> Earlier that month
>
>
>
> The horse snorted, the stitched wound on its snout bothering it and shook its brown mane. The stallion’s neck free of armour, like the rest of his body. Garai had lost the armour with Whining Sands, his real horse that had perished in the woods. Late Bata’s manservant Darno called this horse Rex, which meant king in the Lorian tongue he was fluent with.
>
> Garai grimaced at the bitter memory of his companion’s gruesome end at the hands of the Issir black knight and then led Rex near the sulking Horselord, old Jorah Dhin-Awal. The Lord of Dia Castle had lost his lands and two of his sons in the span of a few years, before losing the Prince he’d served all of his life. A man without a master, but the Khan who stood above all, now forced to find his way again, very late in life.
>
> “Kontar’s scouts told me you wish to stay in the plains,” Jorah grunted, with a glance at Darno who had brought Garai a flask of water, in order to quench his thirst.
>
> “Kontar is a lousy scout and his horse-archers, you have not used properly,” Garai retorted and pressed a finger on the bandage visible under his collar to check whether it had started bleeding anew.
>
> “The Khan ordered Timor of Lukela to come down the road and control the westernmost road. He had to abandon the siege to do it,” Jorah rustled. “Timor had been Muvelo’s man for a time, but spent the last couple of years in late Tehenor’s camp. One could say he’s more a scout than a horse-archer. Either way I don’t think he’ll play the scout for you Garai.”
>
> “You can’t take a castle with horse-archers either,” was Garai’s retort, afore he wiped his mouth. “But you can use them rascals in the plains.”
>
> “I’m not defending Colle,” a scowling Jorah grunted, his tanned, very-weathered, desert skin getting even more wrinkles.
>
> “You have marines stationed there,” Garai argued. “Why not use them? They can defend a part of the city, then hop on their boats, if the going gets too rough.”
>
> “What for?” Jorah asked. “They have the bridge and are probably marching towards us already. Look at the clouds. It will rain again.”
>
> “Each week, it rains less,” Garai replied and glanced at the disturbed earth under their horses hooves. The mud not as deep and now mixed with growing grass it offered a natural carpet to travel on. Tiring for the horses, but not that dangerous. Horses, same as people, learn to navigate an alien terrain after a while. “A couple of days of sun will dry up the ground and the men could travel fast again.”
>
> “You wish to fight? The Crows beat Radin and you.”
>
> Garai sucked on his teeth. “The prince was winning, but lost sight of the battlefield for personal reasons and probably died in the attempt to repair his damaged pride.”
>
> “That’s not what you told me the other day,” Jorah grunted.
>
> “I don’t care about Colle,” Garai snapped. “Nor the late prince. I don’t care about Mirpur’s plight, or even yours Lord Jorah. I have a score to settle, but the presence of mind to pick the right timing. The Issirs are coming for Colle and they’ll have it, but we could use their eagerness to hurt them. Make their desire unhealthy for them and profitable for our legend. I won’t stay unemployed for long, nor leave Jelin a beaten man. Even so, I much rather not fight another of the Khan’s hapless battles, where other men’s voices weight more than mine. But you, former Lord of Dia, can win here, if you listen to Garai. If not for anything else, but to avenge your lost sons, no other lord appears to care about, or even remember.”
>
> Jorah furrowed his thick grey brows and nodded once with his head.
>
> “Speak Vorea Olga,” he told him in a sober rustle.
----------------------------------------
Sir Robert Van Durren
‘Lord Crustacean’
A Vulture’s Funeral | Vorea Olga’s Dithyramb*
-I-
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*Khanate name for the battle known as the ‘2nd 3Roads’
-
Dawn of 29th of Quintus 195 NC
The road to Colle and the plains road junction called the 3Roads
Eplas Foot camp
“Plenty of water on me,” the ascetic, sun-scarred, Captain Madsen griped, and wiped his balding scalp with a gloved hand, eyes watching the road. The latter busy with marching allied troops. “To make me miss the desert sire. I’ll pass.”
