horses?”
“They can’t do that,” Nathan answered. “Think about it; they have no dragons, so a spell to detect dragons will work for them. But they have men and horses just like we do. It wouldn’t be realistic to set up a spell and expect it to only detect our soldiers.”
“I see.”
“So, how many horses do we have anyway? How many soldiers can we outfit for these attacks?”
Josiah and Nathan discussed the strategy of using hit and run attacks for a long while. It was getting dark, and the order to halt for the night had already been given by the time they had decided how many soldiers they would arm for the first hit and run raid. The men were assembled, and the unit was given explicit instructions: attack the camp, burn what they could, kill anyone they could, and get out before a direct confrontation occurred. The soldiers liked the idea even less than Josiah had when he first thought of it, but they were loyal to their commanders and set off to complete the mission. Josiah and Nathan rode out with the group until they were half a mile from their camp. They stayed with their bodyguards and watched as their soldiers seemed to fade into the moonless night.
“It shouldn’t take more than a minute or two for them to cover the distance,” Josiah commented. “If we don’t see any commotion soon, we can start to worry.” He looked through the darkness and saw hundreds of the enemy’s fires burning. He thought he could see tiny figures around them but knew that he was only imagining things. No one’s eyes were that good, not even an elf’s.
Five minutes passed then ten. They couldn’t see anything in the camp, but the lack of activity indicated that the raiders had not been spotted yet. Then, very suddenly, a shout rolled across the plain, and fires flared up all over the camp. Instantly, the camp was a hotbed of activity as people rushed all over it. No single person could be distinguished, but a general clamor replaced the silence that had reigned previously.
A minute and a half later, hoof beats could be felt through the ground. The Generals and their entourage mounted their horses and waited for the raiding party to reach them. A single torch was lit to guide the horsemen to them, and soon the whole party was congregated. When a full accounting had been done, they turned and headed back to camp, pleased with the night’s work.
******
Rita stood in the gate of Belmoth and watched as the army approached. Reports had already come in that it was the infantry returning from Vollexa Temp, and the whole city had turned out to greet them. The army was in neat ranks, marching at an unvarying pace toward the city. People had trooped out of the city in droves, lining the road and cheering the army as they marched. The majority of the soldiers were still in the city, and when the returning army came within range of voice from the city, a great roar rose from the walls to greet them.
The show on the ground was nothing compared to that in the air. The dragons that were returning with the army were flying in formation with less than a foot of space between wingtips. A crowd of dragons rose out of the city and flew to meet them, flying in small squads and performing acrobatics. When they reached the returning dragons, they formed an honor guard around them and slowed their pace to match that of the army underneath.
The road to the city gate was straight as an arrow, and the army reached the city in relatively little time. As the first ranks passed under the gate of the city, a resounding roar arose to replace the cheers that had been dying out. Observers moved into the ranks, welcoming soldiers back and giving them food and liquid refreshments. The infantry did not break ranks but stayed in tight formation until they had reached the square of the city. The army marched around the square and took up positions on all sides of it facing the center. The dragons deposited their riders, who took up rank in the formation, and the magnificent beasts flew off to celebrate the return in their own way.
Rita followed the army to the square and took a position in the back of the army. From her vantage point she had a relatively good view of what was happening. A group of high-ranking officers was moving through the ranks of soldiers, shaking hands as they went. When they broke away from the soldiers, they headed to the center of the square and stood in front of a makeshift platform. The cheers died away as the Grand Admiral of Belmoth mounted the platform and raised his hands for silence.
“Soldiers of Magessa,” he began. “Welcome back home.” His voice was not amplified in any way, but it was still clearly heard in the farthest reaches of the square. “Today is a day of rejoicing for our victory over Molkekk.” At these words, the square was filled with a deep resounding roar as all present raised their voices together. The Grand Admiral allowed the cheering to go on for some time before raising his hands again for silence.
“There is nothing I can say that will properly describe the admiration we all feel for you. Any words I try to put to it could use cannot do you justice, so I will not ruin this occasion with many words. Instead I would like to congratulate and thank each of you for going above and beyond the service expected of you. Only in a free country such as the one in which we live can patriotism be cultivated. I also want to make sure that we do not forget the brave soldiers who remained behind to defend this city, a thankless but necessary task.
“This day we have shown that we will not fall quietly to the schemes of anyone. We have withstood the might of one of the most formidable foes in the world, and yet we still stand. Let this be a message to anyone else who would seek to conquer us. We will not flag or fall in the defense of our country. No, as long as we draw breath, Magessa will remain a land of freedom!”
