The Fireseed Wars

EIGHT

Kalvan was growing tired and thirsty. Vanar Halgoth, the Captain of his Tymannian Guard, had been tutoring him in Urgothi for over two hours. Word had reached him that Tortha the Trader's ship had finally arrived and he was working with Vanar to pass the time until he arrived. With Styphon's Grand Host at his back and a refugee population over a half a million strong and growing daily, it was becoming obvious that he and his Hostigi subjects were soon going to be moving westward. Since Urgothi was the lingua franca of the Middle Kingdoms, Kalvan had been taking language lessons for the past moon.

In high school, he'd studied three years of German as part of his college preparation for the ministry; his father had raised him to be his successor at his small Altoona parish. He'd had a gift for languages and taken another two semesters of German at Princeton. After he dropped out of Princeton, he had joined the US Army and fought in Korea until the war ended. He had been deployed to Germany for a year after the Korean Armistice. There he became fluent in German; unfortunately, Urgothi was about as close to modern German as the Anglo-Saxon of Beowulf was to modern English.

With another moon of hard work, he'd be able to speak it reasonably well-if not like a native. Rylla was resisting his efforts to have her and baby Demia, who was now beginning to talk up a storm, learn Urgothi. He'd even hired a local Urgothi resident as a maid for Rylla to help her learn. Rylla was still convinced they were going to return to Hostigos after the Grand Host departed-fat chance!

She didn't want her baby to learn a foreign language that she would never use. Kalvan was slowly convincing her that the more languages Demia spoke the better a ruler she'd be, on the off-chance that there was no male offspring. That argument was finally taking hold, Praise Dralm.

Language lessons were thirsty work and between the two of them they had finished off a small cask of ale. While Kalvan had limited himself to two goblets, he'd lost count of Halgoth's intake. The giant Urgothi warrior was big enough to have made linebacker for the Steelers. He also had a bottomless pit for a stomach. He gave his bell pull a yank.

"Cleon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Any further word on when Trader Tortha will be arriving?"

"No, Sire. I'll send one of the pages, Aspasthar-Oh, I forgot, he's now in charge of the cadets. I'm sure I can find another page in the kitchen."

"Please, do so."

Cleon left the Great King's audience room, which had once been Prince Kestophes' private chamber. For now it was the acting headquarters for the Great Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos-or the rump kingdom consisting of three Princedoms of Kyblos, Nyklos and Ulthor. And, maybe not for long once the Grand Host of Styphon went on the offensive.

For the life of me, why are they still stalled outside Hostigos Town?-if that's what it is still called, Kalvan asked himself. He'd heard rumors that Lysandros had renamed Hostigos Town and was now calling it Lysandros Town, after himself.

As rumors went, it had credibility on its side since Lysandros' ego was big enough to make such an act of self-aggrandizement believable; still, for Kalvan's money's worth, it was just a bit too pat. Besides, what would the new Prince of Hostigos, Baron Sthentros, have to say about it? Quite a bit, knowing Sthentros. Find a way to eliminate that traitor!'Then after a moment's reflection, he decided that the next despot Lysandros appointed Prince of Hostigos might not be so vain and arrogant; he might even prepare for their return. Nix that!

What he needed was somebody in Hostigos Town to watch over his interests. Duke Skranga, who was stirring up mischief in Hos-Bletha, would not be available for another assignment for a long time. Colonel Ranthar had asserted that the Duke was essential to their mission in Bletha in his last dispatch. Furthermore, Skranga was too well-known in Hostigos and Hos-Harphax to be an effective agent; he knew next to nothing about affairs in the Upper Middle Kingdoms. However, he could get things done like no one else. Note: Find a good agent to replace Duke Skranga.

"Cleon, please bring my guest another cask of ale and me a cup of hot chicory."

Halgoth yawned mightily, blowing out three oil lamps in the process. "Your Majesty, I'm not used to talking so much. You're getting a lot better with my tongue. I need to sleep off this ale."

"Of course, Vanar. You may retire to your chambers."

"Thank you, Sire."

"I'll still have my tea," he said as Cleon began removing the empty cask and goblets. Yes, hire.

