The army of Greystone Province, recently bolstered by the addition of some two-hundred Oscuan troops, marched confidently toward Taneby Forest. Their numbers totalled almost thirteen hundred souls, many of whom were of mixed levels of experience and training. The morale among the troops however, was relatively high, as most believed the Oscuan army would pose little threat due to Lord Severus’ recent defeat during the Battle of the Rau. Soldiers laughed and joked at the Severus family’s expense, including Tavian’s newly acquired two-hundred Oscuan natives who up until recently served the very man they now mocked so casually. Tavian’s new troops also shared stories with their Greystone counterparts detailing the sordid state of affairs in their home province since Lord Severus’ crushing defeat, further heartening the troops. It was only when Tavian’s older brother, Marcus Severus, named himself the next lord and established a new regime, that Oscua Province returned to order.

Before the march was to begin, Kaewyn in consultation with Marcus, decided to name certain individuals into positions of responsibility. General Alaric had been named the General of the Vanguard and had been given two-hundred of their most veteran troops to march ahead of the main army. The Vanguard General was a position of great significance, and was only given to those deemed trustworthy and skilled in the art of war craft. The honour and prestige of such an appointment was not lost on the young General, who beamed outwardly with pride since. It was the General’s task to serve as an advance force and to engage any enemy soldiers they may block their path. If they ran into significant resistance however, they were to hold position and wait for the main army to arrive to reinforce them. This had been judged as an unlikely possibility, as Tavian’s Oscuan troops revealed that when those troops still loyal to Tavian’s older brother realised an invasion was forthcoming, they withdrew hastily back to their capital city.

Arlan, once again riding atop his magnificent white steed, had been put in command of the cavalry wing of the main army at Kaewyn’s appointment. Even Arlan, who was ever the image of calm and reservedness, couldn’t help but let loose a wide grin when he was given the command. He humbly accepted his responsibility took his new command seriously, opting to ride off and meet his new sub commanders and officers personally during the march in order to get to know them better.

Athaia, Kaewyn’s newly appointed Court Physician, had decided to accompany him personally. She had been absent and busy so far during both campaigns, usually travelling with the baggage train and tending to typical soldier’s complaints and issues. More than once the middle-aged woman stated that she had never seen so many swollen feet in her life and that she could die a happy death if she never had to examine one ever again. Regardless, she took her responsibilities as seriously as anyone and had already begun to train some of the more medically minded in the army the very basics of her craft.

Yohren rode at the head of the column alongside Athaia and Kaewyn as well, but as was becoming his new norm, he seemed fidgety and on edge. Kaewyn suspected that if he had not caught his retainer saddling his horse before the sun had risen and forced him to ride with him today, then he would have disappeared for the entire day yet again. Yohren had begged him more than once to be allowed to ride with the outriders who had been sent ahead of even General Alaric’s Vanguard forces, but Kaewyn was having none of it. Yohren had been usually persistent, and his erratic behaviour was beginning to worry him, so he decided that tonight, after they had cleared the forest and set up camp on the other side, he would have a word with him and find out what was causing such odd behaviour. For now though, Kaewyn knew that he needed to remain focused on the present. Whatever was bothering Yohren could wait until the end of the day.

Now, with nearly five times the men he had available that stormy night when Lord Severus was defeated, Kaewyn rode toward Taneby Forest as confidently as his men were in him. Taneby Forest was nestled between Oscua Province’s largest mountain to the south, and the hilly grasslands to the north. The Emperor’s Way ran directly south east through the forest and ended at the Oscuan capital of Taneby, for which the forest they were about to travel through was named. The journey through the forest was estimated to take no more than a day and once they were on the other side, the capital city of Taneby itself, should be visible.

As the main army followed the Emperor’s way and entered Taneby Forest, Kaewyn noticed that Marcus had been uncharacteristically silent. The bushy eyed strategist had ridden alongside him without a word, where normally he struggled to remain quiet at the best of times. Kaewyn simply passed it off as Marcus simply being upset that his advice to wait for Lord Rhys or take the hilly route to the north had been rejected, and thus decided to pay him no mind.

