Chapter 15

Moving Pieces

Lansius

The forest canopy was dense enough that it sheltered everything beneath it. Little rays of sunlight penetrated here and there. The scent of earthen was strong, coming from layers of dry leaves on the ground.

Flanked by my command staff, I sat upon a tree root with the big tree behind.

We were already partially armored. The place was humid, but the coldness from last night still kept us cool.

Our custom-made armor meant that weight was perfectly distributed upon the limbs. Thus, there was only a little discomfort.

A few hundred of us had been hiding for two nights inside the forest.

To ensure secrecy we cut access outside and even forbid bonfires. For cooking and night heating we depended on charcoals which produce far less smoke.

Speaking of cooking, I realized Audrey was looking at my unfinished bowl. So I looked directly into her eyes.

“Umm, you’re not going to finish that?” the girl beside me asked.

“No, I’m feeling full. You can have it.” I offered the bowl.

She readily accepted it, pulled the half-eaten bread that had sunk inside the soup, and took a bite.

We heard someone was coming and then a figure appeared. It was the scout; he stopped and knelt before declaring, "My Lord, one Coalition column is marching toward Marshall Hugo’s position.”

The staff went alive with discussions.

Audrey glanced at me sharply.

I noticed breadcrumbs around her mouth and carefully cleaned them by hand. “It’s time, the diversion won’t hold for long. Return to your force and ride south," I said with unusual calmness.

Audrey put the unfinished bowl on the ground and stood up. That attracted the staff's attention.

“Sir Callahan," she called the much older man who stood in response.

“Yes, Captain.”

“I entrust our Lord with you. Keep him safe.”

“I shall put my life on the line,” Callahan answered.

The exchange between them was brief.

Next, I stood up and all the eyes were on me. “Ready the men.” I gave a short order.

My staff in turn relayed the order to the entire camp.

“Come, Audrey. Let me walk you to your horse," I said in a softer tone. There was a mixed feeling within me.

Preparation was underway when we walked through the encampment. Finally, we passed a quiet spot.

“Audrey…”

“I figure you wanted to talk.”

“Yea, I… I still have a great doubt about this," I confessed.

Her expression was unchanged. Other people would be deterred by this, but I knew that was just her normal face.

As if confirming my thought, she stopped and let out a sigh.

“I sort of understand your feelings. Sending men into harm's way is never easy. But it's our job. They got theirs, I got mine, you got yours." She argued while facing me.

“People are going to die…. and for what reason? Our troops don’t have family in Korelia. They don't have reason to fight. If we just move back to Midlandia, then even the townsfolk doesn't need to take up arms," I blurted out my feelings.

Audrey clicked her tongue. “I was sworn to protect you, but I'll strike you if you utter such nonsense again." Her tone was cold. I saw her face and she was serious.

More likely than not, I failed her expectation. And I couldn't blame anyone but me. After all, what kind of leader talked like such on the eve of battle. “I’m sorry. I’ll be responsible for my battle plan and followed it through-”

“You overthinking this, Lans... Me and all the men under you, even the people in town, we gladly fight for you, not because you told us to. It’s because we wanted to.”

“But why...? I did some small goodness here and there, some small help, but nothing worthy-”

“To us you are worthy. Sigh, I can’t put this into words. How to explain this? You’re the smart one, ugh, why giving me a headache..." Audrey complained while scratching her head in frustration.

Somehow it triggered something within me and I let out a chuckle. My first in a few days. It felt so good that I let it out despite Audrey looking funny at me. I gasped for air afterward.

“You okay now?”

“No, I’m not okay. I’m sending my men and my loved ones to the battlefield,” I quipped, but something felt lighter within. The brooding was gone.

Audrey came close. Our breastplate bumped with a dull thack.

“Wha-?”

“Stay still.” Her hands were on the side of my head and then…

Oompf!

Our lips met and the softness of it wiped my thoughts blank. It was quick and dirty. Somehow, I found my arms on her waist and I pulled her close.

This time, I did it to her. Her breath, her lips, and her tongue filled my senses.

She pushed me off and wiped her lips with her wrist. “That should do it,” she remarked.

“Do what?”

“Grew you a pair." She smirked.

“You rascal," I snapped back, but that didn't erase the grin off her face.

“Don’t die,” I said as she turned away.

“You too, Lans. I’ll see you after the battle.” She waved her hand and went alone to where we kept the horses.

Later I caught a glimpse of three riders through the forest. They should be her and two other riders.

They detoured eastward before returning to Korelia town. There, one-hundred cavalry was waiting for her.

The vivid recollections flashed as I walked. I licked my lips as if savoring the aftertaste. Kissing was a big deal in this era...

I should propose when this is over.

I made a mental note and cleared my head as I returned to the command post. There, I noticed the scout who was still around.

“Good report. Get something to drink or eat, and rest.” I handed two silver coins to him. Informants were paid well in my army.

The scout bowed and then walked proudly to the tents. The stub on his left arm dangled freely.

We employed many horsemen who had lost their limbs as scouts. They joked that losing a limb made them faster and stealthier.

It was good that they took pride in their work. As for me, I’m just glad that I could provide job security for them despite their disability.

As I sat back, the map we drew on the ground was getting updated. Now, one of the box drawings which represented the Coalition column was moved toward Hugo’s box.

“...”

No matter how many times I simulated this battle, Korelia didn’t have any chance to stop the Coalition's gargantuan force.

