Varde Castle. The seat from which the fertile and populous Vinum Province was ruled sat upon a hill that was surrounded on three sides by river. Kaewyn remembered his lessons well. The Callidus family had been granted the land and right to rule it by the grace of the Founding Emperor himself as reward for loyal service during the wars to create the Revaryn Empire from a land of squabbling petty kingdoms.

The Callidus family had built the castle there for two primary reasons. The first being that its position was protected by the river and hill, making three of the castles four walls essentially unassailable without significant effort. Second being that the surrounding lands were some of the most fertile within the whole province and could be better protected considering their proximity to the castle itself. The location also marked the end of the Emperor’s Way highway which meant that trade flourished, an important fact to consider when Vinum Province wine was exported to all reaches of the empire.

Today however, Varde Castle was in danger. From his vantage point atop a small hill just outside the forest south of the castle, Kaewyn surveyed the land in front of him and saw a battlefield. Varde Castle sat to the north-west defiantly upon the hill, still protected by the river. The white and green banners of House Callidus still blew atop the walls of their ancestral holding, signifying loyal men still held the walls. At the base of those walls Kaewyn could see hundreds of corpses. The barbarians had assaulted the castle and judging by the gruesome scene, they had met with little success. Down the hill and out of arrow range of the walls, directly to their north, the immense barbarian force gathered. Kaewyn could not believe how many of them there were. His own forces totalled just short of one thousand men, but the barbarians were easily three of four times that number.

In the distance upon another hill to the north-east was another camp. It too flew banners of white and green, but it was cut off from Varde Castle by the barbarian horde that was position directly between this camp and the castle. Just like at under the walls of Varde Castle, this no man’s land between the barbarians and the camp was littered with bodies. There had been a battle here. For a moment Kaewyn felt a lump form in his throat, but if the camp and castle were still flying the banners of House Callidus, then that meant they were still alive and fighting.

“My lord.” Marcus said as he rode up beside Kaewyn. “We should regroup with Lord Rhys before as soon as we are able and discuss our strategy. That is if the fool hasn’t thrown away all of his men against the barbarians despite our warning to wait.”

“We don’t know what happened yet Marcus. Save your judgements for when we know more.”

“In any case, our path remains the same. The barbarians continue to stream out of the forest and join that horde. The longer we wait, the harder the fight will become, my lord.”

“Tell the General to make for the camp flying the Callidus banners then. We’ve no time to waste.”

***

Kaewyn rode at the head of his soldiers as the camp of the Vinum army came into view in the distance. He expected Rhys’ scouts to find them well before they arrived, but as far as he could tell the camp of his ally had no idea they were approaching. The camp was well fortified. Palisade walls stretched out and encircled a large area and protected the tents within. Spikes had been laid facing outwards to protect against cavalry attack and a small ditch had been dug just outside the wall, essentially making the wall even higher. The entrance was the only real weak point he could see but sentries were posted. A camp with this many defences took longer than one day to construct, so Kaewyn believed it was more likely than the Vinum Province army had been here for a while.

When they got even closer, the sentries spotted them but rather than react to what was to them, an unknown possibly hostile force approaching their camp, they simply lazily pointed at them and discussed it amongst themselves. Curious and somewhat concerned about the lack of military protocol, Kaewyn ordered his men to wave the Edderfield banners and spurred his horse forward toward the camp. He slowed his horse as he rode up to the sentries with General Alaric riding beside him. It was the duty of these sentries to guard the camp but they didn’t even bother to move to block his way. Instead, they lazily leant against their spears and looked disinterested in being there.

“Where is Lord Rhys?” He asked. “I need to speak with him at once.”

“Probably in his tent. No one has seen him since it all went to shit.” One sentry replied.

“Speak to Lord Edderfield with more respect!” General Alaric shouted.

“I meant no offense my lord.” The sentry replied flatly.

“What happened here?” He asked. “Why has no one come to meet us?”

The sentry shrugged his shoulder. “That be a matter for my superiors my lord.”

Kaewyn sighed and shook his head. I’m wasting my time with this lot. Better to find someone who knows what is going on.

Kaewyn did not know what to make of their attitude, but for such men to be responsible for the safety of Rhys’ camp was concerning to him. It was clear that something was wrong. He knew that he wasn’t going to figure out what had happened speaking to the blank faced sentries, so he waved his hand and gave the order for his forces to enter the camp.

