by Thomas Adams
The East Road frequently switch-backed up and down ridges and mountains, soared through passes over ten thousand feet high and plunged through steep gorges and valleys. It was a rugged and challenging landscape. Pristine mountain vales full of wild flowers and meandering brooks painted idyllic pictures of tranquil seclusion.
Other views contrasted peaceful scenes with wild harsh rugged landscapes of rock, ice and snow. Soaring ice coated peaks and ridges captured the sun and glimmered with reflected light. Swift plunging rivers crashed over sheer rock walls creating beautiful and mystical cascading waterfalls, their breath sometimes wreathing entire vales in frothy boiling white mist. And, in the sunlight vivid rainbows glimmered with delight over the churning water spectacles. It was a fairy tale land for sure. The views from many of the passes and high trails were staggering displays of stark savage rocky vistas, noble and remote but awe inspiring.
Near the end of the first day, as they rode along one of the few level sections of trail through a deep valley, Yfiria noticed a small hill off to the right. It appeared to be perfectly shaped and the color did not match the color of the rocks of the surrounding area. She asked Rumborg what it was. He sighed, “A Fell Hoarda from the War of Twenty.”
“A Fell what?”
Rumborg pointed at it and another off in the distance and explained, “We don’t like to talk about them but they graves from the war, the mounds are the remains of piles of Erhand dead from the War of Twenty. They are monuments to our victory over the Emorie and a warning to all Erhand. There are many like this scattered across the eastern reaches. It is also another reason the mountain range is called the White Mountains, although now it hard to see the bleached bones anymore. Today, almost everyone considers the Fell Hoardas to be haunted and they are avoided as much as possible.” This brought reality crashing back to earth for the Radnjans. This was a land drenched in the blood of untold thousands. War and death were what the land remembered.
Rumborg then told them about the East Road. Yfiria thought he did so to take their minds off the Fell Hoardas. He said, “Along the East Road, there are no trails or other roads that connect to it. It is a solitary path. It is patrolled and maintained by the King’s Army. No one else ever travels this route. The only farms in the region are situated tight along the East Road and are solely sponsored by the king to supply Fortress Cinder and Fortress Reave. No other inhabitants are permitted to live in this area. No trade is conducted with Imperia over this path. The East Road beyond Fortress Reave is purely a military road.
“Due to winter storms the passes of the East Road can be blocked for the entire winter season until the weather breaks and the snow melts. Natural events also wreak havoc on the road as well. Frequent damage from rock slides, erosion and avalanches along the trail require us to perform constant maintenance. Repair crews spend most of the spring, summer and fall patrolling and fixing sections of the trail.”
As the sun set they rode through one narrow twisting vale, Prince Rudolph asked, “Rumborg, is this the only road to Cinder from the interior? No goat or sheep tracks?”
Rumborg grinned and replied, “If you wandered off the road on some game trail you would quickly find yourself boxed into a dead-end canyon or on a mountain goat track that ends in a sheer drop to some forgotten valley floor hundreds of feet below. There is no way off the East Road, well there were a few secret routes, but few know them and fewer can travel them safely.”
Rudolph asked, “They are military secrets?”
“Exactly, there are couple secret tracks and cave systems that could be used to circle behind an Erhand force and ambush them. The records are kept at Fortress Reave by the garrison commander.”
As they crested the rise they saw the trail drop into the valley below. A swift white water river cut the valley floor. A tower bridge crossed the river. Yfiria asked, “What is that?”
Rumborg said, “Part of the defenses princess. Situated along this trail are three royal watch towers. They are positioned about every twenty five skots to provide some relief to scouts and messengers as they move along the pass. They also serve as resupply and layover points and as the final defenses if Fortress Cinder falls. They don’t have names but, like the towers in the defensive belts of Fortress Cinder, they do have number designations. These towers in the Pass Of Fire are called, from east to west, twenty through twenty two. That one is tower twenty two and we will stop there for the night.”
