With my circlet back in place and more importantly, wearing armor once again, I felt at least somewhat ready to face the council. I left my weapon in my room this time though. Bringing it would have felt inappropriate. I wasn't arriving fresh from the road after all. I traced a finger along the scratch my brother had left across a few of the scales yesterday. It had only been a glancing blow but it had been a glancing blow by a heavily enchanted weapon as sharp as any would ever be. Now in hindsight I was both a little astonished and very grateful that it hadn't gone any deeper than this. I was starting to really like this suit of scale mail and I would have to thank the trolls at the toll bridge properly on our way back for finishing it so quickly while their shamans took care of me.

At a measured pace we followed one of the guards through the palace. Kaele a little behind and to the side of me. She had left her familiar to explore the garden in the courtyard. It probably was a welcome change of pace for the little creature. I on the other hand still felt utterly lost here. We were not heading for the grand throne room though. That much was clear even to me. Instead we headed upwards into a part of the palace with many smaller rooms and fewer grand halls. In the end we came to wait at a much smaller door. The guard knocked on it twice and settled in to wait together with us afterwards. I was a little surprised when he spoke up, pointing at the reliefs along the walls with one hand. “You should familiarize yourself with those. There are no two that are exactly the same in the whole palace.”

I couldn't see his face but judging by his voice he was still young. Our age. I blinked and gave the relief a closer look. He was right of course. Unless this was some kind of elaborate prank. I doubted it was though. I didn't get much time to actually study the wall ornaments either though as the door was opened from the other side before long by another guards. That one ushered us in, only to step outside and close the door behind us. Most of the people waiting inside were familiar to me. There was only one new face, a harpy. She was both taller and noticeably older than the ones I had met so far and her feathers were pure black. The greaves and metal claws she wore were rather ornate. I bowed towards the queen who in return greeted me with a nod.

She gestured towards the harpy as I straightened up again. “Kroa'ka is the captain of the royal couriers. She just returned from the king's war host at the gap earlier this day.” She greeted me with a nod as well and I returned the gesture. Since the queen didn't introduce me or my sister in turn I came to suspect that our presence at this meeting of the council had already been made known to her. She moved to the side to make room for me and Kaele at the big table that dominated the room.

I stepped up to it and took the chance to study the detailed map that had been spread on it. No, calling it detailed didn't do it justice. It was a piece of art. An incredibly detailed and accurate piece of art! I studied the rendition of mountains and hills, forests and rivers, roads, bridges and settlements. Everything was there but, and that came as a little surprise, nothing was labeled. Obviously everyone present was expected to know what was what. I could name everything around Caer'zoth and most places along the road to the capital as well as some of the more noteworthy features of the land off the top of my head. I would have to wrack my brain for my lessons on geography for the rest though. I probably could recall the right names given a little time but it would take effort.

Numerous little figures were scattered around the map. Although that wasn't quite true either. They had all been placed with great deliberation. There were demons, dark elves, gorgons, humans and harpies with banners painted in the colors of their domain of origin. Some obviously represented large mercenary companies as well. Most were cluttered around a tall figure sporting the king's banner at the gap, the big hole in the mountain chain separating our land from the Council of Kings. Facing them in this location were whole clusters of figures painted in the colors of the various member kingdoms of the council. My gaze wandered northwards to Caer'zoth where I found a knocked over human figure as well as one representing, mother's … no, my banner. It was truly my banner now. This had to be an up to date representation of the disposition of our armed forces. Or at least probably as up to date as it could be, based on the intelligence available.

“Kroa'ka will return to the king's host as soon as possible, bearing, among other news, those of what transpired at your home.” I looked up from the map again as the queen spoke up again. “First though we should discuss what to make of you and your banner. The king's call to arm's never reached you after all. Thus you are quite a distance from the armies currently maneuvering around the gap trying to corner or outflank each other. We could send you south to reinforce the king's host but I'm not sure this is currently the best course of action. Do you have any ideas?”

