Chapter 5: Alert Alert!

As the dawn Rose anew over the village of Riserstead. The new Lord of the town found him and the rest of his retinue resting and enjoying the pleasantries that only a building with a roof could afford.

Yet on the horizon, a rider slowly approached. He armor bore a red jackal sigil upon it. The man was a courier for the House of Valtrex doing a routine information exchange with the stationed military outposts. He approached the village as he normally would on these routes, yet as he approached, he pulled back hard upon the reigns of his nag. Something was off, and before he was within 50 meters of the outermost building on the north side of the village he could tell. He leaned forward in the saddle as he looked onward to try and figure out what was going in the village. Suddenly, he noticed that none of the banners of Valtrex were flying, and he then noticed that a smoldering pile of ash was just to the south of the village. He did not approach to learn what was in the pile because he already knew. It was the ash of those fallen in a recent skirmish.

"I have got to get this information back to Lord Fulcrum!" He said aloud as he tugged on the reigns of the steed to turn around. He immediately dug his heels into the horse's side to force a strong gallop, as haste was an utmost need in this report. The horse neighed loudly as it took off quickly and before another moment was past the rider was no longer in sight of the town.

"What was all that noise?" A disheveled Dalton questioned as he opened a door and emerged from a house at the edge of town. His shirt open and his pants absent him. The man seemed slow from drink and a night of exhaustive pleasure.

"Dalton! Get back to bed!" A feminine voice called from inside. Dalton smiled as he returned his focus to inside the home, content to continue satisfying his desires. The mercenary believed that it was of the utmost to make the most of any and all opportunity to be inside the embrace of a good woman, as he, being a mercenary, never would truly know when his last dance would be. He shut the door firmly behind him as the rider aforementioned continued a blistering pace northward.

….

Days and days had passed, but alas in the north life moves slow and while Shenis had Tico out mapping the nearby terrain and troop locales, the rider from Valtrex had found his way home. All the way to the city of Valor, the largest feudal system city in the free north. The city was nowhere near the size of Dol, but having nearly 60,000 residents made the city quite large in comparison to many of the lands and certainly more so than the tiny city of Jule far to the south. The rider rode through the main south gate and kept his pace all through the main thoroughfare until he reached the castle. Once he reached the steps he dismounted and tied his steed before blitzing forward into the hall.

"MY Liege! My Liege!" he called as he moved around main hall searching for where the Valtrex family would be found. Before too long a voice called to him from the dining hall. The scout moved to their and once inside he found several armed knights as well as the full Valtrex head family in attendance having a quaint evening meal. Seated at the head of the table was Lord Fulcrum, a lord who made his name years past as a general class heavy knight. He was in his late fifties but with his large body and healthy diet he still had immense strength upon his body. His hair was even still mostly black with slivers of silver lining the edges. Next to him on his right was his wife, who while was not the father of any of his children. She was a warrior in his military who became jealous of Fulcrum's wife ten years back for hogging all the prime food, at least that was what she perceived. She then challenged Lady Valtrex for the spot as Lady of the House. Lord Fulcrum, enjoyed the passion shown by the woman and with lust in his heart for toned form happily accepted the fight to the death. Meagan slew his prior wife in a matter of seconds. Lord Fulcrum and his children laughed when the deceased fell. He immediately married the warrior.

On the one side of the table were the two sons of Fulcrum, Flynn and Peter. Both were tall and strong like their father with long flowing black hair. Flynn being the firstborn and rightful heir to Valor's rule followed his father in the heavy knight form of fighting and had recently achieved general status. Peter however was a skilled Warrior having spent the last few years being trained by him stepmother. As being much the common custom in many of the lands the ruling elite tended to be the most skilled in combat as they were afforded the best armor, opportunity to train, and food to keep strong. Sure there were many skilled guards in the castle but the family itself were far more scary then perhaps all else in Valor.

"What is the news that you interrupt my feasting?" the lord father asked as he dropped his leg of mutton. Meagan meanwhile continued eating, she was in as bronzed a shape as any man and thus had an appetite to put many to shame.

"M' lord. The village of Riserstead has been taken from us!" the news was met with confusion by the family.

"Riserstead?" Fulcrum was truly puzzled he tilted his head and rested a hand upon his head. "What is Riserstead?" the reply floored the scout at first. After a moment he got off the ground and brushed himself off remembering that Riserstead was a minor of minor villages, one the family was really only occupying in place of building a southern garrison to help create a formal border.

"Riserstead was our southern most advanced position in your conquest efforts. It was fallen I saw it with my own eyes, our soldiers all dead and burned." The news hit with Fulcrum but none of the others really noticed the words as if it was of no importance."

