Chapter 53

Moving Pieces

 

Lansius

The dense forest canopy sheltered everything beneath it, allowing only small rays of sunlight to filter through. The scent of the earth was robust, arising from layers of dry leaves on the ground. Flanked by his command staff, Lansius sat upon a tree root with a large tree at his back.

They were already partially armored and eagerly waiting for developments from the battlefield outside the forest. The place was humid, but the lingering chill from the previous night kept them cool.

The knights with their custom-made armor had good weight distribution over their bodies and limbs, minimizing discomfort.

For the past four nights, nearly two-hundred had hidden in borrowed yurts on the far side of the forest. To ensure secrecy, they restricted movement and even only allowed bonfires inside the yurts for cooking and night heating.

Speaking of cooking, Lansius realized that Audrey was eyeing his bowl.

“Umm, you’re not going to finish that?” Audrey, clad in avant-garde black plate armor, finally asked.

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

Audrey accepted it readily, pulling out the half-eaten bread that had sunk into the soup, and took a bite.

They heard someone approaching, and then a figure clad in a brown cloak appeared. They recognized the man as the scout, who quickly knelt. “My Lord, one Coalition column is marching toward Marshall Hugo’s position.”

The staff burst into lively discussions, while Sir Callahan calmly updated the earthen map on the ground.

Audrey shot Lansius a sharp glance, but Lansius merely noticed crumbs around her mouth and carefully wiped them away with his hand.

Afterward, Lansius spoke with unusual calmness, “It’s time. The diversion won’t hold for long. Return to Korelia and ride south.”

Audrey placed the unfinished bowl on the ground and stood up. Her movement drew the attention of the staff.

“Sir Callahan,” Audrey addressed the older knight, who stood in response.

“Captain,” the blond knight replied.

“I entrust my Lord to you. Keep him safe.”

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

Their exchange was brief. Next, Lansius rose, and all eyes were on him. “Ready the men,” he gave a short command.

The staff, in turn, relayed the order to the entire camp.

Stealing a moment for himself, Lansius called Audrey in a softer tone, “Come, let me walk you to your horse.”

Preparations for battle were well underway as they walked through their forest hideout.

Finally, they reached a quiet spot. “Audrey,” he called.

She slowed down. “I figured you wanted to talk.”

“Yes, I still have great doubts about this,” he admitted.

Her expression hardened. Other people would be deterred by this, but Lansius knew that this was just her natural demeanor. Confirming his thoughts, she let out a sigh.

“I sort of understand your feelings. Sending men into harm’s way is never easy. But it’s your duty as Lord. I have mine, they have theirs, you have yours.”

"Men are going to die…. for what reason?" he calmly argued. "Half our men aren't even Korelians, they have little reason to fight. If we just retreat to Midlandia, then even the townsfolk wouldn’t need to take up arms.”

Audrey clicked her tongue. “Retreat...? My oath is to protect you, but I’ll strike you if you utter such nonsense again.”

Lansius wasn’t surprised by her reaction. He knew he shouldn’t utter nonsense like that on the eve of battle, but his conscience begged him to. “Sorry, I’ve got so many things on my mind--”

“You’re overthinking this, Lans,” she cut in. “The men under you, me, and even the people in town are fighting, not because you told us to. It’s because we want to.”

Lansius was perplexed. “But why? I may have done some small good deeds here and there, some small help, but nothing worthy-”

“To us, you are worthy,” Audrey declared, exhaling deeply. “Look, I can’t put this into words. How can I explain this? You’re the smart one, ugh, why give me a headache...” she complained, scratching her head in frustration.

Her expression triggered something within him. His worries and doubts swirled together, and something snapped. He let out a chuckle, his first in a few days.

Despite Audrey giving him a funny look, Lansius couldn’t suppress it. The laughter felt too good, too freeing. He was gasping for air afterward.

“You feel better now?” she asked.

“No, I’m not okay. I’m sending my men and my loved ones into battle,” he replied, but something within felt lighter. The brooding was gone.

Audrey came closer until their breastplates clashed with a dull thud.

“Wha-?”

“Just be still.” Her hands were on the sides of his head and their lips met in a brief, heated kiss, just like their first beside the stream. Not wanting to let go, Lansius wrapped his arms around her cuirass and pulled her close. This time, he kissed her.

All that lance training paid off, as she couldn’t resist as easily. Her breath, her lips, and her tongue overwhelmed his senses.

She finally pushed him off and wiped her lips with her palm. “That should do it,” she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“Do what?” he asked with a reddened face.

“Grow you a pair,” she smirked.

“You rascal,” he retorted, but that didn’t erase the grin on her face.

