The large farming village of Galmistead greeted the army on the horizon. It had taken the army a full day of marching without significant breaks and the better part of another to reach the border where Galmistead lay. Even from this distance, Kaewyn could tell immediately that the village had fallen to hard times. Several of the larger buildings were blackened and destroyed by fire. Fences that separated fields and paddocks were smashed and trampled, and there was no sign of any livestock that was often the lifeblood of such villages.

As Kaewyn and the others at the head of the column rode towards Galmistead, he kept a keen eye out for any sign of Lord Rhys and his Vinum Province troops. Galmistead had been the agreed upon meeting spot for the two armies, who had then hoped to march together into Oscua to face the threat yet another Lord Severus. The village was located on a flat plain with plenty of open space for farming, which meant that one could see for kilometres in any direction without worry of trees or hills obscuring their vision. Concerned, Kaewyn slowed his horse to a trot and lightly scratched at his growing facial hair.

“Where are our outriders?” He asked. “Lord Rhys should have arrived before us, yet I see no sign of his forces.”

“I sent them into Oscua, my lord.” General Alaric explained. “I thought it best to see if this Severus bastard plans to meet us in the field like a warrior should, or if he wants to hide in his capital like the cowardly fool I suspect he is.”

At the mention of Severus bastard, Tavian lowered his head and turned away. The young man who had delivered them the information of his brother’s plans in exchange for being made the future lord of Oscua had not spoken much during their march. Kaewyn had endeavoured to learn more about him, perhaps even befriend him if possible. If all went well with this campaign, then Tavian would rule Oscua Province as Kaewyn’s vassal. This would mean that Oscua Province would effectively be under Edderfield control, with Tavian sworn to Kaewyn as his liege lord and ruling the land directly on his behalf.

From their interactions, he had begun to think of Tavian as a younger version of himself, far more interested in tomes and history rather than martial matters and the pursuit of war. It was no wonder then, that Tavian had been shunned and labelled as a black sheep of the Severus family, as they were renowned throughout the whole empire as a family that valued military traditions and the warrior’s way.

“If Lord Rhys is not here, it is because he does not wish to be.” Marcus said suddenly, ever one to put his opinion front and centre whether asked or not. “From Varde Castle to Galmistead is barely half of the distance we have travelled.”

“I don’t like it either.” Kaewyn replied. “Perhaps he has had trouble mobilising his troops for whatever reason.”

“Then he should have sent word that were the case.” Marcus said.

“What if he continued marching into Oscua without us?” General Alaric questioned. “After all, it was his land that was laid to waste when Lord Severus attacked the first time. When I helped him retake his lands after we defeated them the first time, I saw the rage in his eyes. He hates the bastards with a passion.”

“Regardless, we’ll not find out by wasting our time blabbering here.” Marcus added impatiently. “Let us make camp as planned and ask the villagers if they have seen their absentee lord.”

Kaewyn was deeply concerned about meeting with his childhood friend. He could feel a lump forming in the back of his throat and his breathing was faster than usual. Camilla was still missing, and as far as he could tell, Rhys was completely unaware of this. He wasn’t looking forward to telling him that his sister, whom he had sent to Xu Castle for her own safety, had seemingly disappeared under his watch without so much as clue. The alternative was that she really was missing, possibly hurt or worse. Merely the thought of that possibility made him feel sick to his stomach, but he also knew that Rhys would hold him responsible as well. At the moment, he was simply grateful that Rhys was nowhere to be seen and that he could worry about the matter another time.

Kaewyn and the others called for the army to make camp outside the village, then rode towards the village with only a small protective guard. A few villagers who spotted them soon disappeared between buildings and around any corner they could find. Others stood and stared blankly without any fear or emotion. Their clothes were ragged and dirty. He had never seen people in such poverty in all his years.

These people are in deplorable condition, Kaewyn thought to himself sadly.

When he reached the centre of the village, an older man, surrounded by several younger, but still old men, emerged from one of the only large buildings that hadn’t been torched. He waddled over quickly and met Kaewyn’s gaze without any sign of the fear that seemed to grip the rest of Galmistead’s terrified populace.

“I recognise the colours on those banners.” He said as he pointed at the army out in the fields. “I’m guessin’ ye be the next Lord Edderfield then? The one who whooped that bastard Severus and his men?”

