Silver went through the capabilities of those present for the Sorcerers, highlighting what the different groups were best at.
His appraisal of the Fwyn and the Brecan caused a slight stir among the Sorcerers, and the leader of the Eternal Wardens, who Verdan recognised from the meeting at Hobson’s Point, looked particularly intrigued.
A bald man with heavy scarring and mismatched red and black armour also looked quite intrigued by Silver’s words. Given that he could work out everyone else’s Sect, Verdan guessed that this must be one of the Disciples of Adamar.
Oddly, the man wore no obvious weapon, and instead wore an equipment belt that was lined with vials of some kind, though all of them seemed to be empty.
The bald man noticed Verdan looking his way and gave him an exaggerated wink before turning back as Vanarr cleared his throat.
“Now that we understand our capabilities better, I believe it is time for the latest intelligence. Sorcerer Nathir?”
A shorter man in blue and white stepped forward, looking ill at ease with all the attention. “Thank you, Elder Vanarr. I’ve received word from my comrades who’ve stayed behind that Ramoria stands strong, and that the Cyth are pushing inland. They seem to have split into two forces, one heading west and the other to the south.”
“What strengths are your sources estimating?” Vanarr asked, frowning slightly in thought.
“The initial host was thought to comprise eight thousand Cyth. We estimate that they are now fourteen thousand strong. Their numbers will grow, but with the constant attrition from the forces we have in the area, we hope to keep the change to a minimum.”
“With our new comrades.” Vanarr nodded to Silver and the rest of them. “We now have approximately one thousand Sorcerers and five thousand fighters. That puts us at just under half their size, but that gap is not insurmountable. Any Sorcerer is worth a dozen or more Cyth in battle, and our retainers are well-trained and well-armed.”
Verdan winced internally at the ratio of magical support to normal fighters. While the retainers the Sects had brought would definitely be of a higher standard than the Cyth Lai, they would take bad losses in a straight fight.
He hadn’t missed how vague the Stormlord had been either. A lack of solid intelligence on the size and composition of the Host wasn’t exactly encouraging.
“I do have information on the two forces the Cyth have broken into,” the Stormlord said, clearing his throat and shifting a little as he glanced at Vanarr. “The main group will be heading south with roughly ten thousand Cyth, while the second, western force, will be the remaining four thousand.”
“Thank you, Nathir,” Vanarr said, gesturing for the Stormlord to step back. “In short, this means that our cordon will remain in place, but this alliance will move to deal with these major incursions. I will be leading the larger group to deal with the southern force, whilst our second group intercepts the western force.”
“How will we be splitting this force?” Elder Dun of the Eternal Wardens asked.
“I will take the majority of my Sect’s forces, along with the Unbound Gale, half of the Eternal Wardens and Stormlords, and most of the Defiant Flame. That will be roughly two-thirds of our force, and will have the majority of the Sorcerers to account for our engaging the southern enemy force. Our allies from Hobson’s Point, the Disciples of Adamar and those remaining from other Sects will instead intercept the one heading west.”
“And who will lead this second force?” The woman from the Defiant Flame asked, causing a murmur among the Sorcerers.
“The single largest group will be those from Hobson’s Point, so they will have command. However, to ensure all goes well I will detach a veteran unit of Sorcerers who will be on hand to advise if needed.”
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Verdan mentally translated that last part to be that they would take over if it looked like they weren’t coping with the command.
Silver looked quietly shocked by the Sorcerer’s statement, and he was far from the only one. The other Defiant Flame Sorcerer present was muttering to the woman with a scowl, and while he was the most openly irritated, several more looked concerned.
“Are we sure this is wise? They hardly have the experience with commanding Sorcerers, or the authority to do so,” the lead Defiant Flame Sorcerer said, eyeing Verdan and the other sceptically.
“The brunt of our Sorcerers will be heading for the southern force,” Vanarr said evenly. “The Wardens and Disciples will make up the majority of those joining the western force. Elder Dun, Elder Vaijon. Do you share these concerns?”
