Chapter 233: The Seed of Conflict


    With Rund in Mearcian hands, the Order army could continue. Supply lines stretching back across the Langstan to Hthiod were secure. Ahead, in the far distance, the peak of Niheim could be seen against the horizon. While the name revealed how the Mearcians disdained this ce, the ounders revered it. It held the throne of the Godking and stood as the centre of his priesthood. Furthermore, the city inside the hollow mountain held thousands of craftsmen, and the same number of ves worked the deep mines to gather ore. From here, the armies of the Reach were equipped. To conquer the mountain would deal a crippling blow, perhaps decisive enough to end the war. Two days after the conquest of Rund, the Order army began its march south.


    It took a week before they met resistance. Quick skirmishes between patrols that slowed their progress and kept them blind to whaty ahead further south. Sending a vanguard in force to press ahead, they eventually found the reason for the enemy presence. The ounder army, revitalised and reinforced, had marched out to defend Niheim. Battle seemed inevitable.


    ~~~~


    "How many?" Brand sat in his tent, studying a simple drawing of the surroundingndscape.


    "More than sixty thousand," Godfrey told him. Besides the two, only Geberic and ukos were present. The former sewed a tear in his tunic and thetter sharpened his de.


    "And I have less than forty." The king exhaled. "The terrain gives no reprieve. Godfrey, are you certain of your n? If you have the slightest doubt, I must withdraw. I cannot offer battle on these terms."


    "I am certain." The wanderer looked at Brand resolutely.


    "If you are wrong, I will not forgive this error."


    "I understand."


    "Very well." The king looked at his sergeant. "Summon my captains. We fight."


    ~~~~


    In the camp of the ounders, Sikandar had done as the king. Wearing the mask of the Godking, he sat in his tent with his captains gathered before him. Out of all of them, only Arash and Rostam had apanied themander during the first invasion of Adalmearc. The rest were recent appointments, filling the positions made empty by recent battles.


    "If the drnders advance, we must fight," Sikandar dered. "We cannot allow them to besiege the sacred mountain. The scouts say we have more troops, which the tndscape will allow us to take full advantage of. Yet our enemy has proven cunning in the past."


    "Their best chance would be to trap our centre as they did before," one lieutenant argued. "We should focus our superior numbers on one nk, envelop theirs."


    "Many of our soldiers are new recruits or pulled from the garrisons," Arash pointed out. "We do not know how they will handle the fight. We should ce our troops evenly across our lines rather than risk any sudden vulnerability."


    "I agree with Jenaab Arash," Rostam said. "On t terrain such as this, cavalry will determine the oue of the battle."


    "Surprising words from the leader of the Zhayedan," another lieutenant remarked sarcastically.


    Sikandar raised one hand tomand silence. "Do you have more to say, Jenaab Rostam?"


    "The typical strategy in a battle like this would be to divide the cavalry to protect each nk. Yet if we do this, and the drnders do this, I fear their knights will prove stronger in both fights. With this open field, they can manoeuvre with ease, avoiding our infantry or retreating to make a renewed charge."


    "You have a solution?"


    "We ce all our cavalry on the one nk. If the drnders do the same, the resulting engagement of suchrge numbers will keep them entrenched, allowing our footmen to join the fight. If they split their forces, we win the engagement, and our cavalry may envelop their infantry," Rostam exined.


    "And what of the other nk?" asked a lieutenant.


    "We keep our reserves in that position. They may not do much fighting, but they can keep the nk anchored and defend against the enemy''s cavalry. Meanwhile, we win the battle on the opposite side."


    "It seems dangerous tomit our reserves to one side," Arash argued.


    "It will be bnced by the Zhayedan all fighting on the other," Rostam countered.


    "And if the Zhayedan fail?" asked another lieutenant.


    "The drnders will envelop our infantry and win. Which will happen anyway if we divide our cavalry and lose. Keeping all the Zhayedan together gives us the best opportunity to avoid this."


    Sikandar slowly wrung his hands together, though the mask hid all his emotions. "Fighting in the expected manner has not gone well against this enemy. And their knights have proven formidable. I will follow Jenaab Rostam''s advice."


    "Divine Majesty." The aforementioned lieutenant bowed his head.


    "Prepare the men. We fight tomorrow."


    ~~~~


    The two armies assembled on a t in. Nothing met their eyes except the peak of Niheim to the far south. The sun had risen early and warmed the field; it promised to be a pleasant summer''s day, were it not for the impending bloodshed.


    The ounders stood in deep ranks with arge detachment in reserve on the western nk. Further behind, to the east, their cavalry waited under Rostam.


    The Mearcians held nothing back. Their entire infantry stood deployed, allowing them to match the breadth of the enemy lines. As for the knights, all of them had gathered to the east, leaving their western nk exposed.


    The Order soldiers did not waste a moment. As soon as they stood arrayed for battle, they marched forward. The ounders met them with arrows. Meanwhile, Sikandar had already noticed the weakness in the Mearcian formation. Quickly, he sent a messenger to the reserves on the western nk. There would be no enemy cavalry to protect against; instead, they were to move into battle at once and envelop the Order army.