When Cleon exited the room, Kalvan looked at the new deerskin map nailed to the chamber wall where he could openly study it. This map displayed the Upper Middle Kingdoms-what he had known back in otherwhen as the Great Lakes States. The map was dotted with cities, towns and villages; it was more densely populated than even Hos-Agrys. The borders of Grefftscharr were in red and included almost half the map; however, many of the princedoms, like Thagnor, were only loosely allied to Greffa.

Presently, there were seven Grefftscharri Princedoms, although Lyros was a subject of the Kingdom of Grefftscharr in name only. At the time the Iron Trail was in operation, Ult Greffa (Duluth) had been the capital of Grefftscharr. To the north of the old capital, Greffa included all the iron-mining regions of Minnesota (the Mesabi and Vermilion Ranges). To the east it included the copper-mining Keweenaw peninsula of Michigan. Note: find out from Tortha if the Grejftscharrers have mined the copper in the Keweenaw peninsula?

The northern shore of the Zaffryth Sea (Lake Superior), being part of the inhospitable Canadian Shield, was vacant except for some mining camps and not part of Grefftscharr, which left it to the local Ruthani and Urgothi barbarian tribes.

The next oldest possession was Helmout, the upper Mississippi with its capital, Helmout City, at Minneapolis-St. Paul, head of navigation on the Great Mother River (Mississippi). Interestingly, this Princedom was oriented east-west, its main concern being the movement of trade between Ult-Greffa/Zaffryth Sea to the east and the Raudnyr (Red) River to the west. To the south, the Princedom of Helmout bordered on Dorg.

The Princedom of Rhinnar included the Kemfryth Sea (Lake Winnipeg, which the Urgothi and Zarthani considered one of the six Saltless Seas) which was considerably larger than Lake Ontario and just slightly smaller than Lake Michigan. Rhinnar City was located on the Kemfryth Sea, at the mouth of the Red River. This Princedom was responsible for the Lake of the Woods land route to Ult-Greffa for portages/canals on the un-navigable lower stretch of the Raudnyr River (Red River), between the city of Kemfryth (Winnipeg), Manitoba and the Lake itself. On the northeast, Rhinnar extended to the Cobfryth Sea (Hudson Bay) for the fur trade. On the west, beyond Lake Manitoba, it controlled as much of the Saskatchewan River as it wished, which wasn't much. The borders of the Princedom were fairly close to those of the Province of Manitoba.

The Princedom of Brythar controlled all of the Raudnyr (Red) River territory south of Kemfryth City. Brythar was responsible for the land route to the Wyssel (Missouri) River, which followed the Velfryn (Sheyenne) River valley and reached the Wyssel north of Ovyng (Bismark), about where the Wyssel made its turn from flowing east to flowing south. With the small remaining traffic on the Iron Trail, there was little interest in the Velfryn valley route, which was mostly left to local tribes, although Brythar claimed control all the way to the Wyssel. Brythar City was on the Red River, near Fargo/Morehead.

Thagnor was a Grefftscharr vassal only in name. Prince Varrack was the latest in a series of pirate princes who ruled at their own whim, rather than the dictates of the Grefftscharrer kings. Thagnor controlled the passage between the Sea of Hassfryth (Lake Huron) and the Aesklos Sea (Lake Erie). Thagnor owned the salt mines of Thagnor City and claimed suzerainty over Gytha Town (Windsor, Ontario). Thagnor was notorious for its undisciplined politics, to put it mildly. It owned southeastern Michigan up to Fyttandlan Bay (Saginaw Bay) to the border with Zykthos, which was between the City of Karphya (Alpena) and Thagnor.

The Princedom of Zykthos was semi-independent, being claimed by Vulthar, Thagnor, and on alternate Thursdays by King Theovacar, and played off all three against each other. Politics in the Princedom of Zykthos were almost as interesting as those of Thaphigos of Hos-Harphax.

The Princedom of Greffa was the home of Greffa City (Chicago), the capital city of the Kingdom of Grefftscharr. Greffa was sometimes called Neu-Greffa. The Kings of Grefftscharr were always Princes of Greffa first. Greffa controlled the southern end of the Sea of Galfryth (Lake Michigan), the portage from the Chicago River to the Illinois River. It also controlled the Kankakee River and by treaty with Morthron the Erkfryn River (Maumee River).