Elder Dun stepped forward without pause, as if expecting the question. “I have had reports of the Airta hunting Cyth in our lands, even before this call to alliance. They do so honourably and effectively. Anyone who has their favour and that of the Clerics of Brannoc is a friend of ours.”
The Defiant Flame Elder seemed somewhat surprised by the earnest praise from Elder Dun, and glanced over at Sylvie thoughtfully.
The bald Sorcerer that Verdan had spotted earlier spoke up next, one hand resting on the vials at his side. “Is it true that you slew a Gormagyr when you went north, Wizard?”
“No,” Verdan said, waiting just long enough for the word to register before letting a smile show. “We slew two of them.”
“Then the Disciples of Adamar will be pleased to die by your side.” The bald man sketched a bow to Verdan with a laugh that felt more than a little unhinged.
“Then it is settled,” Vanarr said, clapping his hands before any further objections could be made. “Now, we must settle on the details as soon as possible. Time is fleeting, and the Cyth are already on the move. My assistants will visit each of you within the hour with the details of how your forces will be divided.”
There were a few mutters at the high-handed declaration, but nothing more than that, and after a few moments they were all heading back the way they’d come.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Verdan said, glancing over at Silver to see how he was taking it. “I imagine it’s a lot of pressure for you, though.”
“I have a headache already,” Silver muttered, glancing back at some of the Sorcerers. “And I know that some of those Sorcerers will not be happy about taking orders from me.”
“Don’t worry, Lukas, it’ll be fine,” Cullan said, chuckling at the look Silver gave him in return and patting him on the back. “Vanarr is well-respected, no one is going to go against his orders for something like this. The shame of it would be more than some of these arrogant fools could take.”
“What do you mean?” Verdan asked curiously.
“Well, a lot of the Sects this far north have agreements with the Steel Custodians that they will fall in line when there is an event like this. I’ve seen it before, and they were just as unhappy about it then as well.”
“But they won’t shame their Sect by breaking the agreement,” Verdan said, nodding to himself. That made sense with what he knew about these things.
It also put the Steel Custodian’s refusal to get involved in the attack on Hobson’s Point in a new light. If they held such a tangled web of agreements, he could understand more why they preferred to leave it well alone.
He still didn’t agree with their decision, but he could understand why they made it.
“That explains why he kept us all as a single unit then,” Gwen said with a wry smile. “We don’t have those agreements, so we’re not just going to do whatever he says.”
Verdan chuckled at the idea of Vanarr trying to order Gwen and the Witches around, let alone Ciaran and the rest of the Kranjir.
Sure, they’d listen to a reasoned argument and perhaps even do it, but Verdan doubted Vanarr had to explain himself often.
The other Brecan, Dru and Aeva had been hard at work while they were gone, but Verdan went to stop them before they committed to anything further.
A single structure was more than enough to make their point, and if they were leaving in the morning, anything further was a waste of energy.
-**-
Silver held a meeting of his own an hour or so after they got back, filling in those who hadn’t joined the group on what would be happening.
Verdan listened in as the Commander outlined the situation, but he found himself dwelling on the male Defiant Flame Sorcerer. He had definitely seemed familiar, and Verdan just couldn’t place him.
It could be that he’d taken part in the attack on the city, but Verdan doubted it. The few Defiant Flame Sorcerers he’d met during that chaotic final battle had all died.
“Gwen, did that Defiant Flame Sorcerer look familiar to you?” Verdan asked the Witch quietly, wondering if it was just him.
“The tall blonde woman? No, not really,” Gwen said absently as she stroked Kuzo, her familiar.
“No, not her, the man that was there with her.”
Gwen paused and frowned in thought before shaking her head. “No, not that I remember. Why, who was he?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps he just reminds me of someone.” Verdan rubbed his face before casting the thought away. There were more important things to focus on.