III.
Kiffle shivered as the Cleric of Solaris bent over him on Krem's cot and the holy energy washed away his wounds and his pain. The Patrol was resting in the Inn, although Krem had left to procure cots and extra food for the new residents of the Inn. The only return trip he had made was to deliver the cleric, who had in less than a half an hour, patched every wound of the Patrol's and brought Kiffle back to full health.
The cleric held his hand out to Kiffle and helped him up. The cleric was actually fairly small, so he gave the impression that he was not one of the Knights of Solaris, the religions famed elite warrior corps. Either way, they couldn't tell, seeing as how the man's cloak covered his armor, except for his gauntlets, which were sitting on the table, since he needed gloves off to heal.
"Now, stretch, slowly, to your toes."
Kiffle, bare-chested, complied and the cleric nodded. "Now," he held up a board, "Could you punch through this normally?"
The Sargeant Major nodded and flexed. He was the second strongest of the patrol after Gais, and he could break bodies, much less boards. Either way though, he shattered the board with one swing, and made it look easy. The cleric dropped the wood to pick shavings out of his beard and everyone chuckled.
"Boy," Maxwell put a sarcastic tone on, "If you could learn to shoot like you can break things, you'd be an excellent archer. Golly, I could teach you how to do both."
Kiffle gave him a sideways look and put on a foul grin. "Listen runt," he grunted, "You think you can teach me how to fight, and then I can teach you how to shove an arrow up your posterior. I'd lay off the insults if I were you."
Therrin grinned at Maxwell's reaction to curl up in a ball in a corner of the cellar. "Well," he looked at Ponch, "At least spirits are high now that we're all feeling better."
Ponch nodded but then mused, "Yeah, but I still want to know why Mindra has moved troops this far south-west. It doesn't make tactical sense to move a lone group in, when we could move a Calvary Regiment up here fast and clear them out." He stood and walked over to where the cleric had deposited his armor and bags, and pulled out a map case. Gais did the same, since he overheard the conversation. Both came back over with maps of the area.
"Well, my map doesn't seem to even have Kira on it," Gais said. "But the Mindran troops could've just marched more easterly, and taken Biston, and that would've given them control of the whole river." He pointed at the town of Biston and continued, "That would've been a great staging area for another stupid invasion down fairly far into our lands."
Therrin nodded but Ponch shook his head.
"Gais, as much sense as that makes, think about how much racket that would make. If they capture a little ant town, they can make it into a bustling river port without anyone ever noticing. And I think that might be what they're trying to do."
Therrin pointed at Ponch's map. "Yes and look. Even though in actual distance, the capitol is closer from Biston, they have to cross miles and miles of swampland. They've tried that approach before, back when our borders extended beyond the river, and failed because of the swamps. They might be staging another invasion from more west, and speed their way to Firiona."
Krem's voice came from the cellar door, where Kiffle was giving his regards to the Solarian cleric.
"Indeed Therrin, I believe that is their strategy. And don't forget, those swamplands border Nozin, and the gnomes and dwarves will fight hard to keep any Mindran out of their lands."
He came in and shut the door, allowing the cleric to pass through first. He turned and tossed a rolled up cot to each one of the Patrol.
"The innkeeper will provide food for us, but she says she can't divert too much, otherwise she'll run out too fast. Apparently this is a Mindran soldier hotspot." Ponch gave him a 'how do you not know this kind of look' and Krem answered, "I usually sleep during the day and roam during the night, it's easier to sneak around than in full light."
Gais gave Ponch an appraising, sarcastic look, and said "Duh, Ponch. Everyone knows that. Geez, I expected better." Ponch chucked a cot peg at him and Gais took it straight in the face. Gais picked it up and threw it back, but Ponch caught it, and they all burst into laughter. Except Therrin. "Some soldiers." he muttered. Everyone heard the comment and buckled down to setting up a makeshift barracks.