Kaewyn nodded.

“Then we do ye ride with one who wears the black and gold?” The old man said suspiciously as he eyed Tavian. “As I s’plained before, I know banners and them bastards burned near everything we had. Killed a lot of people too.”

“This one had nothing to do with that.” Kaewyn said as he gestured to Tavian. “He may be one of Lord Severus’ sons, but he sought me out of his own accord and warned me that his brother plans to invade our lands once again.”

“You mean t’say the bastards are coming back?”

“Mhmm.” Kaewyn confirmed. “That is why we are here. We were to meet Lord Rhys before marching to Oscua Province right here. Tell me, have you seen your lord, or his army?”

The old man instantly tensed up at the mention of Rhys and then, much to his disgust, spat on the ground. “I’m the village elder here, and I say Lord Rhys isn’t worth his salt!”

“What possessed you to speak in such a way?” General Alaric added. “The man you speak of is your liege lord. He deserves to be spoken of with respect by his subjects.”

“Maybe someone should tell him that. And no, we haven’t seen him at all. Not for the longest time!” The village elder explained angrily, spittle flying every second word. “When Lord Severus came and destroyed our village, the boy lord was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he hid in his castle like a coward. It wasn’t until after you crushed Lord Severus at the Battle of the Rau that we finally found peace.”

As the village elder continued to speak, the villagers, having gained some confidence, slowly started to emerge and cautiously approach them. He figured that they must have been terrified when they spotted the army approaching. These people had suffered much due to the war and most wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between one banner and another. The fact that the elder recognised several banners and which families they represented, meant that he was either very old or educated to some degree, but judging by the wrinkles and sagging face of the old man, he guessed it was the former.

“And even after all that, when Lord Rhys came to retake the land from those black and gold soldiers that weren’t beaten by your men at the river, his damned tax collectors followed soon after. Can you imagine it? Asking us to pay tax? Taking what little we managed to hide away before our crops and homes were put to the flame. A bastard he is, I don’t care who hears me say it. I’ve spoken the truth for sixty years an’ I’ll not be stoppin’ it now. Not on account o’ some uppity little shit like him.”

“I… I cannot speak on Lord Rhys’ behalf, but I can see plainly that Galmistead has suffered greatly.” Kaewyn said. “I can only promise that we will do our utmost to end the threat of Oscua Province.”

“Aye, and I believe it Lord Edderfield. You didn’t sit in your castle and let the enemy destroy your lands nor murder your people. You took a risk and saved your province. Lord Rhys could learn a thing or two from ye. That’s fer certain.”

The other villagers nodded their heads and let out tired grunts of approval. It seemed Rhys was not popular with his people, at least in this particular village.

“Thank you for your kind words elder. Now I must be off. I apologise for the damage our troops will inadvertently cause your fields, but we will be leaving as soon as we are able.”

“Before you leave, please Lord Edderfield, let us assist you in the only way we can.”

“What do you mean? What assistance could you possibly offer us considering what has happened to Galmistead?”

“We have a small stockpile of supplies. Take some fer your army. Use it to crush those bastards fer good this time.”

“I… cannot accept such a generous offer. You said so yourself that your crops were burned. Will your people not starve?”

“We’ll not starve if that’s what you’re gettin’ at my lord. Other villages were not as unlucky as we. They’ve sent all they could spare to get us through until the crops can grow again. We ‘elp each other in Vinum, and since you’re ‘elping us by ridding us o’ those bastards, let us ‘elp you.” The village elder said proudly and insistently. “We may not have much, but if what we give helps even a little in stopping them from coming back, we will give it gladly.”

“It wouldn’t be right.” Kaewyn said.

“Take it, to refuse would insult us.”

Kaewyn looked around and saw the people of Galmistead were bringing out vegetables of all kinds and stacking them in a cart. They even seemed happy to do so. He was brought near to tears by their display. To see people with so little giving so much touched him deeply. They had suffered greatly, yet their only thought was to help others and stop such a disaster from happening again in the future.

“…Very well.” Kaewyn said reluctantly. “I accept the generosity of the people of Galmistead.”

“My thanks, Lord Edderfield. I hope it helps ye.”

