The Fall of Vasserbunde
Disclaimer: Same as before.
~ ~ ~ ~
Miranda awoke to the smell of food cooking. It was a soup of some kind, vegetables and roots of various kinds were being stirred in a stew of some kind. She could see Halb stirring the pot. "I hope thou shall forgive my rather lean pickings. I always eat simply when on the road." Halb said.
"Have you seen a friend of mine? He's an orange cat, stands on two feet. A little on the strange side but his heart's in the right place." Miranda asked.
"An orange cat, you say?" Halb asked.
"He's a toon." Miranda replied.
"A toon?" Halb replied, curious, "What manner of being is a 'toon'."
"They're native to my, uhm, world." Miranda replied.
A horseman approached their encampment, he wore the garb of a mounted soldier of the famed cavalry that Vasserbunde was famed to putting to the field. "Stranger! State thy business and name?"
"I am Halb, of Parmas. This is Miranda Wright. We are merely passing through your state. I shall pay tributes to your prince presently." Halb replied.
"Ensure that you do." The rider said, "And be cautious. There have been occasional brushes with the Dark Army of late."
"Dark Army?" Miranda asked.
"We hear songs of fear from the north from the traveling minstrels." Halb replied, "Of strange creatures attacking outlying villages and towns."
"If you've never seen a toon before, how do you think the people of the towns and villages will react if they find Bonkers, my friend?" Miranda asked.
"They will likely believe him to be associated with the Dark Army. He will likely be in the stockade with the local militia, under armed guard." Halb replied.
"What about if the townspeople find him?" Miranda asked.
"Twelve years ago Vasserbunde sustained a massive assault by armies from Coorhagen." Halb replied, "The town was almost razed to the ground. We ambushed Coorhagen's forces, and the cavalry of Vasserbunde closed the net." Halb replied, "The people of this state are paranoid, if your friend encountered the peasants, he'd definitely be killed."
"WHAT?" Miranda said, going pale, "We've got to find him! Why would they kill him?"
"Fear and paranoia has increasingly gripped our land since the war." Halb replied, "When an army would route its foes and a town would fall, much pillaging, death, rape and destruction would occur."
"Where could he be?" Miranda asked.
"I do not know, but it may stand to reason he is in Vasserbunde, for you appeared within her boundaries." Halb replied, "We had best get going to the city."
~ ~ ~ ~
Bonkers was no fool. He knew trouble when he saw it. And this military stockade teeming with the soldiers of Vasserbunde was definitely trouble. 'I never thought I would see the other side of the bars. I guess the universal code of policeman doesn't apply here.'
At least the unruly mob he had fled from hadn't killed him, but they were waiting just outside the barracks. The soldiers had their hands full trying to keep the mob from becoming a full scale riot. He could see soldiers called harquebusiers, carrying the arquebus long arms, as they patrolled the walls of the bastion. They seemed tense but ready for battle, whether with the mob or even worse, with the Dark Army. A phalanx of pikemen marched by, with their long, sixteen foot bladed halberds and short, sharp and effective swords. They were doing their morning drills, practicing advancing with their pikes, shoulder to shoulder, creating a wall of sharp, shiny blades. Another group of foot soldiers practiced with their swords and daggers. The cavalrymen patrolled about the place on their horses, armed with pistols and rapiers (a more ornate sword usually reserved for aristocracy, officers, and the like).
The soldiers were drilling for battle nearly constantly. Bonkers couldn't know this was the routine for Memel's city states. Their armies had to be prepared to fight many foes, which included brigands, the armies of neighboring city states, rebellions, and now these strange creatures called the Dark Army.
Just where was Miranda? Did she survive? Did anyone survive the destruction of the precinct? Wait a minute, there was a small bird that appeared not to belong among the birds of this world. That was the friend that had helped him summon the toon train that saved he and Miranda's life when they were protecting a witness on another train and they had been thrown out into the desert to die. The bird came forward to the cell as Bonkers beckoned him over.
