Equalized Combat... or not?

Three days later, we were approaching the Geber river. The natural demarcation that divided the Turacetae from the Laieysces. Together with their four hundred men, we totaled a great seven hundred-thirty men strong. More than half of which were Kragnin-trained, meaning Crawgoblin or higher ascendent.

We marched in silence as the enemy camp came into our sights. There would be no point in trying anything sneaky; their scouts have long spotted us and notified their leaders. The fact that they remained put meant that they had confidence to a degree. It meant that they believed to be capable of victory. So, in that case, if I can neglect stealth, the best course of action is to set up camp. Rest, plan, and prepare.

“Set up camp on this hill!” I barked the order to my commanders, and they delivered the message to the rest of the troops. We were close enough to observe the enemy, but far enough that they couldn’t reach us with projectiles. Since our position was elevated above theirs, we had already attained one advantage over them. Maybe if we were fortunate and a mist swooped in, we could hamper their sight of us even more. In such a case, stealth and sneaking around was back on the menu as a possible course of action.

However, such a thing was out of the picture. We urgently had to beat the enemy and make way for their capital, lest they hurt the Laiesyces diarchs. In this pursuit, we had crossed the river the previous day, and settled on the same riverbank as the enemy. If we hadn’t done so, we would have to attack by first crossing a river, which is often just a clear-cut death sentence. Instead, now we just need to crush the bad guys, and then we could safely march to their capital—the rest of their lands free for the picking.

The “crushing” part is what I should focus on, at the moment. That’s why Wergnarinth and I went out to scout the enemy the second dusk fell. We made off on barefoot, just like in our hunting days, making sure to stick closely to the riverbank, which was full of tall grass and reeds. Great concealment, for sure, if it weren’t for our silver hair shining in the last rays of sunlight. Good thing rivers were usually accompanied by mud. Bad thing we had to put that filth in our hair. Even if night fell, it would serve us well, because light-colored hair is easy to spot in the dark, and we want to avoid that.

“So, are we gonna sneak in and inspect their tools, or will we try to disguise ourselves as one of them?” I asked.

Deadpan and indifferent, he turned to me. “I have never heard something as stupid as disguising yourself as the enemy while also being covered in mud.”

“Touché.”

From our campground on the hill, it was immediately evident that Thodbargild’s forces outnumbered us greatly, but what my buddy and I were trying to accomplish, was to find out the quality of their equipment and how highly ascended they were.

We snuck along their tents, and we spotted a plethora of fighters donning brimless helmets and upper body armor. Barrels filled with iron-tipped spears and arrows. Most fighters were indeed Goblin and Hobgoblin, with only a few Craws here and there. It was as we had anticipated. We had quality, whilst they had quantity.

Before we finished up our investigation and moved back, we heard a goblin rider arrive into their encampment. “Where is the magistrate?” he asked his fellow Turacetaens, and they led him to a red-striped tent. We followed suit and quietly settled behind some barrels next to the structure. We soaked in all they said. It was but two sentencess:

“Lord Thodbargild and his two magistrates have successfully crossed the Geber and made their way to Coidunum with the Laiesyces chieftains in tow. We must strike the army tomorrow before they catch on and get a chance to retreat.”

***

“Audbernrek! Hardalgmar!” I called out to my highest officers in the middle of the night, my voice heavy with power. The two men heard, spotted, then hurried towards us, as I gestured to them to remain inconspicuous.

“Hardalgmar, fetch me my uncle and the three best horses we have, right this instant. Keep a low-profile and don’t notify anyone else,” I gestured him away with my head, and he moved at once, allowing me to shift my attention to the other. “Audbernrek, you will be in-command of the army, and you will lead them into battle. Thodbargild has snuck past our scouts and made his way to Coidunum with the Laiesyces chieftains in his clutches. He’s gonna force the town to submit to him by holding them hostage. I will make my way there to stop him, but you must prevent the Laiesyces forces from finding out, otherwise their spirit will break and the army will evaporate.”

“But high chie—”

“Listen, there’s not much time. Tomorrow the enemy will attack, so be on guard. You have years of warfare experience under your belt, and with war chief Frakaldhelm as your second-in-command, you will have little to fear. I think a person such as yourself understands why we can’t retreat immediately in the dead of night, or why I cannot allow more people to travel with me except a few—all it will do is notify either the enemy of our spying, or raise suspicions amongst the Laiesycesian forces.”

He released the tension on his spear’s grip, and he straightened his back, puffing out his chest. “I understand, high chief. I shall do as you say.”

