>
> Well then, best we fall from fucking sight Robert.
>
> I saw this one coming and it doesn’t end well for the smaller fish. Aye that means your gang as well and it may last a while.
>
> Lest they fear waiting and prefer to turn, spread cheeks to present arse and let me ram a wooden phallus in to get it over with.
>
>
>
> -
>
>
>
> Lord Mortymer, Lesia’s Master of Silence
>
> Speaking in private, after his aide finished reading King Davenport’s intercepted mail
>
> Late summer 193 NC
> 3rd Legion
>
> (Abbreviated | III LEGIO, Bloody Third, Old Sister, Lucius Legion, ‘Scarlet Legion’, Double L. Also LL, III-LG)
>
> Panthera Tigris | Reddish bronze and gold standard representing the head of a snarling Blacktiger, very similar to Regia’s gold non-snarling banner, the royal Aldenus family crest and the First Legion’s emblem used in banners and armour. After 193 the banners and armours changed to use the more easy to mass-produce IIILG logo, leaving only the officers and the First Cohort still using the more difficult to maintain tiger embroidery and engravings (mainly on the shoulder guards). It remained present on the crimson shields though throughout the campaign and is being used also on liturgical symbols today.)
>
>
>
> -
>
>
>
> Organizational chart*
>
> To fall of 193 NC
>
> Updated after Oras Navel
>
> (Overall strength ~3818?*
>
> -Legio general staff not included, supply train personnel not included)
>
> -2800 legionnaires,
>
> ~968 (1018) other units
>
> (250 or 300 mixed cavalry, ~200 heavy Slingers, 270 Scouts and Rangers, 200 Engineers, 48 medics)
-
> Legatus Augustus | Lucius ‘Bloody Tiger’ Aldenus –also Praetor Maximus after 191 NC
>
> (To differ from the Governor ‘Legatus Proparetore’ rank Macrinus of Greater Kas started using.)
>
> Aide de Legatus Legionis | Prefect Marc Gripa (Promoted to 4th Prefect in the 2nd half 193)
>
> Tribune Honoraris | Galio ‘Old Oak’ Veturius
>
> Broad Band Tribune – acting Legatus in absentia after 192 NC. The most respected high-ranking officer in III Legio and the soul of the army. He served a full term of twenty-five years in the First Legion and retired with honours plus a Centurion’s pension. He came out of retirement to start a new full term with the Third Legion from which he famously never retired. Reached the rank of centurion twice and was named first a Tribune without being a noble (He was from a prominent family though. A privilege he’d lost due to his ancestor’s actions and he regained it through his service later in life) and later Legatus. The closest officer to Lucius and part of his inner circle.
>
> 1st Prefect | Varus ‘The Book’ Trupo (Lesia. Baron Trupo’s of Flauegran, disinherited second son. One of the three powerful Wine Barons.) Also Scribe de legionis. A member of Lucius' inner circle.
>
> 2nd Prefect | Julius Draco (Whitetiger, Regia. Son of Baron Vibius, the Duke’s Shield.)
>
> 3rd Prefect (of engineers) | Potis Durio (Lastport, Lesia. the fourth Durio of distant Lastport to reach the rank of Prefect in a Legion and the second to do it whilst serving with the Legion’s Engineers after his great-granduncle Tito Durio.)
>
> 4th Prefect (Praetor’s General Staff) | Marc Gripa. A member of Lucius' inner circle.
>
> Optio (of Cavalry) Kent ‘Thin Knees’ Long.
>
> Centurion (of Medics) | Dottore Silvio Marianus (Decorated for bravery in the field)
>
> LID officer | Vibius ‘Vulture’ Ramirus, (Legion Intelligence Department). A Centurion equivalent rank in the registry. A member of Lucius' inner circle.