As soon as he rode past the disinterested sentries and entered the camp, Kaewyn knew that the situation was even worse than he had suspected. Everywhere he looked, soldiers averted their gazes and lowered their heads. Men leaned against whatever they could for support as if they hadn’t the strength the stand unaided. Others sat in the dirt with their heads in their hands. He could also hear the soft sound of a man sobbing. Every soldier was caked in dirt both on their clothes and armour as well as their faces, while those with any strength at all seemed content to keep to themselves.

“My lord… I do not like what I see here. No discipline, no order.” General Alaric whispered. “They’re beaten, the fight has gone out of them.”

“I know.” He said quietly. “With the size of the barbarian army we are going to need every soldier we can get if we’re to have a chance of victory.”

“In their current state, I wouldn’t trust this lot to dig a latrine, much less stand in the battle line. If the barbarians attacked…”

“We would not stand a chance General. I’m quite aware of this.”

“Then you better do whatever you have to do to restore order, and quickly.”

“That is exactly what I intend to do. Have all of our troops brought inside the camp to rest. And for Ohnix’s sake put some of our own men on sentry duty.”

“I was about the suggest the same thing, my lord.” General Alaric said with a chuckle.

“And have Marcus and Yohren come find me at once.” Kaewyn said as he dismounted his horse and handed the reins to the General. “I’d rather not have to face Rhys alone.”

The General nodded and handed Kaewyn’s horse off to one of the other riders. He then turned his horse around and began to wave his arms and bark orders. Kaewyn watched for a while as General Alaric directed their soldiers into the camp. It was heartening to see that in comparison to the Vinum troops, his own men possessed an aura of confidence and ability. The Greystone soldiers held their heads high and walked in step with each other. He also noticed that the arrival of he and his men seemed to bolster some of the Vinum soldiers, who at least began to try to look like respectable soldiers again.

Content in the knowledge that General Alaric would make certain their troops were well taken care of, Kaewyn made his way deeper into the camp to look for Rhys. Although the situation was dire and the need to meet with Rhys was great, he could not deny that a part of him wanted to forget it and look for Camilla instead. The last time he saw her she was in tears and her brother was shouting at her. The memory of standing there unable to say or do anything as Rhys berated the both of them still haunted him and he wanted desperately to see her again, to both apologise to her for not standing up for her and to make sure that she was okay. It didn’t matter that Rhys was his ally or that he was once a good friend, what mattered to Kaewyn now was that Camilla was not mistreated by him. She deserved better than that, and he swore that he would not stand idly by and be a spectator again if her brother acted as he had back outside of Taneby’s walls, no matter the consequences.

Standing by a wagon of arms and armour was a soldier wearing a green plumed helmet. The helmet marked him as an officer of some rank and Kaewyn decided immediately that he was most likely privy to what was going on in the Vinum camp. Determined to get his answers, he approached the officer and introduced himself. The officer’s eyes widened in shock, but to the man’s credit he quickly recovered as he bowed to show his respect.

“Lord Edderfield, I was not aware you had arrived. Forgive us for not meeting you at the edge of camp. I trust you will want to speak with Lord Callidus?”

“Indeed, where can I find him?”

“My lord has not left his command tent since… the battle.” The officer said quietly.

Before Kaewyn could press the matter, Marcus called out from behind him. His advisor took his place by his side and was joined by Yohren, who despite the circumstances had a grin from ear to ear.

“Yohren, good to see you are still around here somewhere. I’ve not seen you all day.” Kaewyn remarked.

“I know Kaewyn, I’m sorry. I have good reason and a lot to tell you!” His retainer said excitedly.

“It would seem so.” He chuckled. “I had to have Arlan help me put on my armour this morning.”

“Again, I’m sorry. I’m just so…” Yohren paused, supressed a smile and then shook his head. “I’ll tell you later when we have some time, okay?”

“I look forward to it.” Kaewyn said before turning back to the officer with the plumed helmet. “Now officer, what is this battle you refer to? We sent word to not engage the barbarian forces until we arrived, or did our messengers not get through?”

