One after another my companies and banners trickled in, leaving the road to take their positions on the battlefield we were preparing. In truth it didn't take all that long as my army was not that big but it still felt like an eternity, knowing that the enemy was not too far away and that their scouts could happen upon our relatively vulnerable marching column at any time. Well, scouts alone probably could not do much but they could gather information about the actual composition of my forces and that was something I wanted to avoid.
Everyone was busy well until after nightfall with the preparations I had ordered. The circle of wagons actually was a double circle, the outer wagons with the regular supplies shielding the inner wagons with the siege engines. The draft animals were kept in small groups in partitioned off compartments in between the two circles of wagons. The animal handlers would be busy keeping them from panicking anyway.
Both wagons and animals as well as the tents set up in the center of the makeshift fort served one purpose before any others. They served to hide most of the trolls and giants from view. I was counting on their sling barrages as a nasty surprise for any cavalry charge. I had to keep them hidden though until it was too late for the enemy. We had been rather throughout in dealing with the forces Gothol'uin had sent to the gap but there might still have been some survivors that got away and back home to warn them about the carnage my siege specialists could unleash upon them.
Most of the scouts, the harpies and some of my light infantry were hidden in the forests hugging our camp on three sides. They had to make sure that there would be no surprise attacks from these directions. Beyond their own lines they had turned the forest into a nasty trap as I had ordered as well. These simple traps alone might be enough already to scare away a small force. If the enemy were to be persistent though the traps would at least provide ample early warning.
The earthworks on the side open to the field were finished as well. They looked a little lackluster but that was intended. The ditch wasn't quite as deep as it could have been and the earthen wall behind it was, as a result, not quite as high either. The number of visible wooden spikes was rather low as well. Hopefully the enemy commander would accept this invitation.
We would make it even more inviting once the enemy drew near, just to make sure. I would lead from there, out in the open and easy to see, with only my heavy infantry and a handful of rangers and harpies to serve as skirmishers, to hold this apparently sloppy defensive line. With two juicy targets, me and the supplies and siege engines behind me, my opponent would hopefully take the bait.
I had set the honey pot out in the open, screwed off the lid and spilled some of its content for good measure. Now I could only hope that I wouldn't be facing a prudent and careful enemy commander, someone who would notice the bait for what it was.
If they noticed the trap we wouldn't be able to properly pursue them if they were to retreat. I had hardly any cavalry with me right now after all since I sent Tora'pheer and most of her Lancers back to escort the caravan with the pale king's crown. Hopefully they would make it back to friendly territory safe and sound. If they were to return soon after with Leumina and my mounted archers it would be all for the better.
That was beyond my control for now though. I had to focus on the things I could change and the enemies I could fight. My worst enemy right now though was insomnia and I couldn't simply take some of the usual herbal remedies as they might impair me out for too long. I would need a clear head tomorrow, around noon at the latest but probably sooner.
Right now I spent the early evening hours watching Gash'zur work on some more equipment for herself. She would be standing at my side at the center of our formation tomorrow which would make her a big and inviting target, second only to me probably, for any enemy archers. Unlike me she didn't have a suit of wyvern scale mail though. To make up for that she was putting together a heavy shield for herself.
It would be big enough to cover her completely, as long as she made herself small. The materials she was using, both the wood and the iron, came from a cart that had broken down earlier today. Sometimes things like that just happened, especially here in the human lands where the roads, dirt roads mostly, just couldn't compete with the king's roads back home.
Stolen story; please report.
The draft animals, two oxen, were turning over the largest fires at the heart of the camp right now to provide us with a hearty meal on the evening before the big battle. These cooking fires weren't all that far away and the smell of roasting meat mixed with the smell of hot iron and singed wood as the giantess finished her work, hammering the last rivet in place.
She hefted the shield, at first on its own, then with her war hammer in the other hand to test its weight. With two thick layers of wood and the freshly cleaned and boiled skin of one of the oxen to provide additional stability it looked pretty impressive. She probably wouldn't be able to lug it around in melee but it certainly would provide the cover she would need to weather a few volley of arrows or crossbow bolts.
She looked over at me in my fancy armor, as she doused the fire of her forge. “Want to head over to the cooking fires to check their progress?”
I rolled my eyes. “It will be another hour before the meat is done and looking at wont make the time pass any faster.” At this point my belly grumbled and the giantess raised an eyebrow. After a moment we both broke into laughter.
She put her new shield and her weapon down next to her mobile anvil and pulled me to my feet. “Come on. It will beat sitting around on our own anywhere else. Might as well try to be among the first to get a bite.”
I shook my head at that but followed her to the fires anyway. “The first will be the scouts and rangers we rotate in to have their meal so they can relief the rest out there. They will be the ones to get the choicest cuts as well since they will be the ones to make sure no nasty surprises wake us tonight.”
The giantess shrugged. “Whatever. Then we can at least help them fill bowls or something.”
I had my doubts about that, I knew for a fact that all these chores were well handled already after all, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want to be on my own either after all.
As we reached the cooking fires I took a moment to take in the scene. It was more than just two cooking fires. Sure, each of the oxen turned over one, with additional iron pans under them to catch all the tasty juices, but that was far from all there was. Numerous iron pots boiled and bubbled alongside the oxen or on separate fires. Grain was boiling in some while others contained vegetables.
Today's evening meal would be a little feast compared to what we had otherwise. Hopefully it would not be the last evening meal for too many. Gash'zur and I weren't the only ones drawn towards the fires either. Quite a few of the men and women who were off duty had gathered here, beyond the bustle around the cooking fires. Some had even brought music instruments. It wasn't exactly a boisterous party but the mood was pretty good anyway.
Just as we sat down with some others of my banner the first batch of scouts started trickling in as well. Maybe I had been off with my estimation. It seemed as if more time had passed while I had watched the giantess work than I initially anticipated. Just as well. It meant I wouldn't have to wait too long for my own meal after all. And until it was my turn I could enjoy some music and lighthearted banter.
It certainly bet the rush before our last big battle. No forced march this time. No rushed preparations. Nothing makeshift about our plans this time. I probably should have been able to rest easily. Instead I worried. I worried about what kind of nasty surprise I might have to face tomorrow as no plans survived contact with the enemy. Something would be up and what really worried me was, that I had no clue what exactly it would be.