On either side of the Emperor’s Way, the immense coniferous trees of Taneby Forest had grown in abundance. The further from the road one strayed, the thicker the forest became. The forest was primarily made up of pines, spruces, junipers and the immense, towering redwoods. The various trees shielded the road from the sun’s oppressive rays with their expansive branches, forming an impressive canopy that allowed only small patches of light to shine through. Underneath the canopy, shrubs grew all around and covered the forest floor almost completely. The Emperor’s Way was an imperial highway that ran the length and breadth of the entire Revaryn Empire and as such, it was well made. This particular section that ran through Taneby Forest and linked Greystone, Vinum and Oscua provinces was particularly wide, owing to the vast amount of trade between these lands during peacetime. From one side of the other, the road could support four large carriages side by side at the same time. Only the section of the Emperor’s Way that ran through the Heartlands of the Empire was as wide and well-travelled.

“The road appears to be well maintained.” Athaia said observantly. “If it were left for even a week, I suspect the growth would begin to creep upon the stone.”

“It has to be.” Tavian answered. “This road is used heavily by iron merchants who travel the Empire to sell Oscuan minerals. Our province doesn’t grow much food, the soil is much too arid and dry, so we export our ores and import what food we require.”

“Arid?” Athaia chuckled, gesturing to the lush forest surrounding them.

“Heh, well. This is definitely the exception.” Tavian smiled. “There’s a source of water that flows from the mountain and feeds Taneby Forest somewhere to the south of here.”

As Tavian continued to explain the specifics of Oscuan import and exports, Kaewyn found himself staring off into the depths of the forest on the right, realising how easily a person could disappear and remain hidden. He was pulled from his trance when a rider galloping hard from behind approached them, shouting that he had important messages for the lord.

“Milord, a messenger from Lord Rhys arrived at the rear of the column!” The exhausted rider shouted. “He sends word that he and his troops will arrive in Galmistead by the end of the day.”

“Damn.” Marcus said.

“No matter.” Kaewyn replied. “The vanguard under General Alaric must already be halfway through Taneby forest by now.”

“In this instance, I believe it best if we just continue on and wait for Lord Rhys at the capital.” Marcus suggested. “Sending word to the General and having him return now is simply not worth the time.”

“Agreed.”

“That’s not all milord.” The rider said. “Word has also reached us from Seneschal Talbury.”

“What did he say? What has happened?” Kaewyn pressed impatiently, knowing that it must have something to do with Camilla’s whereabouts.

“The messenger did not say milord, he only had this letter.” The rider leant over in his saddle and handed Kaewyn the sealed letter.

The seal was unbroken and bore the Seneschal’s mark. He fumbled with the letter in his hands and broke the seal, unravelling the parchment to its full length so he could read its contents as quickly as possible.

My lord, I hope this letter finds you in good health and fortune.

All is well in Xu Castle besides some minor concerns with which I will not bother you. As for the matter of the missing Lady Callidus, I have learned something which will no doubt, be of an interest to you. Lady Callidus’ missing handmaiden has been found. I had the girl brought back to the castle and questioned her. She has revealed to me that Lady Callidus swore her to silence and then, on the day we learned of your return from Edheren Province, left Xu Castle with a man whose identity is unknown. I have pressed her further for more details, but either she will not, or cannot tell me anything more. I will continue to question the handmaiden until your victorious return.

Signed, Seneschal Talbury

“You seem troubled, my lord.” Marcus asked. “Has something happened back home?”

“No Marcus, all is well.” Kaewyn said as rolled up the parchment and handed it to Yohren for safekeeping. “Yohren, you were there the day Camilla disappeared. Did you see any strange men wandering the castle?”

Yohren hesitantly took the parchment and packed it away into his saddlebag and then nervously rubbed the side of his cheek. “Uhm, not really. I was… I was tired from the long ride. All I really wanted to do was rest.”

“You mean to say you saw no one you hadn’t seen before?” Kaewyn pressed.

“Well, yes… I suppose I could have.” Yohren said. “B…but I haven’t learned all of the faces of everyone in Xu Castle yet.”

