I am shaken awake, and soon notice that Pasche is similarly being shaken awake. Xena is shaking us together, which feels odd somehow. Efficiency is my best guess... Pasche wakes up in a start, trying awkwardly to reach for her saber until she realizes it was Xena waking the two of us. My eyes open a lot more groggily than Pasche’s. I was having a wonderful dream, but I can't quite remember what happened in it. It might’ve been about to go to Velvet places... It’s probably for the best, being woken up now, even if my body disagrees.

"You people lose so many hours sleeping, I don't get it." Xena once again seemed determined to make me confused... We'd barely slept these past few days, what the heck was she talking about?

"Well, I'm awake now. Please tell me you have something useful, Xena... I was having a very pleasant dream." Pasche's shaken-awake paranoia is quickly replaced with a clear and present frustration.

"See, that's what's wrong with people, you have your best ideas while you're asleep and then you barely remember them when you wake up... Those Magyars are sleeping now. But they have an excuse, they're dead."

"... How and why?"

"I traded them opium in exchange for information."

"Where did you get opium?!"

"I stole some opium." Xena gestures to a pilfered box of medical supplies in the corner of the medical tent.

“… And what? You just killed them? All three of them?!”

“They were beyond help, Pasche. Treating their wounds was merely prolonging their suffering and wasting resources that could have saved other lives… And it was contrary to their wishes.”

“How could you possibly know that?!”

“Experience. I used to treat the injured slaves in the mines back home. I learned quickly when something was hopeless. It was a good study in the science of medicine…”

"... I would yell at you more but it seems Serena is still sleeping and I think the poor girl could use it..."

Does Pasche think I’m asleep? I’m awake, I’m just groggy and... Not moving much admittedly. I should probably let her know I'm awake before she says something she might regret.

"Why is she sharing a bed with you, mademoiselle Pasche?"

"I have no idea; I fell asleep first and she was simply here when I woke up... I think she might be why I was dreaming so well. Even when I was with my betrothed we only shared a bed once, and we didn’t get much sleeping done."

... Or I can just pretend to be asleep and learn a thing or two about my subordinates. After all, it’d be rude not to try and learn everything I can about the people in my service, right?

"It appears you are in possession of knowledge which I lack, Pasche... So, you'd prefer I brief you, and then you brief her when she wakes? It seems so inefficient."

"I think it seems irresponsible to have a sleep-deprived commander leading an assault on a fortified position."

"... You're smarter than I'd imagined from a brave and noble knight."

"I never wanted to be a cuirassier y'know, I was forced to train for this. I was a bookworm, I stayed inside and read books, and tried not to grow up too much because I knew I was growing up wrong. Then all of a sudden Dad was arrested by The Convention for overtaxing his local peasants, and since I knew how to ride a horse I was given a choice. Prison and eventual sacrifice or become a cuirassier in the Avernian army."

"And you-"

"Weighed my options. In the end though, I didn't want to simply leave my horse behind... She uhh, she died about a week ago though, poor Chestnut. I'd be dead too, if Serena hadn't come to my valiant rescue."

"And now you've attached yourself to her at the hip?"

"... It's her magic too, truth be told. She gave me a taste of her magic when we met and I felt... More myself than I had ever been, somehow. I felt like the Pasche I knew I wanted to be, not the one my flesh had forced upon me. I ummm... I must confess, it's a feeling I've become quite attached to."

"I can't say I felt much from her magic... But it did give a nice, warm fuzzy feeling. Sort of like petting a cat."

"... I didn't think you'd ever have a normal hobby like petting cats, Xena."

"I'm still more or less a human being. I just cut some of the superfluous parts out... The boring parts, like comfort and contentment with mediocrity, and the desire to enslave."

"... Boring?"

"Boring... What other word could exist for the sunken feeling in my chest at the thought of people in chains?"

I stir. I can't help it, trying to lie still and just listen is harder than I thought. Pasche almost jumps out of her armor before realizing the motion beside her is just me. She nervously chuckles, reaching out and patting my head... Her gloves definitely have chainmail in them.

"Heh... Good morning, sleepyhead... Oh fuck, my gloves-"

"Pasche... Such language..."

I can't help but smile a little at my companion's vulgarity, it’s still something rather alien to me. Hopefully I’ll adjust soon, it’s obvious that Pasche was not quite the ‘gentle’ woman I thought she was when we first met.

Xena flicks my head again, practically pouting. "No, bad. Language policing is boring, Serena... I have a report for you, now that you're awake."

Is Xena trying to train me like a dog? "... Proceed."

"Well, the survivors were just Slavic conscripts, but they had overheard some things. Apparently, most of the Magyar armies are in Samnia, being walked all over by some guy named Antoine." It brought a smile to my face, hearing my brother referred to as such, which Xena seemed a little confused by. "Regardless, they don't have too many other armies in Alemannia... The unfortunate thing is that the supply situation is being handled by the Icenian army, not the Magyars. They're protecting the wagons, but the Icenians are supplying them, so their commissariat are likely to notice one of their wagon trains going missing and are likely to retaliate. And they aren't far, maybe four days march away at most."

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"... So, we have four days to take this castle?!" That’s certainly a wake-up call, I try to jump right out of the bed, but find the armored Pasche both too heavy and too entwined with me. "We have to tell Malmo; we have to get the guns in order!"