>
> Aide de LID | Sirio Veturius. Very old family of historians. The III Legio Tribune’s nephew. Infamous Lord Nattas’ son-in-law through marriage. A later prominent historian who wrote extensively about the turbulent period mainly from Regia’s and the Praetor’s perspective. It soured his relationship with many prominent lords. A known Luciophile, his writings are not widely accepted as accurate especially beyond the Shallow Sea and parts of Jelin, but he’s considered a superb source for the period by most academics regardless of that.
>
> Quartermaster | Ramsey Kolt, also Keeper of the Purse
>
> Panthera Tigris Signifer | Brim Solomon (Lesia)
>
>
>
> 1st Cohort
>
> -Gold Standard
>
> Monikers -Red, ‘Old’
>
> Strength 850
>
> 1st ‘Agricola’ Century Centurion, Primus Pilus| Simon Gata (Gold Phalera recipient)-400 legionnaires (in four 100-strong Maniples)
>
> 1st Decanus| Herius Asian (first ‘Kato’ Maniple)
>
> 2nd Decanus| Mede (second Maniple) Nord. Famous legionnaire risen through the ranks. A gold Phalera recipient twice. Cited for misconduct multiple times. Mentioned in the Legion’s Report multiple times.
>
> 3rd Decanus | Gurus (Third Maniple.)
>
> 2nd Century Centurion| Brevis. A decorated, risen through the ranks officer. Gold Armillae (arm-band) recipient for saving a unit from destruction. Mentioned in the dailies. -150 legionnaires (in three 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 3rd Century Centurion| Artur Mangas (Nord. A decorated officer)
>
> 4rth Century Centurion| Servius Capito (A decorated officer)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 2nd Cohort
>
> -Gold Standard
>
> (Monikers Blue, ‘Sula’)
>
> Strength 650
>
> 1st Century (previously 2nd of the First Cohort -moniker Mark-Antony’s lads-)
>
> Centurion| Marcus Antonius Merenda (Corona Vallaris in gold recipient for taking over an enemy’s camp. Mentioned in the dailies multiple times. A very controversial but beloved commander in the Legion. One of the four most trusted and influential officers in Lucius' army (alongside Veturius, Trupo and Sula). Transferred from the First Cohort. One of three legitimized bastards of Sir Seleucid Merenda ‘the Potent’, Lord Commander of Cartagen’s Royal Guard. The members of the Royal Guard –King’s or Queen’s own- weren’t allowed to marry in the Three Kingdoms) – 200 (150 of them fresh recruits) legionnaires (in four 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 1st Decanus ‘Ravenous’ Indus (1st Maniple, Half-breed, promoted in the field.)
>
> Decanus Domus (Tenor. He was still on the roster, but seriously injured for the rest of the year. Golden Phalera recipient.)
>
> Legionnaire Murena (Gold Phalera recipient)
>
> Legionnaire Vegetius
>
> Legionnaire Cucan
>
> Decanus Titus Afer (2nd)
>
> Decanus Lar Polus (3rd)
>
> 2nd Century Centurion| Josi Vala – 150 legionnaires (in three 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 3rd Century Centurion| Ardi Damian
>
> 4rth Century Centurion| Spurius Dio
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 3rd Cohort
>
> (Moniker Purple, ‘Lucky’)
>
> Strength 650
>
> 1st Century Centurion| Cassius Falx - 200 legionnaires (in four 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 2nd Century Centurion| Placus Lepidus (Decorated officer) - 150 legionnaires (in three 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 3rd Century Centurion| Julius Sepofa
>
> 4rth Century Centurion| Jorgen Osmond
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 4rth Cohort
>
> (Monikers Kas, ‘the young’, Macrinus Lads)
>
> Strength 650
>
> 1st Century Centurion| Sextus Silvius - 200 legionnaires (in four 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 2nd Century Centurion| Keegan Dixon (Kas) - 150 legionnaires (in three 50-strong Maniples)
>
> 3rd Century Centurion| Jason Gordon (Kas)
>
> 4rth Century Centurion| Kaleb White (Kas)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Legio Scouts
>
> Centurion| ‘Frostworm’ Kaeso (A highly decorated officer. Part of Praetor’s inner circle. Also cited for multiple misconducts.)
