> South Group
>
> (Deadmen’s Watch landing detachment)
>
> Group Leader -Lord Putra (Lukela)
>
>
>
> Total number of fighting force
>
> (3rd month of 195 NC)–around 3330(?) out of 4600 initially.
>
> 60 (180 men) out of 100 (300) Heavy Chariots under Maluph Erul-Sol (Que Ki-La)
>
> 210 Royal Cataphracts (Khan’s Own) out of 300 under Horus Mirpur (Rin An-Pur), +Kera-Raad (KIA at Even Fork 194 NC), Api-Nofre.
>
> 90 Medium Horse (Heavy Lancers) out of 200 under Perku
>
> 2200 Jang-Lu (Halberd heavy infantry) out of 3000 under Xener
>
> 400 Horse Archers out of 500 under Larmir
>
> +150 mounted Scouts/Rangers out of 200 under Dumar (+Nabil, Umar, Madaki)
>
>
>
> 300 (450) wagons, 350 (1500) mules, at least 100 (2000) extra horses.
>
> 250 (300) Engineers under Tibia-Han (and Ressif)
>
> (At least 20? Catapults, 4? Trebuchets, unknown number of heavy Ballistae)
>
> 600 (1000) slaves with the supply train.
>
> 80 (100) slavers (guards) under slave-master Cardus of Wotcheki Castle (The Master of Slaves Bedas was with the Khan)
>
> ----------------------------------------
>
> Almost two thousand casualties (amongst them unknown number of civilians, 1270 military personnel, 400 slaves and 20 slavers), half of them from disease and malnutrition. Almost three thousand animals had to be killed for food during the heavy (for the Horselords) winter.
>
>
-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Horus Mirpur
Ermin Suru*
*Gale of the Steppe
The Insidious Bloodfang | Part Two
-If I lose you-
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----------------------------------------
1st of month Tertius (Lucius)
Spring of 195 NC
Thirteen months after the landings
Hunter’s Trap Forest (Boarsnout Peninsula)
Petty Duchy of Castalor
Lord Putra’s main camp
Resan respectfully bowed his head in greeting. The young servant had stepped in to fill Neku’s shoes and help out Gero, after the former’s untimely demise almost a year back. The day Kera-Raad had been killed. Horus swung his leg over the saddle to dismount from the fiery Togo and tossed Resan the reins.
“Don’t stand behind him,” he warned the youth and removed his face mask to feel the chilly morning breeze on his bearded face. The soaked trees near the camp kept the warmth away during the day and added cold during the night. He took a moment to admire the resilience of nature painting this rural backdrop. One could get used to it, Horus thought returning the scout Nabil’s wave. But it might take a bit of time.
Unfortunately, time is an unpredictable force that no man can tame.
The shades between the thick, cold woods sinister and difficult to traverse on a horse despite the pale sun shining over their heads, amidst clusters of milky clouds. He stared at his large field tent –about three meters away- and noticed Mirah waiting by the opening wrapped in a woolen cloak.
“Aswad?” Horus asked and the slave girl made a face.
“Still black as coal noble Sheik,” Mirah replied sounding tired and not in a good mood. “No fever today. Strange that a native couldn’t withstand the elements better, maybe it’s the desert blood on the inside?”
“Babies shouldn’t live in camps,” Horus grunted not liking her tone.
“Your father would disagree,” Mirah retorted looking for a spanking or a roll in the hay. Horus didn’t have time for either. But he could of course delegate. Horus stared at the returning Resan soberly.
“Give her five lashes over the buttocks,” he ordered the young slave, who ogled his eyes in shock not expecting the task. “Go on now. Use my whip.”
“Thank you master,” Mirah said with a bow of her head. “I shall remove the cloak.”
“Eh, stay your tongue Mirah!” Horus barked, not looking her way as he’d spotted Api-Nofre marching towards the large tent.
“Apologies. Shall I call on Marleen? She asked about you,” Mirah said with a warning glare at the much younger Resan.
“Inform my wife that I returned,” Horus replied and turned to speak with his friend. “And get Jarena to unload the mule if you can’t. I brought some supplies from Deadmen’s Watch.”
“Bloodfang wants us to attack the Issir camp,” Api-Nofre said without fanfare. “Putra asked for three months.”
“For the summer?”
“Yeah.”
“They’ll expect us by then,” Horus noted.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. The Prince wants us to move now. So Putra can only stall for so long.”