"Boy," Maxwell whispered to Ponch, "People get cranky after they turn thirty. Gais snickered and Therrin shot him a look. Cots were set up and gear and armor was hung on posts and pegs. Then, Therrin and Krem set up a map table in the center of the cellar, which they discovered had three rooms to it, to plan and discuss. The first order of business was Krem's story. The patrol stood around the table and grabbed mugs of ale from the ample supply around the cellar.
Krem cleared his throat and began his tale, "Well, I've been here for two weeks now. My Patrol and I came up skirting the swamps, crossed the Testerian, and continued westerly along it. We got here, and we were welcomed for about two days, and then the Mindran advance troops showed up." He pointed to Gais' map, now marked with Kira on it, and drew a line with his finger northwesterly on the map. "Believe it or not, these troops came from this direction, but -"
Gais' eyes went wide, "But that means they're trying to further pacify the Kordin Tribe Lands," He pointed to the spot on the map that was west of the Minsin Moutains, and sighed, "If they have enough troops to pacify the horse rovers up there, and can still send troops down here."
Maxwell finished for him, "The Northern Territories could be in some serious trouble."
Krem nodded. "That brings me to the next part of my story. I started hiding under the bar during the day, and discovered that this expedition was led by a Colonel Geissen. I gathered numbers of their men and gave them to my fastest Ranger. He left, and I told him not to come back. I started gathering more and more information, and when I discovered that this was a possible staging point, I sent the other three of my patrol away."
Ponch nodded and thought out loud, "And you stayed here, waiting for us." He took a drink of his own ale, and said, "Well, I'd say we have quite a lot of information here. Now, what can we do with it?"
Stepping out of the circle, Therrin went over to the door, and looked out. It was near sunrise. He shook his head and spoke, "We need to stay, and stop this any way possible. I'm personally thinking night attacks. Krem, what about you?"
Smiling, Krem walked over to the door, and pulled it shut. He smiled and patted Therrin on the shoulder. "By my blade, Therrin, I thought you'd never ask. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a while. Unfortunatley, it would appear that the next part of construction on the wall will be enclosing this Inn, which makes it awfully difficult for us to get in and out. So we need to act fast."
Therrin nodded and started forming plans rapidly, "Okay," he said, "We need to make." But Maxwell interrupted by turning and jumping on his cot.
Smiling, he said, "Major, Captain, this is all fine and good, but we're not going to be able to do a damn thing if we don't get some sleep, and I for one am so tired, I could sleep for a month."
The rest of the men smiled and Therrin nodded, "Well then, we'll sleep throughout the day. Krem, I'm sure you have a few targets in mind for us. We'll hit something tonight, but for right now, we sleep." And with that he flopped down on his cot, and once Ponch put the candles out, he was asleep in seconds. ________________________________________________________________________
Geissen wolfed down his breakfast at the Inn. It was his favorite, hot cakes with fried potatoes. Besides he needed to be fast in order to start the Kira "volunteer" Mindran militia. He needed to replenish his numbers so he figured the only way to do that was to recruit some of the local fishermen that sold their stocks in the town. After all, the prisoners were under impressments, and they weren't going to fight, just do manual labor, and would have to be kept in line by beating. He didn't want the same for the Kiran locals.
He finished and gave the Innkeeper a smile and a thank you, and raced upstairs to his room, in order to don his armor. Running up the stairs he reflected on how the idea had just hit him last night in bed. He loved the idea, and he figured it would put his soldiers on a greater stance of physical and mental perfection, because every soldier hates the idea of some local boy beating them out.
He donned his armor himself. He wasn't as vain or as weak as some of the other officers in the Mindran Army and he felt the need to go in full regalia. After all, he needed to look like the full Black Legion officer that he was, even if he did fry.
Belting his sword on, he left the inn with two privates, with no clue to what would happen when he would return.
________________________________________________________________________
~Crouton Note~
Dammit, another late nighter chapter. I gotta stop that. But in the middle of an American History report, and an English paper on SYMBOLISM. no less. Sooo. only time I could write it. Sucks to be me.