“One last thing. The enemy has the numbers, and their equipment is adequate, but they pale in their number of high ascendents. Utilize our army’s Kragnin expertise, and we shall triumph.”

“I understand.”

I took a deep breath, and composed myself. “I trust you, Audbernrek.”

“I shan’t disappoint you.”

Hardalgmar swiftly arrived with three steeds and my uncle, as per my order. “Up on your horses, you two. We must move back to Coidunum at once. Wergnarinth, you stay, and explain the situation to Frakaldhelm, Odrar, and Altmun. No one else needs to know, except that I will take of everything. Just focus on winning the battle, and I will focus on winning the war. Understood?”

Almost instantly, they answered. “As you say, high chief.” Confident, content, and collected, they obeyed without question. They did as I ordered, and none held any doubt about my decisions. My voice had been lumbering with strength, but I questioned whether this came as result of confidence or desperation. Could it have been my Edekrag? It would explain… I digress. Not important right now.

“Alright,” I said, and mounted my Zorian. “Move out.”

Audbernrek raised his spear in the air. “May Anz grant you, and us, victory in battle.”

***

“Hyah!” I flicked the reins of my steed as I urged it to hasten. It was fast, untiring, and flew across the rolling plains and unbroken valleys as if it chased someone down who owed it money. The scenery all seemed like a daze as my glare was firmly affixed on the dirt road ahead. Onwards to Coidunum.

After a while, the stallion’s gallop slowed to a trot. It was out of breath—something I had never before seen happen to such a marathon runner of a beast. So too were the mounts of my two companions exhausted. It was time for a short rest. I have not forgotten that slow and steady wins the race. Not under any condition will I forget that lesson again.

“Behold over yonder,” my uncle spoke up and pointed towards a stream that seemed to flow from a forest close by. “It would be most efficient if we were to take leisure by the water, for the three of us, and the steeds, could quench our thirst from this tiring journey.”

We did as such, and lead the horses to water. Unlike the proverb suggests, I made them drink as well. Their thirstiness satiated, they sat down to drink up the air this time, quenching their exhaustion.

Meanwhile, I grabbed some animal fat from my horse’s saddle, and a strip of leather and cloth too. I sat down by the water, unsheathed my falcata, and gave it a polish. First up, the water—getting the blade nice and cleaned. Rinsed from all the festered up filth and debris. The loose pieces of dirt and metal—they had to go. Next up was the leather, meant to help realign the blade and smooth it out into a very fine edge and point. I did this by running it across the leather strip, stropping it into a razoring sharp edge. Lastly, the animal fat. All for the gleam and shine. I got the piece of cloth, spread a thin layer of fat across the blade with it, and looked on as I saw within its reflection a man tired. Tired of it all.

“Yup. The fat fills the tiny scratches and dents, all the while reflecting light like a mirror. Keeps away rust, moisture, stuff… and… things…” I stopped my self-talk as I saw something flash in my blade’s reflection. …It was something apart from all the gleaming. It was a piece of metal reflecting light into my bla—WHOOSH!

An arrow darted by, and I barely managed to avoid it. I looked into my sword’s reflection a last time, and turned around to see the perpetrator. I saw him—a man of grey complexion wearing a brimless cone for a helmet—Thodbargild’s ilk!

“Graargh!” I roared as I charged at him with my freshly-polished blade, already intent on soiling it with blood once more. Before my strike could hit the bow-wielding, defenseless Gnobble, someone else stepped up from the bush and deflected my attack with casual force, as I staggered back in hesitation and puzzlement.

“The half-wit pretender to my title. Albaric, is it not?” Thodbargild spoke, him being the one to deflect my cut, his near vantablack hair voiding the trees and shrubbery behind him. “You should be at the Geber river.”

“High chief!” Hardalgmar ran up to me, halting in his tracks upon spotting the enemy Goblin King and his cone-wearing dunce of a vassal. “By Anz…”

“Hardalgmar, where’s my uncle?!” I demanded.

“Er, indeed! Chief Aremfrid has been ambushed by a Gnobble, though he told me to back you up instead, claiming you could be in danger. He assured me he could handle the fiend himself.”

The duo in front of us suddenly split up in two, urging me to pursuit my fellow Goblin King. “Hardalgmar, you handle your equal, and I’ll handle mine!” I said, as the opposing Gnobble arced a half-circled cut to Hardalgmar’s chest. He blocked it, by God’s grace, and snarled as he lashed out against his opponent. His body flowing with his newfound Gnobble strength.

We each had our own separate duel. I was sure they could win theirs, but me? All I had going for me was… wishful thinking and delusion. Like always.