    The king of Adalmearc did not waste time either. Even while his infantry still marched forward, hemanded his knights to attack. Having awaited the signal from the king''s banner, Sir Ewind began the charge.


    The movement made by thousands of horses could not be disguised. Sikandar gave his own signal for the Zhayedan to make their counter-attack.


    ~~~~


    "Jenaab, they have given the signal," a soldier said, pointing towards Sikandar''s position. "The Godking bids us make our attack." He sat on his horse next to Rostam.


    The captain of the Zhayedan did not move. "Hold steady."


    "But Jenaab, the drnders attack!"


    "Hold!" he roared.


    Ahead, the knights changed their direction. Having moved past the infantry of the two armies, they charged into the ounders from behind, tearing through the ranks.


    "Jenaab, the battle will be lost!"


    "And with it, the tyrant!" Rostam dered.


    "Traitor!" shouted the soldier. He dropped his spear to draw his sword, but Rostam was quicker, grabbing his dagger to stab to the other man.


    "The reign of the Godking is over!" the captain bellowed, pulling his dagger back. "If you wish to see your families free, you will stand down!"


    Confusion and murmurs spread among the Zhayedan. Finally, they drew swords.


    "All for the Godking!"


    "Death to the tyrant!"


    A dreadful fight ensued as brother killed brother.


    ~~~~


    The battlested only another hour. Unopposed, the knights crushed the ounders'' formations. Their reserves were deployed on the wrong nk, attempting to envelop the Mearcian lines; they had barely moved into position before the battle had been decided. All hope lost, the ounders took to flight, but the Mearcian cavalry pursued them across the t ins all through the long summer''s day. When night finally fell, tens of thousandsy dead. The might of the Reach had been broken.


    ~~~~


    In the evening, a handful of ounders came to the Order camp under guard. Soldiers led them to the king''s dwelling, where a heated discussion with the thanes ensued. Finally, one of them stepped inside the tent. "My king, the ounder captain is here as you requested, but he refuses to yield his weapons."


    Brand raised one hand. "Hees as an ally, not a prisoner. Let him keep his sword." Behind him, ukos grumbled while Godfrey murmured in assent.


    Rostam entered the tent, still armed. Brand rose in greeting, inclining his head. He sat down, gesturing towards the chair in front of him, and his visitor took the empty seat.


    "Wee, Lord Rostam. I have been told of the aid you have lent us." Brand nced up at Godfrey, who had moved to stand to the side. "I am grateful."


    Rostam bowed his head in eptance. "You are the great king of all yournds?" he asked, speaking the Mearcian tongue.


    "I am high king of Adalmearc, yes," Brand confirmed.


    "You are young," Rostam spoke hesitantly, "and you wear no crown or mask, but the same clothes as your servants."


    "My power does not rest upon such trinkets."


    The ounder nodded slowly. "Maybe we can learn from this. Once Sikandar is removed, and the Servants, we have difficult decisions ahead of us. We already have a second tyrant seeking to rece the first."


    "I assumed you would take up the mantle," Brand said.


    "I may hold the highest rank among those who seek the morrow," Rostam exined, "but I will not take power for that reason. Else I shall simply be the third tyrant."


    "That is your business," the king dered. "As long as the new ruler ensures peace with Adalmearc, that I never have cause to return."


    "That is certain," Rostam promised. "We are not eager to have soldiers of yournds in ours any longer than necessary."


    "You need not worry. I will withdraw as soon as my aim is achieved."


    "Your army, yes, but what of the marked people?"


    "He means the Dwarves," Godfrey added.


    "They seek return to their ancestral home. It is not for me to hinder this," Brand imed.


    "They are your subjects, are they not? Theye from yournds."


    "They did, but they left, and they are no longer my subjects. If they wish to settle, I cannot stop this. You do not expect me to turn my soldiers upon them, surely."


    "Yet you pave the road," Rostam argued. "You remove any obstacle in their path. I am told they seek the sacred mountain."


    "Niheim," Godfrey interjected.


    "It has been ours for as long as we remember. How am I to gain my people''s trust, convince them to cast aside the new Godking and his priesthood, if ournds are given away to invaders?"


    "Without my army, you will not achieve any of this regardless," Brand retorted. "This Sikandar may be defeated for now, but he will recover in time."


    "Without my help, you would not have won this battle. Not to mention I and others risked our lives to pass you information, undermining the Godking''s war against you from within," Rostam countered.


    "I believe that brings up an excellent point," Godfrey interceded, "that you had and have amon enemy. If Adalmearc is to be safe, Sikandar must be defeated. If the other cities of the Reach are to cast aside the Godking''s yoke, Sikandar must be defeated."


    "You speak your honeyed words, Javed, but I do not dispute this," Rostam said. "But I will give this warning. If the people of yourndse to take ours, it will be the seed of conflict. If you truly wish for peace tost, you should be careful what you sow."


    "Consider me warned," Brand dered. "For now, Godfrey is right. We still have a war to win."


    "Very well. I must go. We still have many dead to bury." Rostam rose, bowed his head, and left.