Rumborg explained as they headed for the tower that most travelers on the East Road, like mounted patrols or messengers, would typically make twenty five skots a day or go from tower to tower. Slower groups that could not make it to the next tower would have to camp along the road.
He added, “Each tower is built in a valley and defends a bridge built over a river in that valley. The towers were actually built into the bridges and the roadway ran through the base of the tower. Drawbridges and iron gates could be closed off to deny access and would require the Erhand to find a different way across the rivers or to storm the bridge-tower. Each tower is manned by a company of archers, a company of infantry and a small section of scouts and messengers. The troops are commanded by a knight captain of the King’s Army and are assigned for a full year of duty before being rotated back to Castle Reave or Fortress Cinder. It is a tough year of duty to say the least. The postings are remote and the weather up here can be wild.”
They halted by the tower and dismounted. Everyone appeared weary and most stretched, walked out their stiffness or rubbed sore muscles. An officer came out and led the group into the massive structure. A hot meal and bed waited all within.
In the evening of the second day Yfiria rode near the rear of the group with her ladies. She was tired and wishing she was back at Reave Hall with Brandt. The reunion had been wonderful but much too short. Her heart was aching and she missed him badly. As they neared the second tower, she heard Aravin inform the Chancellor that he, Yfiria and her ladies would be leaving the party soon. They would return to the Shadow Lands.
The chancellor said, “How is this even possible from such a remote location? No wait, archania, and I don’t want to know.”
Aravin shrugged and kept silent. Rumborg grumbled to himself, “It is time the ladies departed. They just slow us down. Cinder is a rough military fortress at best. It is not a place equipped to host noble ladies. And, their stamina and motivation is flagging now that we have departed Reave Hall.”
Aravin said nothing again and the group trotted the last few arms to the tower and dismounted. That evening she said goodbye to her father. Her parting with him reminded her of another recent separation. Tears were shed and her father comforted her as best he could. He reminded her of her duty. He told her a Hestvain always performed their duty. He said they would talk soon about Brandt. She pleaded with him to have an open mind and to not do anything rash on his return trip to Reave Hall. He was not to embarrass her in front of Brandt. The prince just smiled and chuckled. His daughter’s feelings for the lad were obvious to him now. How had he missed this attachment as she had grown into a young woman? He had been blind.
***
A few days later the chancellor’s slightly smaller embassy closed on Fortress Cinder. As they grew nearer the chancellor turned to the prince and said, “Do you smell that?”
Prince Rudolph wrinkled up his nose and said, “Something is burning up ahead?”
Chancellor Rumborg chuckled and said, “Aye, something is definitely burning up ahead and we will see it soon. Then you will know why it is called Cinder!”
An hour later they neared the crest of the final pass and the landscape dramatically changed. The sour sulfur smell grew worse and the rock turned mostly dark and glassy, volcanic. The smell was overpowering. Only an occasional breeze provided some relief from the horrible smell.
There was evidence of volcanic eruption and flow everywhere. Fine powdery ash drifted up and coated the horse’s hooves and legs as they rode up the trail. There was little evidence of
any living thing here. Few trees, bushes or grasses grew up here. The land was baked, cooked by the fires of the earth. Mount Cinder ruled here and loomed high overhead on the south side of the road. A lazy column of smoke drifted from the blasted peak of the mountain.
As they neared the summit and the upper fortress the prince said disappointedly, “It looks so small, just a regular sized hill fort. That tower is impressive though”.
The Chancellor snickered and told him, “Just wait my friend; you are only seeing the backside of the upper fort, Castle Efst. Soon you will see the entirety of the awesome fortifications, most of it is hidden on the slopes below Efst. As they rode into the courtyard the Chancellor did not waste any time. He swiftly dismounted and walked up to a man waiting for them in the bailey. They greeted each other and Rumborg introduced him around the group as the commander, Drottain Hordalf.
The commander and a small cluster of his officers welcomed the embassy. The officers, the five sub-commanders of the Fortress, were introduced to the chancellor and the prince. There was the chief engineer, the three sub-commanders for each castle and the cavalry and scout sub-commander. Once introductions were over Hordalf asked, “What’s next, a hot meal or rest?”
