Mighty Hammer Down

by David J Guyton

  Chapter 28

  "How long do you think it will take to get the army into the center of Vindyrion?" Andrew asked over the sounds of thundering hooves and supply wagons.

  Tannis cocked his head and cracked his neck. "There are only plains in front of us now, so we will move swiftly. It has been a long time since I have been to your capital, but I think we can be there in 15 or 20 days. It's difficult to keep such a large force moving. It might take longer."

  "What will we do General? What is your plan?" the man asked as he rode his horse next to Tannis under the overcast sky.

  "There is no plan Andrew. There is never a plan. That's something that men misunderstand. Military strategy is not found on paper or carved in stone. Strategy is fluid. It moves like water or fire."

  Andrew looked shocked. "How can you have no plan? You march with countless thousands of men behind you, and you do not make preparations?"

  "Of course we make preparations. Do not take me for a fool, Vindyri. You simply do not grasp the complications of war. Does it make sense to you to walk into battle with a detailed plan on exactly where and when to swing your sword? Do you think that a man who does that has a chance in battle?"

  "Well no, I guess he would have to determine that on the field."

  "Exactly. He has no chance unless he makes his decisions based on the situation as it is presented to him. Since I am in charge of the entire army, and not just a single sword, I must apply this on a larger scale. I cannot tell where to send troops or how to attack until I see the battle myself."

  "But doesn't that allow the Bhoors a chance to take advantage of you while you are thinking of a plan?"

  "No. The fact is that the Bhoors are in the same position we are. The Zidaoz probably does not know we are coming yet. By keeping mostly to the paved roads, we do not kick up giant dust clouds to alert him of our presence. If he does know that our Legions move, he cannot know what we will do until he sees us do it. For the time being, all things are equal between us."

  Andrew repositioned himself in his saddle in a futile attempt to get more comfortable. "Well isn't it a mistake to reveal your tactics to me or anyone else?"

  Tannis turned to him and stared down with his fiery gaze. "I make no mistake, Ambassador. Firstly, I did not reveal any tactics, I merely defined strategy. A tactic is something used in one's strategy; the means that lead to the ends. The strategy is the fluid, ever-changing plan.

  "Secondly, one cannot learn strategy from words or books. It is something that very few men can comprehend. It is knowing your enemy and being able to correctly determine his intentions. It is gauging his intelligence and will, and fooling him so that he cannot gauge yours. There is no danger in anyone knowing this, for all men who lead others have this information burned into their soul."

  Andrew paused a while in thought. "But what if the Bhoors are preparing the field for our arrival? What if there are traps set?"

  "There is an advantage to choosing the place of battle, and yes, preparations can be made ahead of time. But remember that we came at once and we are moving as fast as we can. It is nearly impossible for the Bhoors to know that we are on our way, and they would not think to place traps for an army that they do not know is coming.

  "But if they are aware of us, then they are also aware that we assume there might be traps set. Knowing this, we may attack from another angle, or wait at a distance until they are forced to come to us. We might try to surround them or make it appear as if they are surrounded. We might force them to do something foolish and show us a weakness before we ever set foot near a trap. It is all part of strategy and there is no way to know for sure what your enemy will do until he does it. The General that guesses best is the one who wins the war."

  "So you are saying that war is little more than a guessing game?"

  "Perhaps I should have used another word. Nothing is done at random. A General never decides on a tactic based on his feelings or a passing thought. If your enemy appears to have made a random decision, it is most likely him trying to fool you into thinking he is less intelligent than he really is. It is foolish to believe that a fool is in charge."

  "I think I understand the concept General. It is not very different from my dealings in the world of politics."

  "Oh but it is far more complex Ambassador. It's true that the basic rules of strategy can apply to any subject, but war encompasses all subjects. Many would have you believe that my mind is focused only on war, but in reality, I have simply come to understand that war is everything."

  Andrew smiled at the comment. "Well General, you certainly do a terrific job of making it sound like you are not obsessed with war."

  "You misunderstand me. Politics are a part of war, but war is not necessarily part of politics. Economics and psychological forces are involved in war, and yet those things may also stand on their own. Even love is a part of war. These men march to Vindyrion to protect the nation and the people they love. There are women and children back there that already miss these men. There is no subject that is unaffected by war. No other topic is so enmeshed in human nature, and yet we have learned to be appalled by it. I do not enjoy war or killing, but I do understand that it is necessary."