“Don’t die,” Lansius said as she turned away from him.

“You too, Lans. I’ll see you after the battle.” Audrey waved her hand casually and headed alone to where they had left the horses.

Later, Lansius caught a glimpse of three riders through the forest. They must have been her and her escorts. They detoured eastward before returning to the town of Korelia via the east side. In town, twenty cavalrymen were waiting for her.

 

***

 

The vivid recollections still rang in Lansius’ mind as he walked back. He instinctively licked his lips as if savoring the aftertaste.

I should propose when this is over.

Lansius made a mental note, clearing his head as he returned to the command site. There, he noticed the scout who had remained behind. He addressed them, “Good report. Get something to drink or eat.”

He then handed a silver coin to the scout. Informants were paid well in his troops.

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

They employed many 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 Lansius, he was just glad that he could provide income for his veterans.

As Lansius sat back, the map they drew on the ground was getting updated. Now, one of the rectangle drawings which represented the Coalition column was moving closer toward Korelian’s only rectangle.

“...”

Lansius recalled that no matter how many times he had simulated this battle, Korelia didn’t have any chance to stop the Coalition’s gargantuan force.

If he waited, the Coalition would complete their siege engines, and it would be over once the castle sustained severe damage. If he chose to strike out, the Coalition's six-thousand-strong force would counter-attack, targeting both Korelia town and castle.

Even with the aid of trenches, they could hold on for a day or perhaps more, but victory seemed a distant hope. Engaging the Coalition in a conventional way would be a losing battle. Thus, Lansius had opted for a more radical approach.

He planned to hit the Coalition’s weak spot. That in itself wasn’t new or radical. What was radical was just how far he would go to make certain that he could hit his mark.

More than just a half-hearted distraction, Lansius needed substantial bait. This required a column of men, so he had pulled his force, even leaving the castle practically undefended.

Now, only two guards remained in the castle, both crippled and serving as lookouts. If it weren't for Cecile, his castle staff, the cooks, and the page boys, the castle would have been abandoned.

They manned the walls, creating the illusion of a well-defended fortress. Many of them were competent with crossbows, enough for well-aimed shots, lending credibility to the castle’s defenses, at least from a distance.

For the same reasons, Lansius had pulled most of his men out of Korelia town. Apart from Sir Justin's column, the town was only lightly defended by a mixture of crossbowmen, militia, and Audrey’s twenty cavalrymen. Presently, the trenches were manned by hastily trained militias.

Considering the length of the ditches, Lansius earnestly hoped their presence would maintain the illusion of being fully manned. If the other Coalition column attacked the trenches then his charade would be exposed.

With the castle nearly empty and only a token defense in the town, the situation was daunting. The Coalition could potentially steamroll their defenses purely by chance. Yet, deep down, Lansius was prepared to sacrifice the town if it meant securing a victory.

He was resolved, however, to make the enemy pay a high price. He had instructed his defenders to switch to urban, door-to-door fighting once the enemy column breached the trenches.

What Lansius needed was time and a diversion to keep the enemy preoccupied. This was the role of Sir Justin’s column. His forces served as bait to keep the Coalition locked in place.

Now, this exact plan was in motion, which heightened his anxiety. He personally disliked this battle plan, but he couldn't devise a viable alternative. He was stuck. His opponents were simply too well-prepared.

Crackling sounds of crushed dry leaves alerted them. Two scouts appeared. “My Lord, the Coalition column has engaged Marshal Justin’s forces-“

Murmurs and comments cut the report short.

“Not yet. The man still has things to say,” Sir Callahan rebuked the rest and motioned for the scout to report.

The scout resumed, “We saw the Coalition cavalry moving more southward than before. My Lord, we think that the Lord of Three Hills is trying to get a better view of the battle.”

“Well done,” Lansius exclaimed while clenching his fist. It was better than expected. Sir Justin’s column not only baited and locked a Coalition column but also drew their reserve away.

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

“Bring out the horses,” Lansius ordered.

The command made the men scramble from their spots.

“How’s the other columns’ position?” Lansius asked the scout as the rest were preparing to sortie.

“There are no changes, My Lord.”

“Good. What else do we know about his column?” The Lord pointed to the column nearest to them on the ground map.

“My Lord, I recognize their sigils. They’re men from South Hills,” the scout said with confidence.

The second scout chimed in, “They look weak, My Lord. Not many are wearing armor. Mostly peasants with only a shield, spear, and thick clothing.”

“Levied troops. My Lord, they can be bypassed,” Sir Callahan advised.

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

“The wind still blows from the south, My Lord.”

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

 

***