The Crow and The Rabbit

"Captain Mattias, explain the situation to her." The emperor ordered, tapping his cane against the planning table.

The short man with the long hair bowed to his emperor. "Yes, your majesty." He pointed to a spot in the center of the table. A painting of the capital that even Ferene could understand. "This is Celngi. Here, to the east, is the front line. Nearly all of our troops are between here and there. We have a sizable army at the capital, waiting for orders to march east when the general gives them. There is a threat of unknown size to the west, and we cannot send a large force to deal with it. A squad of twelve men vanished. Then a scout vanished. My ideal response would be to send one hundred men to flush out the threat, but I'm not diverting that many away from defense during war time. It isn't worth it, but sending a notably smaller number would just be wasting more lives."

The emperor smiled, tapping his cane lightly against Ferene's chest. "The initial squad went to investigate a report. A mercenary group has taken over a town, demanding tribute. The leader fancies himself as a lord and is, supposedly, planning to ransom the entire town for a title. As my blade, I want you to go there, determine the truth of the situation, and deliver whatever justice you see fit. This is not a move against your friend, the general."

Expressionless, Ferene looked at the map. The colors helped her understand it - the blue rivers, the green fields, the gray or brown mountains. Painted buildings were towns and cities. The town the emperor pointed at was on the far western border, far from the capital, even farther from the war.

"I will do it, your majesty."

"Excellent! You leave tomorrow. The captain will get you everything you need." The emperor turned and left without any further words.

"One squad of soldiers will be there to assist you. They will follow your orders, but I'll tell them that you are not a military leader. The lieutenant in charge will be offering you suggestions. You can do with them what you see fit. Can you ride a horse?" Ferene nodded. "Good. All of you will have mounts."

The next morning, Ferene met the lieutenant and the squad. The lieutenant was a short, stocky woman called Tanja. Her face was covered in a number of scars, the largest one running from the center of her chin to the bottom of her ear, ending at her missing earlobe.

"Emperor's blade, huh? I should be honored." She said without smiling. Her troops stood behind her, motionless. They all wore light armor and carried short spears, with large shields strapped to their backs. Tanja herself had two long-handled axes on her right hip, and a sword on her left.

Ferene wasn't sure what to say. Both with Taradira and with Cerise, she had not been in command. "Get moving." She said, turning to her horse and pulling herself on. The beast was large, much larger than any she had seen in Wellant, Olentor, or Ettsgras. The soldiers all mounted similar creatures, and they started riding east.

The terrain was strange. Small hills and valleys dotted with trees filled her view as her horse followed the road, surrounded by the squad of soldiers. Far from the grand, rolling hills of Ettsgras, the mass of hills and valleys pitched and tumbled across the landscape.

The first day of riding was uneventful, and they ended at a roadside tavern. Tanja arranged for rooms, and Ferene found herself with a room of her own. She had barely closed the door behind her when a figure stood up from behind the lone bed in the room. Her hand went to her dagger as her body tensed, waiting for another move.

"I didn't think it could be you, but it is. I have questions."

She blinked, her hand dropping to her side. She took a step closer, just to be sure.

The man in her room was Tullund.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

Sitting down on the bed, he looked up at her, concern on his face. "My scouts reported another group of imperials heading west. Then my other, more reliable scouts said they thought it was you. So I had to see. We trailed you until you stopped here, and I paid off the innkeep to learn what room was yours. I needed to know. I never thought I'd see you dressed like that. I never thought you'd be directly serving the emperor."

"The scouts. Nenhal?"

He nodded. "Yeah, your friend. A real handful. Great to have around, but a little on the strange side. Always doing something unexpected. Not as unexpected as what you've done. Why? What happened?"

She leaned against the wall, watching him. "I was helping Taradira. She asked me to do something. I was captured, and they brought me to the emperor. He gave me a job."

"Taradira is at war with the empire."

"Are they evil?"

Tullund blinked, then frowned. "In terms of land, Celngi stole from Ettsgras. Ettsgras is now stealing from Celngi. Who is right, in this situation?"

"Are they hurting innocents? Are they killing people who can't fight back?" Ferene crossed her arms. "I'm told there is a mercenary group in a town, making demands. Dead soldiers. What do you know?"