  Andrew's shoulders swayed with the stride of his horse. "I agree with that General Tirinius, but only if it is in self-defense."

  "You are a greater fool than I took you for Ambassador. The Vindyri are dying at the hands of the Bhoors because they believe that nonsense. War is how you got every freedom you ever had. War is what secures and preserves the peace. Freedom is not natural; it must be constructed carefully and maintained. You cannot defend yourself from attack after your enemy has already struck you. You must ensure that you are in a position where he is unable to strike in the first place."

  "What do you mean peace is not natural? It's the way things are meant to be. How can you possibly say that war is natural and peace is not?"

  "It is simple Ambassador. Look at animals or children. Do they think about what it means to take something that does not belong to them? No. They are interested in doing the things that benefit them, not others. The entire world works that way. It's survival of the fittest. The wolf does not care about what is fair; he cares only to fill his belly. We must not be rabbits when there are wolves in the mists.

  "But as we grow older and find our place in a civilized society, we learn that the way of the wolf does not exactly suit us either. To be truly civilized, we must examine what our civilization deems appropriate. These things will differ from culture to culture, but when these differences clash, we must settle them with some sort of conflict. We can only hope to win these conflicts and secure the safety of our value system. In order to protect this value system, we must be willing to fight for it. We must always be ready to kill an enemy who wishes to destroy it."

  "Well I believe that war is an evil thing that men do. There are more civilized ways to solve conflicts, General. I am quite offended that you take me for a fool when all I desire is peace."

  Tannis rubbed a finger over the scar above his eye. "We all desire peace, Andrew. Don't be fooled into thinking that we are evil men. It is true that there are less violent ways to settle things, but you must understand that while you are preaching to your enemy about how fair you are, he will most likely run you through with his sword. I have always said that the more civilized war becomes, the more uncivilized the tactics will become."

  "You're saying that two leaders can't settle things without going to war?"

  "No, that's not what I am saying. I am saying that you cannot trust your enemy to be as peaceful as you are. If you play the role of the rabbit, he will play the wolf. It's the nature of things and it will never change."

  "Well perhaps it all comes down to absolute power. It is power that corrupts men and makes them harm others."

  "No Andrew. Absolute power is not what corrupts; it is weakness of will that causes corruption. A strong leader who understands power does not do damage to the
world, but enhances it, even if he must go to war to do so."

  "Lord Tirinius!" a scout yelled as he galloped up behind them. "I bring news."

  "What is it scout?"

  "There was an incident with a rebel band of Vindyri. They attacked the hunting party and killed seven of our men."

  Tannis shook his head in disbelief. "How many were there and where did they attack from?"

  "We counted 30 bodies when it was all over. They attacked from the rear. The hunting party wanted to restock some rations before we advanced too far into the plains, so they headed westward in hopes of finding more game."

  "Did any Vindyri escape?"

  "I'm sorry Lord Tirinius, but I don't know. I asked the men if any had escaped, but they were unsure."

  Tannis took in a deep breath. "You're dismissed soldier."

  After the man saluted and rode off, Andrew cleared his throat. "What does that mean General? Why do the Vindyri attack you?"

  "It was certainly a mistake to do so. We have always had to deal with Vindyri rebels who are not interested in peace with Medora, but this was a stupid move. They attacked only after we passed them, so they know that five full Legions head this way. They must have known that attacking us meant certain death."

  "Well then why risk it? I don't understand."

  "There are two possible reasons. The first is that they are being used to distract us, and the second is that some hot-headed rebel leader sent them to attack us where he thought we were weak. Being that I understand strategy, I can determine that the latter is most likely the case. Wasting 30 men for no reason at all is not the work of a true leader; it's the work of a fool, and therefore I am not at all concerned about the attack having any serious meaning behind it. The hunting party alone was more than triple their number, let alone the troops that protected them and others who were responsible for transporting the meats back to the army. I am amazed that they were able to kill seven Medorans."

  Andrew rubbed one of his temples. "But why on earth would Vindyri attack you when you are coming to their aid?"

  "Like I said, some Vindyri are not interested in peace with Medora. However you must also consider that the Vindyri army does not know that we are coming to their aid. You were the only messenger that would have known that, and you have not told the King our plan yet. It's likely that the Vindyri soldiers we killed were simply trying to defend their nation against people who they thought were their enemies."

  Andrew was suddenly shocked. "What a horrible fate for those men! How awful that they should die so needlessly."

