The Three Roads to Anvil - Part 1

Date: 16th of Gol (The 5th Month of the Year 204 of the 2nd  Age)

Damn it all!

We’re all exhausted, and it’s only been a day since we left Stone Shard.

Taigstun’s march orders, combined with my men’s lack of proper rest (they stayed up late drinking) on top of the slow process gathering the right lords into the right armies; it’s taken its toll on us.

We didn’t even cover half of the ground I’d hoped we would have before we were forced to make camp. We barely travelled six miles.

Just setting up our camp took us several more hours than it should have, and more than half of the men had collapsed onto their sleeping rolls just moments after.

For the next few days, I’m planning on having the men go to rest early in the evening and wake up at the crack of dawn. That way, they should be able to rest a decent amount before our next fight and we’ll still cover a substantial amount of ground each day.

That said, I don’t have much time left tonight to write in this journal before I feel like I’ll fall asleep. However, due to the High King’s ‘Wisdom’, none of the damned scholars from the Archive were assigned to my army, meaning I and the other captains have to record all the information that they would, and organise our forces, battle plans and the night patrols as well.

Ancestors curse you, Taigstun!

And may they curse you too, High King, for listening to him!

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they were trying to have me killed.

Perhaps they are.

Regardless, it is my duty to record down the lords who accompanied me on the road to Anvil and the size of their forces.

With any luck, the Wisdom Keeper will deem these rough notes worthy of being recorded in the official account of the Gold Crusade.

Members of Lord Dorvan Long-night’s detachment of the Gold Crusade on the Road to Anvil:

- Lord Dorvan Long-night with: 10,000 soldiers (1000 ram riders, 4000 phalanx infantry, 3000 men at arms, 500 house guard, 200 knights, and 1300 volunteers)

- Lord Liam Pounder with: 6500 soldiers (500 ram riders, 1000 phalanx infantry, 3500 men at arms, 200 house guard, 200 knights, and 1100 volunteers)

- Lord Kaisar Slate with: 9000 soldiers (1500 ram riders, 4500 phalanx infantry, 2000 men at arms, 150 house guard, 350 knights, and 500 volunteers)

- Lord Quillus Quartz the 3rd with: 2500 soldiers (100 ram riders, 800 phalanx infantry, 800 men at arms, 100 house guard, and 700 volunteers)

- Lord Ahkvan Goblins-bane with: 12,000 soldiers (1000 ram riders, 6000 phalanx infantry, 2000 men at arms, 100 house guard, 400 knights, 500 retired soldiers, and 2000 volunteers)

- Lord Barkhan Ulster with: 10,000 soldiers (1000 ram riders, 3500 phalanx infantry, 3500 men at arms, 100 house guard, 300 knights, and 1600 volunteers)

- Lord Eurian Feather-fall with: 10,000 soldiers (1000 ram riders, 4500 phalanx infantry, 1500 men at arms, 500 house guard, 500 knights, and 2000 volunteers)

- 20,000 other soldiers who were drafted from the personal army of the High King Torvar: (2000 ram riders, 6000 phalanx infantry, 6000 men at arms, 1000 knights, and 4000 volunteers, and 1000 Slayers)

I and the other lords who had been vocal against the High King and his bitch had all been put into a single detachment, though I’m not as angry about that as I should be. Namely because I have a lot of experienced warriors and commanders in my detachment, including Lord Ahkvan.

To have one of the great heroes of our time serve beside me on the battlefield gets my blood pumping and helps my anger subside.

If the High King and Taigstun don’t want that kind of talent in their detachments, then I’m more than happy to have them in mine.

It has gotten quite late now, and I desperately need to get some rest before the break of day.

If the commanding officer slacks off and doesn’t follow his own orders, then he’s not fit to be a leader.

…Is it strange that I re-read this entry several times before I even started transcribing it into this book?

It was nothing more than an ‘record’ of the army’s composition and yet I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the details in this entry have been fabricated or exaggerated somewhat.

It’s foolish of me, I know, but I cannot but help questioning everything that I read now.

Still, the one thing that I do know that Lord Long-night was absolutely correct about was that he had some of the most talented warriors and commanders of our generation under his army.