The Princedom of Lyros (Wabash Valley) was claimed by Theovacar's great-great grandfather, but Dorg objected that they owned the Lyr River (Wabash River), so as a compromise no Grefftscharri prince was ever crowned. While there was no Lyrosi Prince, the Prince of Greffa was responsible for maintaining navigation on the Lyr up to Namtym Town (Lafayette, Indiana) and also for the land routes (too long to be considered portages) from the various tributaries of the Sultz River (Illinois River) to the Lyr and from the Lyr to the Erkfryn River.

After awhile his eyes started to burn and Kalvan decided he'd spent enough time staring at maps. He tugged the bell pull again.

Cleon came in a few moments later with another cup of hot tea.

"Thank you. Any word on Trader Tortha, yet?"

"He should be here shortly, Your Majesty. I just got word from the stable that his horse is being watered and fed."

"Bring him in the moment he arrives," Kalvan ordered.

"Yes, Sire."

A few minutes later, an out-of-breath Trader Tortha, wearing a wine-colored robe trimmed in ermine fur, entered the private audience chamber. "Your Majesty."

Kalvan rose and clasped his arm tightly. "It's good to see you again!"

"You, too, Your Majesty. I came as quickly as I could, given the three flights of stairs I had to climb! It's a good thing I'm in good shape, or I am now, after that journey over sea and swamp!"

They both laughed. "How are things with King Theovacar? Is there any chance he will give my people a refuge?"

Tortha's face took on a grim cast. "I fear things are even worse than we expected. Theovacar is a very careful bargainer, and does not want to allow any potential competitor into his trading camps."

That was bad news, but not unexpected. Kalvan realized Hostigi mass migration was somewhat equivalent to Gulliver's situation in Lilliput: the Hostigi were too big for any one, two and/or three opponents, but unable to take on all the Lilliputians at once, which was the military/ political situation in the Upper Middle Kingdoms. The Moors had faced the same problem after the Reconquista, when the Spanish evicted them from Andalusia and the other Spanish provinces. Most had moved into North Africa where they found refuge. Had it been possible to transport the Moors by ship into Sicily and then Italy, they might have faced the problems Kalvan and the Hostigi were facing now.

"I'm not surprised, but I was hoping for a peaceful settlement, maybe working out a deal where we handled one of King Theovacar's long standing problems, such as moving into Thagnor and eliminating his problems with Prince Varrack once and for all. In that manner, all would benefit; we would gain a temporary home and Theovacar would lose a political liability while gaining a newfound ally."

"I know, Sire. I wasn't even able to broach the subject. The King treated me like one of Styphon's minions. While Theovacar has a reputation for being an ambitious man, I've never heard any man call him friendly."

"I haven't either. Verkan's opinion was rather restrained."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Verkan was a Greffan subject and knows that Theovacar has a long memory and even shorter patience for those subjects who do not curry his favor. Also, I suspect Theovacar was aware that Verkan was also selling covertures in Hos-Hostigos for merchants and nobles who believed that Theovacar no longer held them or their families in favor. Verkan was hoeing a very straight row at the edge of Theovacar's cabbage patch."

"Yes, Verkan mentioned that he was selling properties, but I just thought they were summer estates, not hideaways."

"No, they were for wealthy Greffans not in the King's favor. He also had some estates available in Dorg for those who felt uncomfortable in leaving their homeland or learning a new language. I met with several of those who'd purchased Hostigos covertures before I left Greffa, but no one-not even Verkan-can predict where Thanor's next bolt will strike, as I explained to them."Tortha shrugged his shoulders, indicating the gods would do as they willed. "They lost gold and were unhappy, but we traders face that every time we begin a new enterprise-I remember one time in Wulfula-"

Before Tortha could begin one of his interminable trading yarns, Kalvan interrupted. "Things have gotten worse since you left, Tortha. Our refugee problem has grown even worse, because of this Dralm-cursed Investigation. We're going to be running out of food long before winter arrives. The only good news is that Styphon's Grand Host is still stalled outside Hostigos Town. According to one of our intelligencers, it appears that Sesklos died about a moon ago. Styphon's House policy demands that all thirty-six Electors, or Archpriests, convene back in Balph before they can Elect a successor. Therefore, Grand Master Soton and the Arch-Butcher Roxthar were recalled to Balph. Without its head, the Host is stuck in place, while Lysandros and Phidestros argue over who does what and goes where. It won't be settled until Soton returns."