“General, I think it only fair that while we are here, we help these fair people rebuild some of what was destroyed.” Kaewyn announced. “Offer double pay and extra rations to any volunteers who want to help restore some of these burnt-out buildings.”

“By Ohnix!” The elder said happily. “Galmistead offers it’s thanks to you Lord Edderfield.”

The General nodded and left to do as he was commanded and gather the volunteers. Kaewyn felt pleased, content in the knowledge that they could, at the very least, help the village in some small way before they headed into Oscua Province.

Marcus interjected and suggested that they retire to the camp to discuss important matters relating to the campaign. Kaewyn agreed and bid the elder of Galmistead farewell. As they left the desolate village, Kaewyn saw some of his troops accepting the gift of supplies from the villagers, obviously as touched as he was.

“Lord Edderfield…” Tavian said hesitantly. “I am curious about something.”

“Hmm?”

“These people… they are not your subjects, and yet you aid them without a second thought?” Tavian asked.

“It’s simply the right thing to do.” He replied honestly. “Does it matter so much where they call home? As they did us a kindness, I believe it is only fair to return the favour. Besides, these people have endured much. Your father’s army took almost everything from them Tavian. I see no harm in aiding them, especially when they give generously despite having so little enough for themselves.”

“A kind hearted gesture.” Marcus added. “Yet in truth, you play a dangerous game Kaewyn. As Tavian correctly pointed out, these people serve another. I only hope Lord Rhys does not see your actions as overstepping your authority in his lands.”

“I’ve known Rhys since I was a child. I doubt this small gesture would upset him.” Kaewyn said.

“Very well, though do not say I haven’t warned you.” Marcus replied. “We should hold a meeting at camp to discuss our next move.”

Kaewyn nodded. “Alright, let’s head back to camp.”

The three men rode back to camp and the meeting was announced shortly after. After a hastily consumed and less than satisfying meal of hard bread, cheese and dried meat, Kaewyn headed to his tent and waited for everyone to arrive. Marcus arrived first, and whilst he paced back and forth within the tent, he was soon followed by the General. Tavian arrived a moment later with Arlan close behind.

“Where is Yohren?” Kaewyn asked. “He should be here too.”

“My lord, I saw Yohren ride away from camp in the company of the outriders.” Arlan explained. “Were they not sent into Oscua Province to scout our potential route to the Severus capital?”

“They are due back at any moment.” General Alaric added. “Good thing too, without their report it will be difficult to plan our next move.”

Yohren’s behaviour had been particularly odd of late. Kaewyn had barely seen his retainer since they had left Xu Castle for the second time. He couldn’t deny the beginnings of a faint feeling that it was almost as if Yohren had been avoiding him. It was also unlike him to be away during meetings such as this on and he had always endeavoured to be present whenever important matters were to be discussed.

Perhaps I should not worry Kaewyn thought to himself. Now that he knows how to ride, he’s probably just taking every opportunity he gets. I cannot fault him for that. Though I do wish he was here.

“Now that you are all here.” Marcus began in his usual, fanciful style. “We must discern our next move. Lord Rhys and his Vinum Province troops are nowhere to be found. Troubling news, as we originally planned to join our forces with his and march into Oscua Province together.”

“Then it would seem we have a decision to make.” Kaewyn interjected. “Do we wait for Rhys and his troops? Or do we push on without him and attack while we possess the initiative. If we remain here too long, I highly doubt that our enemy will not notice our presence and begin defensive preparations.”

“Lord Edderfield…” Tavian said hesitantly. “If you would permit me to speak?”

Intrigued, Kaewyn nodded his approval.

“I would advise against delaying further. My older brother’s forces grow larger with each passing day. Even before he banished me, volunteers were streaming in each day to join the depleted army. I fear if we do not make haste and remove him from power, our task will only become more difficult. His grip on Oscua is already strong.”

“Personally… I would prefer to have had the support of the Vinum Province troops, but if we must do battle without their aid then so be it.” General Alaric said proudly. “Most of our men have were trained by my esteemed father and the others have served us well. Our troops are ready, my lord.”

Marcus shook his head and raised a hand gesturing caution.

“Despite the General’s… optimism. I believe it unwise for us to rush in so eagerly without the added troops. Our first priority should be to find out where Lord Rhys and his men have gotten to.” Marcus said. “I understand speed is of the essence here, but rushing into risk when we have other options is not the way.”

