Chapter 9

"How are the supplies?" Karl asked as he wrote down on a letter.
"With all due respect for the dead…" Gerart said as he went through the books." In case of a siege we will last some time. Three years."
"What about ore, gold, oil, timber?" Karl sealed the letter into an envelope before he took another letter and scribbled down some more.
"Enough to arm another one hundred men, a couple of horses…and even build a golem if we so desire." Gerart took off his glasses." Do you have to do that?"
"Do what, seneschal?" Karl did not look up from his work as he sealed another letter and began anew. The curtains obscured the moon and the stars outside but neither of the men cared to watch them. It was long past midnight and still many things had to be done.

"Write a letter to every family that lost someone at Sunny Hills." Gerart rubbed his eyes wearily." We lost over three thousand men. There is no need nor time to address them all. you heard what the Shade said and other reports afterward. The Orcs are massing on the mountain and for all we know we just awoke a sleeping giant when we attacked their camp."
Karl finished his letter before he glanced up at Lord Karland." You are right my lord. Over three thousand men did die in Sunny Hills today. Men and women with families. Wives, husbands, children, mothers, fathers. Men who gave their lives so the Orcs were driven off and the villagers saved. Men who did their duty in the name of House Karland and Karland Hold. Men we couldn't take back home for a proper burial. This is the least we can do for their sake's and their families."
The former Nomadic warrior went back to writing.

"No-one is disagreeing with you, Karlag." Gerart replied." But if the Orcs are rallying for another attack we need to be ready. You need to be ready."
"You do your work Seneschal and I will do mine." The new Grand Marshall replied.
"I didn't know the Eastern tribes had such big hearts." Gerart gave a small smile before he placed his glasses back on and went back to the books.
"The Warhogs were a tribe. A clan. Everyone knew each other. We relied on each other. For the hunt, warmth, construction of a new campsite and so on. If one of us fell in battle, the tribe would grieve. You may think of us as savages who live in tents but in all my years behind your castle walls, here things are still the same. You need the commoners and they need you. You may not know each other but your laws and walls keep them save while they keep you fed and guarded."

"You are saying we are all equal?" Gerart smirked as he stopped working.
"We are." Karl replied." Difference is power. If your ancestor was not a Knight who was given lands you could have been one of the common people working for Lord Willberg."
"No need to get rude now." Gerart chuckled. Karl could not help but smirk back.
"Fair enough." Karl agreed." But it still matters."
"What if, theologically speaking, the gods chose Ser Thorrus to be a Lord? That he and his line had the divine right to rule?"
"The gods have abandoned us haven't they?"
"Yes but lets say if they were still around. Would that matter? Whom should we answer for? No-one, right?" Gerart placed the leg of his glasses in his mouth and nibbled on it as he usually did.
"My mother had a saying." Karl finished his letter and took his stamp and began stamping each letter with the Black Lion." There is power in the blood of kings, emperors and chieftains. But that blood will be shed of they would abuse their power. They are meant to serve the tribe and not the other way around."

"Sounds wise." Gerart pointed the leg at Karl before he placed it back in his mouth.
"Well it would be, my mother was the elder of the Warhogs." Ser Karl smiled.
"You think me and my sister did that?" the Seneschal got on his feet and walked over to the nearby wine rack and took out two glasses." Serve the people I mean?"
"Did I upset my lord's conscious?" Karl looked up from his work.
"Answer the question and I might give you some Gwarheyvad wine." The Seneschal took a black bottle and uncorked it before he poured in both glasses.
"The very nectar of the gods themselves." Karl leaned back." Very well. I think you and your sister did a good job. Your people never starved or suffered and you did what you could for the villagers of Vestig and Mordfell. Lady Katarina fell in love with a scribe, a common man no less, and fought alongside her men in battle."
"Nearly died as well…" Gerart gave a glass to the Grand Marshall." Thorvik and the healers said she will be fine until then we're in charge. To her well-being."
"To her well-being." The savage warrior agreed and gently tapped his glass to Gerart's before drinking.

"This is good…until she recovers this also means we might have to make a few choices she wouldn't make." Karl said after a gulp.
"The Spiders?" Lord Karland took a sip from his glass." By Eir's grace, Karl…Out of all the people you were the last i expected you to consider their aid an option to consider. You know how their words are."
"I know. ' In the shadows we wait', right?" Karl replied." True but Hadgar said before he left, may Bran guide his soul to the forge to be reforged, that you suggested this idea."
"I did and then you and Oberon's prodigy reported that the Spiders were there to help when everything went south. They say it's dark portals but it's all very coincidental don't you think? Speaking of your protégé, remind me to give her a medal tomorrow. I owe my sister's life to her."
"I will, it will fit nicely with her field command." Karl agreed before he switched the topic back to the Willberg's." If the Willberg's enslaved the Orcs, Karland Hold would be under siege right now. And no man can control an orc."
"They may have found a way. Castle Darrow is full of black magic, you said so yourself in your war stories. Something about…" Gerart snapped his fingers as if he tried to summon the memories." Ripping off a skeleton's femur bone and beating him with it?"
"True story." Karl smiled." I still got it in my quarters, sometimes I show it to the recruits."
"As a motivator I'm sure." Gerart returned the smile." But back on topic. How can we trust the Willberg's or better yet how will we survive Katarina's anger when she finds out?"
"Your call, Seneschal." The Grand Marshall said." I merely point out the options."

"That option is one of last resort." Gerart took a sip from his wine glass." The Gigants might be on their way as well as a Stormfall task force. It will take some time and until then we are defenseless…maybe Seagard can help? We are on good terms with Lord Avianai and since his daughter's are all married I do not have to marry one for an alliance."
"Which also means one less reason to ally with us." Karl replied." Remember, Lord Harren was Aviani's friend. Not your father, nor you nor your sister. He will want something in return."
"I'm sure we can find something in the inventory." Gerart motioned to the books." Gold, land, maybe a blood alliance when Amelia comes of age."
"You would want to marry off Amelia?"
"When she is of age…she is an half elf, Karl. She will outlive all of us. She might even become a Niathi like her mother was long after this castle has turned to dust…It's something to consider." he took another sip which emptied the glass. "Gods, I hate wars."

"Wars are a part of life." Karl finished his." And like life it has two sides."
"Two sides?" Gerart frowned." A few minutes ago you were talking about how bad of a man I was for not respecting war."
"No, I as opposed to how you treated warriors and their families. What I do is respect the sacrifices made in war. And I pray to Ran or Veyon that the lives we lost are not in vain. If it were not for war we would be defenseless against the Orcs. Swords, shields, armour, horses, magic…we were trained to defend ourselves. Your ancestor got this hold and the lands with it because of war, remember? It has it's glories and it's horrors."
"The horrors are making you write those letters. The horrors are making people scared."
"And united." Karl added.
"So can other ventures. The creation of a castle or a bridge. Or maintaining the beacons with resources and man power…" Gerart went for a refill." Speaking off, we bringing some back?"
"Men from the beacon?" Karl clarified." A few but you know what happens after they take the darkening."
"We may need those men on the walls." Geralt sighed." The pen Is mightier than the sword indeed. I don't see it stop a claymore though."
"Unless the pen stopped the one holding the claymore before the conflict started." Karl walked over." Orcs can not be negotiated with, men can. That is why you are here Lord Karland. Making sure we get paid and fed and in good relations with our friends and dangerious enough for our enemies."
Gerart smiled as he poured in Karl's glass." And I am glad you are here to keep us all save."
Both held up their wine glasses and had another toast.

TBC