  "I agree that the loss of life is sad, but how can they possibly justify attacking us when 400,000 men just marched past them? It was certain death and they must have known it. You cannot blame the Medorans for protecting ourselves."

  "No, I do not. I know that you and I have discussed our different opinions on things, but I know that you have our best interest at heart. It makes me sad to think of those 30 men and the families that will never see them again, but if the Medorans do not ride to war to help us, the Bhoors will destroy us."

  "Ah then you do understand the need for war. Perhaps you are smarter than I thought."

  A gust of wind caught Andrew's long hair. "Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. Everything has become so complicated lately and it seems like the more I focus on one thing, the worse everything else gets while I am looking the other way. It's like trying to plug holes in a boat while other leaks keep springing up."

  Tannis nodded his head as he looked at the road ahead of him. "Life can be like that. There was no guarantee that things would get easier as we got older. All we can do is work together to plug all the holes we can, and hope our children don't sink after we are gone."

  "Is there any hope of a time when there is only peace? Is there a chance that one day we can all learn to live together in some kind of harmony?

  "No, there is no hope for that. The moment that men decide to be peaceful is the moment that someone seizes the opportunity to do harm to those who have given up violence. I'm sorry Andrew, but war is eternal. This cycle will never end."

  The gray light of the day seemed to deepen and darken as they marched across the plains. Soon there would be nothing to see in the empty lands between the populated cities of Medora and Vindyrion. It would not be so desolate for long though, for after they crossed the River Eloria the world would come to life again in all its beauty. That beauty might be dimmed, however, if the irritating clouds and mist did not flee from the bright rays of the sun before they got there. Tannis hoped that those clouds would move past them and not trouble them with rain. Although the army could move in wet weather, it was not pleasant and the soldiers' spirits would be as dampened as their boots.

  Another concern that weighed more heavily on Tannis was the time of year. There was still another three months or so before the snows of winter fell, but there was no telling how long they would be at war. Being that the Bhoors had assembled such a large army, he couldn't see the conflict ending so quickly. For most of the winter they would need to avoid fighting when they could, but they could not risk returning to Medora and leaving the Bhoors free to march right up to the Medoran border. The Legions could be prepared with sharp weapons and well-trained soldiers, but lack of food and bitter cold temperatures were things that were difficult to remedy.

  "There is a crossroads ahead General," Andrew said. "This road stays much the same, but the road towards Burnhamheade narrows some. It will slow your Legions if you take the narrower road, however if we remain on this road, we will stay to the south of Burnhamheade. It would be faster to stay off the roads and march across country."

  "No it wouldn't Ambassador. We have heavy supply wagons to deal with. We also take less risk to the horses if we keep them on flat land. And I have already told you that we do not want to kick up dust clouds by leaving the road. We will take the road to Burnhamheade and I will decide where to go once we get close enough to the capital."

  "Allow me to test my knowledge of strategy if you would General. If these clouds brought us rain, couldn't we leave the roads? Wouldn't the rain keep the dust down?"

  "Well at least you are trying to use your head to understand the world around you. Unfortunately if you were to march an army across a wet, muddy plain, you'd probably get your wagons stuck. Aside from that, the wet weather might only last an hour. What do you do three hours later when the sun has dried the ground again?"

  Andrew laughed at himself. "I suppose I would pray to the gods that a General smarter than me comes to my rescue. I'm thankful that I don't have to deal with these things. Life is complicated enough as it is."

  Tannis stared off to the north, barely aware of Andrew's answer. He felt an odd feeling and it seemed as if his horse could sense it and mirrored the uneasiness he felt. The mighty animal tensed and bucked slightly, changing the rhythm of his hoof beats. Tannis was beginning to think that there was something more to this story and it was frustrating him that he could not comprehend it. There seemed to be some hidden network of forces at play, and he thought he might be losing his mind every time he considered the idea.

  "What is it General? What do you see?" Andrew asked him quietly.

  "I see nothing out of the ordinary Ambassador. It's just that I have been having strange dreams lately, and the scene I see now was one I saw in them. To see such a familiar sight makes my soul dizzy, if that makes sense."

  "Perhaps you are just dreaming of when you had been here last."

  "You don't understand. I don't dream. Until a few weeks ago, I had never had a dream in my entire life. I was always confused when people told me about them. It was hard to understand such a thing when I had never experienced it. But even still, I know that there is something strange about these dreams. It's as if fate or the gods whisper to me."