Arguing voices outside the tent’s entrance caught the attention of everyone within. From what he could tell, it sounded like the guards outside were refusing to let someone pass.

“Let me through! Please, I have to see Kaewyn!”

Yohren!

“Guards, let him pass!” Kaewyn called out annoyedly. “Gods… you’d think they’d recognise him by now.”

After a momentary silence, Yohren entered the tent breathing heavily. His face was all sweaty and strands of his short black hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. He looked worried, even more than he usually was.

“Kaewyn! I’m sorry for interrupting, but this is urgent.” Yohren said quickly without stopping for a breath.

“What is it?”

“I was returning to camp with the outriders after scouting potential paths into Oscua Province when we spotted enemy banners.”

“Black and gold?” Tavian asked, pointing to his own-coloured gambeson.

“Yes, exactly the same.” Yohren confirmed.

“Where did you see them?” Marcus asked.

“Very close to the border, barely an hour’s ride from here. There didn’t seem to be too many of them. One of the other outriders guessed nearly two hundred or so, but since they are so close, I thought it best we return and warn you as soon as we could.”

“Good work Yohren.” Arlan said with a smile.

“Indeed.” Marcus added. “General, prepare the men. We should attack now and wipe them out before their numbers grow further.”

“Hold a moment General.” Tavian said, outstretching his arm as a barrier. “I believe these troops may not be our enemies.”

“What do you mean Tavian?” Kaewyn said.

“Before I left to find you Lord Edderfield, I had to leave behind my only retainer. Publicly, he renounced his oath to me when I was banished, but secretly he still serves me. I trust him the same way you trust Yohren here.” Tavian explained. “He promised to try and rally whatever troops he could to aid our takeover upon my return. I didn’t mention it before because I thought he had no hope of succeeding, but it seems he may have proven me wrong once again.”

“Are you saying these troops may be on our side?” Kaewyn said.

“Mhmm. I believe so.” Tavian replied. “My lord, I ask that you let me go to them and find out one way or another. If these men do indeed follow my retainer, then I know I can persuade them to join us!”

Kaewyn nodded and gave orders for a large force to set out from the camp immediately. As he was still wearing his armour and ready to go, it did not take long for them to get ready. He rode out with a small force of their finest cavalrymen, perhaps two dozen in total, plus all of his advisors followed along as well. Yohren led the way, and within the hour they found themselves where he and the outriders had spotted the banners earlier. They took a safe position atop a small hill from which a small camp flying black and gold banners could be seen in the distance. It was then that Tavian volunteered to go ahead alone. Arlan offered to accompany him for protection, but the young noble declined and stated that this was something he had to do if he was to become a worthy leader. Impressed by his bravery, Kaewyn granted him his wish and sent him off with his blessing.

As Kaewyn and his advisors watched Tavian riding down the hill and across the plain toward the camp, General Alaric estimated their troops to be just shy of two-hundred at first glance. Confirming what the earlier estimate by the outriders. A number significant enough to make a hefty difference in battle. Arlan posed the question that if these men did in fact, join their forces, would they then be able to push on into Oscua Province without the need to wait for Lord Rhys and his men. Marcus answered abruptly in his usual way, stating plainly that Lord Rhys and his men were far more trustworthy and reliable than that of Tavian’s men. General Alaric laughed at him and pointed out that Rhys cannot have been that reliable, considering his noted absence at a location he had promised to meet them.

As the two men argued and went back and forth, Kaewyn hushed them. Tavian was so far away, perhaps some five-hundred metres, that his only distinguishing features were the colours of his gambeson and his black horse. Yohren pointed out that another rider was approaching Tavian from the camp that flew the black and gold banners. He too, was alone, but Kaewyn couldn’t deny feeling somewhat tense. If the rider attacked the young noble, they were much too far to do anything to save him, not to mention his proximity to the small camp of armed men.

After the Tavian and the mystery rider dismounted their horses and tentatively approached one another, they stood still. Kaewyn guessed that they were speaking, but they were too far to hear anything but the howling wind. Suddenly, the rider who had met Tavian rushed forwards. For a moment, Kaewyn held his breath and tightened his grip on the reins of his horse. He realised then, that the two distant figures hadn’t come to blows, but embraced in a friendly hug. Relief swept over him as he saw Tavian turn around and wave to them, his way of signalling to them that everything was okay.

