General Maximo adjusted his brooch slightly as he led the procession underneath the city gates and up to the Keep where both Brandubh and Harfrigh lay in wait. Despite his early hesitancy towards the idea he had to admit that it now left them in a vastly improved position. All of Aileann now stood on the verge of being proclaimed the latest of Milesia’s conquests. Of course had he had his way he would have preferred to have proven Milesia’s superiority through successive battles but this way was cleaner, more efficient and saved the troops and resources for the more difficult tasks and wars ahead, far from the obscurity of Aileann. And if it brought him to acclaim then it was worth having to deal with the likes of Earl Harfrigh and Brandubh. As he moved through streets the General noticed the lack of activity around him despite it being almost midday. No time for celebrations it would seem. Either they are more practical than they seemed or.. or the people do not feel the urge to celebrate.
As long as they remained in check it mattered little. It was not until they had moved further into the city that they at last began to encounter life and soon were having to make their way through ranks of Aileann warriors, most baring the crocodile sigil of Harfigh’s, but there were many there too which still wore the four tiered crown, the sigil of the King, King Brandubh. After a slight delay they eventually made their way into the home of Earl Harfrigh. The freshly built keep was as slick and innovative a design as Maximo had seen in his four years on the island. Good to see he is putting Milesian money to good use then.
Inside their way was led by a brightly lit, well furnished passage which guided them all the way to the wide open doors of the Main hall. There at the top of the room sat Harfrigh and Brandubh, at his approach they stood. Brandubh smiled warmly and bowed graciously.
“General. It is my pleasure to welcome you here. Today marks the dawn of a new age and a final true coming together of Aileann and Milesia.” Maximo returned the smile and looked to Harfrigh who strode forward and offered his hand in friendship.
“You are a most welcome sight indeed General, I and Brandubh, we have eagerly awaited your arrival and all that it brings.”
He flashed the General with a grin, a little too wide. Harfrigh had taken some convincing to agree to their plan. He had been wroth once they had informed him that he was not to lead. He wants to rule, to be King. But Maximo had not agreed to such a manoeuvre. If the Earls saw him take the mantle as King then they would lash out, old grudges and old rivalries renewed, Harfrigh had too many enemies already. And there was the Royal army to consider. No, they had needed a pawn, a neutral player which none of the Earls saw as a threat, long term at least, and one without lands or men of his own. A man like Brandubh. He had been the key to the success of their scheme and knew as much. Firm and unmoving in his demands he had drawn every last advantage he could from the deal. They had had little choice but to concede, without him none of it would have been possible.
Maximo placed a friendly hand on Harfrigh’s broad shoulder.
“The pleasure is all mine my friends, I take it all went as planned then? In both Carthaga and Milesia this is a great cause for celebration.”
Brandubh took a quick look behind him towards the door.
“And General Titus and Hortensia, will they too be joining us?”
“Alas I am afraid not, one of our number had to remain in Carthaga and Hortensia was a willing volunteer, as for Tifar he is already on the move with our armies, I decided to ride on ahead to offer my congratulations to you both. Last night was a good beginning but now comes the real work. the Druaidíi must be made to kneel and work with us or they must be crushed. There is no other alternative. This is Milesian land now under your control and it must be ruled as such. I trust you are both ready for the next step, yes?”
Brandubh sat himself back down, to his right stood a heavily armored man with helmet in his hand, a deep cut ran down his entire left cheek making his already rough face more pronounced. Maximo had been informed of him when his men researched Brandubh. The lapdog to Aileann’s new Lord Protector he had been brought in from the illegal fighting pits which occurred throughout the island. He carried with him a hefty reputation for cruelty and utmost obedience and was foremost of Brandubh’s many tools.
“We are ready, yes. Nothing has changed except the direction of which we march. Instead of marching on Carthaga we march on Belvoir. Though I still believe it may be a wiser choice to ensure all Earls are fully behind the new arrangement before moving on to this next step.”
General Maximo tilted his head at Brandubh.
“The reason you two have been chosen as the new leaders of Aileann is because with your combined strength it was supposed to serve as a guarantee against any unruliness.”
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Harfrigh tugged at his beard and looked from Brandubh to the General.
