Fostering Faust 2, page 6
part #2 of Fostering Faust Series
“Five, could you keep One occupied and get everything squared away for me, then take a nap? We’ll be camping close to the front tonight.”
Nannie grunted at that.
“Yes, Master. I’ll make sure it’s safe and secure.”
Alex lined up the rest of his dispatches and handed them over to Riley.
“Read through them with Nannie. Consider it your practice for the day. Then send them off accordingly. None of these are that important,” Alex said.
“Yes, Master.” Riley nodded, her tag tinkling prettily as the bell rang.
Moving his horse forward, Alex started making his way to his commanders. All around them the column of mounted soldiers kept plodding along.
“I can’t believe she put a bell on her collar,” Sylvia said.
“Yes, well, she’s in love with Master. Terribly so,” Valeria replied. “She’s a good girl, though. I like her quite a bit.”
“Mm, for a commoner she’s quite well mannered. I had a lovely conversation with her about her maids and their duties.”
“Indeed. She does make sure to take care of us as well, doesn’t she? I’ve been working on teaching her knife fighting. Would you care to join us? Are you proficient with a weapon?”
“Ah… no. I’m afraid I dealt with hiring people rather than needing to fight. Though I suppose I should learn, shouldn’t I?” Sylvia responded. “I’d be grateful to be included in your lessons.”
Alex only listened to their conversation with half of his mind. Often his Numbered talked about things that had nothing to do with him. Or his interests.
He offered input or just conversation when he could, but more often than not, he just lacked anything to add.
“Sire, what can I do for you?” Dan asked as Alex eased his mount up to the other man’s.
Daniel Herel was one of Alex’s personal favorite commanders. He adapted to strange and different strategies quickly and embraced them.
To Alex, he seemed the most flexible.
Andrew Powell was Alex’s cavalry commander. Where Dan was flexible, Drew was not. He was a great leader who knew how to direct his soldiers, and he could follow orders.
But there was no creativity in the man.
Andrew and Quinn turned in their saddles to face him.
“Wanted to go over basic strategies. I think we’ll find the furthest edge of their scouts tonight or tomorrow,” Alex said.
“Yes. We will,” Quinn agreed. Mounted scouts with bows. They’ll do their best to not be seen, but if they can kill an officer before they flee, they will.”
“Oh? Hm. Spread the word then, Dan. Get all overly visible insignia pulled and have everyone pull out their basic caps,” Alex said.
“Huh. This is that ‘fancy hat’ thing we talked about weeks ago, isn’t it?” Drew asked.
“Pretty much. Kill the guy with the fanciest hat—he’s probably the leader,” Alex said. “Kill enough of them and you’ll have a bunch of people without direction.”
Dan said something to one of his subordinates, who took off immediately.
“I know we talked over some of this previously, but I’d like to go over it again,” Alex said. “Let’s start with the city.”
Quinn cleared her throat and slowed her horse a bit, drifting back to Alex’s side.
She had taken on her role as the princess again. It was as if she hadn’t sworn to be a concubine at all.
He had been giving her private lessons on what he expected of her, how to run her city by Brit county laws, and how he wanted her to operate.
“The city is… it isn’t like Brit. It’s more of a wide-open sprawling layout. Everything is spread out,” Quinn said. “There isn’t a wall.”
Alex grimaced at that. The first time he’d heard it, it had taken him a moment to realize she hadn’t just meant there wasn’t a wall around the city.
There was no wall around the central keep either.
“It’s likely the enemy soldiers will be in the keep, the stables, and mustered in the field,” Quinn said.
“If they catch wind of us coming, what can we expect?” Alex asked, his mind still running over the possibilities.
“They’ll probably leave and regroup, then commit to hit-and-run tactics,” Quinn said. “They’re not expecting me to show up with an army. They were aware of the fall of Ridge as well.”
“Too bad for them the count is stepping in,” Dan said with a nod. Drew immediately nodded his head as well.
“Our goal is very simple,” Alex said, unsure of how to respond to their loyalty. “Get in, sweep them out, take control of the capital. If we can free the king, all the better. If we can’t, or he’s dead, that’s just the way it is.”
Quinn’s face became pinched at that. Sighing, she pressed a hand to her head. “By the skies, I hope that isn’t the case, but it’s something I have to be ready for.”
“Indeed. For all we know, your father was unfortunately executed before you even made it out of your lands.
“Suffice it to say, our ultimate goal is to find and eliminate the usurper. I would recommend taking the lives of everyone in his family. Leave no roots. Roots grow up to become weapons,” Alex said.
“What? Roots?” Quinn asked.
“If your father’s cousin has children, nephews, or nieces, you’ll need to kill them or have them swear an oath to the gods,” Alex said simply. “They’ll grow up to hate you for killing their whatever-he-is-to-them. Just as you would for his killing your father. You are a ‘root’ of your father’s, and this is how a weapon is made. You came back with a foreign army.
“What’s to stop them from doing the same today, or tomorrow?”
Quinn looked shocked.
“We don’t worship the gods. We worship the sky, the stars, and the earth,” Quinn said defensively.
“Then you’ll need to kill them or figure out an alternative.”