Chancellor Rumborg said, “No, we go to the top of the Needle.” He pointed up at the soaring tower above. It was easily over a hundred feet high.
Hordalf nodded and the group set off. It was a long tiring climb up to the top of the soaring tower. At the top the prince rushed to the parapet and gazed down upon the view below him. The extreme terrain and the entire defensive structure were laid in their entirety for them to see. The prince exclaimed with the commonest of oaths. “Tana’s Tits, it is a marvel!”
He stared at the military engineering beneath them for some time, taking it all in. The senior engineer was with the group and pointed out and named key components. He was assigned to escort the prince and answer his questions for the next few days. Once the prince was done looking over the fortress and talking with the engineer he excused himself and went off with his escort to get settled into his rooms before last meal.
***
After the prince and his retinue had left the tower top, Rumborg turned to Drottain Hordalf. The burning question foremost in his mind left his lips as soon as the prince was out of earshot, “Hordalf, when will they come? How much time do we have?”
Hordalf looked as if he’d been expecting the question, “Our spies and scouts say they have amassed a large force already, nearly sixty thousand. But, half of their units consist of barely trained conscripts, pit fighters and slaves. They are not seasoned veterans and at best they are wall fodder to wear us down before they send in their better units.
“It has taken them over a year to organize stage, equip and train what they have now. They would be fools to attack with such a small force. Their generals and marshals will not want to strip their northern and eastern frontiers of their best legions either. But, our spies say that Titan is impatient. There is pressure to rush the mobilization and begin the assault. We also have word that Primus Legatus Kho is dead, perchance assassinated. He was an experienced and seasoned general if a bit overly cautious. Seems the tension and division in Crestia is at a fever pitch already however, in my opinion, they are not ready. They need at least one hundred thousand soldiers to have a chance to break through Cinder. And, if they get through, they still need enough troops left to fight through the Pass of Fire and bottle up Reave and then invade into Vesfal. I do not think they will have sufficient forces for some time. They need another year at least, unless something drastically changes. So, in my estimation, we have maybe a year. Two seasons though if they pull legions from their borders, just to be safe.” Hordalf concluded.
That was much better intelligences than what Rumborg had been expecting. A year or if they strip their frontiers, which Rumborg agreed they would not, two seasons. Two seasons was not so much time but it gave the chancellor time to build more support, improve and reinforce Cinder and Reave and call up more forces. It also gave Brandt almost another year to learn and mature. “Well, that is good news then. So, we had best be ready well before that time is up. Good work. Also, let the scouts know I appreciate their efforts. Give them all a small bonus.” Rumborg said.
Hordalf thanked Rumborg. They spent the remainder of the evening before last meal cloistered with some of the garrisons’ sub-commanders discussing the state of the fortresses defenses and troop readiness.
Later they all gathered in the officer’s mess for last meal. As they ate the chief engineer explained the tactical principles of the fortress to the prince. He elaborated, “Fortress Cinder is comprised of three main castles and is supplemented with interspersed defensive bands consisting of gates, towers and fortifications defending the road between each castle. It is a classic defense in depth approach and the terrain heavily favors us, the defenders. Between the low and middle castles is the lower defensive band. And, between the middle and upper castles is the middle defensive band. Each fortification and defensive strong point is designed to slow the enemy and will be heavily contested. All of the defensive works are positioned to support each other and over watch the road. The objective is to maximize Erhand casualties. There are also secret tunnels that connect many of the works. This allows us to move troops at will, under cover. The main premise is to make the assault up the road so costly in lives, material and time that the Emorie will never attempt it.”
The prince asked, “Are the tunnels secure if a fort or castle is taken?”