Lord Ahkvan Goblins-bane

I don’t imagine that there’’ ever be a dwarf who does not know his name. Lord Ahkvan was the last male member of House Steel-wall who voluntarily changed his family name to the title that he was rewarded during an assault on Strangúld nearly 30 years ago. The goblins had stormed the city after destroying the outer gates and had broken through one of the inner ones soon afterwards. Lord Ahkvan singlehandedly held the breached gate for almost three minutes, killing more than a hundred goblins before reinforcements arrived.

He then went on to kill a few hundred more once reinforcements reached him.

I managed to catch a glimpse of him once at the Diamond Tournament in Dawn Hammer a few years ago and he certainly lived up to his legend, both in skill and appearance. A beast of a man with thick skin, strong muscles and a short white beard and hair; his face, arms and legs were covered in scars, and he was missing his left eye, a wound he sustained when he earned his title and fame.

Lord Quillus Quartz the 3rd

While there is no better goblin killer in all of the cities better than Lord Ahkvan, Lord Quillus Quartz is the greatest fighter that I and the dwarven people have seen in the last decade. He has won the Diamond Tournament six years in a row, the first to ever do so, and he made history by being the youngest lord ever to win the coveted Dawn Blade, a legendary sword made from Star metal. It had been forged long enough ago for us to have no written records of its creation.

[The Dawn Blade was named as the winner’s prize for the year when they won the Diamond Tournament, and thus Lord Quillus had it with him during the Gold Crusade]

I was fortunate enough to witness his fighting prowess once during the final of the most recent Diamond Tournament where he bested Lord Ahkvan. He and Goblins-bane’s duel lasted for a hundred clashes before Lord Quillus won, disarming the great goblin slayer and knocking him out.

Lord Eurian Feather-fall

Lord Eurian Feather-fall, like his ancestors before him, was the commander of the Slayers at Strangúld, leading them in its defence against any and all goblin attacks. From what rumours and reports that I’ve been able to get my hands on, he has led many successful defences with very low casualties, making him quite the skilled, and popular, commander.

I’ve heard that he’s quite the intellectual as well, and I have heard from my colleagues that he often spent his off time in the Archives, reading books on strategies, wisdom, mathematics, magic and all sorts of fields of study. Further, when I asked Sir Euwan about him, he told me that Lord Eurian had personally killed ten trolls, an impressive feat to say the least.

While I know for certain that Lord Long-night had talented individuals as part of his detachment, I can’t say for certain the same about the lords who were under Taigstun’s and the High King’s command.

Even though I have the complete list of the lords and noble families that participated in the Gold Crusade, there are no records or eyewitness accounts to tell me which lords went with the High King or Taigstun to Anvil, so I do not know who the other lords were assigned to.

There were many talented lords, great warriors and commanders among them, but I can’t help but worry that talent was disregarded in exchange for those who would follow the High King and Taigstun’s commands unquestioningly.

Even with the talent and the more outspoken lords under his command, I wonder if any of them were that fond of Lord Long-night or would be more loyal to him than Taigstun.

If Lord Long-night’s journal is to be believed, then he and the other lords got along fairly well with one another.

Date: 17th of Gol (The 5th Month of the Year 204 of the 2nd Age)

Today has been a tiring day.

We were already exhausted from the hard march from yesterday and a good number of the men couldn’t sleep well last night.

Then, to make matters worse, before we could make camp for the night, we ran into a small goblin warband, a few thousand strong, which we slaughtered, tiring us out even more.

I was afraid that many of my men would collapse before we could even set up camp.

I pity those on the night watch.

However, it wasn’t all awful today.

I and the other lords shared quite the interesting conversation before we encountered the Goblins.

“Do you think that the High King will keep his word?” Lord Eurian asked.

“About what?” I asked.

“About the Crusade resting and fortifying at Anvil.”

“Do you doubt our High King, my lord?” Sir Euwan asked.

“It’s not him I’m worried about.”

I smiled. “Indeed. If anyone is going to make the High King go back on his word, it’ll be Taigstun.”

Lord Ahkvan spat to the side and swore under his breath. “The slimy cunt. He’s whispering sweet nonsense into the High King’s ear and his majesty is too stupid to realise.”

I and the other lords were a bit taken back by the shocking statement from such a legendary hero.

“What? Y’all thinking the same thing, right?”

No one spoke up for a few moments.