~ ~ ~ ~
Miranda and Halb, after putting out the fire and gathering their belongings, headed for the town of Vasserbunde, to start their search for Bonkers. Suddenly a little bird with a message under its feet flitted in front of them.
The paper unfurled, a special sort of toon paper. All it had was a picture of Bonkers on it. The pictured shouted one word, "HELP!!"
The bird led them towards the stockade on the outside of Vasserbunde. Outside was a large mob of peasants with torches, clubs and pitch forks. A picket line of pikemen supported by harquebusiers and flanked by cavalrymen stood between them and the barrack gate.
The blast of a trumpet sounded, "Make way for the prince!" a stentorian (town crier, does public announcements) shouted.
A young man no older than thirty on horseback together with his entourage and honor guard headed for the barrack gate. As the peasants genuflected to their lord, Halb and Miranda did the same. The prince stopped before Halb and said, "Rise, swordsman of Parmas. Why art thou in Vasserbunde?"
"My liege, I am here to ask the pardoning of a prisoner held in the stockade." Halb replied.
"The orange one the night watch captured?" Prince Nupraptor replied.
"Yes my liege, I beg most humbly on my knee he be released into my care." Halb replied.
"Rise, great swordsman of Parmas. You fought alongside me on the field of battle, for that alone I regard thee a brother." Prince Nupraptor replied, with wisdom beyond his years, "Class and rank alone do not earn one respect. I have seen a nobleman of great breeding hide like a frightened rat from a lowly pikeman. I've seen a boy page fight a cavalryman with a broken halberd (pike) pulled from his own side to try to protect his wounded master. Thy great courage in battle has won you my respect."
"I am honor milord." Halb replied.
Presently Bonkers was released into Halb and Miranda's custody. The three of them went into a tavern for lunch and to talk about what was going on. "Halb, how did you earn the prince's respect?" Miranda asked.
"It was during the battle of Ziegsturhl." Halb replied. "On a field facing the City of Many Roads our force of twenty-two thousand faced a force of thirty-thousand. In the face of this massive force our horsemen of Vasserbunde appeared to flee before the storm. Our musketeers exchanged volleys and our pikemen charged the enemy line. The cavalry of Stahlberg struck our flanks. Then from behind a thick wood came the forces of Vasserbunde."
Both Bonkers and Miranda could imagine the clash of arms, the smoke of the arquebuses, the clang of swords and the screams of the dying men on both sides.
Halb continued his tale, "Horse and man fell amid the confused smoke and tangle of blades and pikes. Nupraptor's mount fell dead to the arquebuses of one of the infantry squadrons led by the Prince of Coorhagen. Pinned under his horse he expected to die. Nupraptor's wisdom in battle and skill of leadership led us to victory many a time, this I could not allow. I slashed my way through five enemy soldiers before I dragged him free and shouted to the bearer of his standard to rally the troops. The horsemen of Vasserbunde engaged the mounted troops of Stahlberg with renewed vigor and the infantry of the Prince of Parmas hacked their way through Coorhagen's in order to rescue Nupraptor."
"You saved his life." Miranda says.
"Thanks buddy, because you sure saved mine." Bonkers said, "We gotta hug."
Halb tried to pull away as Bonkers wrapped his arms around the former soldier and kissed him on the cheek. "Thou art quite affectionate." Halb began.
"He can be that way." Miranda laughed lightly.
"Prince Nupraptor is a fool." A man from a nearby table growled to several of his compatriots. From their rough clothing and manners, Halb could tell they were mercenaries from the southern states of Lissepia, Ravinok, and Dozaria. They were hard bitten men who were used to selling their services as fighting men to the highest bidders and were the most notorious pillagers of the war.
"I agree. He tries to negotiate with the invaders from the north. Time and again the envoys come back with only a message that war is inevitable. It is almost as if the Wolf of Ziegsturhl has lost his courage and fears his own shadow." Another replied.