Tortha rubbed his hands together. "That's very good news, indeed!"

"Yes, but this false summer will not last for long. It will provide us with about a moon's respite, then Soton will be back and the Grand Host will follow us into Ulthor. We can't afford to be here when they arrive. I mean to be long gone before they ever leave Hostigos Town."

"But how? Only Theovacar has the ships necessary to move your army and your subjects-and even the Grefftscharr Navy would be overtaxed, if there are more refugees in camp than when I left, for Wodan's sake!"

"You're right and they're still pouring into Ulthor. We need a new solution. I've been talking with Ambassador Dykar from Nythros City States and he tells me that maybe we can cut a deal with the Nythrosi. It appears they are in a major trade war with Thagnor and they would like Our help in settling this dispute."

Tortha shook his head. "The Nythrosi merchants are well-known for shaving the truth off their promises, they will deliver but only if their hands are tied to the captain's chair and a knife is held to their throats!"

"That is what Prince Kestophes told me. Only he was more diplomatic." Kalvan paused to laugh. "I know better than to trust any of these ambassadors and emissaries. They are all aware of our great army, our horde of refugees and our situation with Styphon's House; they would all like nothing better than if we vanished in the morning mist."

"Very true, Your Majesty. The Middle Kingdoms are much older than your own Northern Kingdoms. They have survived a hundred barbarian invasions and migrations from both the Cold Lands and the Sea of Grass! However, never in all those millennia have they faced an army the size of yours, followed by half a million people in search of a home, since Echanistra was overthrown. All the princedoms and kingdoms up and down the Great Mother River are in an uproar: Who is this Great King Kalvan? Will Styphon's House destroy him? Where is he going? Will he bring the Styphoni butchers behind him?"

"Those are good questions; I wish I had answers."

"Your Majesty, Greffa City was in such turmoil, I could not get out fast enough. Although, I did manage one boon for Your Majesty, right after I left."

"What was that?"

"I had Verkan's chief clerk, Kostran, set charges at the Fireseed Works. The entire mill was scheduled to blowup three days after I left Greffa City."

"Won't that fuel Theovacar's suspicions about the House of Verkan working more for Hostigi policies than Greffan?"

"No, several of the 'new' fireseed mills that have sprouted up in and around Greffa have already exploded or burned up. I didn't want to leave such a valuable military asset in Theovacar's hands once it was determined that he would not work in tandem with Hos-Hostigos. Besides, Kostran was convinced that the King was about to take over ownership of the mill as a Crown Asset."

"Thank you, Tortha. Someday I will find a way to repay you for your efforts-if I'm ever in such a position again."

"It was my pleasure, Your Majesty. But let me add, I would not rule out Theovacar becoming an ally, but only if it benefits Grefftscharr or his own ambitions. In your present situation, there is little you can offer the King except more problems-and he already has a belly full-due to his own attempts to consolidate his rule over Grefftscharr. Theovacar has angered his princes, merchants and nobles. Those he has not angered, he has made fearful. It is apparent to anyone who understands politics that the King intends to concentrate power in the Throne at the expense of every other faction.

"Princedoms, like Thagnor and Lyros, Grefftscharr possessions only by old treaties, are pulling away, attempting to assert their own autonomy before they are reined in by King Theovacar. His subjects support their King's policies of expansion; however, when he oversteps his authority, raising new taxes and duties, they grow angry and resentful. One day they will turn their ire on the King and blood will fill the streets of Greffa City."

Kalvan nodded, pausing to lit his pipe. "I see why Theovacar would not welcome a new neighbor moving into territory traditionally controlled, if not ruled outright, by Grefftscharr or its interests. In that case, I won't waste my time with envoys and ambassadors; instead, I'll try and see if I can find another ally."

"I believe that's the wisest course, Your Majesty." Tortha looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped. Then started again, "Theovacar is a dangerous man, Your Majesty. Do not accept his help, even should he offer, unless you can hold a dagger to his throat."

