“Can’t go wrong with always preparing for the worst. It saves lives.” - Scipius Cornelius Barca, Famed general and strategist of the Democratic Republic of Caroma, circa 62 FP.

“Looks like our worst predictions came true in the end, huh?” asked Griselda from where she stood atop the damaged walls of Fort Kazka. They had kept the original defense force of the fort, along with all their cavalry and the four mercenary companies within the fort, while the rest were spread out on the ramparts that spread from the eastern end of the fort.

The battle started early the next morning, shortly after the troops had their breakfast. That the battle took place was not unexpected, since Andrea tried to offer terms of truce via a letter to the enemy camp the evening before, only to receive no reply whatsoever. What was less expected and unwelcome was the odd way the enemy soldiers looked that morning.

In general, even trained soldiers often showed some trepidation here and there when they marched into battle, some subtle signs of nervousness or worry, much less when the soldiers in question were mostly conscripted from amongst the peasants of the region. Even as both noblewomen peered into their spyglasses though, they detected no such uncertainty amongst the marching enemy soldiers.

Instead, it was on the officers’ miens that they spotted the signs of uncertainty and worry, while the soldiers under them all looked too motivated to fight a hard battle instead. Their eyes were reddish and bloodshot, and the way they stared at the defenders at the fort and the ramparts were almost like beasts that eyed their prey before them.

“Looks like it,” nodded Andrea with a frown from beside her fellow noblewomen as she laid down the spyglass. Both of them were clad in full armor, as neither were the sort to hide in the back during a battle. While both kept their weapons inside their storage artifacts for the time being, Griselda’s armor had a rather unusual design, as the forearms of her vambraces flared out to form a pair of bucklers, which showed quite a few signs of abuse. “Got anything in mind?”

“If what Your Grace said yesterday about them still obeying commands is true, then wouldn’t a decapitation strike work?” asked Dame Illasvey from beside them. The mercenary leaders - including the acting commander of the Spears of Ostvin - had gathered at the top of the wall to look over the situation together with the other commanders as well. “If we could demoralize their commanders enough for them to sound a retreat that should do the trick, no?”

“The question is whether they were allowed to retreat or not,” said Ser Guillaume du Riffons from beside her. The old former knight, well in his fifties, was the oldest and most experienced of the commanders present, and the others knew all too well not to dismiss his advice. “If as the information said the enemy commander is desperate for a victory, then we would need to take him out of the equation first before others might signal a retreat. That might well be far easier said than done, especially if those soldiers down there were drugged up as we suspected.”

“Probably our best bet for a quick resolution though,” said Griselda after some thought. While I don’t think they would be able to breach our defenses, if all those soldiers are drugged up and fought to the death, we’d probably be little better off than them by the end of the day as well.”

“Think we can afford to let them commit against our lines then try for a quick strike straight for Maurizio’s head?” asked the young Duchess after she gave the matter some thought as well. “I’m thinking of a diversionary two-pronged strike with all our cavalry from the north and south gates, followed by a headhunting strike from the west gate.”

“Could work. Would be risky for all parties involved, though. Who do you have in mind to command those?” Damien asked from his perch beside his future sister-in-law. Both of their injuries had been fixed overnight by the healers in Andrea’s employ, and the two were fit to fight already.

“I’ll have to lead one myself, so they’d take it seriously,” said the young Duchess without preamble. “Damien, I’d like you and Ser du Riffons to lead the other diversionary detachment.”

“That would be a highly risky maneuver, Your Grace,” said the old mercenary, with the implications of his words left unsaid. Of course, by then Andrea was more than familiar enough with how they worked that she caught on to it immediately.

“Of course, Ser du Riffons. We’ll offer quadruple the usual hazard pay for this operation, and a bonus on top,” she said swiftly to cut off the older man’s argument. All four mercenary leaders nodded when they heard her mention the price she was willing to offer. After all, to them there was no mission too risky, so long as the price was right. “Captain Edelstein, Ser Aragunis, Dame Illasvey, I’d like your companies to be part of the headhunting detachment. Your people are more skilled in those matters than mine.”

“Agreeable, Your Grace,” said Reinhardt with a nod, which was aped by his fellow mercenary captains. “And for our leader?”

“Think you’re up for it, Gris? You’d likely be better for this than Damien. It’ll be risky though,” asked the young Duchess.

“Eh, it’ll be a chance for payback for my failure so far. Count me in,” said Griselda with a firm nod.

The group of commanders went down from the wall soon after, as arrows began to be exchanged between the armies. The coalition army from the Central Duchies seemed committed to a full assault that day, and before long, the sounds of battle echoed within the fort.

Meanwhile, the people designated to take part in the three aforementioned detachments prepared their troops within the fort. Not all of them would participate, though, as they left behind those that were unsuited for the deep strike. Reinhardt left behind his contingent of archer and slingers under Salicia and Egil’s command to help support them from atop the fort’s walls, while the infantry contingent of the Silver Eagles also stayed behind to defend the fort as they could not keep up with their cavalry.

Other than Reinhardt’s four hundred or so mercenaries, their detachment consisted of the three hundred remaining able combatants of the Janissaries, tasked with harassing the opponents as they passed, roughly another five hundred mixed infantry from the Spears of Ostvin, who would secure their rears, as well as Dame Griselda herself along with a hundred or so of her elites from Algenverr. They would join the Free Lances at the spearhead of their formation.

A couple hours later, when the battle was well and truly joined, and they had received confirmation aplenty on how the enemy soldiers fought like madmen without a care for their lives, the commanders present decided to throw the dice. The north and south gates of Fort Kazka opened without warning as the two cavalry detachments rushed out from within and charged straight through the throng of maddened Central soldiers.

After a delay long enough to allow their enemies to react to the sudden development, the western gate also opened up, and Reinhardt led the Free Lances in a vicious charge at the enemy army.