by Guy Antibes
Lotto always looked unsure when Restella was around. Poor man. The link held him back from his potential. At least Anchor had the good sense to separate the pair.
Morio could lead the Gensler border forces well enough. The duke had passed the time for his physical involvement in battle although ten or twenty years ago, Jellas would be heading Gensler. He liked the change. Working with Lotto would allow Lessa to make use of the Gensler rangers who could move courtesy of the Ropponi.
Tactically, a good ranger contingent made up for a lack of battle mages. Prola had few and Lessa had left them strung along the Red Kingdom-Histo border with birds to make sure Daryaku hadn’t another contingent buried deep in Histo’s forests. He didn’t think so, nor did anyone else. He wouldn’t leave that to chance and Anchor had readily agreed.
He rubbed his hands as Anchor began his strategy with catching Histron in Foxhome. He hadn’t heard this part of the narrative before.
~
Sallia sat up straighter as Anchor began to describe the strategies that would be employed with the assault on Foxhome. Without consulting her, all of his approaches relied on letting the people of Foxhome play a role in the assault.
She wished Unca could advise Anchor. Shiro had found enough information from others in the alliance to give him locations within the city. She again thought of Anchor beside her and Unca, but had he become bigger than the Red Kingdom?
Anchor had grown each and every time she had met him. It was as if experience grew inside of him as he proceeded to vanquish his enemies. His moves were bold and convincing. He and Shiro averted the entire southern campaign through the Five Duchies by turning General Antzen and removing Duke Jawell’s enchantment, so that even their initial capture had aided their cause. She finally held a real hope that the same could be done for the Red Kingdom.
As Anchor finished, Sallia looked around for Shiro and found him in a corner. She didn’t entirely understand his role, but he and Anchor made a wonderful team.
Sallia took a deep breath as the meeting ended. Anchor would be moving to the southern armies to start the hostilities. She needed to talk to him before he departed. She never did get a reply from her latest letter.
~
Anchor sat at a table in the tavern part of The Traveler’s Rest with Antzen, relaxing with an ale. Sallia stood at the archway that led to the meeting room, waiting for an opportunity to talk to Anchor. She saw Willow come into the inn her gaze went back to Anchor. He started as he recognized her friend, but then averted eye contact.
Sallia knew he had recognized Willow. How would he know her? She furrowed her brow, when Willow came up to her.
“What’s wrong, you?” Willow said. She hadn’t ever treated her like a princess and even now when the prospects of her ascending to the throne never looked more positive, Willow still didn’t. Sallia would always let the housekeeper address her as a friend.
“Have you ever met Anchor?”
Willow looked around the room. “No, is he here?”
That answered Sallia’s question. “Over there. The two blond men. Anchor is the younger one.”
Willow’s eyebrows rose. “He reminds me of Unca when he was younger.”
“You think they could be related?”
The housekeeper shrugged. “Unca never spoke of any close relatives.” She turned around and caught Anchor’s eye. He looked down. Anchor seemed to wither under Willow’s gaze. “Is he a man to be feared?”
Sallia shook her head. “No. He has grown so much in the last year. Has it only been two years since I left Sally’s Corners and trudged north?”
“An eventful time” Willow said. “I came over to see if you need more dresses. It doesn’t look like your size has changed. Why don’t we go visit my friend, the dressmaker?”
Anchor just got up with his friend and walked out of the inn. She had lost her chance.
“Yes. I might need a royal dressmaker.”
“She already is,” Willow said, laughing. Sallia joined in for appearance’s sake, but disappointed darkened her mood.
~
Morio caught up with Lotto as he walked to the stable.
“Lotto! Father told me that we will be working together again!”
“That we will. You get to manage the entire southern border and the rangers get to go wherever they wish.”
Morio sensed that all was not well with his friend. He’d bet that Restella caused his mood.
