“Knowing the enemy is worth doing, even if it costs a bit.” - Old mercenary saying.

To Reinhardt’s surprise, the welcoming party for his company’s arrival at Algenverr’s western fortification – where the current headquarters were situated – included the young Duke of Algenverr, Nestor Ambroglio da Nunez, in person. He was accompanied by his wife and younger brother, as well as several other military officers.

Reinhardt knew that the presence of the Duke’s wife and younger brother was because the two of them were accomplished warriors and commanders in their own right. Neither Griselda Kris el-Geroulaz da Nunez nor Damien Carlos da Nunez were strangers to battle, and even though the former was a mother of at least two by now, Reinhardt saw that the Duchess still maintained herself at a fighting fit at a glance.

“Glad you could be with us once more, Captain Edelstein,” said Nestor as he walked over and grasped Reinhardt’s hand in a firm handshake once he alighted from the wagon. “There’s been a developing situation where your company’s… talents would be appreciated to have, to say the least, and rest assured that we won’t skimp on the compensation either.”

“Straight to the point as usual, I see, Your Grace,” replied Reinhardt with a smile on his face. “Shall we adjourn to a more private setting then? I will order my lieutenants to gather.”

“That would be much appreciated. After me, please,” said Nestor with a nod.

“You heard His Grace. Ery, round everyone up and get them to the meeting room in five,” noted Reinhardt as he commanded Erycea who was nearby. He was confident in the discipline of his people, and since they were in safe territory with a meeting likely imminent, all the platoon leaders rode near the front of the caravan anyway.

“Right away, Dad,” replied Erycea as she took off to gather the rest.

Reinhardt himself followed Nestor and the rest of the welcoming party to a room large enough to fit forty to fifty people, one with a large desk set in the middle. A map of the north-western region of Alcidea was spread on the desk, clearly a room for strategizing. He smiled with some pride when only four minutes later, Erycea had brought all the other platoon leaders of the Free Lances to the same room.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Excellent, everybody’s here, I see,” said Nestor with satisfaction in his voice. “I’ll cut straight to the matter at hand. As per our latest reports, the invaders you have certainly heard about by now are fighting on the borders of both Lovia-Hosberg and Kolitschei. In the south, they have made more headway into Bostvan but met with stiff resistance once they neared the central regions.”

“Gestis already lost?” asked Reinhardt with some incredulity at the rapid pace of the invaders.

“They lasted a decent while, and last we heard, the nobility of Gestis together with a portion of their army still held strong at Oleynuos, which was under siege by the invaders. The rest of their army fled and sought succor from Lovia-Hosberg and Kolitschei, however. Both states have formally petitioned for aid from our side, and honestly, I would rather fight this war on their land than on mine.”

“An understandable approach. So what would you like us to do? I notice that you’re gathering quite an army over here already,” noted Reinhardt.

“I would like for you to send some part of your company to scout out the opposition. You should not engage in battle, just try to sound them out and see if you can’t give us a better understanding of our foes in the limited time we have. You will only have the time between when these invaders hit the border and until they push towards the main cities, at which point our main army will also be marching to meet them. Can you do it?”

“Hmm… If you allow us to focus our reconnaissance on Kolitschei we should manage that without coming into direct contact with the enemy. The terrain there is more suitable for us,” stated Reinhardt after some thought.

“I’ll take it,” said Nestor. Reinhardt noticed that one of the older military officers looked like he had something to say but refrained from voicing his thoughts for some reason. “How soon can you deploy?”

“As early as tonight, if you wish. We came prepared for immediate deployment,” answered Reinhardt.

“I knew I liked your company for a reason,” said Nestor with a wide smile. “Please do so, then.”

“Right, you all heard His Grace. Hannah, I want your fliers out there by tomorrow. Stay high, take no risks, but give us daily reports on the frontline’s general situation,” said Reinhardt immediately. “Nicole, Fatimah, Egil, each of you take your platoon and observe the enemy from as close as you can without compromising safety, you all already know the details better than me so I’ll leave the execution to you. Ery, Alvaro, your two platoons follow theirs from a distance as backup and reserves, in case they get into trouble and need bailing out.”

A chorus of affirmation from the named platoon leaders greeted Reinhardt’s command. The named leaders then made their exit as they left to brief their people of the deployment. He had chosen those who were fleet of foot for this task, people who knew how to hide themselves well and make themselves scarce before the enemy could get to them.

Alvaro and Erycea, he also sent out in case of emergencies. Alvaro’s people were locals to Kolitschei, which should give them an additional advantage, while Erycea’s platoon was shaping up to be one of the best all-rounded platoons in the company under her leadership. Besides, it was time to give the girl more responsibilities as she grew up.

It was a potentially risky task, sure, but every job as a mercenary has its inherent risks, and the girl seemed dead set on following in his footsteps. Before such determination Reinhardt felt that the best he could do was to make sure that Erycea would be ready to take over the Company should the time eventually come.