"Good advice, Trader. I am forewarned and will be wary regarding all future dealings with Theovacar. What can you tell me about his military might?"

Kalvan had been questioning every military man in Ulthor Port about the art of war in the Upper Middle Kingdoms and the conclusions he'd reached had provided him with guarded optimism in regards to what they would be facing once the Hostigi openly moved into the Upper Middle Kingdoms. To begin with, the princedoms were about two hundred years behind the Five Great Kingdoms in all things military. There were few calivers and arquebuses, but no muskets. Styphon's House had kept the supply of muskets limited as part of their attempt to control the dissemination of military technology. After all, muskets were capable of piercing armor. No real cannons, either, only a few old hooped-iron bombards-none with field carriages.

Traditionally, Upper Middle Kingdom forces used crossbows and pikes, instead of arquebuses and other handguns. Overall, there was much more reliance on heavy, armored cavalry than in the Five Kingdoms. In some areas longbows were still predominant. Their military technology, tactics and arms were similar to Italy in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. The Italians were slow to adapt to gunpowder weapons until the French invaded Italy in 1494 under Charles VIII and seized Naples.

The Italians had raised noble gendarmes, local and mercenary crossbow-men and militia pikemen for their armies. Few city-states had maintained a standing army, most had relied on condottiere. The Middle Kingdoms didn't have large standing armies either, and also relied on mercenary forces-even more than the Five Kingdoms until Kalvan's arrival. They also used tribal (Urgothi and Ruthani) irregulars, much like the Cossacks or Stradiots.

Typically, most Upper Kingdom armies had very few arquebusier companies; at least, not until recently, and there was still some local resistance: "everyone knows crossbows are better than those new-fangled firesticks! Much more reliable and they don't belch fire and brimstone." one informant from Ragyath told Kalvan when questioned. This was due in large part to Styphon's House who only sold serpentine powder-an unstable form of gunpowder, not the more reliable corned powder-in the Middle Kingdoms. It had been in Styphon's House's best interest to keep the Urgothi kingdoms dependent upon the Temple and militarily inferior to the Five Kingdoms.

He hoped to use the long simmering anti-Styphoni sentiment, which came from their restrictions, to his advantage.

The switch from crossbowmen and lancers to musketeers and cuirassiers wasn't going to happen overnight; however, it would happen much faster now that Kalvan was on the scene-you could put that in the bank and draw compound interest.

Tortha finally put his pipe fixings back into his tobacco pouch and lit his burl pipe. "Hmm. I didn't get a chance to do much reconnoitering, but Kostran has been keeping a keen eye on the Grefftscharr Royal forces, including troop and naval movements. The Grefftscharr Army is big by Upper Middle Kingdom standards, around ten thousand soldiers-a quarter cavalry and the rest foot, half of them marines. Heavy cavalry is predominant in the Middle Kingdoms since they fight a lot of Ruthani and Urgothi light cavalry, which they cannot match. Therefore, they overrun them with big heavy knights on armored destriers. Most of them are armed with lance, sword, mace and an occasional horse pistol. There are very few mobile guns, mostly old bombards carried on huge carts, and they take so much maneuvering the battle's usually won or lost before they're even fired.

"The foot soldiers usually carry pikes, halberds, swords and crossbows. The Housecarls are still considered the King's bodyguard and fight with spears and shields, as do a lot of the militia. Theovacar has created his own Royal Bodyguard, the King's Companions. Crossbows are the missile weapons of choice. Kostran was telling me that one of the problems Theovacar has run into in converting crossbow units to shot units is one of pride. Previously, due to scarcity, shot units had a lot of prestige. However, this all changed when the new Hostigi fireseed arrived; suddenly, anyone who can point a gun can shoot it and the status of the arquebus companies dropped accordingly."

"That makes sense," Kalvan said, remembering all the problems the French encountered in the Italian Wars, trying to get their Italian allies to stop using crossbows and arm themselves with matchlock arquebuses.