"It'll be a little bit before they learn about their supply train going missing, so we probably have a little more time... But that's not the worst of it. The Icenian Army is apparently led by an experienced general, a witch named Anastasia Delphine. Those men seemed scared enough of the name that we should probably give it some caution ourselves."

"The Icenians are mustering witches to war as well?"

"No... She apparently volunteered... And then bribed, blackmailed, and threatened her way up the ranks of the army when the Icenians tried to deny a woman a generalship, according to legend anyway."

"... You met some very informed conscripts, huh."

"You'd be surprised just how much hearsay and conjecture you can get out of a man trying to get his hands on a lethal dose of opium."

"I sincerely hope I spend my entire life continuing to be surprised by that."

Xena flicks my head again, pouting once more. "No, bad. Motivated ignorance is boring."

Pasche slowly rises to her feet, giving Xena a slightly combative look. "Are you going to keep bringing harm to my general? Because I really cannot abide it, seeing as I am her most loyal of officers."

"Consider it a sign of my faith in her, she's entirely salvageable. If anything, you should both be thanking me."

I can’t help but giggle, is being domesticated supposed to be this amusing? "It's fine, Pasche. It barely hurts, and not for long."

I get to my feet; we have an assault to plan today. We had an assault to plan yesterday in honesty, and Malmo must surely have finished his meal by now. With my two... With Pasche and Xena following behind I make my way back to the command tent and find Malmo eating dessert... Why is this man a general?

"Ah... You all again... Learn anything interesting?" Seeing us enter, Malmo reluctantly puts down his knife and fork, sparing the cream-filled pastry on his plate for a little longer. "Anything we need to be worried about?"

"Yes. The Icenian Army, whose supply wagon you apparently stole from earlier. Seems they've been supplying the Magyars, and we've probably incurred their wrath. They'll be here within a week to sweep us aside, and they just so happen to be led by a famous witch. We have a castle to take. Now."

"... Now."

"Right now."

Malmo looks forlornly at his poor pastry, before gently setting the plate onto one of the large chests of treasure and taking out a rough map of the castle and siege camp, as drawn by some junior officer with some rather impressive art skills. He lays it across the big table, taking out a pen and a large stick, presumably to emphasize things.

"Well then, what's the plan? Our forces are spread out around the castle, we've yet to add the troops you've brought to the map, but I assume they're concentrated somewhere?"

I wince, 'my troops' are about two thousand strong after saving Malmo and setting aside a garrison for the manor. Mostly infantry, supplemented by a handful of pilfered Thuringian cannons. We’d left the cavalry behind at the Helven Estate to respond to threats on the road quickly. I feel naked, having less than half the force I was sent with under my command at this stage... But they were spent flesh and spent getting us this far at least... I can't be happy about it, no matter how much I force myself to try. Malmo at least seems to have more troops than me, enough to surround the castle... How do you seize a castle in maneuver warfare? What would Antoine do?

"My forces are concentrated facing the front gate, that's likely where the enemy's forces are thickest. If I lead an assault there, it will draw reinforcements to it, which will make the other walls more vulnerable. Attack all of them at once while I have them distracted, they'll crack somewhere. Potentially everywhere. Concentrate forces on the back wall specifically, they won't be able to draw troops from the sides to support it and we'll be able to have fire superiority there. Once we've taken one of the walls from there it's just a race to see who can take more prisoners... And try to keep the building's structure intact, if at all possible. We still need to hold this castle after we take it."

"... That certainly sounds like a plan. Yes... Your men valiantly tying the enemy down as mine storm the walls? It's quite a brilliant plan." There's a gleam in his eyes, he can see good publicity in this, as well as an easier time for his forces.

But he can see whatever he wants, I see a plan that might work, so long as we can coordinate. "We'll need to time these things perfectly. Have your men ready to strike after the second barrage of our artillery, that's a cue they'll be able to hear... Here's hoping their full bellies don't get in the way of combat."

"Hey, don't blame the men, blame the Icenians for giving us such a generous smattering of supplies."

"Yeah, about that... What is with those chests full of gold and the like in your tent? Were those in the Icenian supply wagon too?"

"Quite inexplicably, yes. There sure is a lot, isn't there?"

"Certainly more than enough to pay conscript wages, why carry so much money?"

"Who knows? Either way, it will be an appropriate prize to send back to Avernia and The Convention. They'll know what best to do with it."

"Not the soldiers who seized it?"

"They get their wages. If The Convention wishes it so, they might offer a bounty for captured treasure, but that's their decision to make, not ours."

"... Fair enough." As tempted as I am to disagree; I know somewhere in the back of my head that Wool is probably loathing this lack of adherence to tradition. "I'll leave that in your hands then, unless we find ourselves in need of a few chests full of gold."

Pasche softly chuckles under her breath. "Perhaps to stuff in our cannons instead of canister shot. Would be a fun surprise to mince some Icenians with their own coins."

It’s a rather morbid joke, and one that manages to get a subtle little giggle out of Xena. Even Malmo gave a smile, even if he quickly looked away to hide it... I try to put on a laugh, filled with the strangest suspicion that I might genuinely make Pasche cry if I don't seem amused, before taking my... Taking Xena and Pasche with me to address the men. We're about to give them some very bad news.