“Lord Callidus has the answers you seek, my lord. Suffice it say that we clashed with the barbarians despite your warnings against doing so. As you can see, we got the worst of it.” The officer explained with a shake of his head. “As for the sorry state of the camp, well. Let me just say that before the battle I served as a simple aide, but now with our losses I find myself with a command of my own. Lord Callidus has had to find replacements for most of his senior staff overnight… and the troops discipline has fallen apart as a result.”

“Rhys should have listened to us.” Kaewyn said with a sigh, but then another, more pressing concern came to mind. “Do you know if Lady Camilla is safe?”

“I believe so. Captain Falke…” The officer stumbled. “I mean to say, General Falke, has seen to it that Lady Camilla remains safely under guard. And not by these rabble you see in camp, but by Lord Callidus’ personal guard. The only way I see her coming to any harm is if the camp itself is overrun, which I must admit is a distinct possibility.”

“Enough of this useless chatter.” Marcus interjected. “Take us to your lord at once.”

The officer hesitated. Kaewyn guessed the last thing he wanted to be doing was going anywhere near his lord, but to his credit, the officer nodded his head and reluctantly offered to do as Marcus had asked. The officer led them between some smaller tents and led them past a medical station that was overflowing with wounded men. He could hear the painful groans through the thin fabric of the tent as healers and physicians did their best to provide relief and treatment. Whatever battle had taken place, the amount of wounded only served as further evidence that Rhys’ men had gotten the worst of it.

The officer pointed toward a large tent up ahead. The entrance was guarded by two silver armoured soldiers and surrounded by tall banners of white and green, the colours of House Callidus. The officer then led them toward the two soldiers and spoke with them. After coming to an understanding, the soldiers parted and offered to allow them to enter.

“I will go in and announce your arrival, Lord Edderfield.” The officer said.

“Thank you. You have been a tremendous help.” He said gratefully.

The officer lowered his head in a polite bow before heading inside. Kaewyn shut his eyes and tried to listen but all he could hear were muffled voices, one apologetic in tone and the other angry. A moment later the officer returned.

“Lord Callidus will see you now.” The officer bowed and then moved to leave, but he paused by Kaewyn and whispered in his ear. “I beg of you, my lord. Help us save our home. If he cannot, then it must be you.”

After the officer departed, the silver clad soldiers gestured for Kaewyn and the others to enter. With a measured breath to steel himself, Kaewyn stepped into the tent.

The majority of the space inside of the command tent was dominated by a wide table with little wooden figurines on top. Two standing torches in each corner burned brightly and illuminated the interior of the tent, revealing a second, smaller table with what Kaewyn believed to be several bloodied bandages and torn cloth. A battered helmet lay discarded upon the floor as if it had been tossed away without care.

Lord Rhys Callidus sat across from them on a cushioned high chair, eyeing them like a bird of prey as Kaewyn, Marcus and Yohren approached the wide table. Kaewyn noticed that Rhys’ golden hair was dishevelled and caked in dirt and his silver armour was marked with dents and scrapes.

“We had a plan, Kaewyn.” Rhys said flatly. “Your forces were supposed to stop the barbarians from making it this far north, yet here they are, laying siege to my home that shelters my pregnant wife.”

“Rhys, I…”

“So, tell me.” Rhys continued. “How does Kaewyn, the man who defeated Lord Severus at the Battle of the Rau against all odds, the man who then convinced that very same lord’s own son to swear allegiance to him while helping to overthrow his own brother, somehow fail against mindless barbarians?”

“Marcus Linforde, at your service.” Marcus said very quickly before continuing to speak. “You imply that these barbarians are mindless Lord Callidus, but their actions have proven otherwise. They do not fight via conventional methods, but rather rely on hit and run attacks to demoralise, slow down and otherwise harass enemy forces until, I suspect, they feel that they have enough of an advantage to attack head on.”

“Marcus Linforde.” Rhys said. “The plan to block the barbarians from coming north was your idea, was it not? Then the failure is yours as well. Perhaps if we hadn’t followed your plan my men and I would not have paid the price.”

Kaewyn shook his head. “No Rhys, as soon as we realised we would not be able to stop them coming north, we sent word advising you of such and to wait for us to reinforce you before fighting the barbarians. We already learned that you received our message from one of your officers, so there is no point in denying it. Whatever battle or engagement took place here was one you decided to pursue, despite our warning.”

