Firebrand

The events of the journey shook the settlers, but at least they were now safely in Asterian lands, out of Khivan range. Nothing awaited them except for the overland travel to their destination.

Maximilian, always a natural at giving orders and expecting them to be carried out, helped keep the pace going, acting like a shepherd’s dog to keep the herd going in the same direction. Martel strode in front, leading the way; since they followed the river, he had no difficulty navigating. And after days on foot, they crossed the unseen border that marked the extent of Aster, entering the lands once owned and now reclaimed by Archen.

They saw the lights in the distance, and though it was late, it helped the travellers to keep going. Martel’s enchanted stones were distributed across a large area that provided little artificial suns to keep work going after nightfall in the fields and forests. Seeing the newcomers, the residents greeted them with joy, glad to see their numbers swell and hear tidings from Morcaster, even if it had only been some months since their own departure.

The news being shared about the Khivan hostility quickly turned the mood around. At the same time, it did not come as a shock; Eleanor and Valerius had drilled many of the workers, creating a militia, and plans had been made for the outlying farmers to seek shelter in Archen, should need arise. Newest update provıded by novel fire.net

Martel led the new settlers on; they could sleep in Archen tonight before continuing to their settlement in the mountains, and he was eager to see his fellow leaders and hear the situation. The city had a gate, made by fresh timber cut from the forest; in addition, it had two men on watch. One of them gave a legionary’s salute seeing Martel, maybe from old habits resurfacing; the other looked startled and bowed his head, less accustomed to military hierarchy.

“Where’s the others? The Conclave,” Martel asked impatiently.

The sentinel who had saluted properly pointed into the city. “They’re usually working in the tent by the city square at this hour, Master Martel.”

“Thanks.” Martel gestured for everyone to continue into the city. Looking at Maximilian, he made a quick decision. “You should come. Meet the others.”

The mageknight smiled. “I look forward to it.”

As other residents showed the settlers to places where they might spend the night, Martel went to the aforementioned tent, Maximilian in tow. The sounds of the settlers’ arrival must have alerted the others, as the remaining mages came out quickly. Eleanor hurried to embrace her companion before she pulled back, giving Maximilian a surprised look. “Well met, Lady Fontaine.” Maximilian made a slight bow before returning upright to reveal his grin.

“Max! That is… unexpected.”

“Well, there is another face I recognise,” Maximilian continued. “Atreus, you sly hound. I should have guessed you would be here.”

The spellbreaker clasped the mageknight’s hand. “Maximilian. Glad to see you’ve joined our number.”

“This is Maximilian of Marche, I take it,” Cornelia spoke. “And you are not in the slightest fazed by seeing Atreus?”

“This can all wait,” Martel interrupted impatiently. “What is the situation with Khiva? They denied our ship passage beyond Nahavand, and when we made landfall to march here, their soldiers shot at us.”

“They seek to drive us from this land,” Atreus declared. “I arrived only a few days ago myself. Nahavand is full of soldiers. And they were preparing to march, I suspect.”

“We have been organising our militia,” Eleanor explained. “We already have scouts watching the borderland, and we sent Valerius there with any archers we could find and a handful of spearmen. Not nearly enough to repel even a vanguard – he must be reinforced.”

“I’ll go,” Martel said. “I’m more useful in war than anything else.”

“We all should go,” Cornelia suggested. “Except Henry. The gates require enchanting, and he can ensure there are no weaknesses in the fortifications of the city. The rest of us should defend the river.”

Maximilian shrugged. “I packed my armour for that reason.”

Slowly exhaling, Martel gave a nod. “Very well. We depart tomorrow morning. Is everything in place for the miners?”

“Some of our people will guide them into the mountains,” Eleanor confirmed. She looked at Maximilian. “As much as I never thought to see you again, your timing is fortunate. Another mageknight will help us greatly.”

“It is not the sort of work I imagined I would come here to do, but I do not mind putting some old skills to use before refining new ones.”

“You should tell them why you’ve come,” Martel suggested.

Maximilian grinned. “I have a certain talent that will come in useful, I suspect. Not for winning any wars, but certainly for surviving them.”

Only in the morning light did Martel realise that Henry and Cornelia had succeeded in diverting the river’s flow, cutting it in twain. It now surrounded Archen on all sides to serve as a moat, making the city an island. A solid causeway allowed passage into the gate, which Martel had not noticed in the dark. Realising the improvement to their defences, also ensuring their drinking water, Martel gave the frostmage an acknowledging nod. “You have been busy.”

Cornelia gave a bow in jest. “Why else would I have come? We still have much work to do, creating the sewers and leading water in and out of the city, but it is an improvement.”

Besides a battlemage, a frostmage, a spellbreaker, and two mageknights, a hundred veterans also marched with them, armed with spears or swords depending on available equipment. Not nearly enough to withstand a full Khivan invasion, but it seemed doubtful that even if they conscripted every able-bodied person to fight, they would have enough.

And as they left the city, the soldiers saw the remainder of their fellow citizens out in the fields, Khivans and Asterians, tending to the crops. It was too early for harvest, though they might be forced to gather what they could, should the Khivans come. That was perhaps the most they could hope to achieve by marching south, delaying the enemy until they could harvest and give themselves provisions for a siege.

This had not been their earlier hope, where their strategy had been to prevent the enemy from crossing the southern border river and deny them any entry to their lands. This would protect their harvest and avoid a siege they could probably not win, not even if they were allowed to reap every single piece of grain on their fields. But with the numbers that Atreus had seen gathered in Nahavand, that no longer seemed feasible.

Instead, they might have to rely on surviving inside Archen with its impregnable walls and harass the Khivans to such an extent, they would eventually withdraw. Martel knew he excelled at that; the Khivans had taught him exactly how to conduct such warfare. But he also knew there would be casualties. Among his fellow mages, among his people. At worst, the Asterians inside the city might turn on their fellow Khivan citizens, as they had in Morcaster.

Eleanor reached out and squeezed his hand. “You seem worried,” she remarked quietly.

“Too much is unknown,” he admitted. “What do we face? Has Khiva decided to utterly destroy us, or do we stand a chance at negotiating a compromise?” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Can I save us if I kill them all?”

“Let us not borrow our worries from tomorrow,” she advised him. “First, we find Valerius and learn what we can. Then, we decide our next move. Including if and how we fight.”

“Yes, milady.”