Chapter 30

Year 163 – Summer – Quartus Mensis – 43rd day

Velika road, Velika Forest, northern Vale

The fort was filled with supplies, and there wasn’t much space; however, Egmond and the heads of his military forces managed to regroup inside it.

Egmond – “Mundric and Atilos must be really tired after walking through the night, so we’ll listen to them right away.”

Mundric – “I was out scouting when we heard an enemy war horn and retreated. Atilos came not long after and told us Roberht and his troops had been slaughtered. When we were about to retreat, we saw a forest fire in the southwest of the forest. It should reach us in about three days.”

Varok – “A forest fire? So, no wood for the sieges, I take it . . .”

Atilos – “We need to all move west right now and join Trygve and Bjarne at Rust-Fell Mine.”

Ludger – “We took Tree-Fall to gain food supplies. These food supplies need to be carried through a road by carts and cattle. If we go back, we’ll need to leave them behind us. Wheels won’t work on the roots of the forest!”

Egmond – “We are staying here. General Amund, take 1,500 men and cut down all the wood close to our encampment within a 300-foot radius. Bring that wood inside the encampment. Then set the grass and the many roots on fire. Use some of our water to quench the flames and spread the ashes around our camp to stop the flames from reaching us. Once that’s done, set the south on fire again. If we’re lucky, we might reduce the burning time in half.”

General Amund – “I’ll go now, but I will advise that someone should alert Bjarne and Trygve of our late arrival.”

Egmond – “I hear your advice. Now go clear the forests.”

The old general nodded and left the fort with his new orders.

Varok – “We should also send some of our troops to him in case they try to attack him while we are stuck in this forest.”

Egmond – “Brahmkal.”

Brahmkal – “Yes, my lord?”

Egmond – “Take 200 veteran soldiers and go find Bjarne to reinforce his army in the event he gets attacked by House Valmai and House Krain. Tell him to delay his march by three days. Also, tell him to build the pieces for as many mangonels as he can. We’ll have the wood for the trebuchet and the ladders, but we’ll need more siege to take down those walls.”

Brahmkal – “Yes, my lord.”

Egmond – “Varok, you’ll be tasked with rationing the water until we can resupply in the Oluja river.”

Varok – “Understood.”

Egmond – “Atilos, what happened to Roberht?”

Atilos – “Mundric and I were scouting the forest and the road. We were supposed to return to the encampment once it was over, but we heard a war horn. I don’t know how they went through our scouting, but by the time we arrived at the camp, near to 400 soldiers of House Valmai were slaughtering Roberht and his men. With them was a giant, like I’ve never seen before. I saw him rip away the jaw of one of Roberht’s dogs with his bare hands. He had no helmet and was wearing the mark of Ira Arcum.”

Lanaya – “You mean the god of war?”

Varok – “They have a preacher of Ira Arcum? I thought they all died centuries ago!”

Ludger – “The Bear of Vale.”

Atilos – “You know him?”

Ludger – “Twenty years ago, there were rumours of a man so strong that he could wrestle with a bear. He joined the first army leaving for the East as a hero. He left as the Bear of Vale, but he came back as a drunkard. He might be strong, but he is no preacher of Ira Arcum. The last real preachers died on the Scarlet Hills and so did their forgotten sorceries. He is just pretending to be one.”

Varok – “What if he is for real?”

Ludger – “He isn’t.”

Egmond – “If the Union managed to kill them, we should be fine doing the same.”