“Umm,” Robert murmured abstractedly, working the flask water in his mouth before spitting it. His own scarred cheeks half-hidden under a well-trimmed white beard. Cristiana Struder, Wilhelm’s daughter, turned her almond-shaped, lime-colored, eyes on her fiancé.
Not much time to make a proper event out of it, Robert thought, offering the comely female Issir one of his customary broad smiles. Or much room in the tent to fool around.
“It’s a campaign thing dear,” Robert explained and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Spiting water on the ground?” Cristiana asked and gave him a nice yellow hankie with her engraved initials. Robert took it and slotted it in his collar.
“Just step on a saddle and you’ll get a lot of dirt tossed your way.”
“I don’t fear a little dirt Sir Robert,” Cristiana argued with a blush. “I’ll have you know that I frequent my father’s workshops. I have made a crossbow of my own last summer.”
It was true, Cristiana carried it inside the carriage, which Robert still thought was amusing.
“Pray you don’t have to use it dear,” Robert jested, but his good friend Sir Leonel Koel furrowed his brows unsure about the quality of Robert’s humor and the Badum scion had to offer a small assurance in a more sober manner. “Of course we shan’t allow this to happen either way.”
More of an extrapolation really, which one should look to avoid afore a battle.
----------------------------------------
Robert left Cristiana’s carriage back and rode with Sir Leonel at the front of the allied procession to talk with Van Oord, the younger of the two, and the Knight from Colle, Sir Stans Reuten. Desmond Boss, who was Wilhelm Struder’s partner in the weapon manufacturing business, was also there.
“Robert,” Sir Walter started, the moment his horse approached them. “Your men are stopping. The plains are right there and if we have a cloudless morning as the weathermen predicted, we could catch a glimpse of Colle.”
“What’s your point?” Robert asked with a grimace, giving his back a much-needed stretch.
“Get them moving after us,” Sir Walter Van Oord grunted.
“Sure, but not right away. I’ll give the men a rest afore that. Let the sun come out first and then we shall march the ‘Foot’ towards Colle,” Robert replied evenly. “We might make it there today, or revel in the open air and reach it on the morrow. I’m not in a rush gentlemen.”
“The scouts report almost no Horselords outside the city,” Desmond said. “We could box them in.”
“Aha, then what? Don’t they have a port to supply themselves?” Robert asked. “Or did you mean, we should charge inside Mister Boss? Not much use for all those crossbows in Colle’s narrow streets.”
“Taking Colle will crack the Khan’s south front right open,” Walter noted. “Too dangerous an action for you Robert?”
“Taking a city without walls is never too difficult. Tried my hand in the alternative variant and got plenty of egg in my face,” Robert replied curling his upper lip. “Especially one surrounded by open ground. Now, Colle appears inviting, by with a port assisting the defenders, you might find yourself losing time, or misjudge the number of enemies present.”
“I thought you had time to lose,” Walter grunted, erroneously thinking that Robert had backed away from his challenge a couple of weeks back, because Robert stood in fear of the two years younger than him knight. The reason was rather simple. Robert had invited Cristiana to visit him officially and cutting down Castalor’s heir would have probably shocked his fiancé. Cristiana was a Castalor native and a good enough prospect for Sir Walter as well, but for the fact that Castalor’s knight had been forced to marry recently.
“Never underestimate the fleeing Horselords,” Robert replied after a thoughtful moment that interrupted Walter’s posturing. “Even if I suggest it. The fact you took no prisoners has already reached their ears.”
“I offered Lord Putra terms!” Walter blasted him. “He hadn’t offered the same courtesy to those he slayed in Deadmen’s Watch!”
“Aye,” Stans Reuten agreed with a scowl. “They’ve done the same in Colle. Ripped the town of its people.”
“You should have given him time to think about it without food and water, trapped inside the woods.”
