Natalia watched the boat bearing Athgar draw closer.
“About time you showed up,” she called out.
“It’s been a long day,” he replied, “and it’s not over yet.”
Agar stood up in the bow, clutching a rope. As the boat bumped against the larger ship’s hull, he tossed it to one of the Formidable’s crew. Moments later, they were pulled into place, and then the young Orc grasped hold of the rope and quickly hauled himself up onto the deck.
“That was quite adept,” said Natalia.
“Where is Oswyn?”
“Below decks, fast asleep, or at least she was. Knowing her, she’s heard your return and is even now coming to greet you.”
Athgar climbed up onto the ship.
“What did King Yulakov want?” she asked.
“He wants us to invade Ruzhina.”
“Invade? Surely you jest?”
“I’m afraid not,” replied Athgar. “He wants to escape the Stormwinds’ influence and feels an invasion is the only method to accomplish that.”
“It sounds more like a trap to me. Do you trust him?”
“You know, I think I do. He strikes me as a ruler who wants to better the lives of his subjects. A difficult job, given his circumstances. How familiar are you with the politics of Ruzhina?”
“I’m no expert,” replied Natalia, “but even I know the family has a firm grip on the Crown.”
“That’s basically what he said.”
“And how did you respond to his request to invade?”
“That it’s not practical. Attacking the Volstrum would require a huge army, but the only method of transportation is either by ship or traversing the wilds of Zaran, neither of which is particularly feasible. Even if the entire Temple Fleet agreed, they couldn’t carry the required number of warriors. And as for Zaran, we’d be fools to try marching an army through that terrain, especially without reliable maps.”
“Was that the end of the discussion?”
“Not the end,” said Athgar, “but we moved on to other topics. He has three Stormwinds at his court, each holding a position of considerable power.”
“Let me guess: the chancellor, the treasurer, and the marshal?”
“More or less. He referred to the last individual as a military advisor, but how did you know?”
“It’s a strategy they taught at the Volstrum, though it was always discussed in the third person. Far be it for the family to admit they used the tactic themselves.”
“Anything else you can tell me about their strategies?”
“Only that they’ll have eyes and ears throughout the Royal Palace.”
“How?” asked Athgar.
“The family has a vast treasury they can pull from, and bribery is a proven method of keeping one’s finger on the pulse of the kingdom.”
“So there is truly no way to defeat the Volstrum?”
Natalia smiled. “Had you asked me that yesterday, I might be inclined to agree, but recent events have given me food for thought.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“I used my frozen arch to send all the Temple Knights to Therengia.”
“All of them?”
“Yes,” replied Natalia, “except for Cordelia. She has responsibilities in Carlingen to attend to.”
“Isn’t that spell draining, even for someone as powerful as you?”
“It would have been had I not connected to the standing stones back home. Like those in Beorwic, they tap into the magical energy flowing beneath the Continent. Once I connected, it was a simple matter of directing that energy towards the arch rather than having it flow through me.”
“You must teach me that trick sometime.”
“I don’t think it would do you any good. The stones only affect spells targeting them, and as far as I’m aware, you haven’t learned the ring of fire.”
“It’s difficult to learn without someone to teach me, and I doubt there’s any Sartellians who’d volunteer.”
She chuckled. “Most definitely not. Now, before I talk more about my idea, tell me about yours?”
“What makes you think I have a plan?”
“I know you. You’ve been mulling this over ever since Yulakov mentioned it.”
“I thought we could use magic to bring our army to Carlingen, then march up the coast, using ships to supply us from the sea. What do you think?”
“The idea has merit, but I have a much more practical suggestion.”
“Care to share?”
Cordelia chose that exact moment to wander over to them. “What are you two up to?”
“Just discussing strategy,” replied Natalia. “The King of Ruzhina wants Therengia to invade his country and displace the Stormwinds.”
“Displace?”
“My choice of words. His Majesty is intent on destroying their power base.”
“How does he propose you accomplish that?”
“By using our army to destroy the Volstrum.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“No,” said Natalia. “Hence our discussion of strategy.”
“How many warriors would you need?”
“That’s difficult to answer.”
“It is,” agreed Athgar. “We’re looking at two or three thousand, but getting them there is the problem. Shipping that many by sea is nearly impossible, and travelling through unexplored forest is not the wisest strategy. What are your thoughts on the matter?”
“Could you use Natalia’s magic to get them there?”
Natalia smiled. “Precisely what I was thinking.”
