The Fireseed Wars

II

Great King Lysandros and Grand Commander Aristocles were seated at a small table in the Grand Commander's tent. Outside were the sounds of whickering horses and the hammering and sawing of wood as their new headquarters was being built. The Grand Host had moved well beyond the effective range of Kalvans new guns, and almost out of sight of the Thagnor City outer walls. All in all, a pitiful position from which to direct a siege; certainly not one to inspire confidence in the end result. Morale was down and growing worse with nightly raids by Hostigi irregulars who moved through the night like wraiths, cutting the throats of sentries and lobbing petards into the tents of sleeping troopers.

Lysandros laid his hands out on the table. "The harsh truth is that the Hostigi bombardment has demolished our plans for besieging Thagnor City. What I want to know now is, what can we accomplish before winter sets in?"

Grand Commander Aristocles shrugged his shoulders. "Your Majesty, I was given orders by both Grand Master Soton and Styphon's Own Voice that the Grand Host of Styphon's House is to stay in the Middle Kingdoms until we have destroyed the Hostigi Army and killed the Usurper and his family. My hands are tied. I can see that our siege has become a farce, as ships bearing foodstuffs arrive from the upper seas every day and we can do nothing to stop them. It appears our Grefftscharri allies have not lived up to their commitments."

Lysandros exhaled deeply. "Theovacar is not a good ally. He is more concerned with shoring up his rule than honoring his word."

"True, but we may find him useful later. Now that Kalvan's conquered Greffa City, Theovacar will learn he needs us more than we need him."

"Be that as it may," Lysandros said, "how can we expect to match Kalvan's Navy on the Saltless Seas when he's defeated the greatest Navy in the Middle Kingdoms? The minute we depart from here with our guns, the Usurper will be free to navigate Thagnor River again. He will soon own the Aesklos Sea. Then his Navy will harry our transports from Glarth Town. When that happens, how will we be able to import enough food and material to continue this war?"

Aristocles shrugged again. "We can only do our best. Kalvan is not a god, nor is he infallible; sooner or later he will make a mistake. When he does, we need to be in position to take advantage of it."

"What about our supply problems?" Lysandros asked. "It's been a moon since the last supply train. Almost all our victuals are coming by ship from Glarth at exorbitant prices. It takes over two hundred tons of victuals a day, and twice that of forage for the horses, to feed our army."

"I've contacted Tarr-Ceros about bringing supplies overland and by boat along the Erkfryn River. Let us find some use for our alliance with Grefftscharr."

"If the Rathoni irregulars under King Chartiphon don't poach them before they reach our camp."

"I'm asking for an escort of two Lances of Knights."

Lysandros sighed. "We can use them. We've lost a third of our original numbers through Prince Phidestros' leave-taking, the Ros-Zarthani defection, casualties and desertions. At the moment, we barely outnumber the Hostigi three to one and that's only if we don't count the Army of Rathon, which has grown to a significant size.

"It's just as well," Aristocles said. "We'd have trouble feeding any more men. The Usurper Kalvan has not left us much in the way of forage. We've stripped the larder of Morthron bare of food stocks and overland supplies from GrefFa City have stopped since its capture by the Hostigi."

"So, at present, we're just marking time here until we have a fleet. Meanwhile, according to the latest dispatches from Harphax City, almost a third of my capital city has burned and there are riots almost every other day. It's taken the full weight of what remains of the Royal Army to restore peace, while Prince Phidestros waits patiently in Argros for events in Harphax City to spin out of control-leaving my pregnant wife as the only person between my Throne and disaster!"

"I sympathize, Your Majesty," said the Knight Commander with a shrug. "However, the Order has its own problems. Warlord Ranjar Sargos has returned from his war against the Mexicotal stronger and richer than before. Next spring we can expect his hordes to cross the Great Mother River-"

"Yes, but my problems are not in the near future, but today!" Lysandros exclaimed. "I need to return to Hos-Harphax while I still have a kingdom to rule."

Artistocles held out his hands. "I will not allow it. Now that Soton has defeated the League of Dralm's Army there is nothing to stop him from conquering all of Hos-Agrys. Then he will be free to come to our aid with his army. All we need is patience and time."

"Agrys City has not fallen yet," Lysandros pointed out. "Until it has, it is premature to speak of the conquest of Hos-Agrys. I wish Soton success, but we need help now. I do not know how much longer I can wait here, polishing my sword, for something to happen."

"I am sorry about your difficulties, Lysandros, but you demanded to be co-commander of the Grand Host. And, is it not true that the expenditures you use to maintain your army and your Throne are borne by Styphon's House? What can be given, can easily be taken away; I'm certain that would be Styphon's Voice's response to your leaving."

Lysandros spun around and rose to his feet; his head whirling. "I'm going outside. I need some fresh air." He was surrounded by enemies and his only ally was an untrustworthy former mercenary over a thousand marches away. How, in Galzar's name, was he going to extricate himself from this Dralm-spawned privy pit?