The Hetman Returns
Yozef advocated that he should talk to the father first but was relieved when the female component of what was now a tri-partite conspiracy vetoed this noble gesture. Meara and Breda would go first, together at Breda’s insistence and over the objections of Maera, who thought she should brace the father alone. Yozef was told not to appear for evening meal, and he walked into Caernford to eat with Carnigan, who wondered at his friend’s distraction.
Hetman Keelan’s carriage drove into the manor yard, along with several of his men, near dusk the next day. His mood was not the cheeriest. The meetings with the Hewell and the Adris had gone well enough. Hewell confirmed the desire to join the Tri-Clan Alliance, and only a formal meeting and acceptance with the alliance’s three hetmen remained, scheduled for the next month. As for Adris, its new hetman had gathered all of his boyermen to meet with Culich, and by a nine to two advisory vote had supported making it a Five-Clan Alliance. Hetman Adris had not technically needed the vote, but Culich approved of the way he had gathered boyermen backing and then put it to a vote, once he had counted how the vote would go.
Less successful was the meeting with the Bevans and Pawell hetmen together, near their borders with Adris. Bevans reckoned themselves too remote from the danger, while Pawell was more concerned with the neighboring Skouks and Nyvacks clans and long-standing border disputes and ancient animosities. Culich’s evaluation of the two hetmen was “Stupid heads up their asses, idiot bird brains.”
It was the former success with Adris and Hewell that Breda kept bringing up at the evening meal’s conversation, to keep her husband as upbeat as possible. Culich, as shrewd a leader as he was known to be, was oblivious to the moods running through the female contingent of his family, meaning everyone else at the table. Maera backed her mother in keeping the conversation light and positive, and the three younger Keelan females were under dire threat from their mother to behave and keep their mouths shut.
Thus, after Breda dismissed the three younger daughters, who left quietly, as forewarned, Hetman Keelan, leader of the sixty-thousand-member Keelan Clan, was relaxing after the family meal when Breda brought the conversation to the main topic of the evening.
Maera and her parents sat sipping glasses of one of the latest liqueurs to come from Abersford’s booming distillation industry.
“How do you like this latest drink from one of Yozef Kolsko’s enterprises, dear? Maera says it’s called ‘Amaretto,’ for some reason. The flavor is from balco nuts.”
Culich took another sip. “Perhaps a little strong on the balco flavor, but it certainly is smoother than the whiskey we’ve had before. I’m still more a beer man myself. I can appreciate this Amaretto, though, and maybe it’ll grow on me. It certainly makes one glow inside.”
Breda smiled at Maera. “It seems to be getting popular, along with all those other new products Kolsko is introducing. He is becoming quite a wealthy young man.”
“Wealthy, yes. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in a few years he’ll be the wealthiest man on all of Caedellium, just with what he has introduced so far. Only the Merciful God knows what else he’ll come up with.”
“And such a nice and respectable man, too, don’t you agree?”
“Nice? I suppose. Respectful also, but in a way that always suggests he’s not impressed by anything. Of course, as you and Maera have pointed out, that could just be differences in his people’s customs.”
“You’ve found your discussions with him about the Narthani and other matters of value, haven’t you?” Maera chimed in for the first time.
Although Culich was not the most perceptive Caedelli male when dealing with family females, neither was he the worst, and his skill at reading and handling men had crossover. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the last run of comments.
“Why do I sense I’m being led somewhere?”
Breda ignored the question, thus by implication confirming her husband’s suspicion. “Maera has something she wants to discuss with you, dear. Something important.”
Culich’s head tracked over to his eldest daughter, who, now that he thought about it, had been unusually demure during the meal.
Maera looked steadfastly at him, but . . . wait, was she pale?
“Maera?” he prompted.
“Father, I appreciate you haven’t pushed me into marrying. I know my responsibilities to the clan, and I accept those responsibilities. It’s been difficult for both you and me to find a suitable husband who would benefit the clan and whom I’m willing to marry. However, I believe I’ve found a satisfactory candidate.”
