Horizon of War Series

Chapter 203: Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather

Lansius

The morning breeze brushed against the command tent’s weathered canvas walls, giving it a pleasant, airy, and cool interior. Yet, the atmosphere inside was tense as Lansius’ staff wrestled with the unanswered question: why had their lord refused to besiege Lubina and instead ordered a withdrawal?

Finally, Sir Michael, the charming one-eyed knight, pressed for an answer. "May we learn the reason, My Lord, why you do not wish to attack Lubina?"

"May I?" Sir Harold interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention.

Lansius nodded at him. "Please," he said, motioning for his acting Marshal to continue.

"Is this because of our stretched logistics?" Sir Harold ventured.

"One of many reasons," Lansius confirmed. "First of all, Lubina is a nightmare to besiege. It was built with a stone bridge spanning a mighty river. This geography alone makes it challenging without a grand army. Any attempt to besiege it would require sending large group to cross the river and conduct a siege on both sides, sacrificing flexibility and reaction time."

Lansius continued, "Not to mention, Eclipse Castle itself has outer and inner high walls with overlapping towers and a keep large enough to store ample resources. I’ve even heard tales of it being fortified to the brim as if their lord vomits gold every morning."

"And that is all assuming we have them on the back foot," he added. "Yes, we defeated a significant number last night, but they were not a proper army. We found only a small number of knights and several groups of men-at-arms. I believe our opponent still has a reserve, possibly equaling our numbers."

A few reluctant nods followed, but silence lingered as the staff sensed Lansius had more to say.

"And those are still not the main issue." His words gathered his staff’s attention once more. "The main issue is trust—or the lack of it."

"Trust?" Sir Harold echoed, his brows furrowing. The rest of the staff mirrored his reaction.

"Indeed," Lansius replied, his expression calm yet grim. "If we take Lubina, then it’s just us and Bengrieve left as competing powers."

The staff began to grasp what Lansius had in mind.

"Inside Midlandia, we’ll have Bengrieve to worry about. Outside, we’re surrounded by Gottfried in Arvena, the hostile Edessa, unknown Rhomelia, and two Eastern Kingdoms." Lansius chuckled dryly. "I don’t want to act as a buffer while Bengrieve enjoys a far more comfortable position in Elandia."

The mood turned somber as realization dawned on his staff. Sir Omin quietly retrieved a larger map from a lacquered wooden box and unfurled it across the table. The others leaned in, poring over the map, quickly finding truth in Lansius’ words.

Sir Michael, reflecting on Lansius' reasoning, ventured, "So, in your strategy, leaving Lubina means leaving an enemy for Bengrieve to worry about."

"Quite so," Lansius agreed.

"The enemy that unites," Sir Omin muttered from the side.

"As long as Lubina remains standing, Bengrieve and us will remain on the same side. Certainly, this situation won’t last long, but I’m hoping it buys us enough time to consolidate our gains."

His words were met with nods and silent agreement. To that, Lansius declared, "Gentlemen, our goal was to rescue Cascasonne. Now that it is done, I intend to collect the prize."

Sir Harold crossed his arms, a thin smile on his lips. "So, we’re not going to besiege the famous Eclipse Castle after all."

"It’s a bad gamble," Lansius replied. "Right now, we’re winning and controlling a large swath of Midlandia. By attacking Lubina, we would risk it all. Moreover, as you said earlier, logistically our supply lines stretch to Korimor and Ornietia through towns and cities of questionable loyalty. Yes, many opened their gates and are willing to trade with us, but that’s because we arrived suddenly, before they had time to prepare. Now, we might outstay our welcome."

"Certainly, they’re not that foolish," Sir Michael argued lightly, glancing at the other staff. "I believe our victory here should dissuade them from any seditious thoughts."

"Remember that we’re dealing with more than just commoners," Sir Omin warned. "We’re dealing with dangerous crowds. Despite My Lord’s light show to the night sky, I don’t believe it fooled everyone."

Sir Michael nodded in understanding, then turned to Lansius. "Speaking of them, My Lord, what should we do with the captured? Feeding them—" He left the sentence unfinished, assuming it wasn’t necessary to elaborate.

Lansius inhaled deeply. "What’s the latest tally?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The two knights turned to Sir Omin, who reported, "Slightly over two thousand last night. But we captured more this morning from the woods and stragglers from the camps. Now, we’ve reached well over three thousand. At this rate, it’s possible to have four thousand by sundown as our forward scouts and mounted patrols push further."

Lansius stroked his chin before replying, "Leave that matter to me. I’ll speak with Belgutei first, then I’ll come to a decision."

"Still," Sir Harold remarked, giving another look at the map and directing his question to the others, "Lubina lies at the heart of this province. Is it possible to maintain control without taking it?"

"It’s going to be hard," Sir Michael said, while Sir Omin and Francisca withheld their comments.