Kiffle shivered as the Cleric of Solaris bent over him on Krem's cot and the holy energy washed away his wounds and his pain. The Patrol was resting in the Inn, although Krem had left to procure cots and extra food for the new residents of the Inn. The only return trip he had made was to deliver the cleric, who had in less than a half an hour, patched every wound of the Patrol's and brought Kiffle back to full health.
The cleric held his hand out to Kiffle and helped him up. The cleric was actually fairly small, so he gave the impression that he was not one of the Knights of Solaris, the religions famed elite warrior corps. Either way, they couldn't tell, seeing as how the man's cloak covered his armor, except for his gauntlets, which were sitting on the table, since he needed gloves off to heal.
"Now, stretch, slowly, to your toes."
Kiffle, bare-chested, complied and the cleric nodded. "Now," he held up a board, "Could you punch through this normally?"
The Sargeant Major nodded and flexed. He was the second strongest of the patrol after Gais, and he could break bodies, much less boards. Either way though, he shattered the board with one swing, and made it look easy. The cleric dropped the wood to pick shavings out of his beard and everyone chuckled.
"Boy," Maxwell put a sarcastic tone on, "If you could learn to shoot like you can break things, you'd be an excellent archer. Golly, I could teach you how to do both."
Kiffle gave him a sideways look and put on a foul grin. "Listen runt," he grunted, "You think you can teach me how to fight, and then I can teach you how to shove an arrow up your posterior. I'd lay off the insults if I were you."
Therrin grinned at Maxwell's reaction to curl up in a ball in a corner of the cellar. "Well," he looked at Ponch, "At least spirits are high now that we're all feeling better."
Ponch nodded but then mused, "Yeah, but I still want to know why Mindra has moved troops this far south-west. It doesn't make tactical sense to move a lone group in, when we could move a Calvary Regiment up here fast and clear them out." He stood and walked over to where the cleric had deposited his armor and bags, and pulled out a map case. Gais did the same, since he overheard the conversation. Both came back over with maps of the area.
"Well, my map doesn't seem to even have Kira on it," Gais said. "But the Mindran troops could've just marched more easterly, and taken Biston, and that would've given them control of the whole river." He pointed at the town of Biston and continued, "That would've been a great staging area for another stupid invasion down fairly far into our lands."
Therrin nodded but Ponch shook his head.
"Gais, as much sense as that makes, think about how much racket that would make. If they capture a little ant town, they can make it into a bustling river port without anyone ever noticing. And I think that might be what they're trying to do."
Therrin pointed at Ponch's map. "Yes and look. Even though in actual distance, the capitol is closer from Biston, they have to cross miles and miles of swampland. They've tried that approach before, back when our borders extended beyond the river, and failed because of the swamps. They might be staging another invasion from more west, and speed their way to Firiona."
Krem's voice came from the cellar door, where Kiffle was giving his regards to the Solarian cleric.
"Indeed Therrin, I believe that is their strategy. And don't forget, those swamplands border Nozin, and the gnomes and dwarves will fight hard to keep any Mindran out of their lands."
He came in and shut the door, allowing the cleric to pass through first. He turned and tossed a rolled up cot to each one of the Patrol.
"The innkeeper will provide food for us, but she says she can't divert too much, otherwise she'll run out too fast. Apparently this is a Mindran soldier hotspot." Ponch gave him a 'how do you not know this kind of look' and Krem answered, "I usually sleep during the day and roam during the night, it's easier to sneak around than in full light."
Gais gave Ponch an appraising, sarcastic look, and said "Duh, Ponch. Everyone knows that. Geez, I expected better." Ponch chucked a cot peg at him and Gais took it straight in the face. Gais picked it up and threw it back, but Ponch caught it, and they all burst into laughter. Except Therrin. "Some soldiers." he muttered. Everyone heard the comment and buckled down to setting up a makeshift barracks.