Uproarious cheering and applause followed the Grand Admiral’s speech, and continued for several minutes. Eventually the cheers began to die down, and as they did, the Grand Admiral of the academy of Belvárd mounted the stage. He and the Grand Admiral of Belmoth shook hands, and then the Grand Admiral of Belmoth fell back.
“Today marks a great advent in the history of Magessa,” the Grand Admiral from Belvárd announced as the last of the applause was dying away. “We have stood side by side with soldiers not from our own county. Side by side we have beaten back the might of the enemy. Side by side dragon riders and foot soldiers have fought to preserve our freedom, and preserve it we have.” At this point the Admiral’s voice rose to a shout and the soldiers responded with cheers which lasted for a short time before they were silenced. “Side by side we will fight for the freedom of this country, and as long as we remain united as one, none will be able to overcome us!”
Again cheering drowned out the speaker, and this time he allowed it to go on unhindered as he and the other Grand Admiral stepped down off the platform and, along with their entourage, walked to where the soldiers were standing in form
ation. They began to shake hands up and down the lines, and the soldiers responded with enthusiasm. For a quarter of an hour they made rounds through the soldiers, greeting everyone they came to and shaking their hand.
Eventually, however, the Grand Admirals started across the square to where they had entered, obviously leaving. Suddenly an officer broke from the ranks and jogged to the platform in the middle of the square. As the Grand Admirals were about to leave the square, the officer on the platform gave the command to come to attention. Instantly every warrior in the place straightened. The Grand Admirals turned to look at the officer on the stage, but he remained silent, his hand raised to his brow in salute. The Grand Admirals saluted the officer, who then dropped his hand but remained at attention. As the Grand Admirals turned to go, silence reigned as the soldiers continued to salute their commanders.
After the departure of the Grand Admirals, the soldiers were allowed to disperse. They quickly spread throughout the city, celebrating as they went. The raucous sounds of parties erupted almost immediately, but Rita passed them all by as she headed to the cadets’ haunt. As she approached the building, she could see activity going on inside, and when she stepped through the door, she was swept up in the excitement of the celebration.
Not all the cadets were celebrating, however. In a back room of the cadets’ building, a grim meeting was in progress. Timothy sat at the head of the table in the room and presided over a good-sized crowd. Senndra, William, Richard, Alyss, and several high officers were seated around the table.
“Let the people celebrate, but we need to consider what the next step is going to be,” Timothy was saying. He had quickly risen to a position of respect among all in the army due to the fact that he had led the group of magicians which had defeated Molkekk.
“Quite so,” an Admiral said from the other end of the table. “We have chopped off the head of the snake, but the body will keep on moving, at least until they hear the news.”
“Which means we still have to deal with the army traipsing across our country,” Timothy agreed. “The last report we have is from William. Would you mind giving that report now?”
“This news is from before our attack on Vollexa Temp,” William said, “but as Timothy said, it is the latest report we have. I was under orders to fly to the elf forests and try to obtain their help, but on the way I encountered the elf dragon riders turned out in force. I turned around at this point since my mission was not necessary anymore, so I have no information on the size of Molkekk’s army, nor the army that stands against his.”
“Thank you, William,” Timothy said. “I believe the latest information we have concerning the armies comes from you, Senndra, so if you don’t mind please tell us what you saw.”
“It wasn’t good,” Senndra said. “I saw the enemy army marching across Belvárd, killing and pillaging everything they came in contact with. I would estimate their numbers to be at least a half million. They had no dragon support at the time I saw them, but that might have changed.
“Now, concerning the defenders, they were in bad shape. They had been reinforced by elves and ogres, but their numbers were still well below those of the enemy. When I met with their commanders, they were preparing to make a stand at an outpost in the gap between the Rebel and Vankor Mountains, but they didn’t seem too optimistic that they would be able to hold that position.”
“How many soldiers does our army down there have?” one of the officers at the table asked.
“I don’t know exactly, but I would say that they have more than we have here,” Senndra answered. “Perhaps twenty or thirty thousand.”
“They’ll never be able to hold an outpost with such a small force,” a General said. “Even with the dragon support, it’s debatable.”
“Which is why we have to assume they have either been driven from that position or overrun,” Timothy stated.
“Then we need to go and give them any assistance we can as quickly as possible!” an Admiral exclaimed.
“Which is why I arranged this meeting,” Timothy said. “I do not have any say in that decision, but many of you do. You need to voice your opinions to the Grand Admirals.”
“I will do so immediately,” the Admiral said and stood up, but Timothy motioned for him to sit back down.
“We may need to give assistance in the fight, but at the same time we also need to fortify this city.”
