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XVIII. The Journey North

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The following day, Tal and a small band of companions were riding towards the small town of Ketchyin. Then a couple of men spurred their horses on faster and disappeared over a small rise.

Tal motioned the remaining men to be on their guard. Then after a short wait, the forward scouts appeared again, this time accompanied by a group of Ulak. Everyone put away their weapons.

“Greetings, Tal,” the head of the Ulak group said.

“Greetings, Amoraak,” Tal replied as he recognized the great warrior he had the privilege of addressing. He climbed down from his steed and clasped Amoraak’s hand in his own. “What news?”

“We’ve evacuated Ketchyin. The people are safe behind Kalishar’s walls. Or at least, they’re as safe as they can be for the time–being.”

“Is Sól there right now?”

“I think so,” Amoraak told him. “In the meantime, we’ve built new encampments on the western side of the mountains for our old, and our women and children. I doubt any Angdar brutes will find them there.”

“Well, hopefully, no ‘Angdar brutes’ know the Ulak even exist, right?”

Amoraak smiled. “Well, a few forward scouting groups briefly found out about us.”

Tal smiled back. “Briefly?”

“They won’t be telling their friends about us,” Amoraak replied.

“Tell me about those scouts.”

“They know they’ve lost the garrison to the north. They know that our communications down this side of the mountain are close to being reestablished. And they know that Kalishar is readying itself for war. They’re trying to disrupt these things in whatever way they can, although I think that’s all they’re doing. They seem scattered to me. They’re confused.” A dark expression crossed his features. “They attacked us when we were burdened with people unable to fight for themselves. They disgust us.”

“You’re not alone there,” Tal told him. “And that’s probably a taste of what’s to come, I’d say. How bad was it?”

“We protected the people in our charge,” Amoraak said. “The Angdar clearly weren’t expecting fights with warriors who matched them in strength and size. They are, shall we say, unaccustomed to fair fights.”

“That’s what Sól’s counting on,” Tal said. “Me too. I’m glad to have your people on our side.”

“And we are glad to fight alongside you,” Amoraak answered in kind. “Farewell, Tal. We’ll meet again soon.”

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There was a light tap on the door and Karn got up from the sofa to open it.

“It’s Morgiana,” Shaala told him with a smile on her lips.

Karn paused and glanced back at her. “How do you know?”

“I can sense her in my mind,” Shaala replied.

Karn smiled back and opened the door. “Hello, Morgiana. We were just talking about you.”

“Were you just?” Morgiana replied.

“Good news?” Karn asked, stepping back to let her inside.

“Yes,” Morgiana said.

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Lorial looked at the vale in the moonlight. “There’s not much left, is there?”

“I’d say the Angdar scavenged everything they could for that ugly garrison down south and whatever they’ve got to the north,” Keld said, looking down at what remained of his city. “Actually, I’m more surprised by the fact that there aren’t any enemy soldiers posted here.” He shook his head. “That’s not right. It’s the only passage between the south and northern regions of Arahir for over a hundred miles. There have to be some sentries here.”

Beside him, Gandon shrugged. “Maybe there were but the Angdar took too many losses at Ensildahir and the garrison so they can’t keep all their outposts manned. Remember, we are sort of counting on this fact.”

Keld turned to his friend. “But they wouldn’t leave this place abandoned. I think we’ve been seen and the Angdar and their friends are waiting to ambush us when we cross through.”

“All right,” Gandon told him. “So what should we do?”

“Think like our enemy for a moment,” Keld said. “Where would you set your trap if you saw us?”

Gandon shrugged. “Farther up this path, I’d suppose. Around the bend.”

“This side of the river?”

“Well, of course this side of the river. This is where we are.”

Keld smiled. “Good man.”

Then Lorial smiled too, pointing down to the vale below. “We’re going back across the river, Gandon. But thankfully, there’s a bridge this time.”

“Kindly provided for us by the Angdar,” Keld added. “And who says they never do anything good for us?” He turned his steed around. “Come on. Let’s go back for the others. Can you shoot while riding?”

“I pride myself on it,” Gandon told him.

“Good,” Keld said. “Let’s hope that some of the others can as well.”

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When they were ready, they urged their horses on to a gallop, racing down the path and then veering off, thundering down a grassy slope to the plain before the river. Somewhere above them, voices roared out in frustration.

Gandon and two of the men turned around in their saddles as they rode, and took some shots at their would–be assailants. There were some grunts as several Angdar collapsed and one bellowed as he fell.

Then Keld’s group raced across the Avahast over a crude wooden bridge and into the dark on the far side, riding north until they reached a safe place to ford the river once more so they could continue up the western side.

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“Do you think we’ll run into any more ambushes on the way?” one of the men asked once they had camped.

Keld, for obvious reasons, had not allowed a fire that night. He paced in the dark.

“No,” he said. “Arahir is emptied and the people of Valahir are hemmed in between the east and the west branches of the river. That’s where the rest of the Angdar will be.”