Letting out a sigh, he leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "Not my mercenaries in the town. We killed the soldiers, though. I'm helping Taradira by causing problems where I can. Being a distraction."

"The town. Tell me."

"Again, not mine. Independent group looking to take advantage of the war. Idiots."

"How many?" She asked, stepping towards him.

"Fifty."

Ferene clenched her teeth together. Too many for her to deal with. "I have twelve soldiers."

"Not enough."

"Will you stop us? Kill us? Like you did the other group?"

He shook his head. "No, Ferene. You're my friend. You know more about me than anyone else does. I know a lot about you. We understand each other. I'm not going to fight you, and I'm not going to kill people you are protecting."

"Good." She said, "You are mercenaries?"

"Officially, yes." Tullund grinned. "We aren't part of Ettsgras' army. Just an independent group."

"Stay here." She said, turning away and leaving the room, not giving him a chance to say anything. She asked the innkeeper where Tanja was, and found her sharing a room with three other soldiers.

"Can I help you, Sir?" The lieutenant asked, standing up and giving a half-bow when Ferene entered the room.

"How much money do we have?"

The woman stared at her, confusion on her face. "Well, you should have access to a great deal of the imperial treasury, but we don't carry that with us. I could write a pledge in your name. What do you want to buy? What will it cost?"

"I'll know tomorrow." Ferene said, turning and leaving the room. She went back to her own, finding Tullund still sitting on the bed. "Mercenaries work for money. I'll hire you. Meet me tomorrow and we'll talk. Outside."

A smile spread across his face. "You've learned a thing or two, somehow. Fine. I'll bring two others to negotiate the price."

"Trapped on three sides." Taradira summarized, glaring down at the map. Her captains stood around the table, Thoms at her side as always. "They aren't pushing deep into our captured territory, but making it harder for us to get supplies. They should be preparing to siege the city." She turned to Gelvain, "They aren't, are they?"

He looked at her, frowning. "How did you know? My scouts just got back. The enemy is holding back, not moving in position to attack us here or hit our supply lines. They just stopped."

"We waited for them to make a move, so they secured a good position before handing it back to us." Gallen commented, tapping his chin. "So, what will we do?"

Drawing in a breath, Taradira looked at the map for a moment before giving out orders. "Revert to a previous strategy. Coryan, take a force and threaten Galbr. See what they do about it. If they pursue, we can also move, and engage them in the open. I'm confident I can win there. If they move on us here instead, send a messenger east. Summon Arnov, and get a message to Ettsgras to send in the second wave. Arnov and Coryan can pin the imperials between them and us."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The young captain nodded, but Gallen's expression didn't change. "One hundred heavy cavalry will be enough to take an undefended Naymoor, or cause heavy damage to either Arnov or Coryan's forces while they move."

"They aren't in a position to do that." Taradira reassured him. "It will be a concern should things drag on that long. Naymoor is more likely to be taken, but if we can crush their army further in, a victory there will mean little. We need to put the pieces back in motion. If that group shows up unexpectedly, turn and fight."

"There was another piece of news." Gelvain spoke up. "General Camus is our opponent. She's young, and returned to the imperial capital at the same time your friend showed up there. Likely in charge of the northern force before her promotion."

"Do we know anything else about her?" Taradira asked, looking around the table first, then turning to Thoms they all shook their heads.

"I met her once." A new voice interjected. Varnon, standing in the entryway. "Diplomatic event several years ago. I was seated next to her at a lesser table. She didn't talk much, but I got the feeling she was studying everything, taking notes. Mostly emotionless, but I did get her to smile at one of my jokes. Only a small smile."

Taradira nodded. "Thank you for that information, Councilman. Is there something we can help you with?"

The newcomer shrugged. "I heard you were in a meeting, and I was curious. Things are going well?"

"We have a plan. That's all you need to know. Coryan, I want you moving out at sunrise tomorrow. Gelvain, have the spies find out everything they can about the general. Gallen…move your forces behind the first wall of the city. Varnon, he will need your help with that. Figure out a way to do it without disrupting the civilians too much. Or offer them compensation, I don't care, just get it done. We'll need to be ready in case this does turn into a siege. Dismissed."