“You presume I didn’t try,” Walter grunted with a scowl.
Touché mate.
“Lord Putra wasn’t going to surrender Robert,” Desmond intervened gruffly. “Failure carries a heavy penalty in the Khanate. Look at the risks Prince Radin took, or all their generals really. These are vicious dogs that need to be put down, lest their madness spread. You can’t reason with them.”
“They’ll see reason, I have seen it,” Robert maintained in a reasonable manner and then stood back on the saddle for a brief moment, to silent behold the grassland extending on both sides of the dirt road beyond the thinning tree line. The air blowing over the plains smelled of the Shallow Sea, wet earth and white bloodroot flowers. A sharper smell this, than the muskier odor of the Canlita Sea’s shores. You’re still a long way from home. “We need to control the plains and the roads coming from the Capital, if we’re to assault the city,” he added hoarsely.
“There’s a smaller port the Khanate uses. I guess not as much now,” Reuten informed him. “Southwest of Colle, a village they named Khan’s Landing.”
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“What was it called afore?” Robert queried wishing for a map of the area, or a proper camp to discuss matters. Doing it on the saddle had lost the appeal it once held for him after six, very-long, years on the road and a lot of riding.
“Seagull’s Rock.”
“Reckon I like the first name better,” Robert decided and pursed his mouth. “The seaside road comes from Jaw Castle,” he continued going back to his previous point. “What’s the situation there?”
“No one has news from Hermen Holsman, but several months old reports said he had Corneel Verner with him,” Reuten informed them.
“The 2nd Foot’s Rangers commander?” Robert asked. “I thought everyone was lost with Mark Est Ravn. A tragedy. I really liked the man and was at his wedding.”
“Voges made it allegedly. Verner is a difficult man to kill,” Reuten replied.
“Who’s the first guy?” Robert asked, as he knew the veteran ranger officer personally.
“A Captain hailing from Deadmen’s Watch. But that fucking scum is working for the Khanate,” Desmond elucidated gruffly. “Lost sight of the cretin during the battle.”
“A Foot officer working for the Khan?” The calm up until now Sir Koel, snapped irate at the suggestion. The knight was standing on Robert’s right side atop a grey horse. “Is he dead?”
“He better be,” Desmond rustled.
-
image [https://i.postimg.cc/zD1ZYvhs/2nd-3-Roads.png]
> Blackcrow’s Pillar old Vulture, Grand Duke Ruud De Weer died sometime at the start of summer of 195 NC peacefully in his sleep. It was the only peaceful event of that month and even for this several zestier accounts exist. Since it is never easy to get the Crows (both birds and humans) to open up about the Duchy’s affairs, a historian has to rely on the palace’s rumors, the military attaché reports (invited officers of the 4th and 1st Legions who were present for his funeral) and finally the performing musicians (Rory & the Purser Band had arrived in Scaldingport for the queen’s ‘spontaneously prearranged’ wedding), and random eyewitnesses of the bloody double event.
>
> In order to give context on how things really reached that boiling point, we must first examine guardedly, what had transpired the weeks before Lord Ruud breathed his last. Sir Walter Van Oord had marched the allied forces northwest towards Colle ‘in the spirit of our queen’s orders’ according to Castalor’s chroniclers, well before her majesty’s second missive arrived. So he had already arrived outside the town port in the final days of spring. The once picturesque Colle appeared undefended and barely damaged. The red brick houses and port buildings visible, as well its half-busy market, despite been almost completely stripped from manpower, right behind the Khan’s massive, also mostly empty, old war camp.
>
> Walter had his Castalor and Colle troops followed by Robert Van Durren and his Eplas Foot. The cautious noble -according to his friends- either feared a trap, or the same slow-walking rascal -according to his enemies- looked to seal the deal with Cristiana Struder. While both rumors could be true at the same time, Walter did meet with Robert and they both decided to test Colle’s defenses. Walter dispatched several mounted scouts and a large number of crossbow-wielding troops west of the town to cut off the forest road towards Khan’s Landing, a small fishing port on the rocky south shores of Seagull’s Neck, the locals used to call Seagull’s Rock.