>
> Decanus | Kiri Dosser (Decorated minor officer)
>
> Placus
>
> Goff
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Legio Cavalry
>
> Optio | Kent ‘Thin-knees’ Long. (A decorated officer. Gold Armillae recipient for stopping a superior force from advancing in the field)
>
> Flavius Nasica (Croton, on loan from Bernard Holt and Duke Holt after the spring of 193.)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Legio Slingers
>
> Centurion| Mamercus ‘Unhurried’ Sorex (A decorated officer. Part of the Praetor’s inner circle.)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Legio Engineers
>
> Prefect | Potis Durio
>
> Centurion (of engineers) | Toni Drano (Lesia, recently promoted.)
>
>
>
>
>
> Legio Medics
>
> Centurion | Marianus
>
> 2nd Dottore | Riminus
>
>
>
> Detailed:
>
>
>
>
>
> Legion Scouts
>
> Strength ~270 warriors,
>
> (170 of Lady Faye Alden’s warband (40 joined after Oras Navel under Ned O’ Farrell)
>
> -various mixed units of fighters,
>
> Mainly heavy axemen, but also swordsmen- under famed Logan ‘Gray’ Barret and ‘Hulking’ Layton (Mentioned six times in the dailies, the Legion’s detailed reports when in campaign), featuring several ‘named’ Northmen like Torcal MacCee, Adam ‘Jaws’ Hough, Ned O’ Farrell and the brothers O’ Dolan, Cole and Aiden from the distant Rifjordal. It must be noted the unit was oath sworn to Red Faye and kept receiving skilled new fighters every season from Fetya, mainly the distant Blonden province, more specifically the remote Iron Mountain’s Numre Burg (meaning Numbers in old Nordic) from where her warband hailed from.
>
> + 100 Rangers (50 of them fresh recruits of Anorum)
>
> Under
>
> Centurion | Kaeso
>
> Decurion | Dosser
>
>
>
> Legion Cavalry
>
> Strength 250 (300?) mixed riders, 150 of them fresh recruits from Anorum,
>
> Included thirty men & women of Praetor Maximus’ entourage and around 50 (or a 100?) men-at-arms under Flavius Nasica of Croton. Nasica received reinforcements from Asturia, mainly skilled riders wanting to follow the action, despite the agreement between Lucius and Duke Holt not to drain each other’s pool of manpower. The number is not known as the Duke who allowed them to depart paid them out of his own pocket after encouragement from Lord Bernard. At least fifty men-at-arms according to Sirio.)
>
> The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
>
> Lady Faye Alden (Nord) –not active after Krakenfort and she spent most of her time in the rear or with her warband after 192 NC -
>
> Optio | Kent ‘Thin-knees’ Long (Nord)
>
> Flavius Nasica
>
>
>
> Legion Slingers
>
> (Attached short-range unit
>
> – Semi-autonomous, usually deployed by the Legatus.
>
> Only unit employing women and men under sixteen)
>
> (Strength fluctuating due to casualties, usually ~100 men and women +100 fresh recruits from Asturia and Anorum still in training)
>
> Centurion | Mamercus Sorex
>
>
>
> Legion Engineers
>
> (Leather aprons, ‘Bestia’)
>
> 100 Legio Engineers (the majority from Lesia)
>
> + 100 apprentices (engineers, blacksmiths and carpenters included)
>
>
>
> Legio Medics
>
> 8 Dottore and surgeons
>
> ~40 nurses
>
>
>
> Around two thousand two hundred civilians (some soldier families), merchants and technicians (Civilian blacksmiths, carpenters, laborers, Armorers, hunters, trappers, whores, musicians etc.) following in the supply train. At least three hundred and fifty various-sized carriages and wagons carrying mostly foodstuff, cots, leather tents, precut wood, tools and weapons – at least twenty one (21) pre-built war machines, including fourteen Scorpios, six Catapults of mixed munition, one long range Trebuchet and a variety of siege engines - among other things.