"Boy," Maxwell whispered to Ponch, "People get cranky after they turn thirty. Gais snickered and Therrin shot him a look. Cots were set up and gear and armor was hung on posts and pegs. Then, Therrin and Krem set up a map table in the center of the cellar, which they discovered had three rooms to it, to plan and discuss. The first order of business was Krem's story. The patrol stood around the table and grabbed mugs of ale from the ample supply around the cellar.
Krem cleared his throat and began his tale, "Well, I've been here for two weeks now. My Patrol and I came up skirting the swamps, crossed the Testerian, and continued westerly along it. We got here, and we were welcomed for about two days, and then the Mindran advance troops showed up." He pointed to Gais' map, now marked with Kira on it, and drew a line with his finger northwesterly on the map. "Believe it or not, these troops came from this direction, but -"
Gais' eyes went wide, "But that means they're trying to further pacify the Kordin Tribe Lands," He pointed to the spot on the map that was west of the Minsin Moutains, and sighed, "If they have enough troops to pacify the horse rovers up there, and can still send troops down here."
Maxwell finished for him, "The Northern Territories could be in some serious trouble."
Krem nodded. "That brings me to the next part of my story. I started hiding under the bar during the day, and discovered that this expedition was led by a Colonel Geissen. I gathered numbers of their men and gave them to my fastest Ranger. He left, and I told him not to come back. I started gathering more and more information, and when I discovered that this was a possible staging point, I sent the other three of my patrol away."
Ponch nodded and thought out loud, "And you stayed here, waiting for us." He took a drink of his own ale, and said, "Well, I'd say we have quite a lot of information here. Now, what can we do with it?"
Stepping out of the circle, Therrin went over to the door, and looked out. It was near sunrise. He shook his head and spoke, "We need to stay, and stop this any way possible. I'm personally thinking night attacks. Krem, what about you?"
Smiling, Krem walked over to the door, and pulled it shut. He smiled and patted Therrin on the shoulder. "By my blade, Therrin, I thought you'd never ask. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a while. Unfortunatley, it would appear that the next part of construction on the wall will be enclosing this Inn, which makes it awfully difficult for us to get in and out. So we need to act fast."
Therrin nodded and started forming plans rapidly, "Okay," he said, "We need to make." But Maxwell interrupted by turning and jumping on his cot.
Smiling, he said, "Major, Captain, this is all fine and good, but we're not going to be able to do a damn thing if we don't get some sleep, and I for one am so tired, I could sleep for a month."
The rest of the men smiled and Therrin nodded, "Well then, we'll sleep throughout the day. Krem, I'm sure you have a few targets in mind for us. We'll hit something tonight, but for right now, we sleep." And with that he flopped down on his cot, and once Ponch put the candles out, he was asleep in seconds. ________________________________________________________________________
Geissen wolfed down his breakfast at the Inn. It was his favorite, hot cakes with fried potatoes. Besides he needed to be fast in order to start the Kira "volunteer" Mindran militia. He needed to replenish his numbers so he figured the only way to do that was to recruit some of the local fishermen that sold their stocks in the town. After all, the prisoners were under impressments, and they weren't going to fight, just do manual labor, and would have to be kept in line by beating. He didn't want the same for the Kiran locals.
He finished and gave the Innkeeper a smile and a thank you, and raced upstairs to his room, in order to don his armor. Running up the stairs he reflected on how the idea had just hit him last night in bed. He loved the idea, and he figured it would put his soldiers on a greater stance of physical and mental perfection, because every soldier hates the idea of some local boy beating them out.
He donned his armor himself. He wasn't as vain or as weak as some of the other officers in the Mindran Army and he felt the need to go in full regalia. After all, he needed to look like the full Black Legion officer that he was, even if he did fry.
Belting his sword on, he left the inn with two privates, with no clue to what would happen when he would return.
________________________________________________________________________
~Crouton Note~
Dammit, another late nighter chapter. I gotta stop that. But in the middle of an American History report, and an English paper on SYMBOLISM. no less. Sooo. only time I could write it. Sucks to be me.