"In the meantime, it will have to do," Lansius replied. "Until the situation changes, that is. At least by choosing not to besiege Lubina, we can conserve our strength, maintain our dominance, and begin governing this vast land."

His staff seemed satisfied, but Francisca let out a sigh. True to her blunt nature, she muttered, "I can’t believe we’re just going to let Reginald go free."

"Who said I’m sparing Reginald?" Lansius retorted so unexpectedly that all eyes turned toward him.

Francisca was taken aback and exchanged a glance with Sir Harold, who ventured, "My Lord, didn’t you just explain?"

Lansius let out a faint smile and leaned back in his seat, signaling that he wanted his staff to reason it out for themselves.

Ever-perceptive Sir Omin chuckled, breaking the silence. "The Lord has been consistently mentioned Lubina—not Reginald. The power lies in the alliance of Houses that control Midlandia. Reginald is merely a figurehead."

"Indeed," Lansius answered with a faint smile. "The power in Lubina can stay, but Reginald..." He paused, his emotions welling up. "Let’s hope our forces heading there will show him mercy."

"But that doesn’t make much sense," Sir Harold voiced his doubt. "If My Lord intends to punish or capture Reginald, then Lubina is as good as ours."

"I doubt it’s that simple. Even our SAR is unable to capture the entire castle," Lansius explained. "And if we only capture him, likely a figurehead, it will not give us the upper hand over Lubina. In the bigger picture, we simply lack a strong casus belli."

Sir Harold frowned. "But Reginald has tried to assassinate you."

"Yes, we have that pretext, but it’s only against Reginald. The Houses in power will simply deny their involvement and reject our claim. Even if we win the siege, they’ll bide their time, waiting for us to grow careless, and then try to retake the province. Gentlemen, they have deep roots here and will gladly fight us for generations to come."

"A tough situation," Audrey remarked, stepping into the conversation.

Her entrance drew everyone’s attention, and they greeted her in unison. "My Lady."

"Please continue; don’t let me interrupt the meeting." She took a seat next to Lansius. Despite her words, she added with a faint smile, "From their frustrated faces, I can see you’re giving them a hard time."

Lansius smiled back. "I need my staff to scrutinize my thoughts; otherwise, I might make a blunder."

"I heard about the SAR, the casus belli, and the last bit, so what do you propose?"

"Well," Lansius began. "Inward, we’re going to consolidate our gains in all the cities we passed through, sending garrisons in strategic cities. As for our outward policy, rather than chasing them into a hole where we cannot find them, we're going to let them remain in the open, where all eyes can see."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

A murmur of doubt hung in the air as the staff hesitated.

"Think about it this way: which is easier—finding men hiding in the woods or watching them inside a village?" Lansius leaned forward slightly. "Gentlemen, I want to accelerate our pacification of Midlandia. We can't afford to play a lengthy game of cat and mouse. So, rather than waiting for them to move in the dark, I’m allowing them to consolidate in the open and oppose us."

"It’s against common wisdom," Sir Omin commented, "yet I can see its benefit."

"But aren’t you risking the chance to take Lubina while it’s at its weakest?" Audrey asked.

"Somewhat," Lansius admitted. "But it’s preferable to being blind. We need Lubina under their control so Bengrieve and us remain aligned. Also, by letting it serve as our enemies’ rallying point, the castle will reveal who our true opponents are. I want to see, aside from Edessa, who will ride to their defense."

He rose to his feet and studied the map on the table, pointing at it. "Lubina lies at the heart of Midlandia, and Edessa is in the far southeast corner. We’re going to let them hold a salient where their survival is at our mercy. We’ll reinforce our defenses in Toruna to hold off large attacks from Edessa. Meanwhile," his hand hovered over the area between Cascasonne and Toruna, "let’s find a good city around here to serve as our away capital."

***

Tanya

Awakened by the rising sun, Tanya almost jumped, afraid she was too late for her duties. She glanced at the ceiling of a spacious tent, and the memory of reuniting with her long-lost brother, now a lord, came rushing back. Not just any nobleman, but a knightly one, she thought with a grin, fawning over the idea.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?" she murmured to herself. Yet the clean, soft linen bed and the thin but warm blanket were all the proof she needed. Everything around her looked classy and well-made.

She rose and walked toward the corner where a bronze basin waited for her. Leaning over, she washed her face with the cool, clear water. The sensation was refreshing.

What a luxurious way to clean.

The basin alone could fetch enough to buy several sets of secondhand clothes. Afterward, she dressed, finding three tunics neatly hung on a wooden pole: a blue one with silver trim, a green one embroidered with colorful vine, and a red one adorned with floral patterns.

They're beautiful. Are they really for me?