“Restella tried to demote me to a ranger leader again, under her command. That wouldn’t work out”
“Oho! I bet that wouldn’t. She’d love to have you under her thumb.”
Lotto pursed his lips and shook his head as he found his horse unsaddled. He shooed the stable boy away. Evidently he wasn’t very happy. Morio would cheer him up. He’d done it before.
“You know, Morio, I sensed that Anchor’s action to change her decision actually made her relieved. She can adjust easily enough, when she puts her mind to it.” His admission seemed to lighten Lotto up a bit.
“Lessa wants you to work closely with his forces, too,” Morio said. Perhaps a change of subject…
“I agree. He has no battle wizards and Gensler only has a few including me. We will supplant magical power with superior battlefield intelligence.”
Morio laughed. “That’s Lessa’s line.”
“It is indeed, who do you think I got it from? I’d rather be working with Lessa and you than Valetan in this war and I think Anchor will steer us that way. If I were him, I’d have Valetan moving down the center of the Red Kingdom along the Red River and then head directly west to Foxhome. What a slaughter that would be! Anchor knows what he’s about. We’ll split up going south into two columns, but maybe a days’ ride apart.”
Lotto began to squint his eyes as he put the saddle blanket on his horse.
They picked up Morio’s horse and took off southwest to where Gensler made camp swapping war stories on their ride. Morio felt like he had done the job that Anchor had given him.
~
Anchor waited for Shiro to say goodbye to Chika. She always made Anchor shake his head, but smile, with her ribald repartee. He would have never thought Shiro would be attracted to such a woman, but the two had shared many experiences that brought them closer together. He wished he could say the same for Lotto and Restella. He hoped Morio was able to lift Lotto’s mood. If Morio couldn’t, Lessa would. He had the most confidence in those three carrying out his orders. Restella was a question mark and he just didn’t know Antzen well enough, but he’d made some strides along those lines during their lunch together.
Peeron and the Deshine armies could roll around in eastern Red Kingdom all they wanted to. Anchor just wanted them to attract enough of Histron’s forces to increase his advantage at Foxhome.
Chika drew back Shiro for another kiss by the inn. He’d let Shiro take as much time as he wished
Anchor caught Sallia and Willow exit the inn and walk west towards Sally’s Corners small shopping district. He didn’t want Willow to appear to know him in front of Sallia. Had Sallia seen Willow’s greeting? With so many people knowing his real identity, he’d have to tell Sallia sooner rather than later. Perhaps once the armies were in motion. The only army that would be teleported was the southern army since they had to travel the longest distance. He’d have to wait for Mander Hart’s spies to tell where Histron began to move his forces.
Histron would have to know by now that Jawell had thrown in with the alliance. Mander couldn’t tell him if Histron’s southern army had retreated north from the border, yet.
Shiro walked up, ready to go. Anchor took a last look at Sallia and Willow farther up the street and nodded. “It’s past time we started the final campaign.”
~~~
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
~
THE ROPPONI STOOD ON HILLS FLANKING THE ONLY SOUTHERN ENTRY into the plain. Histron’s southern army arrayed itself into three battle groups. Anchor looked over the hilly plain from at
op his horse, standing among the Ropponi on the eastern hill.
Anchor directed the cavalry to the flanks with two Ropponi each. They would move around the hills and approach the battle from the sides. His scouts told him that Histron held a reserve to the rear, with a sizable force hidden by a hill midway into the plain.
He appreciated Histron’s arrangement. It had been done before, two hundred fifty years ago in a battle between Valetan and the Red Kingdom. The massive force moving into the side had split the oncoming Valetan troops and the Red Kingdom had prevailed. At that time, the Gensler duchy fought with the Red Kingdom and was not allied to the Beckondale throne.
Anchor vowed that history would not repeat itself. He squinted as the sun rose to the west. He had thought long about a suitable counter strategy. He scribbled messages and sent them via Ropponi to the cavalry and to Antzen arrayed below.