>
> While the scouts headed west, Desmond Boss marched northwest towards Colle initially, but Sir Stans Reuten’s local Colle militia and guards caught up with him, after Walter intervened. The local troops eventually entered the occupied town first. Desmond Boss’ mercenaries moved to the east outside Colle, took over the old Khan Burzin’s camp capturing wagons with supplies and then slowly marched to the northeast to cut off the road coming from Issir’s Eagle.
>
> Walter rode to Robert’s camp in the meantime, either to complain for the Foot’s decision to pause at the mouth of the forest road coming from Boar’s Horn River, or to discuss strategy and further troop deployment. While the Castalor army faced west towards Colle and Khan’s Landing, the terrain opened up to the east and to the north, following the two main roads out of the junction, with kilometers of grassland, fields and open plains effectively to their flanks.
>
> Robert ordered his cavalry under Sir Leonel Koel to swing in an easterly direction towards the main road (leading to Issir’s Eagle) and scout the woods’ edge under Boar Mountain. He further instructed Captain Velde to position half a division (the 1st, around four hundred men) in the gap between Walter’s Castalor soldiers south of Colle and Desmond’s mercenaries to the north of the city, in order to anchor their east flank.
>
> While the rest of old First Foot slowly gathered (around one thousand two hundred men, split in three half-divisions) to march out of the woods as well, Kontar’s riders (mostly horse-archers) made contact with Walter’s westerly scouting force (approaching Khan’s Landing) and reacted.
>
> Kontar messaged the captain of a Khanate galley moored in the small port to depart and led his men in an attack against the Issirs. Kontar’s attack scattered Castalor’s soldiers initially clearing the path, but since more Issir groups kept arriving to assist in the assault of Bach’s Tower at the edge of it, Kontar’s much smaller force was soon pushed back. Kontar decided to break out and cut in a sharp southeast direction instead of returning to defend Khan’s Landing. He probably entered the thick woods to make his escape the moment he realized reaching Colle wasn’t an option. He managed to slip away as some of the Issir soldiers who had initially run away from his men had gone back towards Walter’s lines creating confusion. Walter had been informed earlier from Reuten that there were enemy troops inside the city and another force further to his west was deemed to be a problem.
>
> The enemies inside Colle were about four hundred marines led by Mutobo, one of Binra-Kot’s officers who had been ordered to reinforce Colle and had come aboard the small fleet (two galleys and three transports) present inside the port. Mutobo had created a defensive line around the port’s buildings blocking the three streets leading there and had it anchored on Baron’s Bach’s tower. Reuten made an attempt to brush the Khanate’s veteran marine force aside (he outnumbered them two to one at least) and take the tower, but his low-quality troops failed and he had to regroup.
>
> Walter Van Oord ordered the men now outside Khan’s Landing (about eight kilometers away) to take the village and reinforced them with infantry, whilst readying a second group of soldiers to assist Reuten, who was already inside the city. Desmond Boss, who had marched north beyond the junction and near Colle’s grain fields, spotted enemies coming down from the seaside road (from Jaw’s Castle) and more Horselords setting up to the east side of the plains, right on the road heading to Issir’s Eagle.
>
> The first group of soldiers were under Timor (a man working for Muvelo, the scout general who had taken over command of the Khan’s Horse Archers from Tehenor, after the Horse-archer general and most of his officers, had been killed by Mark Est Ravn in the first battle at 3Roads) and had received orders from Admiral Osahar to break the siege at Jaw Castle earlier that month and then march to assist Mutobo’s marines who were already heading there with the navy. It is unknown how many men Timor had with him, but most agree they were around a thousand mounted ranged troops, including artillery and scouts.