She chose the blue tunic because it looked the least expensive. She worried she might ruin it and wouldn’t be able to afford a tailor to mend it. Moreover, she remembered Lansius wearing blue in Bellandia and thought it might be his favorite color. She also noticed that the banners flown in the camp seemed to feature blue.

"Blue and bronze," she muttered, recalling how people described her brother’s heraldry.

She never expected to have a family coat of arms.

Is this really okay?

She wondered, remembering she was just a peasant. Her only skills were dyeing wool, mending clothes with simple knitting, and making sauerkraut. She bit her lip and brushed the thoughts aside.

Tanya noticed a fine comb neatly prepared for her, likely placed there by her mother, and felt a wave of relaxation as she gently ran it through her hair. But suddenly, a pang of anxiety struck her. Before, it hadn’t been an issue. Now, it loomed large. She had never told Lansius that she was married, and the thought of revealing it terrified her. She feared he might demand the marriage be dissolved.

Her brother was now a powerful lord, leading armies, commanding knights, and even beastly creatures. She reminded herself not to test his patience, knowing he could cast her out to the streets if angered. The thought of what kind of man her brother had become and whether he carried the wrath of feuding nobles sent a shiver down her spine.

Tanya inhaled weakly and muttered, "What comes will come."

She resolved to tell him. For better or worse, she loved her husband, even if she rarely saw him, and he had yet to lay his hands on her.

"If only I were as pretty as the castle maids," she said wistfully, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. "I have Lady Hannei's hair but not her looks. Maybe my husband married another woman like one of those maids. Oh, poor me, a widow at my age."

She sighed deeply before heading outside.

"Good morning, young lady. Breakfast is ready," a soft but distinct female voice greeted her.

Tanya turned to meet wolf-like eyes, sharp and glinting with intelligence. Silvery fur shimmered in the soft morning light as its tall form was clad in fine ringmail.

Instead of responding to the wolf person guarding her, Tanya stared in awe. "You're so pretty in the morning light."

The wolf lady giggled. "Gratitude, young lady."

"Can I touch you a little?" Tanya asked hesitantly.

"Of course," the wolf lady said casually, extending her arm.

Tanya’s face lit up as she gently caressed the wolf lady’s silvery-gray fur. "Where do you hide the claws?"

"You saw them last night?" the wolf lady asked kindly.

Tanya nodded, smiling brightly. The wolf lady knelt and raised her right hand, showing it clearly. Slowly, she extended her claw, revealing its sharp, gleaming edge.

Tanya’s eyes widened in amazement. "They’re beautiful! Tell me, tell me—do you file them?"

"Yes, we use iron files to keep them sharp."

"Can I touch them?"

"Just not the pointy end—it might prickle," the wolf lady replied patiently.

Tanya carefully traced the wolf lady’s hand, fingers, and claws, her movements gentle and reverent. But she soon stepped back and bowed deeply. "Gratitude for showing me, and my apologies for being a bother."

The wolf lady giggled again. "Don’t worry, the honor is mine. It’s good to see the young lady is respectful toward the retinue. You will go far as the lord's sister."

Tanya tilted her head slightly, not fully understanding but grateful for the kind words.

"Shall I take you to the table for breakfast?" the wolf lady asked.

Tanya hesitated, wanting to ask about her brother, but she knew he must be busy. "I need to help my mother first before eating. Do you know where she is?"

"Certainly. Let me take you to her. She’s in the field kitchen, cooking delicious pies to celebrate the victory."

***

Lansius

After the meeting ended and everyone had received their orders, Lansius was perusing a stack of freshly delivered reports. Cascasonne was now secure, but to the east, another battle group led by Farkas was still waging a diversionary campaign around Toruna. On top of that, Lansius had begun reviewing reports on promising cities or towns for his new base camp.

As he studied the map, his gaze kept returning to Eclipse Castle in Lubina. The name tugged at his thoughts. "Eclipse..."

It struck him as odd—one of many mysteries of this world he still couldn’t unravel. Chief among them was the absence of a moon in the night sky. He wasn’t particularly surprised, having read that moons were statistically rare for planets. Yet Aqua Terra, with no visible moon but a history of solar eclipses, left him baffled.

Lubina Castle earned its name after being famously completed in the year of a solar eclipse. Lansius shelved the thought; he’d need a real astronomer with a working telescope to make sense of it.

Glancing aside, he noticed Audrey lounging on a reclined canvas chair, pillows propping her comfortably. She was engrossed in a leather-bound book, one of Farkas’ recommendations about Umberland and the half-beast.

He was about to return to his work when she spoke without looking up. "Thirsty?"

Lansius leaned back in his chair. "Not really, but I could go for some spiced wine."

"You’ll need to wait for Margo for that," Audrey replied. "We’re having a private family lunch at noon. Just us, Tanya, and Mother."