“Pray tell me, what this has got to do with our campaign?” Marcus asked.

“Quiet Marcus. This is important.”

“…Very well.”

“Camilla left Xu Castle in the company of some unknown man, swearing her handmaiden to secrecy.” Kaewyn sighed. “I haven’t even the faintest idea of what is going on. Where could she be? And who is this damn mystery man wandering my castle?”

“Kaewyn… I…” Yohren began, but the sound of a wailing scream cut him short.

Turning his head to locate the source of the sound, Kaewyn saw several arrows fly out of the depths of the forest and into his men. His heart raced when he saw one, two, then three men go down to arrows. He gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it, realising they were under attack. He saw another barrage of arrows fly out of the forest and at his men a second time, a few of which bounced harmlessly of off their armour or shields, while a few more fell short and harmlessly embedded themselves into the ground.

“Face left! Shields up!” A sergeant shouted at the troops, who dutifully obeyed their new orders. “To order! Shields!”

Suddenly yet more arrows flew out of the trees, but this time all of them bounced harmlessly off the shields that were now protecting the wounded men. The troops had been restored to order by the shouting sergeant and were no longer surprised. Facing the oncoming arrows with shields raised had prevented significant risk of further casualties. The sergeant who had ordered the shield wall then called for a group of soldiers to follow him and charged into the forest to find the attackers while other troops filled the gaps in the shield wall. Athaia had already dismounted her horse and rushed over to tend to the injured men. For a moment everything seemed to grow quiet as everyone waited for another barrage of arrows. Thankfully, no more came. The attackers must have either fled, or been taken care of by the brave sergeant and his men. Letting out a sigh of relief, Kaewyn turned to see Arlan and several cavalrymen riding up to his position from the rear of the column. They were armed and armoured, carrying shields for protection.

“My lord! Are you hurt?”

“No Arlan, we’re okay”

“These men are not so fortunate!” Athaia yelled, before turning her attention back to the wounded. “Stay calm, you’ll only make it worse if you panic.”

The sergeant and his group of soldiers who had rushed off after the attackers returned, the looks on their faces told Kaewyn that they had been unsuccessful. Tavian dismounted his horse and walked over to where some of the arrows that had failed to find a target lay upon the ground.

“These arrows are of Oscuan make…” Tavian said as he held up the arrow for all to see.

“He’s led us into a trap!” An unknown soldier shouted out from amongst the troops.

“Bloody Oscuan bastards!” Another soldier yelled. “Should never ‘ave trusted ‘em.”

“Are you accusing my lord of treachery? You’d better be prepared to defend such words.” One of Tavian’s men replied angrily.

“Silence!” The sergeant screamed at the top of his lungs, which quickly quietened the men.

Kaewyn eyed Tavian to see how the soldier’s words had affected him and upon the realisation he was being watched, Tavian returned the gesture and shook his head.

“Arlan…” Marcus said calmly. “I think it would be best if you and your cavalry remain nearby. If we are attacked again, you can use the speed of your horses to catch them.”

Arlan nodded and he and his men joined Kaewyn riding at the head of the column. Suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable, Kaewyn reached down to the side of his horse and untied his helmet from where it hung loosely beside the animal before pulling it over his head. He hated helmets, they felt restrictive and made it harder to breath, but the one he was wearing only covered the top and sides of his head and not the face. He also decided to signal for his shield to be brought to him. Feeling much safer, but still on edge, the march continued on as the wounded men were taken and loaded onto a wagon carrying supplies. Athaia went with them, citing that the hallmark of any good physician was caring about their patients.

The attack had startled him to his core. Only a moment earlier he was confident and calm, without fear or worry, but now he was on edge and behind every tree he suspected a hidden attacker ready to loose an arrow. It was a harsh reminder to him that that in war it only takes a moment for a situation to turn for the worse. Following the attack, the mood among the troops was less jovial than before too. Earlier they joked and sung marching songs, but now nothing could be heard but the neighing of horses and the steps of the marching troops. Kaewyn noticed Arlan had taken the lead position now, along with his dozen or so cavalrymen. Their eyes were peeled left and right, ready to act on any sign of a threat.