"Malachi!" the ruling lord called for the attention of his assistant a well known court druid by the name of… "Malachi…what was the number of men we had stationed at Riserstead?" The druid quickly grabbed his personal ledger and began riffling through before he came to the page containing the answer.

"11 soldiers in all under captain Zim." Fulcrum nodded at the news.

"11 soldiers dead, must have been a gaggle of dandies." Meagan laughed as she began crunching on a bone. All in the room let out a stout chuckle before Fulcrum returned the conversation back to topic.

"What was the provisional value of the garrison in yield of crops, supplies, gold and people?" Fulcrum clearly did not mourn the passage of men but needed to know the losses were not fool hearty and a serious blow to his military effort.

"Well the population is around 40, no one to draft, the crop yield was about two percent of the collective return, and the commerce yield was less than one percent." The druid replied.

"So Malachi in losing this village are we okay as things are currently spread and rationed? After all the initial point of expanding our domain had really nothing to do other than to simply secure greater farm and provisional territory for the safety and comfort of our people here in Valor." Fulcrum's words were true, while his marriage situation and conquests would paint him to be a tad barbaric and cruel he ultimately wanted the best for the large number of people under his charge and needed to expand his access to workable soil as the north was filled with hard ground and short seasons of planting.

"Lord Fulcrum we should be okay. We really never took Riserstead for resources, after all its so small I doubt any lords from the south or west would have it listed on their maps. We merely took it to allow us to have a military border and eventually use it to help migrate people safely from the city to start a new town a day or so north of the village. As borders really provide safety and full usage of every inch of what is inside." Fulcrum listened well to the words of the druid.

"How large is our standing military presence across the land?" Flynn asked as he entered into the conversation. The topics of war and combat would always gain his attention. Peter at the sound of his brother's voice also took a keen interest.

"Well…We have currently 12 commissioned banner men with a standing force." The druid spoke as he turned the pages to look over the military details. "Lord Fulcrum carries a personal guard of 200 men. Lady Meagan being commander of the military has 300 armed at her command. Flynn and Peter both have a personal retinue of 100 apiece. Lurch in Til carries 40 at his command. Camos camped near Winter's Edge on watch against the undisciplined folk carries 50 men. Wiley here in the city commands the city patrol and has 30 men. Erin leads the wall's guard and has 40 archers. Dune who controls the mining village of Brush for us has 20 men. Malt who runs the village of Karn for us has 30 men at his command. Lastly your brother Keith and his son Olec. They are both currently at Port Blanc which we recently took control of last December. In last report, Olec had 80 under his command and Keith had 40. Though do remember they are bolstering and recruiting to begin the campaign you gave them permission to wage further East toward Aath and House Mert. This puts our total standing trained military at 1030 strong."

"Don't you have a college of those studying dark magic in your charge good Malachi?" Peter asked of the druid.

"I do but I am not a commissioned officer so I leave myself off the register." The druid responded.

"Well thank you for the update Malachi." Fulcrum responded. He sat back in his chair as he thought about his military needs. The more things worked over in his mind the better understanding of what he needed to do. He wanted to regain Riserstead as it played a strategic advantage for migrating people to the south and creating room in the city for proper construction, renovation and expansion as the city had exploded in populous over the last few generations as relative peace was upon them and compared to the normal harshness of winter endured by the north the last few had been much more manageable allowing for unplanned growth in people. He also however, had no clue who was the house behind the defeat at Riserstead, it could have been brigands, but if it was a major house such as House Bruin of Dol with their massive population to supply a truly grand army, then Fulcrum had no desire to tussle with them.

"Scout did you see any banners present?" he asked the rider who had caught his breath and was standing at attention at the foot of the table.

"No..No sire…No banners did I see." The scout felt ill for not being able to provide an answer the Lord sought.

"Bother, so for all we know if could be a roving gang of bandits." The lord lightly slammed his hand on the table. "Scout, did their look to be a large presence in the town or minor in number of hostiles present?"

"Sire…I doubt the occupying force is anything larger than what we had stationed there. It's a very small village, even the smallest addition of personnel my eyes would have been able to recognize." This answer was one the scout was far more confident in heralding. He could see a few more horses but really nothing to suggest any massive influx of new blood into the tiny village.

"Good. Good." Fulcrum thought. "Family I have an idea!" his words caught the attention of all. Even Meagan who had her feet up on the table and was now stretching her arms. "We want to regain control, but we have no clue who this is, and are unaware of the exact number of men occupying the position. Yet, we do know the force cannot be too grand in number. Therefore, Malachi our military academy, how many are in training this season under cousin Lester?"

