The Lycian Alliance Army had followed Fae's trail to the Etrurian border, and now sat halted at the foot of the mountains. While it couldn't compare to the desert behind them, this was hardly the best terrain. They had the low ground, and the enemy had a fortified castle above them. There was no way to approach unseen.
Lilina and Roy, along with Marcus, Merlinus, Elphin, and Igrene, listened to the scout's report with a growing sense of resigned acceptance. This just seems to be their lot in life, Lilina thought. Always fighting at a disadvantage.
"That's not all," said the scout. "A lot of troops have been leaving the castle and taking up defensive positions. They seem to be ready for us already."
"They must've found her Dragon Stone." Igrene's voice didn't display any hint of her emotional state, but the way her grip tightened around her bow certainly did.
"Dragon Stone?" Roy asked.
"It's how dragons store their energy in human form," Igrene explained. "It is said that it takes enormous amounts of energy for dragons to maintain their actual forms here, so they usually remain in human form."
Roy nodded. "Perhaps the 'human not humans' we fought before were sometimes in human form for the same reason."
"These other dragons that you mentioned?" Igrene asked. "Yes, it's more than likely. It said in our history that dragons only started taking human form after the Scouring ended, but once they started, they did it nearly all the time." She sighed. "I have to apologize on behalf of my people for the inconvenience. I know that you must hurry toward Aquleia."
"There's no need to apologize. We wouldn't possibly ignore this, and allow her to fall into the hands of Bern. That would be just as disastrous as anything else."
Marcus interrupted the conversation. "The enemy is on the move, coming this way." He pointed up the mountain to where soldiers could indeed be seen coming towards them with weapons in hand.
"Then we must do this quickly," said Roy. He thought for a moment. "This isn't good terrain for us. Marcus, take the cavalry and make sure that they don't have any outriders who can come up from behind us or from anywhere else in the area, then join the front. I'll lead the infantry up the mountain for the first engagement. Lilina, I hope I can count on the Ostian forces to protect the nearby villages. We don't know who else might be lurking in the area besides the Bernese troops."
"Right," said Lilina. She wasn't all that upset not to be on the frontlines this time. She had been in every other battle so far, and for most of them had left her own contingent behind. It would be difficult for the Ostian heavy infantry to keep pace with the others while climbing a mountain. Far better to have them stay down here, and defend the rear. At least Bors would be relieved that she wouldn't be putting herself in any danger this time.
There wasn't much else to say. Roy dismissed them all their respective assignments, and went to talk to the infantry captains on his own.
Lilina gave the news to her troops and prepared to set off immediately. If they were to be defending the villages, there was no reason for them to wait for Roy's signal. In fact, it would be better to be on the move earlier, to reach the places they were supposed to be defending before there was any reason to defend them.
The Ostians accepted it with their usual practicality, and Bors was relieved as she had predicted. Only Sue seemed to be discontent.
"What's wrong?" Lilina asked her.
Sue shook her head. "I won't be staying with the Ostian division this time. Sacaen horses are much sturdier, and they will need us in the mountains."
"That's true," said Lilina. "Be careful. I doubt there will be much danger here, but you have to come back safely. We both still have a lot to do."
Sue gave her a small smile in return. "Be careful as well. Still water can hide large fish."
Lilina barely restrained herself from laughing. "You made that one up!"
Sue just winked at her.
"Never fear!" Elphin walked over from where he had clearly been shamelessly eavesdropping on their conversation. "I will be right by Lady Lilina's side, and will protect her in your stead."
Sue gave a disgusted snort, and mounted her horse to go join Marcus. Lilina waved her off.
"Well, it's nice to be worried about." Of course Bors worried about her too, but that was different. She was his lady, and he was her retainer. It was nice to be worried about by someone who was a friend or well…something. There wasn't time to worry about that now. She turned to Elphin. "You won't be going to give strategic advice to Roy this time?"
"I fear that I'm not feeling up to the trek, my lady. Besides, he seems to have his own strategy firmly in hand."
"He does at that. Well, you are welcome to join me. There are two villages in the nearby area. I'll leave you in charge of the one to the south, and I'll take the one to the north."
He gave her one of his usual over-exaggerated bows, and Lilina just shook her head. But there was no time for jesting now either. She mounted her own horse and led the way for the Ostian division.
Lilina had thought that she would mostly be in for a lot of waiting. A different kind of waiting than from when they had taken Misul castle, but waiting nonetheless. She could see, if not everything, then at least a good deal of the back-and-forth of the battle while the Lycian Army attempted to gain the mountains. None of the Bernese troops even came close to the villages.
She did not expect bandits to descend on the villages like vultures.
These bandits were neither as organized nor as well-equipped as the ones they had fought on the Western Isles. But they fought with a crazed desperation that made them difficult all the same. Lilina looked around until she saw the man that the bandits were taking their orders from, the leader of the band.
He was a large man, bald and musclebound and covered in scars. Clearly someone who knew what he was doing, unlike many of those present. But what was one bandit compared to a dragon? Or an army? Lilina knew that her troops would be able to fend off these bandits just as well without her for a few minutes. She steadfastly forced her way through to block his way.
In truth, she wasn't entirely sure why. Only a few months ago she would've eagerly cut down anybody who stood in front of her. But the anger that had consumed her like a raging fire after her father's death had settled to a smolder. And maybe she was also just tired of seeing so much death wherever they went.
"Why are you attacking this village?"
The bandit seemed almost amused. He propped his axe on his shoulder and looked down at her. "And just who do you think you are?"
Lilina crossed her arms. "I'm Lady Lilina of Ostia, and I asked you a question. Why are you attacking the villages?"
"Oh a lady are you? Forgive my rudeness. But the only reason we attack these villages is precisely because of idiots like you."
She said nothing about his sarcastic tone. What else would one expect from a bandit leader? "What you mean, like me?"
"You nobles just keep on causing wars, making more and more people just like me, people have no choice but to steal to get food."
"That's the sort of thing that we're fighting to put a stop to."
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before." He brought his axe down to rest against the ground and leaned casually on the handle. "All you nobles say you're trying to help, but we can recognize empty words and promises. There's never any action, except for things that make life better for you. And if you think the world's any different from that, you're just a naïve little girl. Now get out of my way."
"I will not." Lilina gripped her tome tightly. This was not Foreblaze, this was a tome that she knew inside and out. Between her trained magic and one bandit leader's axe, she wasn't at all worried about her chances.
He picked up his axe and held it in a way that she assumed was meant to be threatening. "I ain't playing games with you, little girl. If you don't get the hell out of my way…"
"You'll do what? Kill me?" Lilina stood as tall and proud as fifteen years of etiquette lessons could make her, and stared him directly in the eye. "You're welcome to do as you wish to me, but if I let you pass, I would be exactly the kind of person you're talking about. Someone who is all talk, and no action. But my words are the truth, we are here to defend these people, and we fight for the good of everybody."
For a moment, she thought he really would lash out at her. But then he began to laugh. "Your conviction almost makes me believe it."
"So what do you intend?" Lilina asked him.
"A bargain. I'll stop looting if you allow me to fight with you. I wanna see with my own eyes that you're being true to your words, and if I find out that you aren't…" The threat was implicitly clear.
It didn't bother Lilina at all. "Deal." She held out her hand to shake and he took it.
"The name is Garret. And I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, milady."
Garret was as good as his word, he immediately withdrew and brought his men with him. He and a band of his followers would show up again later that evening, after everything had been resolved, Fae had been rescued, and they had once again resumed their march to Aquleia.
For that moment though, Lilina was just happy that for once she could resolve something in a peaceful manner, no matter how small.