Culich stared at his daughter, as he processed what she had just told him. He looked at his wife and then back to Maera. He might have been initially slow in detecting undercurrents since he returned, but his innate skill at reading men and dealing with such currents now came into full play. He looked back and forth again.
“Yozef Kolsko,” he stated. “This man you propose to marry is Yozef Kolsko?”
“Yes, Father.”
“I assume this means you wish to marry him. What from his side? Is he interested in you in that way?”
“He is. I spoke to him yesterday about it.”
Culich took a larger sip of his drink. He looked at Breda. She looked back serenely.
The hetman grunted. I take it from her demeanor that she approves.
He turned back to Maera. “And the advantages to the clan and family to marry someone not even from the island and without formal clan affiliation?”
“Where he’s from and his present clan status are irrelevant. Once married into Clan Keelan, he would be a clan member. As for advantages, they are many—projected wealth, likely even more innovations than he’s already produced, which would enhance the clan status, and availability for advice on many matters, something I suspect you’re coming to appreciate.”
Father and daughter spent the next twenty minutes going over how Yozef Kolsko would be an asset to the clan and its hetman. It was all very logical and very annoying to Breda, even if she understood both the necessity of these considerations and the dance going on between her husband and daughter.
The advantage discussion exhausted, Maera switched gears. “In addition, Father, I don’t see major disadvantages. I know it’s mainly my fault, but there aren’t many suitors eager to come calling. Not for the last year. I’m not what is . . . expected. We all know with time the choices were becoming more limited.”
“As for what those suitors expected,” growled Culich, “they’re idiots.” Then, softly, “I want you to know that I’ve never been disappointed in you, Maera. Only disappointed that you felt you hadn’t found your place in the world and I didn’t seem able to help.”
“Thank you, Father,” she said in a small voice with a catch in it.
“Harrumph. Now. As for this Yozef Kolsko. We’ve talked about the advantages and disadvantages. What about you? Is this what you truly want yourself?”
Whatever her internal doubts, she looked straight into her father’s eyes and said firmly, “Yes.”
Culich looked at his wife. “Can I assume correctly that you approve?” he asked with a sarcastic lilt.
“Yes, Culich, I do approve. I believe he’ll be an asset to the clan, but more important is that I think he and Maera can have a good marriage.”
“Why did this Kolsko not come to me directly, instead of sending the women?”
“He proposed to do that,” Maera responded. “I convinced him that given all the circumstances, it would be better if I spoke to you first.”
“And I agreed,” added Breda.
“To prime me so I didn’t throw him immediately out of the house for such temerity?”
“Something like that,” said Maera honestly, with a twitch of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
“Hmmm . . . not an unreasonable strategy,” said a mollified Culich.
He leaned forward in his chair. “All right. I won’t say I give my approval. I need to
talk more with Kolsko from a different viewpoint. Have him see me first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Father.” Maera rose, planted a kiss on Culich’s cheek, gave her mother a relieved smile, and went to leave Yozef a note.
Culich looked at his wife with an affectionate smile. “I assume I’ve been handled,” he stated simply.
“Yes, dear,” answered his wife, equally simply.
Chapter 16: Moreland in the Crosshairs
Narthani Headquarters, Preddi City
Okan Akuyun walked from his office to the staff meeting room. All of the others were already present. Brigadier Aivacs Zulfa sat at the head of the table, the silver crossed swords on his epaulets freshly sewn on, his promotion from colonel having arrived in the last dispatches from Narthon.
Under most circumstances, the head chair would have been Akuyun’s, but today Zulfa would lead the meeting as field commander and go over the final plans for invading Moreland Province. Akuyun had already approved the broad outline of the plan and took the empty chair at the other end of the rectangular table. Seated along one side were Zulfa’s three sub-commanders, Colonels Erdelin, Ketin, and Metan. On the other side were Admiral Kalcan, Assessor Hizer, and, unfortunately, Mamduk Balcan, the senior Narth religious official on Caedellium. Generally, Akuyun tried to exclude Balcan whenever he could, but this was one instance where it was advisable to invite him and hope, probably fruitlessly, that Balcan kept his mouth shut.