"Last time I checked he had 37 recruits who could walk." Malachi chuckled a tad as he reported. "Phew. Pardon the giggle, Lester is a rather though soldier on those recruits, he certainly keeps the cities priesthood adept at their healing arts."

"Good cousin Lester will take the trainees as his own standing force. Send this scout with him, and be sure to send a few temple priests as well." The lord spoke.

"Father! Let me do this!" Flynn slammed both hands on the table in ager at the statement. "Why send weak recruits and Lester, anyone in this room can best Lester, sure he is a legend against the untrained but against anyone here he would amount to nothing more than piss and shit."

"Flynn sit-down." Meagan uttered still sitting back in her chair. "Do you not understand what your father wishes to do?" Flynn was silent and confused by the statement. He tilted his head toward his step mother unsure what she meant. "Look Flynn, we do not know who or what is backing this invasive force. For all we know it could be a trap by a massive military, heck for all we know they saw our scout here leaving the village and are mounting a defense. We simply have no clue. Now look I would love nothing more than to blindly go in there and slaughter the enemy and wave the colors proudly but we cannot let ourselves get into trouble."

"So if we do not know then why send recruits and Lester?" the eldest son asked. "Why not send one of us here at the table or Uncle Keith and his son? Surely any of those options has a higher success rate!"

"Because my son." Fulcrum decided to enlighten his heir. "If we send you or a seasoned military into a trap then we are at a loss, but if Lester goes then we only lose recruits, and a member of House Valtrex."

"OHHHH!" Peter piped up. "I get it Lester is older and a lesser member of the house but still bears the Valtrex name, if he falls then whoever is responsible we are allowed by free state code to seek vengeance absent recoil or moral right of a coalition from other houses."
"EXACTLY!" the lord replied to his second born. "And if we win the village back then Lester can promote all the recruits and establish a true outpost and formal presence there as we thus once more expand our border." The plan finally made sense to all in the room. "Scout what is your name good rider?"

"Orlando my lord." The rider replied loyally as he bowed.

"Orlando, go and inform Lester of his mission, inform him all who are in the garrison that success in the mission means they become full soldiers in our army and the rations and wages that such grants them for service." Orlando bowed once more as he turned on his heel and exited toward the training barracks.

As he quickly exited the building he was soon stopped by Malachi the court druid, "Now young Orlando, please be wise and stay as a courier, while you are a cavalier, do not enter the fray as one, please stay back and observe, pay attention to whom we are fighting and such, immediately after the battle, whatever the result you will report back to the family here. Do you understand?" the rider nodded, he would keep his distance and stay clear of the fighting in the campaign to reclaim Riserstead.

….

Later on after all the news had been spread to those about to march, the evening was late and lord Fulcrum entered his bathing chamber of the castle to have words with his wife who was already enjoying the warmed water's effect. "Lady Valtrex." He called to her as he sat down alongside her bath.

"Yes my husband." Her tone was tough but with a touch of affection in the words. "I know you understand my plan but do you think it wise?"

"Husband, we have expanded greatly in the recent years, and your people prosper under this time, as such our military is somewhat spread. Sure you could risk your boys, but what if they were captured or slain. And you yourself cannot go for your place is here my husband. And most of all even though I crave a good battle, we both know you'd miss my thighs after a few days." Fulcrum let out a strong smile as he moved toward his bathing war priestess.

"You're right my wife. My lust for you is as strong as it was back before you challenged my old wife for her place." He felt passion for her even now after nearly ten years, but how could he not, everything about her body was toned, strong, yet not masculine in its presentation. Not at all. He entered the pool, still fully clothed to claim his woman. "Has a man ever had such a woman at his side?" he spoke as he kissed his woman with aggressive passion. She bit his lip slightly and as he winced, she smiled and licked the blood from his lip up.

"Never before, and never again." She said playfully.

...AUTHOR"S NOTE...

Surprise House Valtrex is not a 1 dimensional house of evil conquest but are merely a house seeking the best for their people while being tactful at the same time.

yes we introduced the names of many many characters here however really the main ones to pick for now are going to be the ones that were present in the room as they planned this next ploy.

Lord fulcrum is older and lustful but has a desire to be a good lord to the people i would assume for now he has no knowledge of the ill treatment presented by his military in the field.

Meagan is based on a woman i know in real life, she is that fitness junkie woman who is amazingly ripped in all the ways anyone would want to be and i wanted to make a strong almost amazon type character without being so massive and built that she lacked sex appeal. Meagan's character is not a BIG BERTHA monster lady, but a Wonder Woman type, strong but not buff. lean from her work regiment, but still having a healthy appetite.

What do you think of Orlando the scout?

who is your favorite character to date? from all groups? From Shenis' camp? the trio outside of Til, or the Valtrex house?