“There!” One of Arlan’s cavalrymen shouted. “Up ahead by the bend in the road!”

Kaewyn narrowed his eyes and saw maybe half a dozen men with bows, wearing green cloaks hurriedly disappear around the bend and into the forest in both directions. Before he could react, Marcus was shouting orders.

“Arlan, after them! Do not let them escape!”

Arlan didn’t bother to stop and accept the order, he was already signalling for his men to charge. Kaewyn watched them as they galloped hard up the road and then suddenly broke into the forest where the cloaked figures had already disappeared. The tension was palpable, and Kaewyn felt his hands quaking slightly. The army held its position for a few minutes, waiting to see the result of Arlan’s pursuit. When they didn’t return for several minutes, Kaewyn realised his left shoulder was starting to feel sore. He was completely unused to holding the heavy steel rimmed shield for such a long period of time, so he decided to lift his left arm slightly to work out a kink that was bothering his shoulder. Just as he did, an arrow embedded itself within his shield with a loud thud. It took him a few seconds to realise what had just happened, but Yohren acted first. He shouted for the men to face left once more. This time, the men were better prepared, but arrows began to stream out of the forest and many of the small wooden shafts found their mark. Men fell and horses screamed in panic. Kaewyn was pulled from his horse by a protective Yohren who then shielded him with his own shield. Huddled on the ground and hearing nothing but shouting and screaming, more arrows streamed in and thudded against the shields that now surrounded him. Many soldiers had rushed over to protect him, he realised, and formed a sort of tortoise formation, holding their shields out in every direction and creating a safe space within. Marcus was crouched alongside him, thankful to be protected, as he only wore the robes of a scholar and was completely unprotected.

“Defend Lord Edderfield!” Arlan’s voice cried out from outside the wall of shields. “Attack!”

Peering through one of the many holes in the wall of shields, Kaewyn saw Arlan and his cavalrymen charging into the forest and chasing cloaked figures into the depths, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. When nothing happened for a roughly a minute, Marcus lost his temper.

“We should have taken the route through the hills!”

Finding his feet, Kaewyn then replied. “It’s too late to argue now.”

“I’m painfully aware of that fact.” Marcus said, wiping blood from his arm.

“Are you hurt, Marcus?” Yohren asked.

“I will be fine, in time. Thankfully it was just a graze. These men were not as lucky.” Marcus said as he held up his arm and sighed, looking at two dead soldiers.” What a waste. Mark my words, Arlan will not catch them. The forest is too dense for the horses to ride fast enough to catch those who know this place.”

“That means they will attack again.” Yohren said worriedly.

“And again, and then again most likely.” Marcus scoffed. “Taking more and more lives each time.”

“This… this is entirely my own fault.” Kaewyn realised. “You were right Marcus, we should have waited for Rhys and gone through the hills.”

“I know I was right. I told you this before.” Marcus said harshly, but then continued in a softer tone. “…but there is no use discussing that now. We need to regroup and—”

“My lord!” Arlan shouted as he and his men burst from the forest and took up positions on the road. “We managed to only get one of them, but we lost three men…”

The pain on Arlan’s face was obvious. He cared about his new command and all those who followed him.

“I’m sorry Arlan.” Kaewyn said, feeling entirely responsible for their dire situation.

“Why do these cowards not fight us as warriors? They loose their arrows and then flee into the forest and disappear.” Arlan said angrily.

“Because it is effective…” Marcus said, then sighed. “We need to contact the General and the rest of the vanguard. That is, if he has not been wiped out by these hit and run attacks.”

As if on cue, a loud rumbling further down the road caught their attention. A large number of troops, with an all too familiar figure riding in front of them had suddenly appeared streaming around the bend. The banners they flew were not black and gold, but white, grey and black. Kaewyn let out a sigh of relief, for if they had been enemy troops, they would not have had time to prepare or flee into the forest. General Alaric’s vanguard force took a position just ahead of the main army, while the General himself rode back to them alone.

“Looks like you have been having the same trouble as I have with these cloaked bastards.” He said with a heavy groan. “I’ve lost many men to their arrows and every damn time we give chase they’ve just run off with their tails between their legs… but they return, and each time more of my men fall.”

