Chapter Two
Into the War Zone
ANNA
It was another twenty minutes before Anna got back to her own tent. Kristoff had gone off to deal with a problem with the supply wagons that were only just making their way into the camp, followed closely behind by stragglers from the day's harsh march. Exhaling quietly, she wondered if her husband would even be coming to bed tonight. There hadn't been much time to bed down and enjoy his company as of late, and given the circumstances she could hardly blame him.
Her sentries from the Queen's Guard weren't outside her tent, probably because they were at the end of their shift and the new ones were coming to take their place. Which was just as well, for she was a little too tired to deal with pleasantries or salutations right now. She lethargically ducked through the tent flaps, only to find someone sitting in the dark at the corner of her tent. Anna's heart skipped a beat before she realised who it was.
"You scared me." Anna grumbled.
Melody shook her head in apology. "Sorry. The light still hurts sometimes. That Mage Slayer Tracy and I faced did a real number on us."
"You shouldn't be up." Anna sat down on the ground beside Melody, who was leaning against the side of her tent. "You took a nasty beating."
"We all did." Melody said. "But I'm fine now, and so are Tracy and the others."
"All except Maui and Elsa." Anna said quietly. She hadn't had the time to visit the medical tent to see them since they'd made camp for the evening. "Tell me, are they awake yet?"
Melody shook her head again.
Anna cursed under her breath.
"They'll be alright." Melody said. "They're strong."
"I still don't know what the hell happened to them." Anna inclined her head towards her friend. "Holli told me that she couldn't identify what was wrong. Whatever injuries they sustained weren't common sorcery."
"The Mage Slayers." Melody said quietly. "We fought them and lost. Bitterly."
This was the first time Anna was hearing a first hand account of what'd happened in that forest. "The assassins?"
"Yeah. They were…too strong." Melody gave a tiny shudder. "Their powers were unlike anything we've ever dealt with before. Far deadlier. Tracy and I fought two of them. One could control objects with his mind, and the other could warp our vision and take away our balance with vertigo, I think."
"And the others?"
"I don't know. When we were fighting the Mage Slayers, I briefly saw Deirdre and Janus fighting against a few others. They were overwhelmed too."
"Elsa and Maui?"
"They went off after Jade and the Order."
So Jade was with Lord Magnus now. Anna hadn't been sure of the reason of Jade's disappearance, but now she knew. Jade had been manipulated into abandoning the Warriors. But why?
"Magnus promised to resurrect Jordan." Melody explained, as though reading her mind. "But at the cost of her own soul."
Baffled, Anna frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He's going to make her a Mage Slayer."
"No…" Anna whispered in dread. "And she agreed?"
"Can you really blame her?" Melody sounded very tired all of a sudden.
"No, I suppose not." Anna went quiet. They'd lost Jade, along with their other allies who had fallen before.
"Anna, we might very well be out of our league this time."
Anna's heart sank. If a courageous veteran like Melody had doubts about this whole campaign, what chance did the all of them have in the coming days?
"You should rest." Anna said, trying to avoid talking about it further. They would accomplish nothing more tonight, she could feel it. "I lost the argument. The Coalition is marching again tomorrow."
If there was any disappointment or frustration, Melody didn't show it. She got up slowly, probably to avoid incurring the lingering effects of the vertigo she'd mentioned. "I should get back and check on the others."
Anna nodded and watched as Melody slowly pushed aside the tent flaps and slipped off into the night. Her friend's words echoed in her mind again ominously. We might very well be out of our league this time. She rubbed her shoulders and pulled the blanket from her bedroll to warm herself. A cold draught of air brought in stray snow, and she shivered.
If only Kristoff would get back soon then they could cuddle, for all the comfort that would bring them both in these maddening times. But she didn't wait, as sleep soon consumed her within the next few minutes.
###
The next day was rather demoralising, to say the least. At dawn, the soldiers set off again, with the Xerflorians forming the vanguard of the column. Frederick issued orders to make some changes to the column formation. At the flanks rode the best dragoons of each division, meant to ward off any sudden close flanking attacks from hidden enemy infantry or cavalry.
The first attack since the battle at Netheide came when the Coalition settled down for a quick lunch. Even though it hadn't snowed all morning, the weather was still bitterly and relentlessly cold, and the thick snow covering the land made it all the harder for the column to make substantial progress. So when midday came and the sun hung high in the sky, the soldiers were all too relieved to drop their packs and devour their rations.
And that was when the Exonians struck. Not the whole army, but a few squadrons of dragoons and light infantry meant to heckle the Coalition. Even then, it was enough to sow panic and confusion, and it had taken the weary soldiers some time to form square to repel the cavalry. The Xerflorian cavalry drove them off, while the Northuldra and Danish skirmishers had been the ones to match their Exonian counterparts.
It was an attack that spread chaos throughout the camp, and it took some time to reorganise the men back into their positions in the column for the second leg of the day's march. Anna only understood why the Exonians had decided to attack now. It took two hours before the soldiers got back on the path again, and had barely managed to rest or consume their rations. It was a ploy meant to weaken and slow down their enemies, which the Exonians had done successfully.