Another man frowned, the expression lost in the evening light but his puzzlement clear in his question. “I don’t understand why the Angdar don’t go around either branch of the river and attack from the north.”

Keld smiled. “Because the northern region of Valahir is horse country, Araimis, and the Angdar are not horse people. The Valahir soldiers would trample them into the ground in a day and compose a few songs about it in the afternoon.”

“Why don’t we all get some rest?” he then suggested. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. There are some hidden grain storage rooms around here and we have to find them and stock up for the horses before we go much farther. Once we cross the border into Valahir, I expect we’ll see some of the Angdar’s scorched–earth policy at work.”

The group nodded. “Right.”

“Good,” Keld said. “Lorial. You and Gandon will take the first watch. Araimis and I are on the second. Aedon and Talahast, you take the third.”

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Sól was studying a map on his table when she heard a knock.

“Come in,” she said, looking up.

Tal stood in the doorway, a wry smile on his face. “We’ve been summoned,” he said.

Sól followed him to an antechamber next to the main hall of the palace and there she found Queen Isabelle, the matriarch of Maharei, a youthful woman with alabaster skin and long black hair. Beside her was Queen Heptapshu. Commanders Bacara and Avari were also present and so was Morgiana.

“Sól. Tal,” Queen Isabelle said, giving them a small nod in greeting. “Thank you for coming. Everyone, please. Take a seat.”

The group sat at a small round table.

“I understand,” the Maharei queen began, “that neither the Angdar nor the Araceans have come within so much as two days’ ride from the city. We’re anticipating an attack but it hasn’t come. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.”

“May I offer my suggestions?” Sól asked.

“By all means,” Queen Isabelle replied.

Sól addressed the group. “By now, you are all aware of our discovery that Marshal Artaeis, with one hand, openly governs the foreign policies of Cirreone and her allies and, with the other, commands the Angdar and the mages among them. Using the Angdar army, he antagonizes the eastern lands of the Greater Realms, stirring them into the warring states that they’ve now become. He controls both but in this game of his, the left hand cannot be allowed to know what the right is doing. Therefore, we have no reason to fear a combined attack between the two groups.

“The split attack he just attempted, with the Angdar coming from the north through Ensildahir and the Aracean fleet attempting to take Ensari from the sea, was only possible because the Araceans didn’t know about the other attack. So he can’t use that strategy again. If he chooses to attack Kalishar now, he can only use one of his two groups. I’d say the most likely candidates are the Angdar. They’re closer for one thing but for another, they like fighting. They won’t be too disheartened by their recent defeat at Ensildahir and the garrison at the northern end of the mountains. On the contrary, knowing Angdar, Strahd’s lieutenants might have their hands full trying to hold them back until the marshal can decide on the next plan of attack. For the soldiers of the east however, their defeat in the strait was devastating. Friends lost. Widows and orphans back home. Grief. Weariness. They’re not going to be in any mood to fight right now.”

There were a few nods around the table.

“And the Angdar have been seen nearby recently,” Tal added. “As close as Ketchyin. Whereas I haven’t seen or heard anything of eastern soldiers.”

“However,” Sól said, “despite their eagerness to fight, the Angdar may not be in any position to do so now either. They’re stretched too thin. Trying to hold onto Valahir, regrouping after their defeats in Arahir and being frustrated by the Ulak down south. Sooner or later, the mages who command them will want to withdraw and consolidate their strength. Yes, the dragon Dominicon may well shift the balance in their favor when they finally regroup but I don’t believe we have anything to fear for a while at least. This is the lull we have been waiting for and what remains now is to decide how best to use it.”

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Lorial shook her head as she looked at the barren countryside around her.

“You weren’t kidding,” she said to Keld.

“No,” he replied. “The Angdar are famed for their love of the scorched earth policy. Although, looking at what they’ve done here, it might work to our advantage.”

“How?”

“I think they’ve overdone it here,” Keld said. “They were so bent on cutting off potential supplies to Arahir refugees and Valahir messengers and scouts that they didn’t stop to think how they would keep their own garrisons along the river supplied.”

A thoughtful expression crossed his features. “They’ve probably compensated for their mistake by running fresh supplies in from the east, along the roads to Wyvern’s Peak and the area to the south. But with the numbers they lost at Ensildahir, the loss of the garrison and the fact that they’re probably busy planning their strike on Kalishar to regain lost ground, those supplies will have likely slowed down a lot. I’d imagine that the siege of Valahir might well be coming to an end of its own accord now.”

Lorial nodded. The reasoning made sense.

“So,” she said, looking around. “This is Valahir then?”

“Well,” Keld said, “this is Valahir after the Angdar have trampled their filthy feet all over it so you’re not really seeing it properly. But yes, this is it. Hopefully, Arvenreign will still be standing proud and as beautiful as I remember it. It’s not Olcenberg but it’s a city close to my heart.”

Lorial smiled. “I guess we’ll find out how it’s fared fairly soon.”

“Yes,” Keld agreed. “Not long now.”