“We do not have enough men to do both tasks,” someone commented. “If we do not send all of the help we have to reinforce our army, we won’t have a country to defend at all.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Timothy conceded, “but as I have said, I do not have access to the Grand Admirals. You need to take these concerns before them and see what they believe to be the best course of action.”
The meeting adjourned in short order, and the officers left with one mission in mind: convince their Grand Admirals to send aid to the army standing against Molkekk’s forces.
******
Senndra awoke the next morning to find the city in turmoil. She couldn’t figure out what had happened from anyone since everyone seemed to have their own story. Eventually she made her way to the mess hall for breakfast and met Timothy there.
“What’s happening?” she asked as she set her plate down across from him.
“The Grand Admiral of Belmoth is dead,” he answered before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.
“What?!” Senndra exclaimed. “Was he murdered? Who would do such a thing?”
“No, he wasn’t murdered; at least, foul play isn’t suspected,” Timothy answered, wiping his mouth. “It appears he was celebrating the victory by eating a meal of clams.”
“Isn’t it a little late for clams?” Senndra asked, puzzled by how this information had anything to do with the Grand Admiral’s death.
“Yes, it is too late in the year for clams,” Timothy answered. “That’s the problem. It appears they had gone bad and poisoned the Grand Admiral. The doctor was called at once, but there was nothing he could do. The Grand Admiral was dead before sunrise.”
“How will that affect what we discussed last night?” Senndra asked suddenly. “It won’t disturb that, will it?”
“I don’t know for certain, but I don’t think it will,” Timothy answered. “Our Grand Admiral seemed more likely to send aid, and since he is still alive, he’ll have more sway than before. My guess is that we’ll be moving before the day is out.”
Timothy’s guess was correct, and soon after noon, the army was again mobilized. This time they were headed south to intercept the army that was ravaging Magessa. The excellent roads in Magessa allowed them to cover the distance quickly, and by the time they pitched camp, they had marched twenty miles. The next day was filled entirely with marching. As the army moved, they sent messengers ahead, proclaiming the danger and calling for volunteers. All day long people flooded to the army and swelled its ranks. Though some of these men were local militia and well-armed, the bulk of them were normal people and poorly equipped. Very few of them had any armor at all, and they were armed with whatever they were able to lay their hands on. Nevertheless, the sight of all the volunteers raised the hopes of the army. Surely where equipment failed, sheer numbers would succeed.
The army, now several times larger than when it had set out from Belmoth, camped in the open again. They had covered only thirty miles due to the coming of reinforcements, and many people were worried they would not reach the battle with Molkekk’s army in time to be of any assistance.
Late that night, dragon riders reported that Molkekk’s army was moving up the Vänern River, driving a smaller army of humans, elves, and ogres in front of them. The next morning the soldiers were roused particularly early and after a quick breakfast set to marching again. Their course had been changed, and this time they were headed generally in the direction of Sulmon, the capital of Rampӧn. Reinforcements continued to join the army all day, and again they were only able to cover thirty miles. By now, how
ever, they were only twenty miles out from Sulmon, and scouts reported that Molkekk’s army was less than half a day’s march away.
Camp was pitched as usual, and hundreds of fires were built, covering the countryside. Senndra, Timothy, Rita, William, Richard, Alyss, and several others gathered around one of the fires, cooking dinner as best as they could. Their rations were meager since the army had mobilized in a hurry; nevertheless, everyone had enough to satiate their hungry bellies. After they had finished dinner, they sat around the fire, leaning back against logs and piles of equipment.
“I don’t know if anyone else has heard this yet, but our scouts are reporting that we could very well engage the enemy tomorrow,” Timothy said from his spot against a particularly long log upon which three cadets were leaning.
“Tomorrow?” Alyss asked from her spot beside Richard. “I hadn’t heard that.” There was a note of worry in her voice.
“I had,” William commented. “I wonder why they haven’t spread the news through camp yet?”
“Probably because they don’t want to alarm the soldiers,” Timothy said. “You know how people get nervous and can’t sleep when they find out they’re going into battle. The last thing we need when we attack the enemy is an army full of soldiers who haven’t had a good night’s sleep.”
“So you don’t mind that the news might keep us awake?” Senndra asked from across the fire; there was a note of sarcasm in her voice. “Some friend you are.”
“We’re all seasoned warriors here,” Timothy said. “We’ve been through several battles already, and I don’t see that knowing we might be going into another one tomorrow will keep any of us from sleeping.”
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m a little…apprehensive about tomorrow,” Richard admitted. “Sure, I’ve been in my fair share of battles, probably more than that considering my age, but that doesn’t mean I’m thrilled to be going into another one. Maybe this will be the one where I die.”