Lord Ahkvan grunted and clicked his tongue. “Y’all thinkin’ it, but ain’t one of ya brave enough to say it, eh?”

“…I would’ve used far worse language, Lord Ahkvan,” I said with a thin smile. “Taigstun’s plans are what have put us in this mess to begin with. If he wasn’t the High King’s bitch, he’d never have been picked.”

A few of the other lords and Sir Euwan let out a small chuckle at that, including Lord Ahkvan.

“Ha! Should’ve expected that from you, Long-night!” Lord Ahkvan bellowed. “Would expect nothing less from Taigstun’s oldest enemy.”

I couldn’t help but smile a bit sadly at that.

“Taigstun’s hated my lord for many a year,” Sir Euwan said.

“So I’ve heard,” Lord Quillus said. “Ever since the Slaughter of Slayers, right?”

“Yes, the very night Lord Dorvan fought beside my father and earned his fame,” Lord Eurian boasted with a bright smile. “My father told me stories of the battle when I was still in training; ah, how I wish I could’ve been there myself.”

“Ancestors be damned, how I wanted to be there!” Lord Ahkvan cried. “How many goblins you bastards kill that day?”

“Hmm, fifty-six, I believe,” Lord Quillus said. “I was in the thick of the phalanx before the Trolls attacked and I got twenty of them there. The rest was after the gates had fallen.”

“Fifty-six?” Sr Euwan asked in admiration. “Most impressive, my lord.”

“Thank you, Sir Euwan. Were you not there that day?”

“Alas, my lord, I was elsewhere. I had been summoned back by the former head of the Long-night family to receive my knighthood. When I heard of the battle days later, I feared that Lord Long-night had been killed in the fighting, but I was relieved when I heard of his heroic deeds.”

“The Slaughter of Slayers and the Long-night Phalanx, eh?” Lord Ahkvan said. “I heard you took a few hundred men and held out against a goblin horde almost six times your numbers for an hour. That true?”

I nodded and smiled proudly. “All true, my lords.”

“Fuckin’ Ancestors! Wish I could’ve seen that.”

“You honour me, my lord.” I bowed to him slightly. “To have such a great hero like yourself say that means more to me than any other glory I could earn in this life.”

Lord Ahkvan frowned. “All I am is a glorified vermin killer, no better than a rat catcher. I don’t deserve such respect.”

“Hard to say that after you killed that many goblins by yourself, Lord Ahkvan,” Lord Quillus said. “It would be a miracle if I could even kill half as many goblins as you have in my lifetime. Lord Long-night, how many did you kill during the Slaughter of Slayers?”

“Hmm, my memory isn’t as good as it used to be,” I admitted. “Seventy? Eighty, I think.”

“Only that many?” Lord Eurian burst out. “My father told me you killed two hundred singlehandedly.”

Sir Euwan let out a small laugh and said, “When I first got word of the battle, I had heard that my lord held the goblins back singlehandedly and slew five hundred goblins.”

“Who the fuck told that story?” Lord Ahkvan asked, letting out a hearty chuckle.

“A bard, no doubt,” Lord Quillus said, smiling. “I once heard that Lord Ahkvan defeated an entire warband of goblins alone, in the depths of the tunnels, whilst heavily wounded. The tavern patrons ate that shit up, but all I could do was laugh.”

Lord Ahkvan, myself and the others all joined in laughing with him.

“If I could do that, I’d be a monster, not a dwarf!” Lord Ahkvan roared. “Ancestors know I wish I could pull something that fucking grand off. Don’t think anyone in the Kingdom or on the surface could do that.”

As the conversation died down again, I thought back to the Slaughter of Slayers and said, “It really was quite the battle.”

“Aye, it was,” Lord Quillus agreed. “I remember that day very well. I was right behind Lord Dorvan as he charged the breech and bought time for the Slayers to set up. I haven’t felt a rush like that since that day!”

“Such days are rare, which is why I’m pissed I missed one like that,” Lord Ahkvan said.

“You’ll get that feeling again, Lord Quillus, I’m sure,” I said. “There will be many great battles to come and many great honours to win on the road ahead”

Lord Ahkvan spat to the side and muttered, “If we even get that far.”

“My lord?” Sir Euwan whispered.

Lord Ahkvan thrust his head to the side and rode his ram a good ten metres from the column; I and the rest of the nobles followed him.