“Your highness, we can collapse the tunnels at key points. Now, if they get all the way through and Castle Efst falls, the upper and final defensive band is the Pass of Fire and the three tower bridges you stayed at on your journey here. The passage through the mountains will be contested, all the way back to Fortress Reave. It was along this road that King Brandt I and his krigers destroyed a large portion of the Emorie host during the War of Twenty. The defensive strategy then as now would be to fight a delaying action all the way back to Reave. At Reave, another point defense will be mounted. If Reave is also lost or bypassed by the Erhand, then we will be in trouble. It happened once, during the War of Twenty, before Cinder was built, the Emorie broke through and besieged Fortress Reave. We all know what happened then. The Fell Hoardas remind us to this day.”
The chancellor chimed in, “We won’t allow it to happen. We will hold them here at Cinder.”
The next day the prince and chancellor toured the three castles and the numerous towers, gates, and outer works in the lower and middle defensive bands. From high to low the castles were named Efst, Midr, and Skem. During the tour both Rudolph and Rumborg could clearly see that the fortifications and structures were all in good repair. The garrison did an admirable job keeping everything ready. But, it was soon readily apparent there were not enough soldiers in the garrison to adequately man all the defenses. The commander stated that he needed another ten thousand soldiers to comfortably garrison the three forts and all the interconnected fortifications.
That night Rumborg did not sleep much. He tossed and turned and considered all he had learnt that day. Other than The Pass of Fire there were two other ways to attack Vesfalruk. One was by sea and the other was Tattlerhorn Pass. Both were very bad options for the Erhand. The western coast of Vesfalruk fronted the Raging Sea and it was aptly named. Many ships were lost every year due to the ferocious and unpredictable storms. The Vesfalruk navy and costal defenses were very strong and the terrain along the coast so brutal that a seaborne invasion would be suicidal. The jarls that held the coastal lands also had their own ships and arms men. It was a formidable force of expert naval krigers. The Emorie would not risk a full blown naval invasion. They had in the past and it had been disastrous for them.
That left Castle Kӧptra and Tattlerhorn Pass. To attack that way the Imperium would have to march north, cross through Osterider, assault through the free states of Radnja and then storm the pass and castle. It was highly unlikely
they would choose that route. Their supply lines would be stretched over a thousand skots and Osterider would never allow the Emoire to cross their lands. The horse lords did not allow anyone passage through their steppes. Even if both empires formed an alliance and attacked Vesfalruk, they had done so only once in the past; Osterider would never permit the Emoire to enter their lands for any reason.
The Emoire’s bad blood with Osterider was almost as intense and storied as it was with Vesfalruk. The two empires were large but closely matched. Their long shared border resulted in constant skirmishing and kept relations frazzled and tensions high. The Emoire’s incessant appetite for slaves led them to frequently send their slavers into Osterider. The horsemen of the Pale patrolled and fought the slavers constantly. There was no love lost between the two empires.
The entire southern border of Vesfalruk was one unbroken wall of towering immense peaks. The Mountains of Urvâl were impassable, a natural and unassailable border between Vesfalruk and the Emoire of Imperium. There were no roads or trails through. Further, the cursed swamps of the Black Kingdom of Eldarharmr were south of the Urvâls and those lands were avoided by all. No one would try to move an army through the swamps and the Urvâls. It was complete suicide.
The Chancellor grimly weighed all this information. His options were limited. His task now was to figure out how to find another twenty thousand soldiers to reinforce both Cinder and Reave. He had to reinforce Cinder first. It needed to happen as soon as possible. The Emoire was already massing its forces and moving them towards the pass. A quick surprise raid would unlikely win through Fortress Cinder with the numbers the Emoire had now but it could cost Vesfalruk one or more of the lower castles and defensive bands. That must be prevented at all costs. Stopping the Erhand at Fortress Cinder was his main goal because, if the Imperium were to break through with significant numbers, there was no way to stop them from moving on to Kimera and the other cities in Vesfalruk. Fortress Reave, while impressive and likely unconquerable, did not seal the west end of the Pass of Fire. It controlled and dominated but would not prevent a large force of Erhand from getting past it and into Vesfalruk proper.