"That's not true," a server said, "Prince Nupraptor is a great man. For over a decade he has kept invader and brigand at bay."
"Mind thou tongue wench!" the first of the men said, backhanding the red haired serving girl.
"Excuse me." Halb said to Bonkers and Miranda, walking to the nearby table, "Doth thou have a problem with her opinion of her sovereign lord and your employer?"
"Keep out from this stranger! Or I shall cut thy tongue from thy mouth and make thee eat it!" the first said.
"Perhaps this man wants to fight! He is a former soldier, for you can see the rapier on his belt!" another of them said. He was a black haired fellow with a stocky, muscular body.
"Who art thou stranger?" the first said, "I am the Infamous Butcher of Steinchroe!"
"Thou talks bravely, but thine information is wrong. For I know the Butcher of Steinchroe himself." Halb replied calmly.
"I know not your name, stranger! Tell it to me so I can have your tombstone made!" Butcher said.
"I am Halb of Parmas." Halb replied.
"Whoa! Can we try not to have bloodshed here? Pleeeease?" Bonkers said, on his knees with his hands clasped and his pupils very dilated.
"What manner of creature is this?" Butcher said.
"He is Bonkers D. Bobcat, a toon, a friendly race from a far off land." Halb explained, "Perhaps we can make a deal."
"Thou must be Prince Nupraptor's bedfellow! I always knew our Princely Employer was feminine!" laughed one of the others, the stocky one, "I am Balinor of Ravinok, Halb of Parmas."
"Balinor, thou would be wise to keep thy tongue." Halb said calmly.
"Hah!" laughed a third man, a tall, blonde haired man, "I am Earl of Lissepia."
"Prince Nupraptor is the sovereign of this land and your employer. Thou would be best reminded to remember that." Halb replied.
"Thou shalt be dead Parmas!" Balinor shouted.
"Thou shalt mind thou tongue." Halb said, starting to extract his sword.
"That blade is reversed! Do you think us fools and cowards to face us with a blade that is built wrongly?" Butcher said.
"Butcher of Steinchroe, this sword is to make me your equal. I cannot slay thee with ease using this blade, for I have sworn to never take life, only to defend myself." Halb replied.
"Then do so Halb of Parmas!" Butcher shouted as he rushed towards Halb, his dagger drawn.
Halb merely drew his sword, striking Butcher under the chin. The man fell like a pole axed mule to the floor of the bar. Halb hadn't even drawn his sword and one of his opponents was down. Halb had two more ruffians to deal with. The two mercenaries drew their swords and advanced menacingly towards Halb.
Halb calmly drew his sword from its scabbard and stepped sideways, swinging the blade with a good deal of force behind it. He struck Balinor across the throat with a single swing of his sword. He fell to the ground coughing violently. Earl backed off, more cautiously, avoiding being vanquished in one swing the way two of his mates had been. He thrust the blade towards Halb who sidestepped and swung the sword downward in an arc towards the meeting point of Earl's neck and right shoulder. Had the blade been turned the proper way, an artery would be slashed and blood would spray.
Earl fell, all six foot four of him, in a graceless manner, like a falling manhole cover. Halb replaced his sword into his scabbard and paid the inn keeper. "Will this be sufficient?" Halb said.
The tavern's owner, a woman in her mid-forties who still appeared quite attractive, nodded wordlessly. Only one man she knew of could fight three with such ease and skill, a great swordsman known as the Butcher of Steinchroe for the great skill with the blade. He reportedly slew more than two dozen men during the battle of Steinchroe. Halb of Parmas and the Butcher of Steinchroe were one and the same.
Halb stood impassive over the three men he had vanquished, each with a single blow. Miranda and Bonkers did not know of his dark secret, that he was the notorious Butcher of Steinchroe. It was a deed that for a decade haunted Halb's past. The twenty-four men he had slain when he'd hacked through the harquebusiers of Steinchroe were merely the beginning. No quarter was offered or given to the defenders of Steinchroe and acts of brutality and barbarity were common.
