The day after we finally caught up with Tortho's advance party. They had after all come across a small supply caravan, only a few heavily loaded mules really with a handful of animal handlers to guide them really. None of them were heavily armed or armored and none wore the colors of any noble either. Most of them had quickly surrendered once they realized they were under attack. The two who hadn't had been buried a few paces off the well trodden path, while the others had been tied up neatly. They were human but they didn't exactly look like the pale people of the east. Judging by their skin they must have had ashroot, which was responsible for our dark skin for the better part, more than just every once in a while.

I stopped next to my dark elf captain of scouts. I didn't address him right away as he was still busy organizing a new advance party from the rangers that had come down the mountain with the the main body of the army. In the meantime I had a better look at our first captives. They would be the exception rather than the rule. We wouldn't bother with captives for the better part. I had no intention to murder everyone we came across but I'd rather send them running eastward, deeper into the land controlled by the Council of Kings to spread panic instead of taking captives. The bunch sitting there in front of me didn't look too worried. They probably guessed by now that they had good chances to get out of this alive. Maybe Tortho had let them know that we might offer a deal they wouldn't want to refuse.

Finally the seasoned scout was done with arranging new scouting parties and joined me. “They are smugglers. They all live on nearby farmsteads. There are a few of those scattered along the hills. They aren't terribly patriotic or anything like that. Life out here at the fringe of their kingdoms is too hard for silliness like that.” I nodded and he continued with a grin that suggested he had come across some rather curious tidbits. “They are rather pragmatic and will take our coin as willingly as that of any human nobles. As a matter of fact they would rather take our coin since it seems the human nobles are rather short on it for some reason.”

One of the captives cleared his throat at the mention of that fact an I gestured for him to speak up. “They claim that some sinister demon machinations are at fault that they are short on gold and silver.” He looked rather embarrassed as he spoke. He wasn't a young man anymore. He probably had seen enough of the world, especially the world beyond the mountains we had just crossed, to know that that was utter bullshit.

“That's a load of crap.” I still felt it necessary to say that much out loud. “We don't use gold or silver coins. We don't have much use for the stuff otherwise either.” It was true. Pretty much only alchemists had any use for these metals and even they mostly used silver and not gold. Our people traded for what they needed with the Ganarl in the west, who in turn got it from people living even further afield. There was hardly any trade with the council of kings at all. There simply wasn't enough trust between our people for widespread trade. What little trade was done was usually done by smugglers, people like those sitting in the dirt before me.

The man nodded without meeting my eyes. He knew this facts probably as well as me. “They still spread those rumors to whip the people into a frenzy. Especially those in the bigger cities. We don't see a whole lot of coin out here at the fringe anyway. We usually barter for most things.”

I nodded and left the captives alone with their guards for a moment to have a closer look at their cargo and the mules. It was mostly plain food and some fire wood but a few warm blankets were mixed in as well. It wouldn't make much of a difference for the slightly larger force we had left at the pass but I wouldn't waste it either. I turned to Tortho. “Send them up to the pass with a few guards. Leave negotiating the price of their goods to Eld'tide or my sister if she has arrived yet.” I turned to face the tied up men again. “I want you to get in touch with some of the smugglers living on our side of the mountains and some more of your own people as well. I'm sure you know who to ask.” The old man nodded. “You'll be running our supply train and you'll carry any loot we send back as well. You will negotiate the price of your services with my sister.” All four of them nodded enthusiastically at this suggestion.

The seasoned dark elf scout didn't look surprised in the least either. He probably already suspected something like this. I wasn't quite done though yet. I had another little tidbit to add. “You are all from outlying farms from around here?” They nodded once more and I turned to face the master scout. “Spread word among our soldiers, that we leave those alone. We focus our attention on the larger settlements and any castles instead.” It wasn't good practice to discuss such matters right in front of captives or contractors of questionable loyalty but I pretty much wanted them to know. I trusted that they would spread word eventually. Farmers who knew that they would be safe as long as they didn't pick up arms were unlikely to cause us trouble. We might even be able to purchase supplies from them. Villagers and nobles on the other hand who knew what was coming their way might just run for it before we had to put them to the sword.

We still would have to spill blood. I was pretty certain of it. But maybe we wouldn't have to spill too much. I didn't exactly want to turn the people living here into an enemy that would hold a grudge for generations to come. We still would have to do some pillaging and burning though to make sure the lesson stuck not to ever attempt the same on our side of the mountains again. And of course there would be no mercy, no quarter if I were to come across another ghoul. The same would be true for any pointy eared head hunters. “Tortho? Did you question them about any nearby settlements, castles and elven groves? Yes? Then I don't think we need to keep this men tied up any longer. See them on their way please.”

Once they were on their way with their animals and cargo the scout rejoined me. “We probably should strike at the elves of Winter glen first. The head hunters the enemy army had along more than likely came from there and they are probably the most formidable enemy nearby. They might already be aware of our presence as well.” His face darkened a little. “We didn't run into any of their scouts yet but I doubt that they would have missed the army's descent from the mountains.”

He probably was right. I decided to ask about the alternatives anyway. “What about human settlements and fortifications? Are there any of them in striking distance?”

He shook his head. “Not right now. The nearest would be Gothol'gul, the seat of the nobleman, a baron I think, who rules these lands in the name of the king of Gothol'uin. It is beyond the elven glade. We could bypass the elves to strike at the human castle but I don't think we should.”

I frowned as well. “We will take care of the elves first then. We need to wait for the Wall Breakers to properly siege a castle or any other fortified human settlement anyway.” I got moving again to follow the column of my army that had been passing us by. “Keep in mind that we don't want to penetrate to deep. Make them think we do. Make them panic. But divert our army southward towards the gap in time. That is where the biggest fish will be waiting for us.”