“Keep marching!” Sir Euwan yelled to the men, keeping them mobile.

With all the lords gathered to one side away from the main army, Lord Ahkvan lowered his voice and asked, “Do you all honestly think the Gold Crusade will succeed?”

All of the other lords were taken aback, their jaws agape and too stunned to say a word.

That is, until I spoke up first.

“What made you ask?”

“The High King’s not leadin’ this army; Taigstun is, and the High King is too stupid to realise he’s being led down and not leadin’. That shit’s dangerous if Taigstun don’t know how to lead us properly.”

“My lord, please do not speak so-” Sir Euwan tried to say, but I cut him off.

“Taigstun’s plans are flawed, no question about it,” I agreed, earning a few audible gasps from the other lords, and Sir Euwan. “He’s not thinking about leading a successful military campaign; he’s trying to make a crusade which should take years take weeks, and I can’t see it working out well for us.”

“Lord Long-night, do you mean to say that Taigstun has prioritised his own standing above the success of our Crusade?” Lord Eurian asked.

“Aye, I do.”

“My lord, with all blessings and respects, I cannot agree with you. Taigstun’s plans are flawed, that much I agree, but to say that he would do such a dishonourable thing is-”

“Exactly the type of thing he’d do,” I interrupted him again.

“My lord, forgive me, but I must disagree with you,” Sir Euwan said. “We both know that-”

“Taigstun’s hatred of Lord Long-night has clouded his judgement before,” Lord Quillus said curtly with a scowl on his face. “Did you all not find it strange that those of us who spoke up against Taigstun’s plan all ended up in the same army for the march to Anvil? Taigstun would definitely have had a hand in organising the distribution of the lords, and he was the one to read out the list. It’s not unthinkable that he’d add us to Lord Long-night’s army after we spoke up simply because we questioned his ‘plan’”

“…Even then, I cannot agree with what you’re saying,” Lord Eurian whispered. “I don’t want to believe that a fellow lord would be capable of something so selfish when we’re here for the good of our people.”

“…Lord Ahkvan, do you believe that the Gold Crusade might fail?” I asked, nervous and curious, curious to find out if I was the only one filled with doubts, or if others had started feeling the same.

He said nothing and nodded.

“Our army is numerous and mighty, our men are trained and well equipped, and Anvil could be a good fortification point,” Lord Quillus said. “The High King and Taigstun both know this to be true and both want the Gold Crusade to succeed. It is only the way that they reach that goal which makes me doubt our successes.”

A few of the other lords mumbled and nodded in agreement, although a couple of others shook their head and disagreed.

“Perhaps, when we reach Anvil, it would be worth speaking to the High King about this,” I said; then, I shook my head. “No, he wouldn’t listen to us. He’d only listen to Taigstun.”

“…My lord,” Sir Euwan began, his voice shaking. “Might it not be worth talking to Lord Star-forged about this? Perhaps…he would listen…”

I wanted to flat out reject Sir Euwan’s proposal, but he spoke sense.

If I or any other lord wanted the plan for the Gold Crusade changed, we’d have to speak to Taigstun, convince him of a new, better plan, and then he would tell the High King and the Gold Crusade would have a better chance of succeeding, in my eyes, at least.

“…I shall speak to him at Anvil,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat.

“I’ll speak with ‘im too,” Lord Ahkvan said. “What about the rest of ya?”

“I will,” Lord Quillus replied.

A few of the others nodded and agreed, including Lord Eurian.

“Then, it’s settled,” I said. “Until Anvil then, we shall speak of this no further.”

We rode back to the front of the column and spoke of other, cheerier matters for the next hour or so, until we ran into the goblin warband.

The battle was practically over once it’d begun.

Just ten minutes until they were all dead at our feet.

After that, we set up camp and I felt that I needed to record this conversation before I fall asleep and forgot it come the morrow.

By the Ancestors!

The corpses of the green bastards still stink even from here, almost a hundred metres from their remains!

Unfortunately, I and the men are far too exhausted after today to count them, and we cannot afford to wait and do so.

We have to make it to Anvil as soon as possible and start fortifying the city.

With any luck and with our Ancestors’ blessings, we should reach the city before the High King and Taigstun do and can start on the fortifications as soon as possible.