He watched the enemy advance. Anchor hated, as always, to think of his fellow countrymen as enemy. The Ropponi began to return. One of the cavalry commanders needed clarification.
“Wave the red flag now,” Anchor said. A huge red flag sprung into the air. It waved in the still air as a Ropponi used their power to bring up a localized breeze.
Shiro stood at Anchor’s side. He would be assigned wherever he needed to counteract battle wizards and Anchor knew Shiro had the potential to turn the course of battle. He had recalled Tishiaki from Peeron’s army for this battle.
A Ropponi returned all the way from Sally’s Corners. He conferred with Shiro.
“Yes?” Anchor said.
“A Dakkoran force is marching directly towards us from the west. Estimated force size is two thousand men. An equal size group is assembling to the west.”
Mander Hart’s spy network had done its job, but barely in time. Anchor looked down at his maps, spread out on a makeshift table below him. It appeared that Histron planned on a pincer movement midway through the plain. His armies would create five fronts, three ahead and one on each side. The leading troops would be slaughtered as Histron would make a strategic retreat and then turn back as his battle line would attack from all five battle groups.
“Shiro, take three teleporting Red Roses and move by line of sight until you are behind the Dakkoran troops. They are certain to have battle mages. We will move three thousand troops in behind them along with thirty of your contingent. Engage when discovered or just as they move into the plain. Tishiaki, you do the same to the east with another three thousand troops. I doubt they will have as many battle mages in Histron’s forces, so you can take twenty. That will leave me with enough to deploy as I see fit as the battle unfolds.
“Comments?”
“None at all,” Shiro said, “We will enjoy killing more Dakkorans. There is no requirement to take it easy on our true enemies.” Shiro grabbed five Ropponi while Anchor wrote out a copy of the new orders for Antzen, who had just begun to emerge onto the plain.
“For General Antzen.” Anchor leaned over with the message. The Ropponis began to wink out. Now all he could do was wait for another half an hour for the forces to clash. Histron’s forces had moved out with a clatter, but now moved more slowly. Antzen was told to not to go past halfway up the battlefield due to the large flanking forces.
The battle became a game of strategy. Anchor felt the mantle of leader of the alliance heavily on his shoulders. He’d like to have made a joke here or there to lighten the atmosphere, as he would have as the Court Wizard to break the tension, but that wouldn’t work here. He needed to be resolute throughout.
Where had the wizard gone? He had to react differently ever since he had used the Bloodstone to change his age. Had Unca disappeared forever? Anchor didn’t know. He dreaded the end of the war and the complications upon complications his identity would cause. Lotto might have the strength to change him back to regain his power, but frankly, he hadn’t missed it. Shiro provided him with whatever magic he needed. And then Sallia needed to be notified. He sighed and forced himself to concentrate on the battle arrayed below him.
Shiro appeared at his side. “The troops are on their way. Three thousand men and wizards.
Tishiaki reported a few moments later. “Two thousand men. We are currently moving troops from the rear.”
Anchor nodded. He felt the tensions begin to rise and gripped the hilt of his Dakkoran sword. Anchor would rather lead the armies into battle, but perhaps he’d get into the fight at some point. There wouldn’t be an opportunity here to turn a general like he had with Antzen. Whoever ran the battle for Histron would be part of his inner circle.
Antzen suddenly stood in front of Anchor, facing the enemy along with a Ropponi woman.
“Do you wish to see me?” Anchor said, smiling. It broke the tension.
The Teryon general turned around and shook his head laughing. “I don’t know if I can get used to that.”
Anchor shrugged.
“How are we arrayed?” Antzen said.
Anchor looked at Shiro and then pointed down at his map. “Two forces have been sighted. Three thousand men that way,” Shiro pointed to the west, “…and two thousand to the east. Both are hidden by hills. They haven’t begun to advance, but they will as soon as your advance reaches their trigger point. The enemy will draw your enemy north deeper into the plain. See?”