“But… I know some of them. They’re my age. I grew up with them,” Quinn argued.
Alex shrugged. “Your problem. Not mine. I’m just here to install you as Princess or Queen. One or the other. You don’t have to listen to me; it’s your clan.”
Looking like she wanted to argue with that, Quinn bit her lip.
She’s thinking about the oath and wondering how far she can push. I wonder how long it’ll take her to realize I really want nothing to do with running her bit of land.
I just want her as a vassal.
“Can I give them to you?” Quinn asked.
“What? To me? Why would I want them?” Alex asked. “I don’t need any political prisoners.”
“What if I gave you the girls as concubines? It’s better than death, isn’t it?” Quinn asked.
“I’d say that’d be up to them if it was better than death. Though if you must, fine. Offer them death or service to me. I’ll use them as maids, concubines, or servants. Depending on their skills and… well… looks,” Alex said with a shrug.
I’ll give them all to Anna to do with as she sees fit.
“And the boys and men?”
“I’ll have them executed,” Quinn said firmly.
“Drew… how do you feel about moving through the dark and launching a night raid?” Alex asked, his thoughts changing course from Quinn’s family to the fight ahead. “I get the impression they’re going to be a fairly mobile force. They won’t want to engage us. If they do spot us, they might not think we’ll hit them till tomorrow and lag behind.”
Andrew frowned, his fingers tapping against his thigh.
“We could do it with the cavalry. I think the mounted infantry would be too tired,” Drew said, looking to Dan.
“To be sure, they’re not used to all-day and night rides. I think they’ll be too sore to make it work,” Dan agreed.
“Then we split the army,” Alex said. “The cavalry will continue; the mounted infantry will camp and do what our enemies expect of us.
“You’ll just have to go out of the way a bit to try and disguise your approach, Drew.”
Both his commanders nodded at that.
“Great. Suppose everything else we set up remains unforeseen until tomorrow,” Alex said, letting the conversation lapse.
***
Nannie had rounded up a number of Brit house guards to come with them to the Xer capital.
Alex was surrounded as they moved down the main central boulevard.
No one was out and about. Everyone was hiding.
Quinn rode next to Alex as an equal. Her banner hung above Alex’s own on the lance of his banner man.
He was doing his best to make sure Quinn was respected, and that he showed her respect.
Just because she’ll be my personal bed-pillow doesn’t mean I should treat her like one.
Alex had been right in assuming that even if they had spotted Alex’s soldiers, they would assume they could run away before the next day. Drew’s cavalry had rolled through last night and decimated the enemy.
Enemy bodies had been left where they fell, Drew and his people pushing hard and fast straight for the keep.
The city had been cleaned by its citizenry only a short period earlier, enemy bodies having been carted out to the plain and dumped into a large pile.
There was no doubt the city was watching this procession through the streets. The mounted infantry clopping along behind Alex, dressed out in their full kit.
He knew his soldiers looked damn good in their gear. He’d had blacksmiths working twenty-four seven to get his people armored up. All the gear from the fallen Ridge soldiers had funded and supplied the armory.
Quinn looked over her shoulder and then immediately turned forward again.
“They’re impressive,” she said softly.
“Yes. They’re veterans, all. They’ve been rewarded for their service. Armored and armed. Their experience is worth protecting. The mounted infantry does not take on unblooded rookies lightly,” Alex said.
Dan’s command was an elite group of troopers. A hammer in Alex’s toolbox, able to rapidly gain the field with their horses and then move on foot to engage.
“Count Brit is underselling it,” Dan said. “Where many would spend ten on a soldier and call it done, the count spent thirty.”
Up ahead, the keep sat waiting for them.
“As I said. Their experience is worth it.”
Silently, they moved on to the keep. A fairly large affair with steps leading to the entry. It seemed more like a squat office building than a defensive fortification to Alex.
When they reached the steps, they collectively dismounted, with Riley, Sylvia, Valeria, and Nannie all in close proximity to Alex. Quinn was out several steps ahead, leading the way.
“It doesn’t feel the same,” Quinn said, stopping at the top of the steps and peering up toward the doors.
“I imagine it likely doesn’t. This is a turning point in your life that will break you or build you,” Alex said, stopping beside her. “Are you ready for this?”
Waiting in front of the doors for them was Drew. One arm held his helmet, and his other hand was on his blade. His armor was polished to a high sheen, and he looked to be at a parade attention. As did the cavalry troopers standing with him.
“Yes. It’s my duty, is it not?” Quinn said.
“I find that duty is often a pointless thing, and I happily discard it as needed,” Alex said.
Quinn stared at him, shocked.
“What? Next you’ll be telling me I should honorably face my opponent. Or fight them in whatever cultural way is normal?” Alex shook his head, moving past Quinn and toward Drew. “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.
“Honor is a wonderful thing to the dead. It’s a poor substitute to winning for the living. Traditions, duty, honor, all that crap can go into the midden with the night soil from the chamber pot.”
Reaching Andrew, Alex stepped to one side and waited for Quinn. This was her ancestral home and city. He didn’t give one whit for many things, but public opinion on this would be key to insuring the populace would support Quinn.
