“A mercenary contract tends to be extremely strict in wording, a precaution taken to prevent themselves from getting taken for a ride by their employers. Everything from expected and special fees for various missions, the degree of freedom the mercenaries have from command, and what was expected of them, were all listed on these contracts to ensure a smooth cooperation.

When an employer needed more out of their hired mercenaries, services not already covered by the contract they already signed, the common practice is to offer a secondary contract, considered separate from the main contract, with their own clauses and fees. Whether a mercenary company took up the offered contract or not, however, was entirely at their discretion.” - Excerpt from “The Life and Times of Mercenaries: A Dissertation” by Sedgewick Fenton, Sociology researcher from the Levain Institute of Higher Learning, Circa 411 FP.

The mercenary Captains fidgeted when they heard the Duke’s announcements. Both the captains of the Eagles and the Spears looked eager and interested, while the captain for the Janissaries - the smallest of the companies present at only four hundred strong - looked more contemplative and worried by the news.

Reinhardt shared that contemplative feeling, as had Uncle Stefan - Stefan Horst of the Horst’s Hellraisers - across the table from him. The rebuilt Free Lances had mostly avoided large-scale combat these past five years, as they focused on rebuilding the unit and training the newcomers, while Uncle Stefan’s Hellraisers were specialists in defense and siege warfare, who rarely took the field on offensive battles.

“Before we begin to speak terms, I will first clarify that it will not just be your forces involved,” said the Duke with a practiced, disarming smile on his face. “We will be riding to the aid of Jonkver’s force of thirty thousand, and I will also be sending ten thousand of my own to their aid, with another five thousand reinforcements to be expected from Algenverr.”

Jonkver was the smallest of the three border Duchies, with Algenverr and Dvergarder being stronger and each maintaining a force of nearly forty thousand soldiers in reserve. Most of these soldiers were militiamen, volunteers from the inhabitants of the region who joined periodic military training to keep themselves prepared for when they might be needed, but the same applied to most of their opponent’s forces anyway.

As Jonkver had the misfortune to border regions controlled by both the Central Duchies and the forces led by Duke Bostvan, they had been under the greatest pressure compared to their neighbors. Apparently the Centrals and Bostvans had agreed to come to a temporary truce to focus on the threat to their flanks first, as forces from both of them had entered Jonkver territory from the south-west and north-west.

At the same time, Algenverr was pressed from the west by the Central forces, and Dvergarder naturally could not afford to leave their lands undefended, in case the Bostvans were planning on doing the same to them, which was why the Duke was sending only a portion of his forces to the aid of his ally.

“Captain Horst?” said the Duke as the old dwarven mercenary captain raised his bury hand, signaling that he had a question.

“Will the operation be mostly offensive or defensive in nature, Your Grace?” asked Stefan Horst without preamble. The Duke was used to his brusque manner and direct way of speaking, so he took no offense to those. “Our reply will depend a lot on this question.”

“It will involve both, Captain Horst, but I plan to contract your group to strengthen and reinforce the defenses of the region rather than to engage the enemy, as per your specialty,” replied the Duke with a nod, clearly having expected that question. “You will be required to fight if they come for the places your troops are garrisoned in, of course, but will not be required to join the offensives.”

“Acceptable terms,” replied the old dwarf with a satisfied nod.

The Duke had clearly expected the situation, as while the Hellraisers were the largest of the mercenary companies present by far - with over five thousand trained members - they were also notorious in their preference for defensive operations and siege battles, where they excelled. Still, with five thousand skilled mercenaries taking up the defense, they would free more of Jonkver’s troops to take the offensive.

“Expected theater of engagement, and compensation, sir?” asked Guillaume du Riffons, Captain of the Silver Eagles. The Company, a little over a thousand strong, was known for its skilled cavalrymen, which numbered half their combat roster. The Captain himself was supposedly formerly a minor noble in Clangeddin who left his homeland with his knights to seek fortune elsewhere when the Empire broke down into infighting a decade ago.

“Most likely the forested plains in western Jonkver for the most part, as long as things go well,” said the Duke in reply. “This contract will take place over allied territory, so no pillaging is permitted. I can offer full combat payment as standard as well as salvage rights based on performance.”

While Guillaume nodded on those terms, the therian commander of the Spears of Ostvin clicked his tongue in annoyance. The large mercenary troop - close to two thousand strong - had been somewhat dissatisfied by the lack of pillage rights, which the Duke was adamantly against, but held his tongue for the time being. He remained and signaled his desire to participate as well despite the dissatisfaction. Mercenaries generally never broke their contracts except in dire straits, as the loss of credibility often killed companies just as surely as battles would have.

Reinhardt and Dame Jaime Ilasvey, the Commander of the Janissaries - formerly a knight of Clangeddin who had lost her liege lord in the civil war that engulfed the empire -, were more cautious since they had the smallest units present. Even so, Reinhardt quickly identified that the forested terrain of western Jonkver would be a region where his irregulars could operate freely since they were used to such terrain.

In fact, despite the small roster of the Free Lances, given favorable terrain like those he would dare to strike at enemy forces twice his size, provided they had the time and place to arrange for a devastating ambush first. After a short discussion with his lieutenants, the Free Lances agreed to take on the additional contract as well.

Arrangements were quickly made, contracts were signed, and shakes were exchanged. When he returned to the encampment of the Free Lances that evening, Reinhardt immediately ordered the others to prepare for departure by the weekend, which his troops acknowledged with nods.

It has been five years since they kept a low profile and mostly took safe, easy jobs while they rebuilt. Most of the mercenaries were already itching for a larger, proper battle to take part in.