Three days come and go. My man prayed constantly to their god. While I practiced only magic I practiced without getting noticed. The mind link I learned from the truth priestess. I started to have better and better control over the small animals I use my magic on.

One evening I found a bat, I used my magic on it. It falls under my mind. What I found was surprising. That creature lived in a giant cave system dozen kilometers long. And that cave was close. I was hopeless, I planned waiting for the remaining days and then making a hopeless night raid to the enemy. But they were on alert and they had horseman so I couldn’t make a break for it unless I only saved myself and left my man to die. The horseman would have hunted us down in the flatlands.

But now I made the bat to lead me to the cave. The cave entrance was only a foot wide. I easily widened it with magic enough to a man standing to get through.

In the middle of the night I gathered my men in whispers.

I only left 5 guys to light fires in the night and make our camp on the hill look like not empty. The caves exit was in a nearby forest.

I easily attack from the back now. But that too would be very dangerous. Even if my luck continued and I won with a surprise attack that would leave me with very little troops due to heavy losses. And If I don’t have any troops I don’t have any negotiating power against Gloria. I intend to wait. Wait what is going to happen. And for the time I intend to gather news and make a new strategy.

I sent Tim to an agreed upon meeting place with one of my bards. We had agreed upon times and meeting places with my bards. If they could see and reach my army they didn’t wait there and came directly to me. But because of my army's previous situation my bards couldn’t get to us. Now I hoped the one we were going to meet this week was in his meeting place.

Tim returned in the morning with the bard. He was rather sad. I asked “What happened?” He said “We get betrayed the sword of Altus. Alfred’s army betrayed him for some reason including blue eagles. They joined Gloria. As far as I know Alfred is on the run.” I said “And” he took a big breath “Gloria and her army attacked the Voice of Altus and his peasant army numbering 1000.” I said to myself ‘my father didn’t wait around’ he continued “Sir, although the peasants put up a good fight they are crushed by her army numbering over 500 actual soldiers.” Of course peasants who had no training and except a few only armed with farming tools got crushed by real soldiers that wasn’t a surprise” He continued “The Voice and peasants fight brutally, peasants didn’t run until the Voice got martyred, but they managed to kill many of the enemy, so they are now numbering 400” So my father was dead. I felt empty. I bring misfortune to everyone. My family and people of this land. The terrifying part for me wasn't what I did. The terrifying part was I felt no guilt or sorrow. Soldiers around me looked rather angry and they started shouting revenge promises and insults to the traitors. I said to them “Be silent, we are not too far away from the enemy we need to stay hidden” They become silent but their eyes filled with anger, they want revenge.