This was probably part of Field Marshal Kane's plan. The brilliant strategist that he was, he'd probably sent out instructions for General Hydrech to burn Netheide and force his pursuers to take the southern route to Exon's capital. That path was meant to be Kane's playground as he reassumed control of the Imperial Horde and began his relentless attacks on the Coalition.
It was only now that Anna was beginning to put two and two together and for the first time caught a glimpse of what lay ahead of them. She wasn't sure if the other Confederation members knew, for they'd seemed all too eager to charge headlong towards the capital. It was going to be hell for the Coalition.
The harsh terrain and weather slowed them all down considerably, coupled together with the delay at lunchtime. And so, the march was extended till long after dark, and even then, the column only managed to cover eight miles, as opposed to the normal fifteen or more in good weather.
It was about nine when the Arendellians, who made up the rear of the column, barely managed to trudge into the planned campsite after the rest of the Coalition had arrived. Arriving in the frozen fields two miles outside a little village called Orlegdom, Anna was relieved that they would finally be able to buy livestock and supplies from the villagers in order to sustain the army. Food was already in dangerously low supply, and they desperately needed the supplies from the village.
Only there was something very wrong with the village, and Anna's eyes went rather wide when Hayley came running hastily to her with a fresh report.
"Say what?" Anna rasped in alarm, her throat quite dry from the cold air.
Hayley looked nervous as she peered down again at the report she'd received from one of Frederick's messengers.
"The Xerflorian scouts found the village empty, desolate, and it seems to have been intentionally burnt down. The smoke still hangs in the air."
"Yes, yes, I can see that." Anna glared at the smoke that still lingered above the village. It brought back horrid flashes of the burning town of Netheide.
Timidly, Hayley adjusted her glasses before continuing. "The villagers apparently fled when they learnt we were coming."
"Not surprising." Tracy said. She and Melody had recovered enough to accompany Anna on horseback throughout the day, whereas Janus and Deirdre rode with the rest of the League of Sorcerers in the centre of the column. "I'd run if I saw foreign armies invading my country."
"But we weren't going to invade or pillage." Anna said indignantly.
"Well obviously they didn't know that." Melody was staring out into the far distance, as though trying to scour the land for any possible traps.
Hayley cleared her throat softly, as if to remind the three girls that she hadn't finished with her report. "The next bit is…rather disturbing."
"What is it?" Anna asked in dread. How could things get any worse at this stage?
"Well." Hayley fiddled with her glasses again, as though reluctant to read the next bit. "The scouts report finding burnt bodies."
"They found what now?" Tracy sounded horrified, her eyes quite wide.
"Those who couldn't flee their homes with the rest were burnt together with the village." Hayley said quietly.
Melody swore under her breath and turned away.
Blinking in disbelief, Anna felt quite sick. She glanced at the smoke again. "Any survivors?"
Hayley consulted the report for a moment and then shook her head morosely. She swallowed hard. "None. Only a few of the livestock that were left behind survived, while others were charred and blackened beyond recognition, lying dead in the snow."
"Nowhere near enough to feed nine divisions." Anna concluded. Damn it. They'd been banking on the fact that they could purchase food and supplies from Orlegdom, but now that it'd been burnt down, that was very much out of the question.
Something niggled at her mind, and she frowned. "Hayley. Who did you say make up the vanguard of the column today?"
"Ma'am?"
"Which division got to the campsite first?" Anna probed a little more aggressively than she'd intended. "Who were the scouts?"
Hastily, Hayley glanced down at the report again. "The Xerflorians."
A knot tightened in her stomach, and she glanced over at Melody. "Could they-"
"I don't think so." Melody said before she could finish her sentence. "Horatio is a rash prick, but he wouldn't do something like this."
"You weren't there yesterday at the conference." Anna said, the marquess' words suddenly coming back to her and ringing loudly in her head. I'd have no compunctions ordering my men to pillage and burn their houses down. This is war, after all.
"What?" Tracy asked.
Anna clutched the reins of her horse and set off at a canter through the camp, leaving a very confused Melody and Tracy behind with her secretary.
It better not be true, Anna clenched her jaw, leaning forward and urged her mount faster towards the front of the camp where the Xerflorians had pitched their tents. Could Horatio have ordered the village to be pillaged and burnt before the rest of the Coalition got here? He certainly had the motive, seeing as how he hated Exonians so much, and he did seem like the type to indulge in a fair bit of pillaging during his campaigns.
The soldiers in yellow and black uniforms began to blur as she rode past them. Near the centre of the Xerflorians' tents, she found the hot-headed marquess speaking with a few of his generals. She sawed on the reins, bringing her horse to a screeching halt, who snorted loudly in displeasure.
Hastily, she dismounted from the saddle and stalked towards the small group of officers in yellow and black. A Xerflorian was the first to spot her coming fast towards them, and he alerted the rest of the officers to her presence. They saluted in a less than keen manner, their tall shakos fastened tightly to their heads.
"My Lord, may I have a private word?" She tried to keep her tone mild.
