“Do you think they will try to call our bluff?” Roan asked the mercenary captain as Braydon was still having his pissing contest with the guard captain of Damaz.

“That would require a bluff to call.” The mercenary shot back. It was clear that he did not believe that Braydon would stand the presence of that child more than a few days. Waiting around for a few days was also probably the goal of the garrison anyway. It was unlikely that they would be able to defend forever but the longer they could, the worse Braydon’s plans were messed up.

“That might be true but they have no way of knowing that.” Roan was curious if they would try to call a bluff only to be proven wrong. The whole point of their campaign was to take as much as they could manage to hold as quickly as possible and then bunker down. This was more a convenient strategy to Braydon than the one that he had been banking on from the beginning.

“Whilst trying to call a bluff might be good for the long term interest of their liege, I somehow doubt that it would be good for the long term interests of whoever makes that call. He would be out of a job or a head very fast.” He did have a point. Nobody in the garrison was really important enough to make a judgement about whether his land or his son was more important to their liege.

"They might just try to stall in hopes that they do not have to make the decision.” To Roan that was little different to trying to call a bluff but it was what they could report to their lord when he came to ask questions later. They would not have made a decision one way or another and Braydon decided to do something drastic, at least they would claim as much.

“That would be one way of doing it. Although I think your lord might be the one to split their heads in that case.” The mercenary captain chuckled to himself. Braydon at least did not shy away from a fight and he had seen lords kill their enemies for much less than wasting their time.

“Well, have you wasted my time long enough? Or do I need to relieve him of his hand?” Braydon was getting bored of them trying to get him to wait on them thinking about his offer. They either cared enough about the child to give in or they didn’t. He was not about to wait for them to decide.

“You would make an enemy for life!” The guard captain shouted back, much less enthusiastic than he had been at the start of their back and forth.

“And I would not after taking his land?” Braydon somehow doubted that their lord held much more land than that which he was attempting to take. Add on top having used his son as leverage and he could safely say that whichever lord he had done this to would never like him no matter what he did.

“Are you sure that you want to do this?” The guard asked in what sounded to Braydon like a last attempt at trying to get him to do something else. Well Braydon did something else. He unsheathed his sword and held it towards the child. He hoped that it would make his decision somewhat more clear.

“Fine, so long as we and all of your captives can go freely.” The guard captain finally relented.

“Those who wish to can leave. I doubt so many of your garrison would be so willing to leave their families behind at your say so.” Braydon knew what the guard captain was trying to do. He would try to meet up with his liege and retake the city with the garrison to clear his reputation of this. He was not about to let that happen.

“We are loyal to Lor…” Before he could finish, Braydon cut him off.

“Oh come off it. Most of your men are part of the garrison for the money, not out of any loyalty to this or that lord. They have families to feed. Now hold to your promise and open the damned gates.” He was not about to let the man try to rally as many of the garrison to his side as he could. Those that would go at a moment’s notice could go for all he cared. He just needed a big enough garrison that actually wanted to defend the town somewhat and he was not about to sacrifice half of his own army to do it right now.

*sigh*

“Open the gates.” All it took was one command and all of their earlier posturing was over. And so was this man’s time in his liege’s employ if Braydon had to wager money on it.

“That was faster than I expected.” The mercenary captain commented when Braydon headed back towards them.

“He folded faster than you thought?” Braydon asked, unaware of the previous conversation.

“No, you waved your sword at the boy faster than I thought. Must have annoyed you real bad.” The man laughed and Braydon could only chuckle along. The child might have grated on his nerves more than he would have liked to admit.

“Well at least I did not have to actually injure him.” He could do without a reputation for attacking hostages and children. Though Braydon somehow doubted that the various rebel lords of Shuluk would care for the distinction.

“But you would have. And now few will try to test you in similar situations again. It is a useful thing to have.” The mercenary was right, a reputation for going through with threats was often far more useful than the act of going through with a threat could ever be on its own.

“I still prefer to fight the old fashioned way. It is more fun when you actually get to cut down a man in the heat of battle.” If too many people got scared of Braydon’s threats in the future, he would have nobody to fight when he actually wanted to.