Tortha shook his head. "The crossbowmen as a matter of faith believe their weapons are far superior to the local handguns and in the main are loathe to use the new arquebuses. To make matters worse, there's a severe shortage of gunsmiths, which means most of their handguns are imported 'seconds' or 'used' weapons from the Five Kingdoms. I've seen guards with arquebuses with gunlocks that looked older than Theovacar's grandfather!"

"That's good information," Kalvan said, although he had suspected this was the case. It was hard to get good intelligence on Grefftscharr this far away. Not a lot of Grefftscharri ships traded regularly at Ulthor Port due to the high tariffs instituted by Prince Kestophes. If he'd had a good crystal ball and known how important this part of Hos-Hostigos would turn out to be, he'd have kept Kestophes on a much tighter rein.

He nodded. "As long as the War of the Great Kings is still in progress, I don't see many gunsmiths relocating to the Middle Kingdoms, nor any gun mills exporting many firearms, except at very high prices."

Tortha nodded, pointing his pipe stem at Kalvan: "King Theovacar has already been after the Verkan Fireseed Works to start turning out reliable smoothbores. Verkan never had time to found the musket factory he wanted to build since he spent so much time here in Hos-Hostigos, which is just as well. The King also complained about the problems enticing Great Kingdom gunsmiths to relocate to Greffa when there was so much business at home."

Kalvan said, "Locally, the gunsmiths are loathe to take on apprentices, and from what I've heard this is true throughout the Great Kingdoms. I've had to create a Royal Riflemakers Guild to get more rifles made. The gun makers have tradition behind their reluctance to expand their guilds. In the past, when they have let too many new gunsmiths into the Guild, they were faced with a surplus of masters and apprentices once the war ended. And, that's bad for business."

"True," Tortha replied, "which leaves only antiques and broken handguns for export to the Upper Middle Kingdoms, usually at ridiculous prices. Which means, regardless of what Theovacar or any other ruler desires, Hostigos is not going to face very many fireseed weapons. But, don't discount those crossbows; they can shoot a Zarthani Knight right out of his saddle!"

Kalvan's own military situation was unique in that he brought with him his own gunsmiths and Royal Riflemakers. Unfortunately, he couldn't sell-or make guns-until he established a stable base or colony somewhere, either at Thagnor or somewhere else. However, he did bring with him a lot of firepower, since the Royal Hostigi Armory had been stacked to the roof with the loot of Fyk, the Chothros Heights and Phyrax, most of which he'd brought with him in his wagon train. Maybe he could trade the older smoothbores to cement future alliances?

"One thing you have to remember, Your Majesty, is that the Middle Kingdoms are much more populous than the Zarthani Kingdoms. Also, they have a long history of frequent wars between competing princedoms and petty-kingdoms. Still, wars have been limited in scope and fought mostly for reasons of trade, not conquest. Therefore in the Upper Middle Kingdoms a two to three thousand man standing army is large. Most princes depend upon mercenaries to fight their battles. Armies have grown considerably larger since the Fireseed Wars but those large armies have almost exclusively been confined to the Great Kingdoms. With the Army of Hostigos bringing some thirty thousand seasoned veterans into the area, things are going to change-and in a hurry."

"You're right, Tortha. That means we need to take advantage of our military superiority while it lasts. As we've seen, things can change very quickly, especially since the Army of Hostigos would be outnumbered were all of the Upper Middle Kingdoms to mobilize their vassals and band together."

"Not much chance of that, Sire. Some of these states have been warring against each other for a thousand years. Despite a lot of efforts over the centuries, no one warlord or prince has ever got them all to band against their common enemy-Grefftscharr, the biggest and most bellicose of the Upper Middle Kingdoms. You, however, may be able to use some of that historical enmity for our own purposes."

"I plan to. If my subjects are going to survive and ever return to our lands, we will need to establish a refuge, or should I say a Hostigi colony, so that we'll have a base of operations to work out of when the Styphoni come. And come they will."

"Agreed, Your Majesty. The current Styphoni stalemate is more a question of operational tactics, than grand strategy-which is to destroy yourself and the Hostigi people."

Kalvan grimaced. "Yes, that's why we need to find a temporary colony and some allies who can help redress our own weaknesses."

"But weaknesses only to the Grand Host, Sire. And I don't really believe that any of the Middle Kingdom rulers--Theovacar included-have any idea of what kind of warfare you are about to bring to their lands. By the time they wake up you should be well situated."