He shouldn’t stall at all, Horus thought and glanced at the busy camp. Less busy than it was six months ago. Very few spare animals available and most of them in poor health due to the lack of food in the winter.
“You have the plan?”
“I do great Horus,” Api-Nofre replied in a teasing mood. “You might want to talk with Putra also.”
“It was my intention,” Horus assured him rigidly.
----------------------------------------
General Xener of the Jang-Lu greeted Horus with a nod of the head when he entered Lord Putra’s pavilion. Maluph Erul-Sol the Chariots Leader, Perku the Lancers Leader, the engineer Tibia-Han, big Cardus the slave master and Larmir the leader of the Horse Archers. The other engineer Ressif was missing and so was Dumar, the scouts Leader. The latter still in the field as all deep patrols occurred during the night.
Lord Putra stood over the maps, a thinner healthier version of himself but also considerably aged these past months than what he’d been at the start of their campaign. It had been a rough year for all.
Once you boys climb on that saddle, Lord Zuti Mirpur had told his sons afore they had departed Eplas, the palaces of Rin An-Pur shall fade from your memory.
He was right but it hadn’t happened overnight.
“Sir Walter has brought his crossbows forward,” Lord Putra informed him. Walter Van Oord was Marleen’s brother. “But retreated when we took the field. It was a test.”
Horus pursed his mouth and found an empty chair to sit. While the wooden pavilion was spacious, it felt crowded with the amount of officers and slaves present.
“You should empty the room, my Lord,” Horus suggested. “Keep only the officers for this next part.”
“What part Mirpur?” Lord Putra queried raising his head to look at him. “I heard you were on a supply run. Any news of Deadmen’s Watch?”
“They have two transports bringing in foodstuff but unless someone repairs what we destroyed and brings people to work the fields proper, we’ll die after starving.”
“We’re starving already.”
You’re not there yet. “Empty the room Lord Putra.” Horus repeated and Xener stood up with a frown on his lined face.
“Mhysa get everyone out,” he ordered his adjutant. “Stand at the door.”
“Are we supposed to serve ourselves?” Maluph wondered with a half-smile. Horus stared at the Chariot Leader and Maluph shrugged his shoulders. “You used to have a sense of humor Horus.”
“I still do,” Horus replied while the slaves left them. I also have family to worry about.
“We talked of the Prince’s proposal,” Lord Putra started sensing where Horus was going with this. Horus wanted them to attack Sir Walter’s men as more reinforcements arrived each month from Scaldingport. They were in a precarious position.
“We’ll talk again. Vice Admiral Faber’s ships were spotted amidst the pirate fleet,” he added looking at the officers soberly. “The local guard fears they might attempt a landing at Deadmen’s Watch when the seas allow for it.”
“How many transports?” Lord Putra asked with a frown.
“It doesn’t matter. We can’t defend both fronts. The Navy might intervene if it’s possible, and I gave a missive to one of the captains to pass up the chain of command, but they have Caspo O’ Bor to worry about so don’t expect miracles.”
“How soon?” Maluph asked.
“Locals say in the next month we might have two good days. Then a week. The Castalor crews would know afore we do obviously,” Horus replied. “We are not here to fight naval battles Lord Putra,” he continued turning his attention on the South Group’s leader. “The army should attempt to break out.”
“The Prince wants us to attack towards Even Fork,” Lord Putra informed him. “Bypass Castalor and head north towards the bridge. It’s a suicide mission Mirpur.”
“Will Radin challenge the defenders for the bridge?” Horus asked.
“He will but it doesn’t change the fact we have quite the distance to cover,” Lord Putra argued. “We won’t make it. Maybe you should return the woman. Walter asked us about her.”
Horus grimaced at his words. He took a moment not wanting to quarrel over matters of his household publicly.
“It won’t work Lord Putra,” Maluph Erul-Sol said breaking the tension. “What about the boy? That’s Lord Zuti’s grandson.”
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“Mmm,” Putra murmured and rubbed at his pale face with a gloved hand.
“What does Scaldingport have at Even Fork?” Horus finally asked icily.
“Those mercenaries. Infantry. The bridge is guarded by more crossbows and we’ve heard of horses as well. Scaldingport has a lot of men between us and the bridge Mirpur,” Lord Putra replied tiredly. “Radin needs to make it across under fire and push them aside, then head for Even Fork to attack the soldiers there. Distract them for long enough for us to smash through the defenders in front of us, march away from Castalor and assist him. It might take us three days or four to get everyone there.”