'They cannot know. They must not know; that Halb of Parmas and the Butcher of Steinchroe are the same man.' Halb thought.
As they walked into the town square a wounded soldier staggered into the town. He was a skirmisher, a light infantryman who specialized in harassing the enemy force. "Get a doctor!" Someone shouted.
Being a police officer, Miranda was trained in basic first aid. She ran up to the wounded soldier. "What happened?" she asked as she took water from a bucket and a rag and washed several of the worst of the man's cuts.
"A patrol from our cavalry ran into scouts from the Dark Army." The soldier said, in reply, "I am Johann of the village of Feldstatden. Eight days ago we ran into an advanced party of the Dark Army and repelled them across our border into the lands they occupied. We pursued them only to encounter the main element of the Dark Army just across our border. They have destroyed our outlying outposts and villages. They hunted the remains of the skirmishers down, I am all that survives."
Miranda bandaged Johann's wounds as best she could as they waited for the doctor. "Shh, keep your strength." Miranda said. Halb gave Johann some water to drink and some bread from a baker.
Later, upon hearing this, Prince Nupraptor issued a writ to all the villages and townships in the state of Vasserbunde. All the couriers in the state were sent out on the roads to distant outposts and garrisons to mobilize all the soldiers to face the threat facing Vasserbunde.
According to Johann, the Dark Army numbered in excess of seventeen thousand men. The number of men Vasserbunde would be able to muster would be maybe ten or twelve thousand at most.
"These are fearful odds." Halb said to Miranda, "The fall of Vasserbunde seems assured."
Soldiers marched in close ranks through the streets. In spite of the fact that every soldier in Vasserbunde was being mustered to face the Dark Army, it seemed already too late. And what was worst, was that the Heartless could replenish themselves by taking the hearts of those who survived their assaults, adding more to their ranks. It seemed Vasserbunde's days were numbered.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC: Up next, the Battle of Vasserbunde.
Disclaimer: Same as before.
~ ~ ~ ~
Miranda awoke to the smell of food cooking. It was a soup of some kind, vegetables and roots of various kinds were being stirred in a stew of some kind. She could see Halb stirring the pot. "I hope thou shall forgive my rather lean pickings. I always eat simply when on the road." Halb said.
"Have you seen a friend of mine? He's an orange cat, stands on two feet. A little on the strange side but his heart's in the right place." Miranda asked.
"An orange cat, you say?" Halb asked.
"He's a toon." Miranda replied.
"A toon?" Halb replied, curious, "What manner of being is a 'toon'."
"They're native to my, uhm, world." Miranda replied.
A horseman approached their encampment, he wore the garb of a mounted soldier of the famed cavalry that Vasserbunde was famed to putting to the field. "Stranger! State thy business and name?"
"I am Halb, of Parmas. This is Miranda Wright. We are merely passing through your state. I shall pay tributes to your prince presently." Halb replied.
"Ensure that you do." The rider said, "And be cautious. There have been occasional brushes with the Dark Army of late."
"Dark Army?" Miranda asked.
"We hear songs of fear from the north from the traveling minstrels." Halb replied, "Of strange creatures attacking outlying villages and towns."
"If you've never seen a toon before, how do you think the people of the towns and villages will react if they find Bonkers, my friend?" Miranda asked.
"They will likely believe him to be associated with the Dark Army. He will likely be in the stockade with the local militia, under armed guard." Halb replied.
"What about if the townspeople find him?" Miranda asked.
"Twelve years ago Vasserbunde sustained a massive assault by armies from Coorhagen." Halb replied, "The town was almost razed to the ground. We ambushed Coorhagen's forces, and the cavalry of Vasserbunde closed the net." Halb replied, "The people of this state are paranoid, if your friend encountered the peasants, he'd definitely be killed."
"WHAT?" Miranda said, going pale, "We've got to find him! Why would they kill him?"