That last question was not addressed at me alone but I seized the opportunity to answer first. “The humans managed to move an army across the mountains in the north once. They can probably do so again. We need to find the pathways they used. Either we block them somehow or we take the chance to turn the tables on them.” I paused for a moment. “If they managed to move an army across the mountains we can do so as well.” I picked up one of the long pointing sticks that lay besides the map and placed it at the part of the mountain range in question, moving it over towards the side occupied by the human dominated realms and from there south towards the gap. “There we can wreak some havoc and disrupt their supply lines.”

I kept the pointer moving until it reached the opposing armies. “Either they dispatch troops from their main army to secure their hinterlands, shifting the balance at the gap in our favor in the process, or we end up in their back, in a position that might allow us to catch their flank or camp by surprise.”

Kela'oz, the gorgon spymaster and minister of trade nodded in approval as I mentioned raiding the enemy supply lines and the captain of the guard joined her as I ended at possibly flanking the enemy's main army. He was the one to speak up first. “A daring plan but one with great merit. And we really need to find and plug that hole in our defenses up north anyway. The lady is correct. If they managed to move an army into our back once they could do it again at any time. I'd go so far as to say, that this is an issue of the utmost importance. An issue that we better solve as soon as possible.”

The captain of the couriers nodded as well. “I'll second that.” She looked a little sad. The messenger that was lost en route to us might have been one of her flock.

The queen patiently listened to them as they spoke their mind. Then she turned to the forgeborn minster of the treasury. “Just how much will she receive for the spoils of war she delivered to us?”

The ancient metal woman didn't have to think about that question for even a single moment. The number was probably fresh on her mind. “After the treasury takes its dues, about one hundred and fifty thousand crowns.” The number made my head spin. We really would need most of our pack animals to move that much coin back home. Either that or we had to spend it really quick here in the capital.

The queen didn't miss a beat, totally unfazed by the not small at all fortune the lady of the treasury just oh so casually mentioned. “That should be more than enough to rebuild and reinforce Caer'zoth and hire some mercenaries for the strike she just proposed.”

She was going through with my idea? My heart missed a beat. The others nodded in agreement with the queen. Only Kela'oz spoke up. “She has more than enough coin to hire mercenaries but that isn't the problem. Most of the large and reputable companies are already with the king. She will have to make do with a number of the smaller mercenary outfits. Quite a few of them in fact to assemble a host of the strength necessary to carry out that plan.” She looked over at the captain of the guard. “About three hundred at the very least?”

The man nodded once more. “Better some more. We don't know what kind of obstacles she will have to face. And even if she can't move into the enemies back for one reason or another that number would still allow her to move her banner south and considerably reinforce the king's host at worst.”

The queen drummed her fingers on the table for a moment as she considered the proposed course of action once more. “Any objections?” She looked at each of us in turn but none spoke up. “Then it is settled.” She turned to face me. “You will raise a banner no less than three hundred strong. You will find the way they used to move across the mountains in the north. You will use that way to move into their back and disrupt their supply lines or at least plug it up so they can't use it again. Either way you will move south to meet up with the king's host at the gap so we can smash their armies between hammer and anvil. Be quick about it. Time is of the essence.”

I bowed my head. “I understand.” I knew what I had to do. The queen had been pretty clear about it. I still had plenty of leeway though to get things done. I certainly could make things work like that. I raised my head again. “Unless there is anything else, I'll take my leave and by on my way.”

There were no objections but just as I was about to turn and leave the queen put a hand on my shoulder. Her touch was feather light at first but then she pulled me into a tight hug. She did so although my armor must have felt uncomfortable to her. She whispered into my ear. “Take care out there. If the Devourer's pawns are involved you might face more nasty surprises than we can anticipate now.” She placed a kiss atop my head. “Maidens with you, Keza. Please return safe and sound.”