“What if we leave the slaves behind?” Horus proposed. “Only the army should move. No wagons or supplies. Machines and all else can be left, we can rebuild what we abandon, if the men are saved.”
“You can’t expect infantry to move with the horses my Lord,” Xener argued raspingly.
They can’t, Horus agreed staring at the general. And I don’t.
“You’ll leave your family behind as well?” Putra asked Horus. The Cataphract leader set his eyes on him austerely.
“That’s twice you’ve meddled in my personal affairs my Lord,” he warned Putra.
“That’s enough,” Maluph intervened. “We’ve ample trouble in our hands as it is. The biggest is the Prince Lord Putra. Let’s be real here. You can’t refuse a direct order. Radin might be the next Khan and Bloodfang has a long memory.”
“Radin is not officially named the Heir, Maluph,” Putra retorted.
“You think Atpa is better? I heard he wants Sartak imprisoned for plenty of offences. It doesn’t sound your family is at his good graces Putra,” Maluph fired back. “Another treasonous act here won’t help his case for sure. You expect us to go along with it?”
The distant Khanate’s problems are clouding their judgement, Horus thought.
“We are in Jelin now,” Horus intervened raspingly. “Trapped in this blasted peninsula. For everything else to matter gentlemen, we need to get out of his place first!” He breathed in deeply once and thought of Marleen. “That means we need to act now, whilst we still have horses to use!”
“I’ll hear Ermin Suru,” Lord Putra yielded with a glance at the other officers and warrior lords.
“We have parts of the forest cut down already, am I right Tibia-Han?” Horus started, pausing briefly for the engineer’s answer.
“Partially, and near to the shores,” Tibia-Han replied with a nod. “But I need more slaves and time for a proper path.”
Soon we’ll have no more slaves and time has just run out.
“Can a Chariot pass? Horses?” Horus asked him instead.
“No chariot can clear Castalor, but a horse can move further inside the forest if its rider is skilled,” Tibia-Han replied. “That means no wagons, machines or anything bigger as well Lord Mirpur.”
“That’s my father’s title and it will be passed on to my brother,” Horus corrected him. “Right here, right now, we are all warriors and we need to act like it. Show bravery and determination. My Cataphracts will traverse the woods, come out beyond Even Fork.”
Maluph stood up with a determined look on his face. “The war chariots will take the road east of Castalor if Xener and Larmir keep Sir Walter inside the walls.”
The Jang-Lu general pursed his mouth. “When they try to approach us tomorrow, my men will march against the fortifications. Larmir?”
“We shall screen the Jang-Lu,” Larmir announced and the pensive atmosphere inside the pavilion changed dramatically.
“We will follow Horus,” Perku noted. “Better to die on the saddle.”
“You shouldn’t challenge Walter on the walls,” Horus told Xener. “I’ll scare them with a sudden charge but I’ll venture into the woods soon after. They’ll assume we are going to loop back to our camps but we won’t. But they will observe your men and might come out of the city to challenge or cut you off.”
“So be it.” Xener replied hoarsely. “We’ll march for the main road and Maluph.”
Lord Putra sighed and walked to his armour, hanging on a stand. He reached to touch the engraved pommel of a scimitar frowned. “Maluph might find the road east of Castalor blocked.”
“And I shall open it.” Maluph replied with a glance at the tensed Horus. “Will you be able to dislodge the enemy from Even Fork for the army?”
Horus nodded.
“What about our families?” Tibia-Han asked but Horus knew he was more worried about himself.
“Cardus would lead you with some of Dumar’s scouts through the woods after my Cataphracts.” Horus rustled. “If the Prince takes the bridge, the road would be clear.”
----------------------------------------
Maluph caught up with Horus on the latter’s return to his tent.
“You’ll trust Cardus with your son?” Maluph Erul-Sol asked him with a tensed smile. He had taken a liking to Marleen and the boy in the time he got to know them. Maluph had lost most if not all of his extended family during the Three Sisters rebellion. His lands and palaces burned down when Que Ki-La was sacked, parents and siblings killed or worse by escaped slaves and gladiators. Horus had a letter from Lord Mirpur describing the cruel fate Maluph’s sisters and mother had suffered but had kept it from him.
“I’ll write to my brother,” Horus replied hoarsely and grabbed the Chariot Leader’s shoulder with his right hand warmly. “Cardus will know not to fail my friend.”