-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Praetor Lucius Alden
Roadblock
Part I
-The turn at Oldfort-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
> In the spring of 193 NC the first advanced units of III Legio that started arriving at the mouth of New Legion Road found themselves facing a determined opponent and a series of defensive works. Commander Zachary Crane of Dokamna, left in charge by Baron Feld eight months earlier had started digging at the hard ground at the start of the canyon.
>
> First straight trenches were created a hundred meters in length and two wide situated five to ten meters from each other in a random pattern. Rows upon rows of ditches were excavated, some vertical, in a depth that was almost three hundred meters at the narrowest point, but went as high as four hundred at the sides. He never got to finish whatever he had in mind before Lucius arrived due to a lack of men and laboring crews. Oldfort had a garrison of two hundred and fifty soldiers left behind.
>
> The maze of trenches he did manage to build was exposed to the rains of winter that turned the terrain useless for horses and ruined the road for the few merchants that wanted to use it. When spring came it further diluted the original idea that was to fortify or block the exit of the canyon completely, with copious amounts of mud, dirt, and loose gravel coming down the mountains half-covering the ‘Crane’s Fields’, but while one could now navigate the deeps and cracks on the ground, it was still unsuitable for battle or commerce.
>
> Abandoning that idea he built a wooden palisade three meters tall extending from the edge of the slopes of Oldfort’s walls for three hundred meters, complete with a tower fixing its west end. The palisade ended near East Richforest, the thick woods providing the timber for the industrious commander. While not particularly fearsome as far as walls go, it did increase the effective blocking range of Oldfort, the castle itself overlooking the approach from New Legion Road and much of the trenches. When Sir Napoli returned humiliated from the battle of Oras Navel, Sir Paris Riveras who had remained with Faro’s force near Cartagen ordered him to stay put and rushed to reinforce him.
>
> Trupo’s Sartor force –around six hundred men- continued marching ignoring the young Riveras scion, or simply following Baron Trupo’s orders who didn’t want his sons meeting in the field. It could be that the order might have come from higher up, perhaps Duke Lennox’s camp, as the war had made everyone nervous as it dragged on.
>
> Again, while the extended protrusion of the defensive wall helped control the approach to Oldfort, the huge forest on its west flank that ended at the river’s banks left it vulnerable to a flanking attack. Luckily for Crane, but mostly due to the make of the position, Richforest was thrice as long as it was wide, ending at the road heading to the Wine Bridge thirty kilometers away. It was traversable of sorts and nowhere near as unpassable as the overgrown quagmire that started some kilometers behind the rocky dry soft slopes the Oldfort had been built a hundred and fifty years ago.
>
> Starting as a single square stone tower built on a natural motte overlooking the turn, it added five-meter tall perimeter walls through the years around it extending out to the motte’s sharp north edges, a fortified gate facing west behind that defending the barely visible rocky incline there, with a stone wall securing the castle’s sturdy square keep. Part of its weaker east wall facing the mountains had been destroyed by a collapse after a landslide that brought huge boulders to crash onto it after the earthquake of ninety-nine. The site had been cleared but the work on the walls had never finished.
>
> Lesia had used this weakness to overwhelm its defenders the previous year, but Lucius coming from the opposite direction couldn’t reach the spot directly. After an initial skirmish with the fort’s defenders, Lucius ordered the Legion engineers to the front seeing the danger of huge casualties looming. It took them a month to bring everyone to the III Legio’s enlarged main camp at the mouth of the mountain road, but he spent it trying to evaluate the situation while testing Crane’s defenses.
>
> It didn’t take him long to realize that The Turn at Oldfort could potentially become a huge roadblock that could derail his whole plan.