Athgar shook his head. “I know you committed the magic circle in the Volstrum to memory, but it’s not large enough to hold an army.”
“Although I like the element of surprise that appearing in the Volstrum would give us, we still have the problem of supplies. The more men we bring, the more food we’ll require for an extended fight.”
“Then we take the building quickly.”
“The Volstrum would be difficult to capture quickly. Its architecture is specifically built to withstand attack. That’s not to say we couldn’t use the circle to help secure an entrance, however.”
“So what do you propose?”
“We take a small contingent and cross Zaran. Then once we’re in Ruzhina, I use my magic to open a frozen arch to the standing stones in Therengia, where our army will be waiting.”
“The wilderness is a dangerous place.”
“Not for the likes of Athgar. He thrives in such places as do the Orcs. I imagine Kargen would be quite taken with the idea.”
“He most definitely would,” agreed Athgar. “Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t stop him from coming with us. Shaluhk, either.”
“Still,” said Cordelia, “there’s a big difference between a company of knights and an entire army.”
“There is,” replied Natalia, “and that’s where Katrin and Svetlana come in. My first spell would bring them through, then they can open their own arches.”
“Wouldn’t they need to be familiar with these standing stones in Therengia?”
“They would. Some preparation is required, but I doubt that would prove too difficult. The bigger issue is bringing tuskers through, for they’d require a larger arch.”
“Might I suggest Temple Knights in their stead? It’s not as if tuskers would prove effective within the halls of the Volstrum.”
“You’d be willing to commit your knights to such an endeavour?”
“Yes,” said Cordelia. “The time has come for us to take a more active role in defending the Petty Kingdoms.”
“But Ruzhina is a Petty Kingdom,” said Athgar.
“True, but we have known for some time now they’ve been working with Halvaria, which makes them our enemy as well as yours.”
“In that case, I accept your offer, although, at this point, I’m not certain who will comprise the rest of this expedition.”
“I’m sure Captain Valeria would let you use her cabin if you need somewhere private to discuss it. Shall I ask?”
“Yes, but if your knights are assisting, your presence is requested.”
Later that night, they gathered around a lantern, peering down at a rough map of the area. Captain Valeria had graciously lent them the use of her cabin, but the quarters were so tight they struggled to fit around the table.
“This map,” explained Natalia, “is a crude representation of the Great Northern Sea’s eastern reaches. You can see the problem we face. Ruzhina has no neighbours, save for Zaran, and any approach involves a lengthy trek through unknown and, by all accounts, dangerous terrain.”
“Dangerous in what sense?” asked Cordelia. “I hope you’ll pardon my ignorance, but I’m still relatively new to this area.”
“The area to the east is unexplored wilderness,” replied Athgar.
“And Zaran?”
“That’s another story entirely. It’s also wilderness but with a grisly history. A fellow calling himself King Karzik sailed from Carlingen with a fleet of ships, intent on landing on Zaran's coast and claiming the area, but he was never heard from again.”
“When was this?” asked Cordelia.
“About a century ago. Passing ships sighted debris on the shore and evidence that survivors went inland, but nothing more.”
“Fascinating. Is there a chance any of them could have survived?”
“After a century?” replied Natalia. “That’d be pushing their luck.”
“Could they have left children?”
“Had they women in the expedition, yes, but I’m afraid it was composed entirely of men.”
“An odd way to begin a kingdom, isn’t it?”
“I imagine he intended to bring women after establishing a foothold, but that was predicated on them surviving the initial trip.”
“And we have no idea what happened to them?”
“None whatsoever,” replied Natalia. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries, at least in the eastern kingdoms.”
“Do we know how many ships he took?”
“Six, though we are unaware of the size or the number of men Karzik brought with him. Carlingen might have records, but before now, it’s only been of cursory interest to us.”
“It bears looking into,” said Cordelia. “If you intend to mount your own expedition, you may encounter the same threats.”
“True,” said Athgar, “though I would think they were worn down by a combination of sickness and the local wildlife. We’ll be travelling with a shaman, and both Kargen and I are hunters, which lessens the danger somewhat.”
“And you’re confident you can navigate that terrain?”
“I am. My intention would be to follow the river that defines the eastern border of Zaran.”
“Not along the coast?”
“It’s possible, but a passing ship might spot us. It also means we’re travelling overland, slowing us down. Instead, I suggest we go by umak, which is better suited to river travel.”
“Umak?” said Cordelia.