Horatio regarded her cautiously as one would regard a tigress, then nodded at his officers. They dispersed almost instantly. When they'd gone, he put his hands on his hips and opened his mouth to speak. "Might I guess why you're here, Your Majesty?"
"Now that we're in private, stuff the formalities, Horatio." Anna said with a little too much hostility. "We both know you're not one who values respect."
"On the contrary," Horatio said stiffly. "What's this about, then? You going to blame me for that?" He waved a hand at the still smoking village, which was much closer now due to the fact that they were at the head of the Coalition's camp.
"Well, did you?" Anna couldn't help but blurt out, and regretted it almost instantly. Stirring up further strife amongst allies wasn't going to help, not when they were this deep into the Empire's territory, almost at the gates now.
He snorted angrily. "What do you think?"
"I think," Anna continued before she could stop herself. "That you wouldn't hesitate to burn and pillage. Or have you forgotten what you told us last night at the table?"
"You're more dense than you look." He retorted rudely, shaking his head. "Have you never heard of a figure of speech?"
"Horatio, look me in the eye and tell me you didn't do this." She demanded, more in control of herself now. "Everyone knows you hate these Exonians more than the rest of us combined."
"Of course I didn't, you idiot." He hissed. "By the time my scouts ranged ahead and arrived at the village, it was already on fire, damn it."
"And you're certain your men didn't do this?"
"I'd have them flogged for disobeying my orders." He said cruelly. "And then stripped and turned out in the forest to fend for themselves against the beasts of the land."
Anna eyed him with disdain, studying him for a long moment as he simmered. Horatio was impulsive, brutish and had a fiery temper, that was for sure, but he wasn't a liar. She could tell that he meant it. He wasn't responsible for the village.
"It was those damn Exonian brigades." He spat on the ground and ran a hand through his long blonde hair. "Hell, I'll bet my sword on it. Burning their own villages just to spite us and taking away the livestock so that we'll starve. They know we're trying to live off the land to save time and catch up with them. Smart bastards."
Squeezing her nose bridge, Anna shut her dry eyes. "They're trying to weaken and wear us down before we even get to the capital, and when we arrive with whatever that's left of the Coalition, Kane intends to crush us."
"Oh, so you believe me now?" Horatio sneered acidly. "I'm so glad. What would I have done without your trust?"
Anna bristled. "I'm sorry I accused you." Anna said tightly as she turned to go back to her horse. "Though in my defence you gave me every reason to suspect you."
Horatio snorted again. "Go back to your tent, Your Majesty. I'll send out foraging parties from my side. I suggest you tell your precious Field Marshal to come up with a roster for foragers. We're going to need every damn animal and edible berry we can find from the woods."
Mounting her horse, Anna circled her mount back the way she'd come. Her anger and indignation hadn't waned, though it was now targeted not at Horatio, but the Exonians. The gall, she thought to herself as she passed by the complaining Molcorrans. These Exonian soldiers razed a village belonging to their own people to the ground. Savages.
Apparently, the word had spread quickly. The Arendellians who had just gotten into camp not long ago already knew the predicament they faced. Anna heard groans and grumbling among the ranks as the soldiers set up their tents or flopped on the ground in exhaustion. She felt a pang of sympathy for them. Imagine walking eight miles through snow and having little or no time to rest for lunch because of an attack, only to stumble into camp to find that the supplies and food you've been waiting for went up in smoke.
And then there was the problem going forward. With food running dangerously low, they would have to further cut their rations. And with the Exonians constantly heckling them and slowing them down, how much longer would they last? Then there was the weather, if the snow continued to fall and make things even harder. The odds of them surviving all of it and winning the final battle against Kane seemed even slimmer than before.
Anna's eye caught something ahead of her and she reined her horse to a stop. She stared, wide-eyed, not sure whether to be shocked, relieved or overjoyed. Elsa had emerged from the hastily constructed medical tent, wearing nothing but a maroon nightgown, her hair bedraggled.
In all the chaos and confusion since the Arendellians came into camp, it seemed no one had been tending to the wounded yet, and Elsa had just woken from her days-long slumber and wandered out of the tent in a daze.
"Elsa!" Anna leapt from her horse and very nearly twisted her ankle. She silently cursed the riding boots and surged forward as fast as her feet could carry her in the thick snow. Reaching her sister, she slowed down and enveloped her in a gentle and cautious hug. "You-you're alright!"
"Careful." Elsa winced. "My body's still sore and everything's foggy."
"Holli said you had three cracked ribs, both arms fractured and your body was in shock." Anna said, remembering every detail out of worry and concern. "But you're okay now?"
"I think so." Elsa applied a very gentle hand to her ribs. "More or less, but still a little sore."
Anna made a mental note to thank Holli again for her healing magic. That girl is a godsend. She looked her sister up and down. The nightgown Elsa was wearing looked rather thin, nowhere near suitable for winter, and she was barefoot too but unsurprisingly she showed no signs of feeling cold. Not far away, some of the soldiers had noticed Elsa's emergence and were staring inquisitively at the royal sisters' reunion.
"We should go back inside," Anna hurriedly ushered Elsa back towards the tent. "It's ridiculously cold out here."