-
[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8ixM1lRYEA8banaTwN3CJM1vBaJsbot8T3rZnS_goP8S0p9wCsCzAUGJ5qo8NpMhYznG9q_OKbwbKMeB1xqh6zjzXh0QDP-CBAX5t2G90Wcefnp-0_EyXHAH25IPboJ3TAPzYv7FG-sar5ajnFScAIwc7_8waaIyQbtaT-8XKuJCfxgsnOaYzUBl8jc/s2500/OLDFORT.jpg]
Artist's rendition of the Turn for narrative purposes, not on scale
-
Summer, 7th month in the year of the new calendar 193
Code named 18 (plus) 7, two hundred and fourteen days into the ‘Eighteen months’ offensive.
The start of the New Legion Road, where the large canyon that acts as a border for Tricorn Heights and West Stonemaze Peaks meets the fertile strip of land between Flauegran and Mabindon’s East Leg sources. The Turn as it is locally called starting at Oldfort and then splitting in two directions. West towards Mabindon Falls and Wine Bridge, the road to Cartagen and Southeast towards North Vine Fields and the estate town of Sava, the road to Flauegran.
Siege of Oldfort
End of the second month
The old landslide created plateau overlooking the ‘Dead Zone’ and Oldfort’s north walls.
Lucius entourage
Early morning
DADUM!
WHOOSH!
The fiery projectile traveled in the morning sky leaving a trail of black smoke behind it and struck at the rock protruding ring, right at the base of the wall. It rocked the whole structure and caused a mini rockslide down the sharp northern slopes of Oldfort but no fires this time.
The defenders fired their machines using their premade range markers, but Durio’s engineers had done this song and dance with them for months now and had pulled their catapults back leaving only the heavy Trebuchet firing from further back. “Eh,” Lucius grunted and lowered his spyglass. “This might take a while Prefect.”
“One good shot at the joints and it’ll crack like an egg Praetor,” Trupo replied combing his overgrown mustache with his fingers. “But it’ll be a difficult climb up the slope.”
“Mmm,” Lucius agreed and used the long-seeing tool to inspect the rest of the battlefield. The stalemate had tired the men out, not physically but mentally, but it was their supply train that had been hit the worst.
Having to live so near the Castrum with its regulations and the officers of the Train unwilling to relax their stance had all but driven the less accustomed to the hardships civilians to riot. About half of them had petitioned Galio for the opportunity to return to Storm’s Rest and the Tribune, probably the most unyielding on the regulations officer in their camp, had arrested four merchants from Croton, an Asturia ‘Lena’ and her two whores, three adventurers from the cattle village of Ruinal and a dwarf of unknown origins who had slipped into their camp under their noses to ask for a trade contract.
He then ordered Ramsey Colt to his quarters -another harsh disciplinarian- and when the supply officer/Keeper of Purse arrived Galio told him to ‘fix this son, or I’ll find another tool for the task’. A chastised Colt had responded brutally drafting the majority of the Civilians into the Legion under the vague, unused in ages but mentioned in the ‘Book’ ‘civic recruits’ moniker and putting them to work in shifts mainly cutting timber from Richforest for the machines, or breaking stone to fill in and flatten Crane’s Fields.
Lucius had rescinded the latter order and kept it from the record, but didn’t allow the word to spread since Colt’s brutal solution had brought peace into the enlarged civilian camp again. He did allow the dwarf to leave and return with his wares. The rarely-seen creature had claimed he could provide Lucius with raw materials, or high-quality metal tools. When Lucius had inquired whether they could make blades, or weapons for him as they had trouble repairing everything on the road, the dwarf had shown him a steel war hammer he had on his back and brusquely asked him to check for himself ‘whether his tool was good enough for the job.’
It was.
“Tell Gato not to probe today,” Lucius ordered Trupo and walked towards his horse. Gripa handed him the reins and he climbed on the saddle. “They cleared the path?” He asked his aide and Gripa nodded.