“Yes, the small river craft of the Orcs. If you recall, we used them last year when travelling to Carlingen’s southern border.”
“Yes, of course.”
“You don’t approve?” said Natalia.
“I’m concerned for your safety, but you know better than I what to expect. Perhaps we should focus on the army, specifically the number of men you intend to employ in Ruzhina?”
“You’re the one from Ruzhina, Natalia,” said Athgar. “How many warriors do you think they have at their disposal?”
“The family keeps a tight grip on the king’s court, and a large army would threaten that. Furthermore, Ruzhina lacks neighbours, at least any that could threaten invasion. It would surprise me if they even have a thousand men, most of which would be in Porovka, their primary port.”
“That makes sense. It’s the most probable invasion route, though no one would be so foolish as to attempt it.”
“Yet despite that, we are planning the same thing.”
“What is our precise objective?” asked Cordelia. “Are we to conquer the entire kingdom or merely capture the Volstrum?”
“We don’t know yet,” said Athgar. “Yulakov wants the family defeated, so I imagine that includes the Volstrum.”
“Have they no other strongholds?”
“We honestly don’t know. We burned down Stormwind Manor two years ago, but I expect their matriarch found an alternate home by now.”
“And there’s nothing else?”
“I suppose we could include Zurkutsk.”
“Which is?”
“A mine where they use forced labour to dig out magerite.”
“And what, precisely, is that?”
Natalia held out her ring. “Magerite changes colour based on the magical energy of the person wearing it. You’ll note mine is an intense blue.” She removed it, setting it on the table, and it soon turned to a much paler shade.
“Remarkable.”
“This is blue magerite, which works with Water Mages. There’s also a red version that indicates potential with Fire Magic.”
Cordelia looked at Athgar. “I assume you wear one of those?”
“No. I’m not interested in such things, although I spent some time in the mine.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I was held there as a prisoner for a while.”
“And where is Zurkutsk?” asked Cordelia.
“East of Karslev, their capital.”
“Then I suggest that’s where we start.”
“Might I ask why?” said Athgar.
“Taking that mine would give us a base to operate from, a secure position where we could mass our troops before marching on Karslev.”
“I like the way you think,” said Natalia.
Cordelia smiled. “How many men do you need to capture the mine?”
“Not many,” replied Athgar, “though I suspect they’ve increased the garrison since my incarceration.”
“A hundred, perhaps?”
“Likely less. The mine still needs to remain profitable, and too many warriors would quickly negate any income.”
“So we attack with an initial force of, say, two hundred?”
“That sounds about right.”
“I recommend you take a company of Temple Knights to secure the surrounding area, then go in with a combination of foot and archers. Against those numbers, the local guards will likely surrender. Does that sound reasonable to you?”
“It does,” said Natalia.
“How long must your gate remain open for all those people to pass through?”
“I possess enough power, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“It’s not power I’m worried about; it’s time. They’ll need to march to the standing stones first, won’t they?”
“They would,” said Athgar. “But they can set up a camp there while we travel through Zaran. How long did it take for the Temple Knights to go through your arch?”
“I see your point,” replied Natalia. “Moving that many might consume half the morning.”
“Yes,” said Cordelia, “during which we’d be more vulnerable. I suggest we pick a spot a few miles from Zurkutsk to assemble without fear of discovery.”
“You impress me yet again,” said Natalia. “Your training has given you a solid foundation in strategy and tactics. Either that, or you’re just naturally gifted.”
“No. My background was raising horses, not organizing a military campaign. All that I picked up at the Antonine during my training as a Temple Captain.”
“So we capture the mine,” said Athgar, “then assemble the rest of the army.”
“Which is to be how many warriors?” asked Cordelia.
“As to actual numbers,” said Natalia, “I recommend the majority be foot soldiers. They’ll be assaulting the Volstrum, which is not the best location for deploying archers.”
“Agreed,” said Athgar. “And when we do get inside, we’ll need to use mages alongside our warriors, or else all those Stormwinds will overpower us.”
“How many mages do you have?” asked Cordelia.
“At last count, nearly twenty.”
“That many? How is that even possible?”
“There’s Natalia and me, as well as Svetlana and Katrin, providing they agree to participate. Then there are four Orc tribes in Therengia, each with two or three spellcasters, and that’s not including their shamans.”
“I had no idea Therengia had grown so powerful. You probably possess more mages than any realm on the Continent, except for the empire itself.”
“Indeed,” said Natalia. “I just hope we can still make that boast once this is over.”