Akuyun sat and nodded to Zulfa. “Brigadier Zulfa, please proceed.”
Zulfa stood. “Thank you, General Akuyun.” His eyes swept across the other men. “You’ve all had a part in developing the operational plan for the first major move outside our three-province enclave. Today we’ll be going over the final details to ensure we all know our roles and give the opportunity for any last comments. Hopefully, nothing will require substantive changes, although, if necessary, we’ll make adjustments.”
Zulfa turned to the wall behind him and pulled aside a cloth that had been covering a six- foot by six-foot map of Caedellium. While individual clans might have more detailed maps of their own province and potentially the adjacent provinces, no clan had global island maps of such overall detail. The maps had been meticulously constructed during the last few years by combining observations from Narthani ships surveying the coasts, notes taken by supposed Narthani “traders” in the first years after the Narthani arrived in Preddi, and information from agents still operating within clan provinces, along with bribing Caedelli for copies of clan maps.
Zulfa drew his sword and pointed to a red arrow drawn from Preddi City to Moreland Province and a second arrow on to Orosz City. “The plan has two interrelated objectives. One is to capture Orosz City, the closest to a capital the island has, given the dispersed clan structure, and then subjugate the entire Orosz Province. By achieving this objective, we’ll threatened to split the island in half, with the clans to the north and south being less able to come directly to each other’s assistance. We estimate that when combined with the psychological impact of having lost their conclave site and the political center of the island, many of the clans will sue for terms and end the possibility of major united resistance.”
“Major resistance, yes, but it may take time and effort to fully pacify the entire island, especially those clans that can withdraw into the mountains,” said Metan, overseer of the Selfcell Province.
“Yes, we’ve discussed this at length,” replied Zulfa. “The problem would be more with the northern provinces, because of the rugged mountains and their natural fractiousness. But by that time, we’d use men from the clans that surrendered to root out the holdouts. Even the more stubborn clans will eventually see the futility. If they don’t, they’ll be hunted down and exterminated.”
Zulfa’s sword point moved to Moreland City. “To get at Orosz City, we’ll first go through Moreland Province and take their capital, Moreland City. It’s to our benefit that the Moreland Clan leaders, especially the hetman’s family, are widely considered hotheads prone to rash decisions. Hetman Moreland is also detested by the other hetmen, which makes it unclear whether the other clans will come to his aid. Even if they do, there’s unlikely to be a coordinated effort against us. Whether other clans help Moreland or not, both scenarios will work for us, as I’ll summarize in a moment.
“The second objective is to tempt the Caedelli into a major field battle or battles. No single clan can act alone and stop our advance. However, if other clans come to the aid of Moreland and Orosz, that presents the opportunity to gain a decisive victory. Killing enough of them should only hasten the clans falling to us, one after the other.”
“Latest intelligence still finds no evidence they have artillery or infantry tactics,” said Ketin, overseer of the Preddi Province.
“None,” asserted Zulfa flatly, “as continue to be reported by Assessor Hizer’s agents. What few cannon there are on the island are found in harbor fortifications. Even those few are relatively primitive and too large to be of practical use in field maneuvers. As for infantry tactics, there is still no sign they have any such concepts. Oh, they’ll fight on foot in the right circumstances, but when facing our army, we expect masses of horsemen. Our best estimates are that we’ll face a maximum of ten to twelve thousand, but even more couldn’t prevail against our disciplined troops and the limited clan coordination.”
Metan frowned. “I know I’ve brought this up before, but I’m still not comfortable with that many light cavalry potentially on our rear and cutting off supply and communication lines.”