“The path skirts around the face of the mountain,” he told him. “Potentially a good number of men can reach their north yard, but it’s walled also but for its front. If there’s a path around that wall towards their rear and the ruins, it’ll be contested.”
“Can Kaeso do it?”
“He’ll be pretty isolated on the slopes and the fort could reinforce or turn a scorpio on them from the citadel.”
“Not easy to fire over the walls that way,” Lucius argued, who had visited the castle in his youth. “And the peaks have the east side always in their shade. He’ll have ten hours of darkness, or close to it.”
“How to break through and reach the main gates in that time though?”
“We’ll attack the palisade and then the gates ourselves,” Lucius replied, the thought he worked in his head for over a month. “Give them enough to worry about for Kaeso to scale the walls, or reach the ruined part.”
They followed the path down the slopes of the plateau in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the Trebuchet firing every ten minutes, afore Gripa asked riding next to him.
“You can’t take the palisade if you don’t secure the woods milord.”
“True,” Lucius said.
“It’s a huge forest.”
“Nothing’s infinite Gripa. Soldiers sure aren’t,” Lucius replied.
“There are reinforcements arriving from Cartagen. Armium colors.”
“The less men they’ll have to use there.”
“We won’t receive any in a while.”
They had received about half a thousand men from Anorum. Lucius had used some of them –trained legionnaires- to reinforce Sorex’s and Kaeso’s men, the Second Cohort, but also Long’s cavalry that had been almost destroyed at Oras Navel.
He had the horses, but needed more men.
“Which is why we need to work smarter than them,” he told Gripa. “Every battle we fight with Lesia they’ll adapt and show us something new. We are not in the North here Gripa. No grand assaults to come our way, or senseless charges, but carefully planned probes. They’ll retreat and try again. Lesia can beat us if this drags on as they are learning, or remembering how to fight. While a long war hurts them financially, it hurts our chances more and their coffers are full. We are not a kingdom yet and if we give Ligur enough time to prepare we might need Tyeus himself to dislodge him.”
This was what worried him the most.
Lesia, he could understand their strategy. Stall him on the mountain paths, buy themselves time to break into the capital, or completely secure Cartaport. If Cartagen was taken, or Jeremy caved in fearing a collapse and asked for terms, then they would turn all their armies against him.
A carefully orchestrated strategy with a lot of wiggle room to avoid unnecessary losses and with two supply veins at least for their men, both from sea and land kept close by. Lucius’ supply lines stretched back to the unfinished Storm’s Rest over rough terrain and then a month of travel to Anorum and Asturia.
Unfeasible.
He couldn’t retreat though.
Nothing worse than lacking the option to maneuver when everyone knows where you are.
He had to move forward and he would, but Ligur wasn’t a stupid young officer fresh out of the Academy. He’d started as a centurion of the First Cohort and won his promotions in the field during his father’s campaigns. He had the experience and skill to make sure the border stayed at Framtond and there was a limit on how far Lucius could go following the coast and taking city after city to force him to leave his position.
That was another year or two of sieges, and Oldfort had shown him –Cartagen also- that sieges weren’t how one advanced his agenda. Neither fighting a war on many fronts. Not to mention attacking his countrymen in their homes was something he didn’t want to do. With Cartagen secured he needed to start thinking about other options, beyond another military campaign west or east. He needed Lesia off his back and out of Regia first though.
He knew of one way to make them back off. Hurt their purse. The Lorians of Lesia abhorred the senseless loss of coin without anything to show for it. It was a sin for them. What made them dangerous, their caution and prudence was also their biggest weakness.
----------------------------------------
“I want the woods secured,” Lucius explained to the war meeting an hour later, the machines still duking it out over the Dead Zone. The place where both armies could hurt the other from a distance.
“We opened some paths,” Draco started. “But we don’t know the woods at all Praetor.”
“Neither does Lesia,” Lucius said evenly. “Which way does the wind blow Tribune?” He asked.
“Out of the mountain in the morning. Don’t know what happens after that milord.”