>
> The second group of soldiers were the Jang-Lu of Amir-Zeket. Joran Dhin-Awal’s cavalry was assisting the Khanate’s heavy infantry, remaining unseen to his rear, whilst another mobile force under Garai was present in the field, but still hidden further to their south.
>
> Sir Leonel Koel’s attention was also drawn to the lines of heavy infantry, but had opted to shadow them from afar and sent word to Robert’s camp about them. Robert ordered Captain Velde to turn east and then march up ahead to face the Jang-Lu with Sir Koel remaining to his eastern flank. This action freed up Walter to dispatch his reserves to assist Desmond Boss further to the north against Timor’s force and thus the Issirs had effectively surrounded the city from three sides.
>
> Late in the afternoon, with Reuten already fighting inside the city, Garai’s cavalry came out of the east woods to attack Sir Leonel Koel. The Horselords could have flanked the Issirs hard, but their noisy approach lacked the element of surprise (Issir scouts had spotted their movements behind the trees early, as they were bathed in the afternoon sun) and the alert Sir Koel repositioned his men-at-arms near Velde’s infantry lines, thus nullifying the Horselords seemingly botched maneuver.
>
> Garai retreated and the Issir knight went after him, chasing the Horselord back inside the forest, which turned out to be a mistake as Garai’s movement was a feint. Jorah Dhin-Awal’s also small cavalry force burst out of the Jang-Lu lines, skirted well-clear from the Foot’s spears, traversed the open plains and smashed Desmond Boss’ mercenaries rear two kilometers away. The latter had their attention on Timor’s Horse-Archers’ maneuvers further to their north. Dhin-Awal’s charge injured and killed many of the crossbow-wielding mercenaries, forcing the lightly injured from a fall Desmond to retreat towards the city and Reuten’s rear lines. Walter’s soldiers attempted to attack the retreating Lord Jorah Dhin-Awal, but the Horselord slipped back behind the Jang-Lu and escaped.
>
> Timor’s Horse-Archers poured out of the Jaw Castle’s road next and peppered the Issirs with arrow after arrow, effectively forcing Walter’s infantry to stop and deal with them. They couldn’t and casualties mounted as the Horse-Archers attacked in waves, but maintaining a safe distance, without entangling themselves with the less mobile Issirs. Walter ordered a large group of Castalor’s crossbowmen forward to combat the Horse-Archers range and Timor, after losing forty riders in the first couple of volleys, pulled away with the help of the setting sun, thus bringing the first day of combat to an end.
>
> Reuten’s men assaulted the marines during the night, while Walter’s westernmost group of soldiers, managed to secure Khan’s Landing and at the same time Robert rotated fresh soldiers to Velde’s division. The Badum’s noble had his attention on Dhin-Awal and Garai’s actions, so the forgotten Kontar’s sneak attack to his camp early the next morning caught him unawares.
>
>
-
Lieutenant Piert Smelt, his adjutant, offered Robert his scabbard and he clasped it around his waist, while walking briskly towards their horses. The Foot sergeants had started getting the soldiers up before dawn, in preparation of marching everyone into the plains and clear out Amir-Zeket’s halberd-wielding masked soldiers from the field.
Sergeant-at-arms Kevin Erp, a Badum native like Smelt, had a drawing of 3Roads opened for the approaching Robert, which the scribes had worked on the previous day.
“What do you have for me Kevin?” Robert asked with a yawn and glanced at the military map showing the enemy troops.
“They haven’t moved much during the night sire,” the armoured sergeant replied, his chestplate sporting a worn-out blue lobster. “Sir Koel reported campfires inside the east woods and the main road, and we think they have at least two camps built on each side. North and south.”
Well, I don’t trust them to behave.
“This is the road to the Capital?” Robert asked bringing the oil-lamp near the large velum.
“Aye sire.”
“Where did the other guys come from?” Robert asked with a glance back at his tent from where Cristiana had emerged, the young woman dressed in a nice leather coat.