“Eh,” Maluph said pursing his mouth not entirely convinced. “I’ll make it there,” he assured Horus. “Push comes to shove, I’ll get them beyond that bridge. You as well.”
Horus released his shoulder with a nod. “I’ll return the favor. Know that I’ll support you back home. For me and for my family, you are the Lord of Que Ki-La.”
“Lord Zuti hated my father and wasn’t favorable of the Issirs also, now we are talking about it,” Maluph reminded him and Horus cracked a half-smile.
“He does and he did,” he told the Erul-Sol scion. “Zuti also likes to preach for as long as I remember that each man should face his own burdens bravely and be judged by his sins alone. Not those of his father or family. He also loves to talk about strong family bonds and never once mentioned the color of one’s skin as a prerequisite. If he erred in his judgement or forgot to raise the topic not believing it was needed, then it’s on him. His sin to bear. Rest assured, I shall remind my father of these matters, next time I see him.”
----------------------------------------
Aswad's skin had the color of coal. The little boy fast asleep wrapped in white and gold cloth. His tired mother kept her eyes on Horus while the latter gazed at his son in silence.
“Api-Nofre wants Gero and Neku to ready the horses for morrow,” Marleen said working on her long white curls with a brush. Horus preferred her hair loose over her naked shoulders, but Marleen would gather them in a tight bun for expedience most times. For a moment he stood amazed at the exotic visage across from him. She was worried and Horus could see it plainly.
“Mirah should work on your hair,” he told her hoarsely.
“I don’t like her styles.”
“Mirah knows the Rin An-Pur trends by heart. Use her expertise.”
“For what purpose? We are living in a tent,” Marleen teased him. “And I still don’t like her ideas.”
Horus nodded. “Will your brother risk a fight to the end outside the walls?”
“You know he won’t. Walter is very conservative but he won’t allow us to leave also.” Marleen replied. “I should talk with my father.”
“The moment I ask for my wife’s help, I shall be cursed to walk instead of riding until my last days,” Horus retorted angrily, already under great pressure from the upcoming battle.
“That’s not wisdom but a hymn to vanity,” Marleen said and stood to approach him. “Horselords are wise I’m told. I think you’ll be just fine.”
But she wasn’t as certain as she would have preferred and Horus sensed it. “Apologies. But it’s on me to secure my family’s safety. Not a matter of vanity but simple reason. A man who can’t do this simple thing… is he a man at all?”
“Oh, Horus,” Marleen whispered and touched his face softly. “It is not a simple thing.”
Horus knew it wasn’t. He didn’t have another option though.
“People have seen a big bird in the skies,” Marleen said and hugged his waist tightly.
“The Crows bring their birds with them,” Horus replied and used both hands to cup her comely face. He kissed her warm lips for a long moment, tasted milk on her breath. “You think your former fiancé is here? I don’t fear this challenge.”
Marleen shivered and pulled away some to watch his tensed smile. “I worry about Rik of course but I wasn’t talking about him. The big bird’s sighting means his brother might also be here as well, dear Horus. No other man is as dangerous as the Raven of Dawn. Between him and Lord Ruud, I fear you won’t be able to win.”
“Do you want me to?” Horus retorted hoarsely a little insulted and she stepped away with a grimace of pain.
“I have no pride left. I gave that away along with my birthright, but I do have a family now,” Marleen said hoarsely after a tense moment with Horus cursing himself for upsetting her. “If I lose you or Aswad, I would have nothing.”
“You won’t,” a moved Horus avowed and took her in his arms just as the baby boy woke up with a wail of panic from a nightmare.
-
image [https://i.postimg.cc/dF5QhyYv/Castalor-Radin-arc-v2.png]
2nd-4th of Tertius 195 NC
-
> Thirty six hours later
>
> Even Fork
>
> Gallant Dogs winter camp
>
>
>
> “What was that?” Commandant Rollon Martel said snapping out of his reverie. First chance to catch a bit of sun in months and he’d almost squandered it. The old Northman Crafton gave him a stack of scrolls. “What is this? I see numbers and a lot of minus symbols?” He queried squinting his hurting eyes.
>
> “Expenses Martel,” Crafton explained. “Can’t you read all of sudden?”