“It comes from the sea,” Lucius explained showing them the map. “Glances on the vertical slopes and follows their shape looping here, afore meeting the northern breeze and blasting west towards the river’s sources through East Richforest.”
“Not for the whole day Lord Lucius,” Sirio said from the back of the room. Lucius glanced at him.
“Speak up mister Veturius. Not everyone has my ears.”
Sirio got up nervously. “I’m saying the southern wind ceases, or might even fail to push against the current coming out of the canyon.”
“In winter,” Lucius said. “We’re well past that.”
“That would be correct my Lord.”
“Anyone has the date?” Lucius asked.
Trupo cleared his throat. “It’ll be the Second Month of Summer, tomorrow Praetor,” he informed them.
“The heat might trouble us going forth gentlemen,” Lucius replied. “And the south winds coming from the Scalding Sea will increase.”
“How is the wind going to help us milord?” Galio asked gesturing for his nephew to sit down.
“I’m going to obscure the battlefield,” Lucius replied.
“They know where we are sir,” Trupo pointed out. “We’ve been staring at each other mugs for so long, I sort of recognize some of the lads I see through the spyglass.”
“I wish to speak to mister Barret,” Lucius said not commenting. “You have your orders, see we don’t have any leaks. No whore visiting tonight, or on the morrow. Men will stay away from the civilian camp.”
“That won’t go well,” Trupo commented.
“It was an order so it doesn’t matter,” Lucius retorted and ended their meeting.
> With the siege of Oldfort dragging and Lord Caxaton learning from his mistakes and changing tactics in his struggle for the Wine Bridge, the siege of Cartagen going on for over six months by that point, Lucius decided to force the issue.
>
> After a series of fruitless probes and one costly assault during the first month, it was obvious to him the fort couldn’t be taken quickly. So he stalled to reorganize the III Legio, created a larger separate camp for the civilians, constructed more machines, or repaired those he’d gotten from Baron Feld.
>
> Upon receiving reinforcements, he split the battlefield into three sectors. He placed the Fourth Cohort near East Richforest to follow after Logan’s group that was to advance through the woods in his west flank. In the center and behind Durio’s engineers he positioned the First and Second Cohorts under Gato and Merenda with Falx’s Third Cohort reinforcing them. He pulled Lepidus Century out though and sent them after Kaeso’s rangers at his other flank. The latter were tasked with scaling the slopes in the dark, navigating a narrow path, and attempting to sneak assault Oldfort’s east walls.
>
> Before that, the Praetor had decided to try something new that Lesia didn’t expect and keep himself out of the action to coordinate the army better.
>
> The latter, the most difficult of the actions for him.
Lucius jumped from Nightsilver, Salvian with Nero and Lanus stopping right behind him, and walked towards Veturius’ busy field headquarters. Gripa arrived a bit later than them, as the Praetor had galloped up ahead and had left him behind.
A lot of officers were present in and around the large tent from different units, but Lucius spotted the Northmen and headed there immediately.
Layton raised his trunk-like arm to greet him, the other holding a large loaf of bread one-third of it already eaten and the grey-haired Logan turned around to gaze at him approach with wolfish eyes.
“Little general,” Layton said smiling.
“Big Nord,” Lucius replied and the giant laughed finding it funny.
“Logan,” Lucius said next nodding at the other men present in their separate group. “I’m going to need that probe to get past the palisade.”
“Mmm,” Logan grunted.
“They guard those parts of the woods like packs of dogs a herd,” a hardened tall Northman said. He had a large battle-axe on his back and two more blades slotted on his waistband, along a double mail shirt. His dark-red bead sprouting out of his face wild.
“That’s Torcal MacCee,” Ned O’ Farrell told him, another northman that had come about a month back with fresh fighters from Numre Burg. Faye’s old holdings were near there, the place beyond Fenford Burg and the Iron Valley, but afore Blonden Port.
Half the continent away.