Rhys snarled. The lord of Vinum Province then stood from his chair and approached the other side of the table. By how he was moving, Kaewyn could tell that he was in pain.

“Listen Rhys, if we do not work together then I doubt either of us has much of a chance against the barbarian army.” Kaewyn said. “To be completely honest, if the they had not come north and instead decided to attack us while we were separated from you, I believe we would all be dead.”

“…And I would be stuck in Varde Castle against the entire barbarian horde alone, with no one coming to my aid.” Rhys added softly. “Yes Kaewyn, you may be right, but our situation is still a dire one.”

Rhys demeanour shifted from being accusatory and angry. The look in his eyes showed fear, doubt, pain and uncertainty. Everything Kaewyn had felt himself when he had arrogantly ignored the advice of Marcus and pushed on into the Taneby forest, getting many of his own men killed. It was a feeling he could relate to all too well.

“I… I lost all of my cavalry and nearly all of my senior military men. To make matters worse, there is a moderately sized force of mounted barbarian raiders behind our camp somewhere. We are constantly harassed.” Rhys lowered his head. “And many volunteers and new recruits that are heeding the call to arms I put out to stop the barbarians are being intercepted and killed before even making it to camp. We have found entire groups of them slaughtered upon the road…”

Kaewyn turned to Marcus and indicated for him to speak. Marcus scratched at his beard, pondered a moment, then began to speak.

“If we are to regain control of the situation, there are certain things we must do immediately.” Marcus began. “Firstly, the ancient scholars profess that victory lies in making ourselves undefeatable. What they mean is that we need to ensure we are in the best possible position before fighting. To that end, we have two problems. Lord Rhys, your men are low on confidence, and our troops my lord, are tired from constant harassment. The feast we had will have helped but one night of good eating does not undo an entire week of half rations. The solution I propose is this. We rest for two days to restore the vigour and confidence of our troops.”

“Your solution is to do nothing?” Rhys chuckled in disbelief. “You cannot be serious.”

“I did not say we will do nothing during this time.” Marcus explained. “The majority of our forces will rest, but that will not stop these raiders behind our line that you mentioned Lord Rhys. Therefore, we will use these two days to seek out and eliminate this force while the bulk of our men recover.”

“How do you propose we do that Marcus?” Kaewyn asked.

“We fish.”

Rhys sighed. “Kaewyn, are you completely certain this man is not some sort of charlatan?”

“I have a feeling he will explain what he means.” Kaewyn said.

“I think he means we need some bait.” Yohren said. “Something to lure them in?”

“Exactly!” Marcus said with a smile. “And the best bait to use would be something we know already tempts the enemy into revealing themselves. I say if they like to target your new recruits and volunteers, then we give them something similar.”

“Like what?” Rhys asked.

“We were recently joined by some villagers.” Marcus explained. “I say we have them march out toward where the attacks have taken place. We have our cavalry follow from a distance and the moment the enemy takes the bait, our forces strike!”

“You can’t use the villagers. They aren’t soldiers.” Yohren protested. “How can you even suggest using them as bait?”

“I like it.” Rhys said without hesitation. “And if it gets those raiders out of the way, all the better.”

“Yohren, I think this idea merits consideration.” Kaewyn said. “But I will not force them to do it against their will, Marcus. If we’re to do this, then I want volunteers.”

“But my lord.” Marcus argued. “This is the best way to lure them in.”

“No Marcus, what kind of lord do you think I am? Either they volunteer, or we find another way.”

Marcus sighed. “Very well then. Yohren, you know the villagers better than we do. Go and ask them if they will do this for us.”

“I don’t answer to you.” Yohren shot back.

“Listen Yohren, this may be the only way we can catch and defeat them.” Kaewyn said. “I know you do not like it, but I agree with Marcus. I think they would be more receptive if it came from you.”

“Kaewyn, I…” Yohren sighed and lowered his head. “If this is truly what you want, then I’ll do it, but only if you come with me and meet them yourself.”

“You want me there with you?” He asked.

“Yes. They are a very honest and simple people Kaewyn. If you meet them personally rather than sending me to speak on your behalf like every other lord, they will think better of you.”

“Well, they are your people Yohren. I suppose if I want to convince them to help us, I should listen to your advice.”