“And you chose wisely. We do have control. Of the other Earls most saw the sense in my words and Brandubh convinced even more this past week alone. Our strength is too much for any to stand against. However, though they may not stand against us they may also not stand with us either. Not just yet.”
General Maximo pursed his lips. “Very well. Be that as it may our immediate focus lies with the Druaidíi. It is said they withhold the greatest of their skills and powers even from you their ally of over two hundred years now. All we require is that they do as all must and recognise Milesia’s authority as rulers and owners of this land, forests, woods and all. If they refuse, well then we must be prepared for other outcomes.”
Brandubh’s smile never left his face. “If that is your intention then so be it, to Belvoir it is.”
He paused a moment, his face crinkled in thought. “Remind me General why it is you are so hellbent on the Druaidíi? They do not have near enough forces to trouble us. Why not leave them to their forests and allow ourselves to consolidate and stabilise the new rule. Together.”
Indeed and once that is done and all is secure under your rule will you keep your word?
Maximo exhaled and laughed lightly. “Back in Milesia they have been carefully watching the Druaidíi, some believe that they could yet prove a valuable ally in our Wars, agents of chaos of which our Great enemy would be both unfamiliar with and unable to counteract.”
He smiled to himself more than to anyone else, For a time at least.
“And if the case did occur whereby they left us with no options but to take their technology and power by force then so be it. Whatever happens Milesia will have Dún na Rí.”
Harfrigh nodded at his words. “So long as the Druaidíi remain on Aileann they will remain a threat to our authority. Breogan gave them too much respect. We should have finished them off generations ago. Now together we have the chance. Let those who doubt or question us remain behind for now. They will see soon enough how we deal with our enemies. Once this is done we’ll have them bend the knee or have their lands and titles given to someone who will.”
Brandubh drummed his fingers against the side of his seat. “A fine plan. Then all that is left is how to get to the Druaidíi so as to subdue them. That in itself will not be easy. It is a matter of great importance to them that no man has ever lived to see their walls.”
The General turned to Harfrigh. “We’ve spoken on this before, as Brandubh claims we do not have an exact location but we have some intel yes?”
“Indeed. The last remaining stronghold for them lies in Belvoir Forest, and from all the details and information we’ve gathered from multiple sources their city lies somewhere in its very centre. However the best approach is via a Western point where it is said most of their numbers emerge and return to. That should be where we start.”
The General acknowledged his words but his brow furrowed.
“It is not a great deal to go on. Had no Partholóns thought of tracking them or observing closely their patterns in all the years of your co-existence, both peaceful and otherwise?”
Brandubh adjusted the crown on his head slightly.
“You should read up on Aileann’s history General. Hundreds if not thousands of our people have had that same idea. But it is one thing to envision it, quite another to carry it out. Entire armies have met their end in Belvoir Forest with not one left alone to tell the tale. King Riain, young, brave and foolish as he was once led an army of some twenty thousand men into its depth. Not one single man was left standing nor seen again. Do not misunderstand me when I say this will not be an easy task. It is true that they do not now possess numbers sufficient enough to stop us but we must be wary to all of their ploys. And there will be many.”
The General listened calmly to his words, unreacting. Brandubh loved to hear his voice, and liked to explain his every thought in thorough detail.
“So what is it you would recommend then? What is it your famed mind has come up with?”
Brandubh chuckled and whispered to himself.
“My famed mind. What we should do is set out to Belvoir with our full force, the Earls can prove their loyalty adding their men to ours. We set up camp on the Forest’s edge and begin sending scouts ahead in wide circles for any signs of tracks or trails and once something of note they then signal back to us at camp. We march in, surround Dún na Rí and overwhelm them with our numbers.”
“Sounds easy.” Maximo whistled and placed a finger to his lips, the new ruler of Aileann’s words had given him the basis of an idea, though he would put his own identity to it.
“It won’t be,” interjected Branudbh, “but if we must deal with the Druaidíi now as you say then it is the best way forward for us.”
For a moment none of them spoke, then turning on his heels Maximo took the initiative.
“Let us be off then, to Belvoir it is.”
He left not sparing a second looking back, he left them to follow on. They may now be the new rulers of Aileann but they must be made understand, and quickly, that so long as he was amongst them there was only one man in charge on this Isle. Me.