“I appreciate you gentlemen making the trip,” Lucius said. “Mister MacCee you’re with us for a while now, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Since Krakenfort,” Torcal replied. “Milord.”
“That’s correct,” Lucius replied. “Ned anything you need for the new lads?”
“We’ll talk with Red Faye milord but we came ready,” Ned replied. A young man around twenty five, with fiercely red hair and clear blue eyes. He favored a bastard sword.
“Erg,” Logan grumbled glaring at him.
“Any chance she’ll come along?” One of the O’ Dollan brothers asked. Aiden, Lucius thought making a conscious effort to remember their names. The younger is Cole.
“She’s with child mister Aiden,” Lucius told him.
“Mmm,” Logan seemed unhappy with the conversation.
“He’s right,” Lucius said. “Torcal I want those patrols swept away from the woods. Find a clear path for the soldiers to follow.”
“A clear path?” Torcal asked.
“There will be openings.”
“Why strike on the morrow?” a man named Adam Hough crackled. In his thirties, he’d a prominent jaw protruding out of his angular face, partly covered with a thin red beard and unnaturally large hands. He favored a custom war-hammer with a long shaft.
A very nasty weapon.
“I need the time,” Lucius explained vaguely. “It may be even later and you’ll have to venture forth after Kaeso has left. He’ll leave the previous night. So it’s the rangers moving first, then you lads and hopefully the center.”
“Any instructions?” Torcal asked, the northmen dropped formal language very fast and Faye despite some efforts to familiarize them with the southern culture had given up eventually, as it made her appear weak.
Which angered her and Lucius didn’t want an angry pregnant Faye waiting for him at the end of the day. So he dropped formalities with them as well.
“Scare them out of the field would be ideal. You’ll face regulars, some from Armium probably. Well trained. They know of forests and deserts but are not very experienced in this type of combat. If they learned something in these past months is city fighting and sieging,” Lucius replied openly. “Logan I can’t hold you back in this assignment. You fight it how you think it is best and look to survive if you can. All of you. I don’t want to have to face Faye afterwards.”
“Uh,” Logan said and grimaced. He’d never cracked a smile in the years Lucius knew him, but the rest of the group cheered likening his jest. But for Layton that is who had somehow managed to slot the whole loaf of bread in his mouth and couldn’t speak.
At all.
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Kaeso was watching the group of soldiers and a couple of engineers carrying several small barrels and loading them on horses. Two per animal. He winced seeing one of them almost dropping a barrel and went to check it for cracks afore returning to where Lucius had stopped with his entourage.
“Second-rate mixture,” Kaeso explained biting at the inside of his left cheek anxiously. “But still plenty flammable.”
“Hasn’t rained for five weeks now,” Lucius commented.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Kaeso replied, remembering his rank. “Milord.”
“Cut the crap. Will it work?” Lucius asked him.
“I just helped build the stuff,” Kaeso complained.
“Steal it, sell it,” Lucius added with a smile. “Let’s not go down that road Kaeso.”
The Centurion nodded. “Spread it near old, dried-up trees, or pines if you spot them. In vertical lines and not in pools. Hope the wind blows their way.”
“The wind will blow every way eventually. So long as it goes towards them I’ll be pleased. All this is a giant bowl Kaeso, the forest just obscures it.”
“What about the turn?”
“There’s no turn like in Oras Navel,” Lucius grunted and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Yes, the forest is a physical barrier, but it ain’t no mountain and you can remove part of it, or gut it.”
“It’ll be hell on earth in there, even a day after,” Kaeso warned him and Lucius nodded sternly.
“Half-a-day Kaeso and aye it will,” he told him. “But your task isn’t much easier.”
“We don’t do easy,” Kaeso replied with a smirk. “We’re rangers.”
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read it at Royalroad : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/46739/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms
& https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47919/lure-o-war-the-old-realms
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& https://www.scribblehub.com/series/547709/the-old-realms/