“I do. We would have been slaughtered even if I split my forces into a pincer formation as I had planned.”
Anchor nodded. Facing the eastern flankers, Antzen would have split his forces and taken on the flankers directly. “What do you suggest now?”
“We still have numbers. I’ll just go up the middle and then I’ll still send forces left and right, but now, most of my men will head straight into the baffled arms of my enemy. We’ll squeeze the flankers until they don’t bleed anymore and still take on their main force with ours.”
“Good. We think alike. Let’s make it happen. Raise a blue flag when you confront battle mages,” Anchor said.
Antzen nodded and left to order his forces.
“Timing is critical,” Anchor said to Tishiaki and Shiro. With Antzen wheeling just part of his forces towards the flankers, you’ll now want to attack as soon as your targets step up their movements into the plain. Understood?”
Shiro reached up and put his hand on Anchor’s arm. “I’ll come back to you once we are engaged. Antzen’s captain and my band know what to do.”
“I’d appreciate that. I want to get my sword bloodied in this fight, but I’ll only go after officers, if possible.”
“I understand. We will go now.” Shiro nodded at Tishiaki and they left Anchor standing with less than half a dozen of Shiro’s Band of Red Roses to keep him company, watching the battle unfold below.
~
Antzen’s forces split in formation and that ignited the Dakkoran’s to rush towards what appeared to be a smaller force of alliance soldiers heading their way. The enemy couldn’t see how deep the central column had become. Shiro stood with a Teryon captain, standing halfway of the slope of a hill when they spotted the move. His Ropponi were behind him. The captain waved a blue flag and three thousand soldiers rushed towards the rear of their enemy.
Shiro saw balloons of fire heading towards the plain. The Red Roses sent fire towards the sources of those balloons from behind. The captain’s mouth dropped open as streams of yellow and red plunged into the Dakkoran ranks. The streams continued to flow from behind Shiro and he threw a few of his own until the alliance troops began to close in on the Dakkorans.
“Take them out,” Shiro said as he teleported towards the middle of the action. He remembered Anchor’s sentiment to take out the officers. Perhaps he could retrieve another of those charmed Dakkoran swords. He’d carry it with him to Ayrtan and use it to destroy the Dark Lord.
His Red Roses fought as a unit around him as they carved through the Dakkoran troops. The Dark Lord’s soldiers weren’t any better trained than the troops they had fought in Histo. He noticed a cluster of Dakkorans fighting towards
the rear and led his own men towards that clump of the enemy.
Shiro cut a bloody swath through the Dakkorans. They moved through the chaos in battle as a closed wedge, fighting as they moved forward. Those on the back end protected the rear. Always on the move, their battle formation had been practiced day after day along with others when the Band of the Red Rose camped at Happly Keep with nothing else to do. This was the first time they could actually put their full training into practice.
The band used the barest touches of power to shove opponents or make them trip. They used their power to speed up their swings, but always changing what they did. Each fighter fought with their own style and rhythm, always moving forward.
Shiro penetrated the bunched up Dakkorans. He could see men with better uniforms walking in the midst of the protection, eyes wide with fear, swords out. Shiro spotted two enchanted swords. Perhaps he could take one to Restella. She would know how to use it.
A gap occurred within the officer’s ranks and Shiro teleported a mere ten paces away and began to wreak havoc on the Dakkoran officers. None of them possessed Affinity. Had they left their sorcerers to fend for themselves or did the Red Rose just obliterate another company of sorcerers when they battled with fireballs. The clump began to dissipate as the Red Rose began to circle the officers, having dispatched their protectors.
Shiro hit one of the officers on the head with his hilt and grabbed the other officer with an enchanted sword as he fell to a Red Rose blade. He teleported both back to the ridge where Anchor would be.
“Bringing gifts?” Anchor said, as Shiro threw the two Dakkoran officers at his feet.