"Fear and paranoia has increasingly gripped our land since the war." Halb replied, "When an army would route its foes and a town would fall, much pillaging, death, rape and destruction would occur."
"Where could he be?" Miranda asked.
"I do not know, but it may stand to reason he is in Vasserbunde, for you appeared within her boundaries." Halb replied, "We had best get going to the city."
~ ~ ~ ~
Bonkers was no fool. He knew trouble when he saw it. And this military stockade teeming with the soldiers of Vasserbunde was definitely trouble. 'I never thought I would see the other side of the bars. I guess the universal code of policeman doesn't apply here.'
At least the unruly mob he had fled from hadn't killed him, but they were waiting just outside the barracks. The soldiers had their hands full trying to keep the mob from becoming a full scale riot. He could see soldiers called harquebusiers, carrying the arquebus long arms, as they patrolled the walls of the bastion. They seemed tense but ready for battle, whether with the mob or even worse, with the Dark Army. A phalanx of pikemen marched by, with their long, sixteen foot bladed halberds and short, sharp and effective swords. They were doing their morning drills, practicing advancing with their pikes, shoulder to shoulder, creating a wall of sharp, shiny blades. Another group of foot soldiers practiced with their swords and daggers. The cavalrymen patrolled about the place on their horses, armed with pistols and rapiers (a more ornate sword usually reserved for aristocracy, officers, and the like).
The soldiers were drilling for battle nearly constantly. Bonkers couldn't know this was the routine for Memel's city states. Their armies had to be prepared to fight many foes, which included brigands, the armies of neighboring city states, rebellions, and now these strange creatures called the Dark Army.
Just where was Miranda? Did she survive? Did anyone survive the destruction of the precinct? Wait a minute, there was a small bird that appeared not to belong among the birds of this world. That was the friend that had helped him summon the toon train that saved he and Miranda's life when they were protecting a witness on another train and they had been thrown out into the desert to die. The bird came forward to the cell as Bonkers beckoned him over.
~ ~ ~ ~
Miranda and Halb, after putting out the fire and gathering their belongings, headed for the town of Vasserbunde, to start their search for Bonkers. Suddenly a little bird with a message under its feet flitted in front of them.
The paper unfurled, a special sort of toon paper. All it had was a picture of Bonkers on it. The pictured shouted one word, "HELP!!"
The bird led them towards the stockade on the outside of Vasserbunde. Outside was a large mob of peasants with torches, clubs and pitch forks. A picket line of pikemen supported by harquebusiers and flanked by cavalrymen stood between them and the barrack gate.
The blast of a trumpet sounded, "Make way for the prince!" a stentorian (town crier, does public announcements) shouted.
A young man no older than thirty on horseback together with his entourage and honor guard headed for the barrack gate. As the peasants genuflected to their lord, Halb and Miranda did the same. The prince stopped before Halb and said, "Rise, swordsman of Parmas. Why art thou in Vasserbunde?"
"My liege, I am here to ask the pardoning of a prisoner held in the stockade." Halb replied.
"The orange one the night watch captured?" Prince Nupraptor replied.
"Yes my liege, I beg most humbly on my knee he be released into my care." Halb replied.
"Rise, great swordsman of Parmas. You fought alongside me on the field of battle, for that alone I regard thee a brother." Prince Nupraptor replied, with wisdom beyond his years, "Class and rank alone do not earn one respect. I have seen a nobleman of great breeding hide like a frightened rat from a lowly pikeman. I've seen a boy page fight a cavalryman with a broken halberd (pike) pulled from his own side to try to protect his wounded master. Thy great courage in battle has won you my respect."
"I am honor milord." Halb replied.
Presently Bonkers was released into Halb and Miranda's custody. The three of them went into a tavern for lunch and to talk about what was going on. "Halb, how did you earn the prince's respect?" Miranda asked.
