Harin held up his sword, Dawnbringer above his head.

Rain had come the night before, the dark clouds a reminder of these god’s gift to the farmers fields. He held his sword for a moment, taking in the array of men and women in front of him from where he sat atop his saddle. His mount was stock still, trained their whole life to follow every touch of it’s riders wants and needs.

Many years before him, under Kallen’s reign the army of Landor had formed into Legions of men and women. His son’s exploits, Harin’s fathers in the north had shown them that women were as fierce as men on the battlefield. Some of the best archers that Landor had were women.

“Men and Women of Landor.” He shouted.

“Aaaaroooo!” The soldiers of the Fourth Legion under General Marius and his Praetorian Legion shouted in response.

The sound rolled over Harin like a wave of power. Thousands of his people, two full Legions answered his call.

“We march to the Skellen Pass! We march to defend the Pass from the Horde!” Harin pointed his sword to the west, his people brandishing their own swords in each squad, and each legion.

“Aaaarooo!” The soldiers shouted again.

Harin paused, looking out at his Legions arrayed before Landor’s walls. Was he damming them all? Was he damming his nation? The Council was not to be trusted, not that he’d agree with his father they were evil. But he knew that they had their own plans, their own machinations for Landor and the Kings of the east.

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The men and women of the Legion began to march, turning in their arrayed squads and moving off to the east at a march.

The day was peaceful, the cold of the fall upon them as the leaves of trees seemed to fall with each footfall of the Legions. Harin looked to the peaks of the Car Lauch to the north and then to the west.

“What is it brother?”

“Kiever’s balls,” Harin cursed. His horse lurched to the right.

Anastasia laughed, her horse snorting as she did. “Did I scare you brother? Gods, you need to work on that, the men of the Horde will be a sight scarier than I am,”

Harin leaned forward and patted his horses neck. Calming the beast. “Easy Huzel, easy,”

Harin had ridden his horse Huzel since the death of his first horse, the one that his father, Dragh had gifted him as a boy. Huzel was the first horse he’d picked for himself from the royal stables. He was a mountain horse from the north. Strong bloodlines that had been around since the days of empire.

“Nothing sister, looking forward to the march,”

Anastasia clicked her tongue. “Brother of mine, you can play your games with your court, but remember who taught you of politics, of the truth,”

“Aye, there is that sister,” Harin sighed, looking around to make sure he was alone. “I worry for Landor sister, I worry that we are pulling our Legions away from her when she needs them most,”

Anastasia bit her lip. “Father is in the south, you have two legions between us and Skellen, what could harm us?”

Harin’s horse pawed at the earth. His blood up, watching the legions move out. He knew it was time for them to ride. Harin’s own stomach would not settle, out of sorts like his mind.

“I know not. The tribes will protect the north, father the south. The Pass we will defend. But something is wrong. Something is wrong, it feels like it did before the wars. As if our lives are hanging on the edge of a sword and one wrong move could destroy us,”

“My people, they tell me that money is moving, much of it to the south and to the Pass. I do not know what for, but it may be connect brother,”

Harin nodded. “We shall speak tonight, when we are in camp.

All Legions build camps on the move. There were three within marching distance of Landor where the Legions would defend the realm from when not on duty in other parts of the nation. Each of the camps in the North, South and West. The Landorian Navy protected the approach from the East on the seas.

When the Legions moved out past the camps, they would send out scouts to mark out camps, build them and keep safe during the night.

Harin sat tall in his saddle, readying to leave.

“Where is your Praetorian? How did he take the promotion?” Anastasia asked.

“What is he to you sister?” Harin asked.

Harin was rewarded with his sisters cheeks turning a rosy red before she turned and trotted off. Harin shook his head and chuckled before following her.