“Yes, we are in much the same situation as you, but It is good you returned General.” Marcus said. “I was afraid you gave in to your nature and did something entirely reckless. These men fight in a way that we cannot defeat by conventional means. It is obvious they plan to harass us all the way to Taneby and bleed us all the while.”

“That seems to be true.” General Alaric said sourly. “Many of the outriders sent ahead to scout returned to us badly wounded. Some never returned.”

“No!” Yohren shouted. “Are they with you? Have you brought them with you?”

“Yes Yohren. We weren’t going to just abandon them. My men are taking care of the wounded as best they can.”

“Kaewyn, I’m going to them.” Yohren said sternly as he mounted his horse. “I need to see… if they’re okay.”

Normally, he would object. He would have preferred to have Yohren by his side. After all, his quick thinking during the second attack may have even saved his life, but it was obvious Yohren was planning to go whether he gave his permission or not. He figured it was better to let him go with his blessing.

“Good luck.” He said, nodding to Yohren.

Yohren then spurred his horse forwards and galloped toward the General’s troops at speed without even looking back.

He must be worried for a friend he’s made within the outriders. Kaewyn thought to himself. I hope whoever it is survived, for Yohren’s sake.

“How do we fight them?” Arlan asked.

“We don’t.” Marcus said flatly before turning to Kaewyn. “I ask that you grant me command of the entire army, my lord, and I will deliver us safely to the other side of the forest and crush these attackers in the process.”

“How?” Kaewyn asked.

“I cannot explain quickly, better if we just get on with it and you’ll see.”

Kaewyn hesitated. Some part of him did not like the idea of giving over control to another. He wanted to be the one responsible for the victorious campaign, but then he remembered. The victory people talked about and hailed as his own, the Battle of the Rau, was not entirely due to his plan. Marcus had made a last moment amendment to the plan which had proven decisive. Without such an amendment, there was no way of knowing how the battle would have gone.

Perhaps giving him control now was the right idea Kaewyn thought to himself. After all, why then did I hire him if not to use his talents?

With a sigh, realising that their situation was one of his own making, he decided to grant Marcus’ request. “I should have listened to you before Marcus, Ohnix strike me if I do not listen a second time. The command, is yours.”

“I thank you, my lord. You will not be disappointed.” Marcus said, bowing respectfully. “Arlan, gather all of the cavalry and ride ahead, past that bend in the road up ahead and about a kilometre further. If you are attacked, run the enemy off, but do not give chase. Is this clear?”

“Understood.” Arlan replied, then waved for his cavalrymen to join him as he rode down the road at speed and soon disappeared around the bend that only moments before, the vanguard under the General had appeared from.

“General, have every other man, including those guarding our baggage train, march double time down the road until they meet Arlan’s cavalry.”

“One problem.” The General replied. “The baggage train is laden with all of our supplies, not to mention our soldiers pay. We cannot move it so quickly.”

“Exactly, we are to abandon it right about…. Here!” Marcus said pointing to the ground. “Leave the wagons where I stand and then and march on and join the others.”

“Marcus… you want to abandon all of our food and coin?” Kaewyn asked.

“Have you gone mad?” General Alaric said wide eyed. “My lord… this cannot happen.”

“Are you sure Marcus?”

“I am. I ask again that you trust me, as you once did at Veneti Hill.”

Kaewyn sighed. “Do as he says, General.”

‘By the gods… abandon the baggage train… You know as well as I the amount of coin in those wagons?” General Alaric sighed. “Very well, but this cannot end well, mark my words.”

“My lord, we should ride at the head of the troops, without seeing you leading from the front, the men are likely to panic. If that happens, our campaign will end in failure.” Marcus explained.

“I hope you know what you are doing.” Kaewyn said as he re-mounted his horse.

“You will soon find out whether that is the case, one way or another.” Marcus said with a wry smile, one that did not fill him with any sort of confidence.