"It was during the battle of Ziegsturhl." Halb replied. "On a field facing the City of Many Roads our force of twenty-two thousand faced a force of thirty-thousand. In the face of this massive force our horsemen of Vasserbunde appeared to flee before the storm. Our musketeers exchanged volleys and our pikemen charged the enemy line. The cavalry of Stahlberg struck our flanks. Then from behind a thick wood came the forces of Vasserbunde."
Both Bonkers and Miranda could imagine the clash of arms, the smoke of the arquebuses, the clang of swords and the screams of the dying men on both sides.
Halb continued his tale, "Horse and man fell amid the confused smoke and tangle of blades and pikes. Nupraptor's mount fell dead to the arquebuses of one of the infantry squadrons led by the Prince of Coorhagen. Pinned under his horse he expected to die. Nupraptor's wisdom in battle and skill of leadership led us to victory many a time, this I could not allow. I slashed my way through five enemy soldiers before I dragged him free and shouted to the bearer of his standard to rally the troops. The horsemen of Vasserbunde engaged the mounted troops of Stahlberg with renewed vigor and the infantry of the Prince of Parmas hacked their way through Coorhagen's in order to rescue Nupraptor."
"You saved his life." Miranda says.
"Thanks buddy, because you sure saved mine." Bonkers said, "We gotta hug."
Halb tried to pull away as Bonkers wrapped his arms around the former soldier and kissed him on the cheek. "Thou art quite affectionate." Halb began.
"He can be that way." Miranda laughed lightly.
"Prince Nupraptor is a fool." A man from a nearby table growled to several of his compatriots. From their rough clothing and manners, Halb could tell they were mercenaries from the southern states of Lissepia, Ravinok, and Dozaria. They were hard bitten men who were used to selling their services as fighting men to the highest bidders and were the most notorious pillagers of the war.
"I agree. He tries to negotiate with the invaders from the north. Time and again the envoys come back with only a message that war is inevitable. It is almost as if the Wolf of Ziegsturhl has lost his courage and fears his own shadow." Another replied.
"That's not true," a server said, "Prince Nupraptor is a great man. For over a decade he has kept invader and brigand at bay."
"Mind thou tongue wench!" the first of the men said, backhanding the red haired serving girl.
"Excuse me." Halb said to Bonkers and Miranda, walking to the nearby table, "Doth thou have a problem with her opinion of her sovereign lord and your employer?"
"Keep out from this stranger! Or I shall cut thy tongue from thy mouth and make thee eat it!" the first said.
"Perhaps this man wants to fight! He is a former soldier, for you can see the rapier on his belt!" another of them said. He was a black haired fellow with a stocky, muscular body.
"Who art thou stranger?" the first said, "I am the Infamous Butcher of Steinchroe!"
"Thou talks bravely, but thine information is wrong. For I know the Butcher of Steinchroe himself." Halb replied calmly.
"I know not your name, stranger! Tell it to me so I can have your tombstone made!" Butcher said.
"I am Halb of Parmas." Halb replied.
"Whoa! Can we try not to have bloodshed here? Pleeeease?" Bonkers said, on his knees with his hands clasped and his pupils very dilated.
"What manner of creature is this?" Butcher said.
"He is Bonkers D. Bobcat, a toon, a friendly race from a far off land." Halb explained, "Perhaps we can make a deal."
"Thou must be Prince Nupraptor's bedfellow! I always knew our Princely Employer was feminine!" laughed one of the others, the stocky one, "I am Balinor of Ravinok, Halb of Parmas."
"Balinor, thou would be wise to keep thy tongue." Halb said calmly.
"Hah!" laughed a third man, a tall, blonde haired man, "I am Earl of Lissepia."
"Prince Nupraptor is the sovereign of this land and your employer. Thou would be best reminded to remember that." Halb replied.
"Thou shalt be dead Parmas!" Balinor shouted.
"Thou shalt mind thou tongue." Halb said, starting to extract his sword.
"That blade is reversed! Do you think us fools and cowards to face us with a blade that is built wrongly?" Butcher said.