"What is this?" Tanja demanded, seeing the three people waiting for her and Ferene at a table in the common room the next morning. "Who are these people? How do you know them?"

Taking a deep breath, Ferene stared the other woman down. "I am the emperor's blade." The lieutenant grit her teeth, but nodded.

As soon as Ferene took a step towards the table with the three, Nenhal sprang to her feet and loped over to Ferene, smiling brightly. "I found Taradira, just like you told me! She introduced me to Tullund, and he's been-"

"Talk about that later." Tullund cut in. "We have business to take care of. Please, have a seat."

Nenhal returned to her chair and Tanja and Ferene took their seats. "You told me there are fifty mercenaries in the town." Ferene spoke simply. Tullund nodded, and Ferene turned to Tanja. "I do not think we can fight that many with just one squad."

"We need to confirm that first." The Lieutenant said. "Why do you trust these people? Especially if they work for our enemy."

"Tullund and Nenhal are from the independent lands, and our enemy is the mercenary leader making demands of the emperor."

"Also, I was discharged from the army, along with everyone under my command." Tullund added.

Tanja grit her teeth again, looking back and forth. "Fine, then who is that?" She said, pointing to the third woman, who had remained silent up until now.

"I'd also like to know." Ferene said, looking at her. The last member of Tullund's group sat with her chair tilted back and her arms crossed, her hair swaying as she made minor adjustments to her balance.

"This is Rella, leader of the mercenary group Linara's legion."

Ferene's eyebrows went up, and she leaned forward. "You met Linara?"

The woman set her chair down, meeting Ferene's gaze. "She beat me in single combat, and then helped me out. Set up a mercenary company, left me in charge, and ran off to Olentor. Friend of yours?"

A smile spread across her face. "That sounds like her. She's…a friend of mine. If you earned her trust, then I'll trust you. Tullund, how large is your group?"

"Forty one. Thirty mercenaries, nine Hatharen, myself, and one non-combatant."

Curious, Ferene turned towards him. "The girl?" He nodded. She then looked to Tanja. "I want to hire this group to assist us. Talk to our target, determine his crimes. Whatever action I have to take, I'll have an equal force behind me."

The lieutenant let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll write a contract. It is clear to me that these people are benefiting from both sides of the war, but if the emperor's blade wants them, she shall have them."

Ferene caught Tullund grinning at that.

Taradira's forces moved.

Camus' forces moved.

Taradira's forces moved to counter.

Camus' forces retreated.

After Coryan set out, the imperial army repositioned closer to Galbr. Taradira sent Frennich out with a second force, stationing them between Galbr and Barakin, ready to reinforce Coryan. General Camus moved the imperial forces back towards Barakin, threatening that.

Both sides shuffled pieces, threatening but never engaging. Testing the mobility, the response time, and the coordination of the other side.

"We're winning." Taradira said, looking at the map in her tent.

Small piles of low-value copper coins sat on the map, representing the different divisions of the armies. Taradira spun a single coin between her fingers. Gallen, Thoms, and Gelvain sat at the table with her, the only of her captains still in the city. "What do you see, General?" Thoms asked first.

Placing the coin on the table next to the dot marking Barakin, she slid it towards the stack of three coins that showed Frennich's forces. "We have faster horses. Over longer distances, we can get updates and orders around faster. On top of that, I have all of you. I think our opponent is more reliant on her inferior communications, which puts her at a double disadvantage, and also why she's reluctant to split her army. She could send a quarter or a third of her forces to pinch Coryan, while keeping the rest to intercept any help. Yet she doesn't. She's putting Galbr in danger rather than trust a captain."

"So, praise for us aside, what is your plan to exploit this weakness?" Gelvain smiled, eager to hear more.

Taradira met his smile with one of her own. "Let us not put the praise aside. Earn it. What do you think the answer is?"

Gallen laughed. "You're confident enough in the solution you have to let us play games? That's a good look."

"You should also propose ideas, Captain Gallen. No exemptions."

They all fell silent. Thoms was the first to speak up. "Their strategy of isolating us, removing nearby targets, means we have nothing to capture without moving far, giving them more time to react. Taking towns between here and Galbr is easy but doesn't push them into moving, thus not changing the situation."