Thirty minutes later, after Marcus’ instructions had been followed, the army marched at a jogging pace. Occasionally, arrows still assailed them from time to time, but the attacks became less and less frequent the further from the abandoned baggage train they travelled. Soon enough, it had been a good while since they had come under any sort of attack. Word had already spread up and down the column of men that the decision to abandon their food and supplies had been made. Morale had plummeted. No one was happy about it, and they knew that Oscua Province was arid, there was not likely to be much food where they were going, but the sight of Kaewyn leading from the front kept them moving. Marcus had been right about that, at least.

The beleaguered troops let out sighs of relief when they spotted Arlan’s cavalry ahead. Even from a distance, it looked as though they had not come to any sort of harm since they had left the main army. It was good news and bolstered the men’s spirits. Arlan then rode toward them and greeted them happily, outwardly pleased to see them relatively unharmed.

“My lord, Marcus, General, it is good to see you all safe.” Arlan said smiling.

“And you too, Arlan.” Kaewyn replied, but he was still unsure as to whether their situation had improved or not.

“You all played your parts perfectly.” Marcus said smiling sinisterly. “Now for part two.”

“What do you mean?” Kaewyn asked. “We may have avoided their attacks, but it came with a great cost.”

“Agreed…” General Alaric added. “Without the supplies and coin, we cannot feed nor pay the men. Likely we’ll starve or face mass desertion within a few days.”

“I think… not.” Marcus chuckled. “Arlan, have your cavalrymen rested well?”

“They have.” Arlan replied. “We’ve not been assailed here and managed to rest the horses.”

“Excellent. It is time for your second, and most important task.”

“Oh? What would you have me do?”

“Gather every man on horseback we have and follow me.” Marcus said commandingly as he turned his horse around to face back where they had just come from.

“Marcus, having trouble controlling your mare?” General Alaric chided him.

“Not at all General. For this is the direction we are to ride.”

“We’re going back?” General Alaric said in amazement. “Once again, I must ask if you have gone mad? Kaewyn, he’s become unhinged!”

“We can’t simply abandon our supplies now, can we General?” Marcus teased.

“He’s lost it my lord.”

“Remain here with the men, General. I doubt you will be attacked, but you should prepare just in case.” Marcus added. “My lord, Arlan, we should ride now.”

“What are you up to Marcus?” Kaewyn said as he turned his horse around to match his advisor.

“I’m curious to that as well, my lord.” Arlan added.

“It’s simple, really. Those archers who’ve been hounding us for hours? They believe they have scored a major victory at our expense. After all, to them it would seem their persistent attacks have caused us to flee and abandon our supplies and coin.” Marcus said slyly. “Pray tell, what do you think they are doing right now?”

The reality of Marcus’ orders suddenly dawned upon him. The amount of coin in the baggage train was enough to pay the weekly wage of over a thousand soldiers for several months. No common soldier would have ever seen such inordinate wealth just sitting there undefended in their entire lives. Merely a few handfuls could potentially feed and house their families for years. All but the most austere individuals could resist such a temptation. Additionally, Kaewyn also figured it was likely that these men would be revelling in their apparent triumph against great odds, euphoric with their audacious victory.

“Do you see now?” Marcus said.

“You… crazy bastard.” General Alaric said with a look of utter bewilderment.

“This ploy of yours… it is rather daring Marcus. To use our own baggage train as a lure for our otherwise hidden enemy. I think even my grandfather Arlan the Swift would bow his head before you.” Arlan said nodding his head along in agreement with his own words.

“Normally I would pause to lap up your praise, but the deed is not yet done and time is of the essence! Should we delay any longer Arlan, we’re likely to find our wagons looted completely and that would make me no more than a talkative fool.”

“I understand.” Arlan replied before turning to his men and raising his spear. “Everyone, follow me!”

“One more thing, when you come to the bend in the road, it would be best to slow your riders to a trot. If you ride at pace and charge in too early, there is a risk they’ll hear you coming before they see you, even if they are distracted. “Marcus cautioned. “This ploy of mine all be for naught if they escape into the forest.”

“I will do everything in my power to ensure its success!” Arlan said before returning his attention to his men.