"Butcher of Steinchroe, this sword is to make me your equal. I cannot slay thee with ease using this blade, for I have sworn to never take life, only to defend myself." Halb replied.
"Then do so Halb of Parmas!" Butcher shouted as he rushed towards Halb, his dagger drawn.
Halb merely drew his sword, striking Butcher under the chin. The man fell like a pole axed mule to the floor of the bar. Halb hadn't even drawn his sword and one of his opponents was down. Halb had two more ruffians to deal with. The two mercenaries drew their swords and advanced menacingly towards Halb.
Halb calmly drew his sword from its scabbard and stepped sideways, swinging the blade with a good deal of force behind it. He struck Balinor across the throat with a single swing of his sword. He fell to the ground coughing violently. Earl backed off, more cautiously, avoiding being vanquished in one swing the way two of his mates had been. He thrust the blade towards Halb who sidestepped and swung the sword downward in an arc towards the meeting point of Earl's neck and right shoulder. Had the blade been turned the proper way, an artery would be slashed and blood would spray.
Earl fell, all six foot four of him, in a graceless manner, like a falling manhole cover. Halb replaced his sword into his scabbard and paid the inn keeper. "Will this be sufficient?" Halb said.
The tavern's owner, a woman in her mid-forties who still appeared quite attractive, nodded wordlessly. Only one man she knew of could fight three with such ease and skill, a great swordsman known as the Butcher of Steinchroe for the great skill with the blade. He reportedly slew more than two dozen men during the battle of Steinchroe. Halb of Parmas and the Butcher of Steinchroe were one and the same.
Halb stood impassive over the three men he had vanquished, each with a single blow. Miranda and Bonkers did not know of his dark secret, that he was the notorious Butcher of Steinchroe. It was a deed that for a decade haunted Halb's past. The twenty-four men he had slain when he'd hacked through the harquebusiers of Steinchroe were merely the beginning. No quarter was offered or given to the defenders of Steinchroe and acts of brutality and barbarity were common.
'They cannot know. They must not know; that Halb of Parmas and the Butcher of Steinchroe are the same man.' Halb thought.
As they walked into the town square a wounded soldier staggered into the town. He was a skirmisher, a light infantryman who specialized in harassing the enemy force. "Get a doctor!" Someone shouted.
Being a police officer, Miranda was trained in basic first aid. She ran up to the wounded soldier. "What happened?" she asked as she took water from a bucket and a rag and washed several of the worst of the man's cuts.
"A patrol from our cavalry ran into scouts from the Dark Army." The soldier said, in reply, "I am Johann of the village of Feldstatden. Eight days ago we ran into an advanced party of the Dark Army and repelled them across our border into the lands they occupied. We pursued them only to encounter the main element of the Dark Army just across our border. They have destroyed our outlying outposts and villages. They hunted the remains of the skirmishers down, I am all that survives."
Miranda bandaged Johann's wounds as best she could as they waited for the doctor. "Shh, keep your strength." Miranda said. Halb gave Johann some water to drink and some bread from a baker.
Later, upon hearing this, Prince Nupraptor issued a writ to all the villages and townships in the state of Vasserbunde. All the couriers in the state were sent out on the roads to distant outposts and garrisons to mobilize all the soldiers to face the threat facing Vasserbunde.
According to Johann, the Dark Army numbered in excess of seventeen thousand men. The number of men Vasserbunde would be able to muster would be maybe ten or twelve thousand at most.
"These are fearful odds." Halb said to Miranda, "The fall of Vasserbunde seems assured."
Soldiers marched in close ranks through the streets. In spite of the fact that every soldier in Vasserbunde was being mustered to face the Dark Army, it seemed already too late. And what was worst, was that the Heartless could replenish themselves by taking the hearts of those who survived their assaults, adding more to their ranks. It seemed Vasserbunde's days were numbered.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC: Up next, the Battle of Vasserbunde.