"Well, I feel a bit under the weather right now. Surely someone keeps a stash I can trade for or borrow from," Lansius said.

"Nobody would dare," Audrey commented flatly.

Lansius frowned. "Dare? Why not?"

She turned her gaze from the book and looked directly at him. "Only Margo, your cupbearer, has access to wine or ale at this time. And he’s accompanying Mother."

"Okay, but I don’t see why others don’t have some ale," he said, perplexed.

She stared at him questioningly. "You mean you didn’t know? We have a tradition of not drinking after victory."

"Huh?" Lansius raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

Audrey giggled. "Oh, Lans. After every victory, you banned celebrations and drinks. Instead, you ordered everyone to stay alert for a surprise attack. Now the staff and army treat it as tradition."

Lansius chuckled, amused at the unintended custom.

"Do you want to change it?" she asked with a grin.

"No, it’s a good tradition. A clear mind after a battle is invaluable," he declared.

"So, how about night-cooled, pre-boiled water?" she asked, motioning to the silver jug on the table.

"As long as it’s not from the castle." Lansius headed to the table and poured himself a goblet.

"It’s not, but what’s wrong with the castle’s water?" Audrey asked, her gaze fixed on him.

He took a sip before explaining, "It’s noticeably sweeter, which means it’s contaminated with lead."

Audrey’s expression grew worried. "Contaminated? Are you sure? Then some of the occupants’ sickness and Bengrieve’s health..."

"Could be," Lansius said with a shrug. "But I’m no expert, and I’d rather not be asked to explain it. Besides, it would take years for serious health issues to arise from lead poisoning."

"I see," Audrey murmured softly.

"A small amount is alright, so there’s no need to cause panic. And we’ll be moving out soon anyway," Lansius reassured her.

Audrey nodded and shifted the conversation. "Remember to pick maids for Arryn and Tanya. I can’t let you go without a squire by your side. Besides, sweet as he is, Margo is still a young man."

"True..." Lansius said thoughtfully. "I wish I could task Ingrid. She could educate Tanya, but all the records would end up in tatters without her."

"You can’t take her away; you’d drown in paperwork," Audrey lamented with a sigh. "I wish Carla were here."

He stroked his chin. "Carla... Do you remember that farmer’s daughter who was with Sigmund?"

"Agatha? She was in Korelia with Sigmund when we left. It’s a shame we didn’t think of this sooner—she’s probably already heading back to South Hill by now."

"That’s too bad," Lansius muttered. "If only someone like Tia were here..."

A moment passed, and then their gazes locked, both recognizing the obvious at once.

"Lans," Audrey said, the surprise clear in her voice.

"I know," he replied firmly. "Tia is with Hannei, and they’re in Cascasonne. They should be here."

"Where are you going?" Audrey asked as Lansius took his sword.

"To the castle. I still need to see Hannei as well."

"No, it's too dangerous. Send a knight," she suggested.

"I'll bring plenty of guards with me."

"Not with the new weapons they have in the castle," Audrey reminded him, her words forcing Lansius to pause and reconsider.

"You’ve ousted the enemy, and now Bengrieve might not need you anymore," she added.

"True..." Lansius muttered, acknowledging the truth in her words. He sighed. "You know, I want to take a few things. At least some of the gemstones for the light lanterns, maybe borrow a few books. I might even study the castle’s architecture while I’m at it."

Audrey’s curiosity was piqued. "Do you think they have more of those useful dwarven artifacts?"

"Of course. The last time I visited, there were so many unexplained things. He must have had working water pumps, possibly magic-powered air coolants or heaters."

Probably even a precision lathe or boring machines. Who knows? Maybe even something like a dwarven Gatling gun or cannons.

"I wish I could visit the vault," he said wistfully.

Audrey shifted in her seat. "We can return at a better time. Besides, I doubt they’d let you in without the Master of the Castle."

"Right. I’ll revisit the castle once we settle some issues with its owner," Lansius said. Then, with a sly smile, he added, "But just in case, I’ll be taking collateral."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked, her interest evident.

"That large gemstone. I’ll tell the Steward we need it in case of future attacks. We’ll return it once the Lubina conflict is over."

Audrey giggled. "That’s clever."

"Of course, my wife wouldn’t marry me unless I were that clever," he replied proudly, in jest.

They were chuckling when Francisca appeared at the entrance, her large forearm holding the canvas door aside. "My Lord, apologies for the interruption, but Sir Stan is outside, carrying a blonde woman. He seems to be in a rush."

Lansius and Audrey exchanged glances before he said, "Let them in."

"How bad is she?" Audrey asked Lansius as he helped her to her feet.

"I have no idea. I haven’t received any words about her. We need to get Ingrid," he replied.

Sir Stan entered, cradling Hannei in both arms, her weight resting gently against his chest. His face glowed with relief as he announced, "She’s awake!"

***