The cavalry then formed up in ranks as wide as the large road would allow them, which was near a dozen riders. In total, Kaewyn guessed they were about sixty in number. Near every man wielded a long spear in his right hand and carried a kite shield in his left. The cavalry also carried short swords, but the spear was used as the primary weapon whereas the sword was used when the spear was lost or broken during battle. The kite shield was designed to look like a teardrop, round and wide at the top to protect the torso and shoulders, whilst thin to a point at the bottom, protecting the rider’s leg below almost passively. On the inner side of the shield were enarmes, essentially leather straps that allowed the bearer to grip the shield properly.

Kaewyn watched as Arlan shouted orders for them to ride, then spurred his own horse forward and took his position in the middle of the formation. Marcus joined him and rode by his side. For all his apparent confidence and clever tactics, his snide remarks and witty put downs, this was Marcus Linforde’s first true test. If this ploy failed, then the responsibility was entirely upon him, just as the decision to enter the forest to begin with was Kaewyn’s.

Putting such distracting thoughts out of his mind, he decided to concentrate on riding in such close proximity to the other riders galloping at full speed all around him. He was a natural rider and had ridden near all of his life, but he had never ridden in armour whilst carrying a shield so close to sixty other riders all together in formation. Taking a quick breath to steady himself, Kaewyn decided to focus on the rider ahead of him and continued to ride at speed, hoping they would arrive at the baggage train in time to save their supplies, and possibly, the entire Oscuan campaign.

It hadn’t been long when Arlan signalled a halt to their hurried march. Kaewyn was relieved, for with every passing moment his anxiety grew more intense. He wanted nothing more than to see his mistake rectified. Up ahead, the bend in the road that Marcus had mentioned slowly came into view as the cavalry slowed their mounts to a slow trot. He hadn’t been able to speak or hear anything during their gallop, so he took the opportunity to ask Marcus about his grazed arm. Before he could respond, Arlan silenced the chatter that had naturally begun after they had slowed with a firm hand gesture that no one needed an interpreter to understand the meaning.

As they rode closer to the bend, Kaewyn instinctively tried to listen for any sign of the enemy, but all he could hear was the gentle clip clop of the many hooves trotting along the stone road. Soon Kaewyn and the cavalry force took their position just before the bend and waited. The tension was high, not a man spoke a word as Arlan dismounted his horse and handed the reigns to one of the other riders, then cautiously approached the edge of the bend and crouched low. Once Arlan had disappeared into the shrub, Kaewyn looked to Marcus and saw something in his new advisor he had never seen before, a sliver of worry. Marcus had put forth his opinion many times in the past, whether solicited or not, but in truth, Kaewyn realised that this was the first time that his own reputation had been on the line. The usually calm man, while not sweating, seemed particularly on edge. A reflection of how he himself was feeling, if ever he saw one.

Arlan returned and climbed back onto his white horse and directed everyone to form up with a soft cautious voice. Judging by the tense look upon his face and in the slow, tense way he had moved, Kaewyn knew that the enemy must be just around the bend, looting their baggage train just as they had all hoped. Marcus then tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear for him and Yohren to remain behind when the cavalry moved to attack. He nodded his agreement and then made sure Yohren was aware. His attention then returned to Arlan, who was giving his final commands with the use of his hands rather than his voice.

Arlan rode out in front of the other cavalrymen and raised his spear silently, pausing a moment and looking directly at Kaewyn, as if waiting for his permission. Kaewyn realised this and nodded to Arlan, who then lowered his spear point toward their unaware enemy. The cavalry began to slowly trot, then move into a canter, and as they made their way around the bend, they broke into a full-blown gallop. Kaewyn and Marcus rode after them initially but then stopped in a position where they could see what was happening from a safe distance. Luckily, the bend in the road was slightly elevated and allowed them to see what was going on.

From here, the baggage train was in plain view just over the heads of their own men who were rapidly closing in on the enemy. At least forty men in green cloaks, perhaps more, swarmed over the abandoned wagons like frenzied ants over a fresh kill.

They had taken the bait! Kaewyn said to himself as he squeezed his hand into a triumphant fist. Marcus was right!