If we waited then they would finish their catapults. It would be practically waiting for our demise.

If we attack then their six-thousand would launch a general attack toward Korelia town and castle. With the trenches, we could hold on for a few days, but there was little hope of victory.

In conventional battle, losing was almost certain. Thus, I had taken a radical approach.

I would hit the Coalition's weak spot. That in itself wasn't new or radical. What radical was just how far I would go to make it certain that I could hit the spot.

More than just distraction, I needed baits.

This required troops, so I had to pull my force, even letting the castle practically undefended.

Right now, there were only two guards left in the castle and that was because they were crippled and worked as lookouts.

The castle was only defended by the staff along with the cooks and page boys. Cecile led them on the walls, making an illusion of it being well-defended.

Many of them could use crossbows, good enough to take well-aimed shots. Their presence made the castle defenses look legit.

For the same reason, the town was only lightly guarded. I could only spare two-hundred men along with Audrey’s one-hundred cavalry. The militia organized another hundred or so.

Considering the length of the ditches, I sincerely hoped that their presence was enough to maintain the illusion of it being manned.

If the other column attacked the town then they would see through our illusion.

Frankly, with an empty castle and just a token defender in town, this was a frightening gamble. The Coalition could steamroll our position by mere luck.

This was where Hugo came in. His force was bait and distraction. He should keep the Coalition engaged and locked into place.

Hopefully, they could buy us enough time.

Right now, the plan was in motion, but the anxiety was high than ever. There was so little slack in the battle plan that made me ultra nervous.

Personally, I disliked this plan, but I couldn't come up with an alternative. I'm stuck, the opponents were well prepared.

Crackling sounds of crushed dry leaves alerted us.

Two scouts appeared. “My Lord, the Coalition column has engaged Marshall Hugo's forces-"

Murmurs and comments cut the report short.

"Not yet, the man still got things to say," Sir Callahan rebuked the staff.

The scout continued his report. "We also saw the Coalition cavalry is moving more southward than this morning. My Lord, we think that Lord of Three Hills is trying to get a better view of the battle.”

“Well done," I exclaimed while clenching my fist. It was better than expected. Hugo's presence not only locked a column but also drew their reserve away.

Everybody was looking at me tensely. They knew the time had come.

“Bring out the horses," I ordered.

The men scrambled from their seats.

“How’s the other columns' position?" I asked the scout.

“There's no changes, My Lord.”

“Good. What else do we know about his column?” I pointed to the column closest to us on the ground map.

“My Lord, I recognize their sigils. They're nobility from Three Hills," the scout said with confidence.

“They look weak, My Lord. Not many are wearing armor. The rest are peasants with only shield and thick clothing," the second scout chimed in.

“Levied troops. My Lord, they can be bypassed," Sir Callahan commented.

“How about the wind?” I asked the two scouts.

“It’s still southern wind, My Lord.”

The board is set, the pieces are in motion...

“Sir Callahan, we’ll hit this column," I said while pointing at the nearest column on the ground map.

“My Lord, may we know the reason? Even if we successfully charge this weak column, the Black Knights will arrive quickly?" Callahan asked.

He possibly realized we were just a hundred against two thousand. With such disparity, it was unlikely for us to chase the column off or rout them.

“We don’t need to inflict a crippling blow, just enough to cause rupture on their seams. When the time came, they’ll break on their own.”

Callahan looked at me for a second before nodding in response. He probably didn’t believe what I had said, but he trusted me.

This was because I’m leading the cavalry in person. Thirty knights and dozens of horsemen were formerly Robert’s vassals. Against such a large opponent, there was a risk that they could dishearten and stray from the plan.

“Calub," I called my friend who had been waiting patiently in the corner.

As a high-ranking non-noble among the knights, he wisely downplayed his importance for my sake. “Yes, My Lord.”

“Take command of all two-hundred men. Spread the crossbowmen between the glade and the opening near the entrance. We’ll be the bait and you’re the snare.”

“Understood, My Lord," Calub responded with confidence.

I had my utmost faith in him.

“Sir Callahan," I called the man whose eyes now were brimming with determination. Even close to fifty, the blond knight was still captivating. “Let’s ride.”

Callahan rallied the riders, “Our Lord is riding with us!” He put things into motion.

One man wiped the map on the ground while the rest readily mounted their horses.

Thomson, now clean-shaven, was ready with my horse. He helped me mount and gave me the gauntlets. He wasn’t a squire, but there was nobody else.

He carried my lance for me. Carrying a lance was a burden and an unnecessary hazard inside the forest, so he wouldn’t let me have it until we clear out.

Only the knights and a few riders were in plate armor. The rest were in brigandines or ringmails.

The horses were also protected by armor. The head part and some of their bodies were covered by metal plates or hardened leather.

There was no uniformity, everybody acquired and equipped their horses on their own. It was like a circus in a way.

We reached the forest outskirt and quickly reformed our formation.

“My Lord, with your permission, Sir Rabanus, Rentz, and I will ride in front," Callahan requested. Now in bright sunlight, the intricacies of his armor were revealed. Black decorative gilding and ornaments made it look like ceremonial armor.

However, the buffed-out scrapes and dents revealed its sturdiness. I felt it must be ancient, not in an obsolete kind of way, but like a legendary item.

“It’s an honor, Sir Callahan. Lead the way," I said as I latched my helmet and gazed upon the plains that would become a battlefield.

***