“Two hundred extra swords…” Marcus pondered aloud. “But can we trust them as we would Rhys and his men?”

“What do you think, General?” Kaewyn asked. “Can we trust them?”

“My father taught me to hate the Severus family. Despicable, untrustworthy bastards he called them. On more than one occasion.” Alaric said dryly. “Though, he also taught me to hate the Elentide, but we call them our allies now.”

“I would use them, but keep them at an arm’s length.” Marcus said, shaking his head. “The decision however, as always, is yours my lord.”

“I do not know where Lord Rhys has gone, only that we cannot wait for him forever. If what Tavian says is true, then this Marcus Severus… only grows stronger by the day.” Kaewyn said. “I say, the sooner we deal with him the better.”

“I believe it wiser for us to show patience, my lord, but if your wish is to attack now rather than wait for Lord Rhys, then so be it. All we need to decide now is how to go about it.” Marcus said. “Yohren, you rode with the outriders did you not? It was their task to scout our potential routes into Oscua. What did you find?”

“Well, I uhm.” Yohren stuttered.

“Out with it.” General Alaric said impatiently.

“Well, we found three routes which we could take.” Yohren began. “First off, we can simply follow the Emperor’s way directly east through the forest. The other outriders said that will take us straight to their capital in a day.”

“And the other two routes?” Marcus asked. “The forest, while speedy, poses potential risk.”

“We could go around the forest and across the hills to the north east. They avoid the forest but there is no road to follow. There aren’t many trees in those hills so we should be able to see any enemies quite clearly, but the march is probably going to take a bit longer than if we took the Emperor’s way.” Yohren explained. “The other route would be to go all the way around the mountains to the south east, but that journey could take well over a week.”

“Our supplies would be stretched to the limit if we went that way.” General Alaric said. “Though to be fair, they’d never see it coming.”

“No, they wouldn’t expect us to take that route, but we must also keep in mind that Oscua Province is not as fertile as Vinum or even Greystone. Our men will not be able to forage for extra supplies and the longer march means bringing supplies up from the rear would be extremely difficult.” Marcus explained. “I believe the hills to the north east are our best option. It is safer than the forest, but does not overstretch our supply line.”

The General brought up another idea which was then quickly dismissed by Marcus, who then brought up an idea of his own, only for Arlan to point out a potential flaw. Marcus laughed derisively at Arlan’s words and didn’t consider his point a flaw at all. The advisors fell quickly to bickering and arguing, vying for Kaewyn’s attention, but his mind was focussed inward.

He thought about his options privately. He thought deeply about how safe each route was and how long each route would take to march. He tried to calculate the limits of their supplies to the best of his ability which he knew didn’t count for much, as he was inexperienced in such matters. In the end, he had no better idea than when he had started, but a thought then came to him. He began to recall all of the old tomes that he had spent so many nights reading over and over again, hunched over in the darkness of his chambers like some insatiable animal, hungry for knowledge and stories. In these tomes, he read all about famous battles in the history of the Revaryn Empire, but more importantly, he read in detail about a great many military commanders. These men, Kaewyn realised, all had one thing in common. They always took the initiative. They never dawdled when an opportunity presented itself. Those who did were not written about and remembered for posterity.

Kaewyn smiled. People were already talking about the Battle of the Rau in awe. He began to grow more and more excited as his fear and caution gave way to an eagerness that he never knew he had.

Would scholars write about me for future generations to read? Will the Battle of the Rau be remembered and studied?

It was then that he realised he had faced a similar situation before. He had to decide then, whether to wait and defend Xu Castle and pray for a better opportunity, or to seize the initiative and attack while the opportunity presented itself. His mind made up, Kaewyn cut back into the conversation between his arguing advisors with a decisive movement of the hand.

“We take the direct route.” Kaewyn commanded sternly. “We will follow the Emperor’s Way straight through the forest and take the Oscuan capital before they have a chance to prepare.”

His advisors all rushed to put forth their differing opinions, but he barely registered their words. His mind was now set and nothing they could say would dissuade him from his chosen path now.