If they didn’t view her as the rightful ruler, ruling free without foreign control, they wouldn’t support her as willingly.
The princess of the Xer clan stared at him for several more seconds before she marched to the doors. A trooper quickly opened it for her.
She passed into the keep without another word.
“Did they take their supplies with them?” Alex asked, glancing at Drew. “No, sire.”
Nodding at that, Alex followed Quinn into the keep. Dan, Drew, and his Numbered kept in his wake.
“Where is he?” Quinn asked, staring straight ahead.
“We found him in the dungeon, Princess,” Drew said. “We carried him to the garden and arranged him as is appropriate to your customs.”
Need to remember to thank him for that. That’s above and beyond.
Quinn’s shoulders slumped, her head dipping down.
“You’re sure it’s him?” she asked softly.
“As well as we can tell, Princess. We asked several servants where the king was. All of them replied in a similar fashion, identifying the man we secured,” Drew said.
Setting off at a slow walk, Quinn ventured deeper into the keep. Alex assumed she was heading for the garden.
“Drew, Dan, I want you to take some of those corpses and dump them into every body of water the enemy can draw from. If you can, fill the bodies with shit and piss from wherever you can find it. I want that water supply contaminated,” Alex said.
Going old school on you.
You can all die of dysentery or cholera. Whichever manages to catch hold.
“Far as I’ve been able to discern, they didn’t have time to consolidate their holdings. They have no other place to fall back to, other than the province the king’s cousin held. I forget the name of it,” Alex continued.
“Shishish,” Drew supplied.
“Bless you,” Alex said with a smirk, following Quinn into the garden. “If we can, get ahead of them and put some corpses into the wells of that city. Make them on the spot if you have to out of city guards.
“I want them thirsty and unable to drink. That dry season that let us torch the forest affected this area just as badly, did it not? Water is going to become a commodity here real soon.”
It was one of the reasons he had Anna securing potable water in bulk and shipped it with the army proper.
Alex was planning on securing the citizens through their thirst if he had to.
“After that, I want you to ruin any feed or oats they’re storing for their horses. Set it on fire, dump shit in it—I don’t care.
“Stay here,” Alex said, stepping out onto the grass of the garden.
He found Quinn easily enough. She was kneeling next to a body in a clean, uncolored linen shroud.
She’d carefully unwound some of the wrapping around the face and was peering at it.
Walking around to the other side, Alex saw the face of an older gentleman. Perhaps in his fifties.
“Your commander did my father and I a deep courtesy,” Quinn said. “And now I must ask you to fulfill your bargain to me.”
“It’ll be exactly as we agreed, my queen. I will slaughter your foes and build a mound of their corpses,” Alex said easily. This campaign wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d like to believe, but he was confident in his ability to win.
“Good,” Quinn said as she gently rewrapped her father’s face. Then she stood up and looked at him. “The rest of my family must still be in captivity. I would like to send someone out to parley with our enemy.
“May I?”
“Of course, my queen,” Alex said. “I’m merely here at your request to dispense your justice. I’ll happily carry out the orders you give, in the best way I see fit.
“As you know, I haven’t claimed any part of my own price on you. I will not do so until I’ve secured your clan.
“Even after we’ve finalized our contract and you’re bound to me, you will be my vassal, not my slave. You will rule here in your own right, without my interference.”
“Then I will wield you as you’ve offered. I will offer him one chance to surrender and hand over my family,” Quinn said, her eyes locked on Alex’s. “Then I’ll have you crush them. If I’m paying myself to you as a price, I’ll make them pay with me.”
Alex smiled at her and nodded his head.
“Naturally.”
Chapter 6
Staring out across the field in front of the Xer capital, known as Fis’Er, Alex wasn’t sure what to think of the situation.
His primary emotion was annoyance. He had a better understanding of how frustrated Count Frenis must have been when dealing with Alex.
His infantry had dismounted and taken the field. Alex had been forced to do so when the enemy’s light cavalry had come storming toward the city. If they got into the streets, it’d be infinitely harder to run them down, and they’d possibly cause untold damage during that period.
His people were now idling behind their shields in the field. Ready to pull them up when the next volley inevitably came for them.
There wasn’t much he could do. His cavalry was still recovering from the previous night’s battle. Not to mention, it didn’t seem like he was taking many causalities, despite the absolute rain of arrows.
His soldiers’ armor was thick enough to stop the few that made it past their large shields.
“I suppose this is what I deserve for rushing forward,” Alex said with a shake of his head. “Our ranged troops are days out, and we don’t have any light cavalry to fight back with.”
Dan and Drew nodded, both soldiers looking a bit morose.
“Truth be told, though,” Dan said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “For the amount of arrows they’re firing, we’re not suffering much. I’m beginning to wonder if this might eventually play out in our favor. As… silly as that sounds.”
“Not quite as silly as you fear. All wars are wars of attrition; it’s just a matter of figuring out what your enemy lacks, and attacking it,” Alex said.
“And what does our enemy lack?” Quinn asked. Dressed in simple leather armor, she had taken a spot directly to Alex’s left.