Gelvain nodded. "They are avoiding a direct confrontation, so we can't simply move forward to engage them. They'll fall back, either taking a defensive position or drawing us out and making us more vulnerable."

"We can pull them further out of position first." Gallen said, standing up to look at the map. "They've shifted south to better respond to Coryan. If they move further that way, it's possible we can set out from here and cut off their main path of retreat. They either have to engage us, commit to a running battle that will let us wear them down."

A smile on her face, Taradira reached into a bag and dropped a large pile of coins on the edge of the map, where the imperial capital was. "They have a large reserve force here. We put ourselves at risk of being attacked that way, but it does give us some time to fight before they can organize a response. However, there is a third option - they can retreat towards Galbr."

"Directly through Coryan and Frennich?" Gelvain asked, tiling his head.

"If we put those two in the way, yes. It would be costly for both sides, but not decisive. And we would be in a better position afterward, with their force trapped there. They would have no choice but to call on more of their reserves. It reverses them sieging us here to us sieging them there. If we are willing to sacrifice two fifths of our forces, we can be in a great position."

Gallen grinned. "What if we didn't?" Reaching over, he slid Coryan's stack towards Frennich's. "What if we gave them the option to retreat there, bloodlessly? We change the options they have. Fight our main force in the open, which they don't want to do. Retreat the long way, fighting a series of retreating battles while waiting for reinforcements to show up and drive us off. Turn to attack our smaller force, but have nowhere to run when we chase them down, losing their entire force in return. Or they run, uncontested, to Galbr, and end up trapped there."

Sitting down in her chair, Taradira nodded. "Send the messengers and prepare to move."

Ferene walked into the town, her twelve imperial soldiers behind her. Tullund's mercenaries were already in the town, scattered around. The plan they made after formalizing their new employment was beyond Ferene's own creative capabilities - Rella showed up with a small group, posing as traveling performers. Lily took a more rugged-looking bunch, pretending to be a traveling lady with her personal guard, claiming to want to meet with the mercenary leader. A few others, in groups of twos and threes, came in on their own, some even managing to hire on to a trade caravan heading to the town from the south as guard.

After waiting a few days, allowing as many of them as possible to get into the large town without attracting too much attention, Ferene, Tanja, and their squad walked down the main road, heading directly for the Mayor's residence.

Stopping in the street outside the wide, single-story building, Ferene drew her sword, holding it point-down in front of her, the tip sliding into the tight-packed dirt. Tanja stepped forward, head held high, and spoke loudly.

"The Emperor's Blade, instrument of his judgment and justice, stands before you, ready to hear your apologies for your crimes against the empire. The individual responsible for the disruption of the local government will step forward, or face the consequences."

They waited there for several moments, townspeople gathering nearby, watching them. Ferene kept her eyes forward, but she knew that Tullund's people would be in the crowd. Nenhal and her companions stayed outside the town, the Hatharen too conspicuous to be of use in this operation.

Finally, the door to the manor opened, and a tall, broad shouldered, lightly armored man stepped out. He wore a simple chest plate with an armored skirt, his arms and legs clad only in simple cloth.

"I am Clemens Ducas. If you aren't here to grant me lordship of this region, you should leave."

Tanja opened her mouth, but closed it as Ferene stepped forward, holding her sword in one hand and letting the tip trail in the dirt behind her. "Why do you deserve to be a lord?"

"I control this region and all the supplies it sends to the capital to fund your war. I have a negotiating position. Also, I have fifty men and you have twelve." He spat on the ground, smiling at her.

"Do the people of this town trust you to protect them, or do you hold your position by threatening them?"

Clemens tilted his head to the left, then the right, stretching his neck before raising his right hand. A second man came out of the mayor's house, carrying a sword even longer than Ferene's, which he delivered to the mercenary leader. The man took it and slammed it into the ground, point first. This seemed to be a signal, as multiple armed and armored men appeared, some from the doorway, others from behind the house, and yet more on the rooftop, holding bows and crossbows. "I don't think that matters, girl."

Ferene didn't blink, simply raising her weapon in front of her. "Then you are not worthy of the title you desire."