"We'd better be, or the Hostigi-as a people-will cease to exist. This war with Styphon's House is to the last man standing; I believe both sides understand that now."

Tortha paused to knock the heel out of his pipe. "You're right. Styphon's House is determined to destroy all of Hos-Hostigos. However, I don't think that's going to be as easy as they believe."

"I hope not," Kalvan said, "may Galzar aid us in our war. But, back to Grefftscharr, how big is their navy?"

"The Grefftscharrer Navy is the biggest navy in the Upper Middle Kingdoms. Over three hundred fighting ships, a hundred transports and as many grain ships as King Theovacar needs. Their problem is that their Navy is spread over a large area-three of the Saltless Seas, which means it takes time for them to concentrate their forces in any one area."

"That's very good news. Our navy is pitiful, a score of confiscated schooners and maybe a dozen galleys and triremes. Some small transports that might hold fifty men and half that number of horses. I've got some ideas for ships, but never had the time to develop them."

"I'm not surprised, Your Majesty. It's a wonder you've found time to sleep with all the battles Hostigos has fought since your arrival."

"Sleep is a luxury I often can't afford. Despair threatens our Army as much as Styphons troops. I need to find some solutions to our current difficulties before the Grand Host goes on the offensive again." Kalvan knew his greatest strategic challenge was to develop a strong navy since the Upper Middle Kingdoms were centered around trade and travel along the major waterways and the Great Lakes. He already had a group of Ulthori boat builders working on gunboats, basically a mobile platform for some of his lighter four- and six-pound guns. They were a good idea, but only a temporary solution. Soon everybody would have them, although the shortage of light guns would slow the locals down considerably.

Most of the Upper Middle Kingdom guns were the heavy iron bombards, useful in sieges or for shore batteries. Not even a fool like Prince Varrack would think of mounting one on a small craft.

If he and his people were going to survive, Kalvan would need every advantage he could squeeze out of his head, or dream-up on the spot.

"I will set up a meeting this evening with Ambassador Dykar from Nythros. It's time to discuss hiring their Navy to transport some of our troops and subjects to Thagnor."

"Why Thagnor, Your Majesty?"

"Because of its strategic location for one. Another is that of all the local kingdoms and princedoms, not one of them has fewer friends and allies than Prince Varrack."

Tortha burst out laughing. "True, Your Majesty. King Theovacar cannot speak the Prince's name without sputtering. The man's arrogance and naked ambition are singular in an area where it's expected and even condoned. Still, Thagnor is nominally a Grefftscharri vassal. Theovacar will take its conquest as a personal affront."

Kalvan shook his head. "Theovacar has already taken our presence in his sphere of influence as such. This will draw a line in the sand. Our choices are limited: Either we go south into Hos-Rathon, which will mean war with King Nestros and would place us even closer to those territories owned by Styphon's House than we are now. Or we move into the Upper Middle Kingdoms where we will be encroaching upon Theovacar's power base. The advantage to being in the Saltless Seas is that Styphon's House will be as bereft of allies as we are, and even farther from their lines of supply and reinforcements."

Tortha added, "They will be able to draw some supplies from Tarr-Ceros, but the great Zarthani Knights' fortress is primarily set-up for defense. The only waterway connecting the Lydistros River with the Saltless Seas is near Thagnor territory, therefore most of their supplies will have to go overland, expensive in both mules and time. So, both you and Styphon's House are without allies in the Middle Kingdoms, although they have more gold with which to purchase them."

"That is true; however, this advantage is negated by the Temple's bad faith dealings with all of the Middle Kingdoms for the past three centuries. Their allies will be both more expensive and less enthusiastic than those in the Great Kingdoms where Styphon's advantage is almost insurmountable." Kalvan's smile had turned to a glower. "Which we have learned to our dismay."

"Your Majesty, would you like me to join you at this meeting with Ambassador Dykar? I do not know him personally, but I am familiar with Nythros City and have a few acquaintances there."

"Of course, your counsel will be most welcome. And Tortha, you can help me with any language problems as I'm still not fluent with the Urgothi tongue."

"I will do my best, Your Majesty."