Zulfa’s brow wrinkled, irritated that his subordinate still harped on something they had gone over numerous times. Akuyun thought for a moment he might have to step in. Zulfa was a gifted leader, but even under Akuyun’s tutelage Zulfa still needed to work on handling senior subordinates. In this case, Metan was a valuable officer. Not the most brilliant or innovative, but solid. Akuyun was about to speak when Zulfa’s expression smoothed from annoyance, as he addressed the group.
“I share Colonel Metan’s basic concern. However, it’s unlikely the Caedelli will be organized enough to threaten our rear, particularly after losing a battle. In their state of disorganization, we expect them to expend whatever forces they present to us in efforts to stop the advance. However, we have included in the operational plan two contingencies. One, we’ll take a larger than normal supply train with us, so we can remain out of contact with Preddi for two sixdays without resupply. Plus, enough forces remain in our occupied areas to reopen supply lines or even come to our aid, if necessary.”
“Come to our aid?” Erdelin said dismissively. “I hardly think that’ll be necessary.”
“Nor do I,” said Zulfa. “But good operational plans try to consider even the unlikely scenarios.” His tone and eyes also implied “good commanders.”
Erdelin harrumphed, though didn’t say more.
“It’s my hope we can draw them into a major field engagement,” Zulfa continued. “To encourage this error, our route will maximize the number of villages and towns we destroy on the way. Ravaging Moreland Province will convince them we’ll do the same with Moreland City, which is where we predict the Morelanders will make a stand, if they haven’t before. Once we near Moreland City, we’ll slow our advance to give them time to finish gathering all their men and time for a few clans to come to Moreland’s aid, if they’re going to.”
Zulfa paused and looked around at the other men, some of whom were gazing pensively at the map, others at him. “Are there any new general questions or comments?” The implication was implicit not to bring up anything they had already argued about in previous meetings.
To Akuyun’s discomfiture, throat grumbling came from Balcan. The familiar series of sounds announced the prelate was about to say something, usually something Akuyun didn’t want to hear.
“To be clear, although the objectives are to take both the Moreland and Orosz provinces, I heard nothing in the plan to include my priests
in the invasion. For example, as soon as Moreland City is ours, it’s imperative we destroy all vestiges of worshipping false gods and we convert their places of worship to Narth, whom we all know is the only true God. My inquisitors will also need to root out their theophists and any other religious leaders.”
The other men at the meeting automatically turned their heads to the foot of the table, waiting for Akuyun to answer diplomatically, which he did in place of the response he would have preferred. He was the only one of them able to exert direct authority over the prelate. None of the commanders were true believers in Narth, but propriety was required.
“You’re correct, Prelate. Although we believe the campaign will go well, there’s no reason to risk yourself or your people if the unexpected occurs. I assure you that as soon as we believe it safe, we’ll send back word, and you’ll be escorted to Moreland City to begin what’s necessary.”
And maybe you’ll fall into a river on the way and drown, Akuyun wished to himself.
Balcan drummed the fingers of both hands on the tabletop, as he considered Akuyun’s words. “All right. I can understand the reasoning, just as long as my people can get into Moreland City as soon as possible.”
“Naturally, Prelate. You have my assurances. Now, moving back to Brigadier Zulfa’s request for comments about the campaign plan. Any other questions so far?”
When there were none, Akuyun gestured for Zulfa to continue.
“There are no detailed operational plans past Moreland City, because the results of our advance to that point will dictate what comes next. If our victory over Moreland doesn’t convince other clans to capitulate, and they try to stop us again and precipitate more battles, we’ll move on to Orosz City and beyond, splitting the island in half and disrupting the clans’ ability to communicate and coordinate.
“The timetable for attacking Moreland is four months from now. In the meantime, we’ll be giving the Caedelli reasons for keeping their men in their own provinces and discouraging a grand alliance of all the clans. It’s a balancing act. While we’d like to face them several at a time to speed things up, for caution’s sake we’d prefer not to fight them all at once.
The Pen and the Sword (Destiny's Crucible Book 2) Page 19