>
> “I was plaguing napping! My eyes are all blurry, fuck’s sake!” Martel blasted him and glared at sergeant Lu Douc-Re who was munching on a piece of sausage in the shade of the tent. “Get me Liko!” He yelled at the sergeant who almost got drowned swallowing and started coughing doubling over whilst turning an unhealthy red in the face. “I’ll be a dog’s mother!” The commandant roared and got up to help. “The man is dying, good fucking grief! Get a Dottore or we’ll lose him!”
>
> “Find Dalai-Tue,” Crafton ordered a young Grunt and came to help Douc-Re to his feet while a determined Martel kept smacking him on the back with an open palm.
>
> “Stop! Ouch!” Lu croaked struggling to breathe from the repeated blows. “Oh! I’m fine!”
>
> “Hah,” Martel guffawed very pleased and breathed out, now fully awake from all the exertion. “You were saying Crafton?”
>
> “We run out of coin Martel.”
>
> Ah. Fuck.
>
> “Uhm. I’ll write to the Queen,” Martel assured him. “She is up and about I’m told.”
>
> “That’s nice for Anne and all, but Lord Ruud is the one that stopped the payments,” Crafton explained.
>
> “Right.”
>
> “Because we are not fighting?” Crafton elucidated. “And… excessively consume supplies, foodstuff and coin at Rusted.”
>
> “What’s his problem with Rusted?”
>
> “The coin doesn’t return to his coffers?”
>
> “The Duke takes a cut from Scaldingport’s brothels?” Martel queried unsure and Crafton rolled his eyes.
>
> “New month, new payment,” Crafton reminded him not wanting to comment on the Duchy’s internal affairs.
>
> “Wait, isn’t Sir Rik using the Old Dogs?” Martel paused mid-nod to ask.
>
> “And?”
>
> “Well, that’s sort of work right?”
>
> “You’re asking me commandant?” Crafton taunted.
>
> “No and yes. I’m using you as a consigliere, bouncing ideas off of you,” Martel explained patiently. “Then I’ll write a letter to Lord Ruud, which I’ll send to the Queen first.”
>
> “You’ll have the Queen deliver your mail to the Duke?” Crafton asked just to be sure. “That’s… a rather bold and borderline insulting act sir.”
>
> Martel stared at him soberly for a long moment.
>
> “This here, is the reason I’m in charge Crafton,” he finally told the Company’s Purse Officer. “The top dog needs to be quick on its feet in case of grave emergencies.”
>
> “It’s hardly an emergency much less grave. You make it sound worse than it is.”
>
> “Today it’s coin, tomorrow something else.”
>
> “Like what? This is the longest vacation we’ve enjoyed. There’s so much army around, why…we might not have to fight at all sir.”
>
> You don’t know that ye troglodyte! And you just jinxed the fuck out of all of us. You fucking old cunt!
>
> “Just leave it to me. You’ve done enough damage god damn it!”
>
> “I just brought you a darn report. You made a big deal out of it Martel.” Crafton puffed out exasperated. “So what to tell the boys? Most have run out of coin again,” Crafton asked after a moment of silent contemplation by both of them.
>
> The commandant scratched his head with a gloved hand and spotted what looked like a Cofol scout pop out of the woods a hundred meters across from them. The rider twirled his horse around seeing the Gallant Dogs camp and disappeared inside the woods again.
>
> “Wait…” Martel gasped and Crafton glanced at him.
>
> “About a month is yer meaning? I can sell them that,” Crafton agreed with a casual shrug.
>
> “I think I just saw a blasted Horselord,” Martel grunted and glared at the stunned Crafton. The Northman scrunched his wrinkled mouth this way and that a couple of times and then seeing Martel’s tensed face he started laughing out loud.
>
> “Liko tried that same shit on me this morning,” Crafton explained in between chortles and some spit that landed on the captain’s face. “But I give it to ye Martel. You sell the jest much better ha-hah.”
>
> “Lu,” Martel hissed out of the corner of his mouth, using a hand to wipe his face. “Sound the alarm.”
>
> “Ayup, just give me a moment Captain.” The sergeant replied, sounding distracted. “What?”
>
> Oh, for goodness’ sake, the commandant thought infuriated.
>
> “Sound the fucking alarm!” Martel bellowed tipping his head back and almost toppling on the ground as he lost his footing. A nasty kind of ground this, with a couple of big rocks half-buried in the drying mud and the short poles of the tent sticking out dangerously.
>
>
>
> The rest of the day’s activities turned out to be equally precarious.