He saw some of the cloaked figures pause and turn to see the oncoming charge, stunned in awe at what was bearing down upon them. Others, preoccupied and carrying heavy crates of what must have been grains and barley between them, hadn’t yet noticed their approach. Many more who were further back were completely oblivious to what was coming toward them and only had eyes for their gains as they greedily unloaded the wagons in a hurry. He saw several of the cloaked figures alert enough to notice begin to flee in a panic, rushing towards the forest’s edge and safety, but it was far too late for the vast majority.

The cavalry split into two halves, one veering left and one going right of the wagons lined up all along the road. He saw several enemy soldiers attempting to fight back by drawing their weapons, but they were either speared or trampled in short order. Some at the very back loosed arrows at Arlan’s cavalry, prompting them to raise their shields defensively whilst still closing in. Other, less brave soldiers, had completely abandoned the idea of fighting and had fled towards the tree line at speed, leaving behind their recently acquired loot. In mere moments, the fighting was over. Kaewyn suspected only a small few managed to escape the attack, those with the swiftest feet or the quickest reactions, with the vast majority being killed while fleeing or hopelessly fighting back. He heard Arlan shout something to his men, who then returned his call with a resounding hurrah!

“You were right Marcus. We should have marched through the hills and avoided this cursed forest, just as you suggested.” Kaewyn admitted.

“Indeed. We lost many lives here today.” Marcus replied softly. “All you can do now is remember this moment my lord… and when next you see your own glory in the future texts of scholars and historians, you can make a better choice.”

“How did you… how did you know what I was thinking when I decided to take the forest route?” Kaewyn asked in surprise.

“I recognised the look.” Marcus said flatly. “No matter. Just make sure you remember.”

“I will.” He replied. “I promise I will.”

“One thing to consider is that regardless of what you and I accomplish in the coming months and years Kaewyn, whether we succeed or we fail, history will no doubt remember our names.” Marcus explained. “But these troops who follow and die at our command have little chance of such a thing. If they are incredibly fortunate, perhaps they will be remembered merely as a statistic, one among thousands. The truth is that no one but their families will remember them. I say, the very least we can do for them as their rulers is not throw their lives away without sufficient cause.”

“I… did not expect such kind words for the general soldiery from you, Marcus.” Kaewyn said. “I believed you thought nothing of them at all.”

“Once, perhaps.” Marcus said ponderously. “But I have always been honest with you about my ambition. I have craved it and pursued it all of my life, and it is likely I will never be satisfied. I want to be remembered for posterity, for historians and scholars to speak my name in awe and for students to study my achievements with wistful eyes. For you, this is guaranteed by your very birth as an Edderfield. For others… we must strive for excellence to stand out amongst all others. And while I am practically certain of my ability to achieve great things, that does not mean I do not empathise with the common soldier, who, regardless of intelligence, skill, or bravery, is practically guaranteed to be forgotten simply because of who they were born to.”

Kaewyn was astonished by what he had just heard. Marcus’ words had sparked a way thinking in him that resonated deep within himself. For the first time he could see plainly the people in his life and how they struggled against who they were forced to be by birth. He saw Yohren, an intelligent, loyal friend who was adept and learning and adapting who would have, without Kaewyn’s influence, be forced to remain a lowly peasant his entire life. Then he saw Camilla, a bright woman eager to take on responsibility and take part in court and the ruling of the land, pushed away by her father and brother simply because she was born a woman. Instead, she was encouraged to remain quiet and focus on embroidery and other tasks fit for her station. Finally, he saw himself. He had always avoided his responsibility and preferred to go drinking and socialising with travellers in the local tavern, but by being born the son of the current Lord Edderfield of Greystone Province, he was expected to act and behave in a certain way, regardless of his interests or desires.

“We should make haste.” Marcus said. “Let us re-join with Arlan and his men. See about getting these wagons back to our forces and the General.”

“Agreed, but before we go Marcus, I just wanted to say that I truly… regret not listening to you. I want to apologise.”

“Next time you will make the better choice, my lord, of that I am certain.” Marcus said. “This was a lesson that the both of us needed to learn. A pity that it warranted such a loss of life.”