“These people hail from Vinum Province do they not?” Rhys interjected. “If that is the case, then I am their liege lord. If they are not willing to volunteer, remember that they are duty bound to do as I say.”

“You would force them to put themselves in danger?” Yohren questioned.

Kaewyn knew Yohren would take issue with Rhys’ callous attitude toward the villagers, but he did not expect his retainer to openly question a lord to his face. With how volatile Rhys had become, he knew how quickly this conversation could escalate into something ugly if left unchecked.

“These are desperate times.” Rhys said defensively. “It is the duty of every man, woman and child who calls Vinum Province home to do whatever they must to defend this land.”

Yohren scoffed. “Man, woman and child? Are you serious?”

“I will warn you once and once only, peasant. Do not disrespect me in my own camp.” Rhys snapped.

“Calm yourselves.” Kaewyn said. “Remember that we both want the same thing here. To defeat the barbarian invaders and save our land. Arguing amongst ourselves only serves to hinder, not help our cause.”

Kaewyn’s words and appeal to common ground stifled the anger in the air, but it was obvious by the look of both Yohren and Rhys that the two had only let the matter rest for his sake. I had best leave Yohren behind when I next deal with Rhys, or risk an incident.

“I believe that is everything we needed to discuss.” Kaewyn said. “Marcus, go inform General Alaric and then tell Arlan to prepare the cavalry. I want them ready to go at any time.”

“As you wish my lord.” Marcus said as he bowed. “It was a pleasure, Lord Callidus.”

Marcus then bowed to Rhys who returned a casual nod of the head in response. The advisor then left the tent. Yohren emulated Marcus’ bow and told Kaewyn he would wait for him just outside.

Now that Kaewyn was left alone with Rhys, he began to feel a strong feeling of unease and awkwardness. Once, he could not have imagined such a feeling could have ever developed between them. Rhys was his best friend, someone he trusted with everything. Now, he had become the cold and callous lord of Vinum Province. He didn’t entirely blame Rhys for their strained relationship. He knew that he himself had also changed much since those days as a carefree child. Responsibilities, he learned, had a way of changing how you perceived the world and those in it. Rhys had been a close friend, and he hoped that one day he would be again. But rather than feel concern for Rhys in regards to the many burdens they both shared as young lords in a turbulent time, his thoughts instead, dwelled on Camilla. He wanted to leave the tent with nothing more than an uncomplicated farewell, but even more than that, he needed to know about Camilla.

“Rhys, before I go. I cannot help but ask.” He hesitated, but grit his teeth and continued. “How is she?”

Rhys scowled.

“Camilla.” Rhys said flatly. “Where do I begin regarding my dear sister? Well, she openly questioned me in front of my advisors, making me look weak and foolish. She complains daily about being confined to her tent, despite the fact that she was the one who chose to leave the safety and comfort of a castle. On top of all that, she absolutely despises me.”

“I’m sure you will reconcile with her once everything settles down. After all, she is your sister.” He said, remembering the fate of his own late sister. “I wish Alyssa was still here for me to get into arguments with.”

Rhys smiled sadly. “Perhaps you speak the truth, but I fear the damage has gone too deep. Ohnix knows she loves to frustrate me with her every action. Sometimes I feel like she does things just to spite me.”

“Rhys.” Kaewyn said in a serious tone. “For the sake of our friendship, if that is something that is still important to you, please treat her well.”

With what he wanted to say out in the open, Kaewyn bowed his head and turned to leave, but he stopped when Rhys called his name.

“Kaewyn. Do you… love her?”

Yes.

Rather than give voice to his feelings, Kaewyn remained quiet. As he lingered in the entranceway unsure whether to leave or stay, Rhys looked at him and sighed softly.

“Your silence speaks louder than words ever could my old friend. Go on, I want to be alone.”

Kaewyn left the tent and stepped out into the fresh air. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It felt good to be out of that stuffy tent and away from Rhys. He did not know how to feel about what had just happened, but for better or worse he did feel some small measure of relief. Thinking it best not to dwell on his thoughts for too long, he decided to get to work as quickly as he could. He would find Yohren, speak with the villagers and then set out from camp, hoping to end the current crisis before three more appeared on the horizon. After all, that was his responsibility and duty as Lord of Greystone Province.