“Jaw Castle,” Kevin Erp replied and Smelt sighed catching Robert’s glance. “We believe they have pulled men from there.”
“You think Dhin-Awal had reinforcements from Eagle’s Nest as well?”
“It wouldn’t be wise for them to weaken the blocking force there sire,” the sergeant replied. “Not as long as the Legion breathes down their necks.”
True.
“Would have been mighty nice of them to give the forces holding the capital a good lick,” Robert commented.
“King Lucius has halted Merenda is the word,” Smelt informed him and Robert snorted making a grimace.
“Lucius is far from shy,” he said. “Merenda is there because his eye is on another prize and not the Capital.”
“Might be why Charles isn’t moving,” Smelt agreed and Robert nodded.
“Could be, but Lucius won’t tell us beforehand. He used to avoid visiting Naossis’ temple back in the day even more sternly than the late Sir Shane, but now I hear he has the Augusta’s personal blessings and at least two wives that we know of. Fear a man who knows not to show his hand too soon,” Robert continued a little self-consciously and smiled at the approaching Cristiana. “My lady, it’s a chilly morning. You slept well?”
“I did for a couple of hours. It is actually earlier than that my Lord, but I needed the fresh air,” Cristiana replied coyly returning his smile.
Eh, this info will make the rounds for sure.
“Lady Cristiana slept in the commander’s bed, whilst the commander worked on the morrow’s plans with me in a different room,” Smelt explained for the sergeant’s ears.
“Of course sir.”
Good enough.
“Thank you Piert,” Robert intervened and paused upon hearing a trumpet sounding the alarm. Many men and civilians rushed out of their tents, or abandoned their breakfast by the fires. “Well then. What is going on?” He asked coolly as Robert wasn’t an easily startled man , but instead of an answer an arrow whistled over his head and broke apart on Erp’s plate.
Ah.
The rider that had fired the arrow, turned his horse around and galloped away in the semi-dark firing another arrow their way. Robert had moved to protect Cristiana, but the arrow missed them either way, just as shouts and sounds of a scrap erupted around the camp.
“Better stroll back into the tent dear,” Robert advised his fiancé hoarsely and she nodded afore walking away. It’ll be funny as all hells, if in the attempt to appear the gentleman, you’ve cost yourself an heir, or a good final night at the very least. Not that his talk with Cristiana had been unpleasant in any case. That is, Robert talked and she listened, but Robert didn’t find anything wrong with that.
With these thoughts in mind, he unsheathed his longsword and then walked to his horse with a brief glance at the grimacing sergeant. “Everything alright there Erp? It was rather nice of you to stop that with your body.”
“Eh. Gambeson caught the point sire,” Kevin replied tending to his own horse, while Smelt helped Robert on the wooden saddle. “But this old plate is on its last legs, I fear.”
“I’ll get everyone new armour, when this is over gents,” Robert told them and kicked with his legs to get the warhorse going. “Fear not, for I intent to bring you all back.”
> The Horselords had traversed the West Greenforest during the night and had come out right behind the Foot’s camp. Kontar’s raiders made a daring attack right away that rattled Robert’s men, but the by now veteran cavalry leader (Kontar had been fighting for over a year in many fronts) had only a hundred men with him. They were quickly repulsed and had to retreat south, leaving thirty dead, or wounded Issirs behind (civilians and soldiers) and about twenty of their own. The fast-reacting Robert didn’t have horses available to give proper chase, but fearing for his rear lines ordered Kevin Erp to follow after the Horselords with a mixed force of riders and infantry.
>
> Kontar’s second sudden attack in twenty four hours and its aftermath, distracted Sir Robert Van Durren and his men (the Foot had deployed only a third of its force in the field, mostly against Amir-Zeket’s infantry) and events occurring in a very short timeframe elsewhere made the situation untenable for the Badum noble.
>
> Or this is what some want us to believe.
>
>
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