Chapter 141 Outriders
It was barely past midday when the riders returned. That either meant things had gone very well, or the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
Judging by the cheers from the people who had rushed to welcome the riders back, he assumed it was the former.
Instead of meeting the riders at the gates, Lucien decided to wait at the manor courtyard. They deserved the small celebration instead of having a noble hover over them.
Beside him, Sera tilted her head briefly before turning to him with a small nod.
Lucien's brow creased as he tried to make sense of her reaction.
She let out a soft breath before reaching into her satchel. After a few deliberate strokes, Sera turned the parchment toward him.
Fourteen riders.
Lucien's eyes widened slightly. "How can you tell? With the crowd at the gate right now..."
At his words, she looked back toward the direction of the northern gate. Then she began writing again, turning it toward him.
Horses. Their weight.
'Is it really just hearing?'
Sera, being someone who was aware of her blessing, was different from Alicia. Even back then, when Talia had tried to test her hearing, it had become clear that Sera was not merely hearing more.
Hearing alone did not explain how she could isolate sound so precisely that, even through the noise of the crowd, she could tell the difference between a horse with a rider and one without.
Sera shifted slightly before stepping farther back. Not long after, Dorian approached, likely having come from the eastern fields, where the men involved in the plan had been drilling.
"My Lord."
Lucien pushed the question aside for now as he returned the gesture. "Dorian. Judging by the cheers we're hearing, it seems the men were successful."
The captain came to a stop beside him, a slight frown on his face. "Yes, My Lord."
He looked toward the northern gates. "Marcus is being too lax with them."
"It's fine, Dorian. Let them have this moment for now. As long as they don't grow complacent on the field."
Dorian gave a slow nod but otherwise remained silent as they waited for the men.
The riders reached the manor courtyard some time later, though it was difficult to tell whether they had come through the village or been carried along by it.
People followed behind them in loose clusters, voices overlapping with relief and excitement. Children darted between adults until someone caught them by the shoulder and pulled them back.
A few of the older villagers stood farther away, quieter but no less intent as they counted the horses for themselves.
Lucien found himself doing the same despite Sera's assurance, his shoulders finally loosening when he counted fourteen riders.
Despite being gone for only half a day, the men looked tired. Dust clung to their boots and the hems of their cloaks, while the horses' flanks were dark with sweat.
Several of the riders still held their lever crossbows close, the weapons resting across their saddles or tucked beneath one arm as though they had yet to convince themselves the day was over.
Marcus rode at the front, one hand loose on the reins. His usual ease had returned enough for him to lift a hand when someone called his name, though Lucien noticed the stiffness in his shoulders and the way his eyes continued to move even after passing through the manor gate.
The crowd slowed as the riders entered the courtyard, held back by the guards at the entrance.
Families called out from beyond the line, and a few of the men turned in their saddles to answer with brief waves before Dorian's presence seemed to remind them where they were.
"Dismount and pass your crossbows to be checked," the captain ordered.
They obeyed at once.
Stable hands hurried forward to take the horses, while the riders unfastened their lever crossbows and passed them carefully to the guards waiting nearby.
Outside the courtyard, the villagers began to move farther away, though they clearly intended to wait until the men were dismissed before resuming their celebrations.
Beside Lucien, Sera watched the men closely, her pale eyes moving from one horse to the next. Then, seemingly satisfied with whatever she had seen, she turned away and slipped back inside the manor without a word.
He watched her go briefly before returning his attention to the riders. Marcus had already started toward him and Dorian, dust on his sleeves and a faint scrape along one cheek. He stopped when Lucien raised his hand lightly.
"Marcus, tell your men to take the rest of the day off. Report back here when you're done."
The guard's brow lifted, though he turned to follow his order. Not a moment later, softer cheers sounded out again as the men hurried to store their gear while the crowd outside seemed to drift slightly closer.
Lucien could feel Dorian looking at him the moment Marcus walked away. Before the captain could question the choice, he spoke first.
"They will be under his command for the next few days, Dorian. Morale is important, and besides, this may be the start of something I have been considering."
Dorian turned back toward the men. "You intend to form a separate unit of outriders. Men who would be trained separately for scouting and harrying the enemy in the field."
"Is there something like that in the heartlands, Dorian?" Lucien asked, not surprised that the captain would pick up on it.
Slowly, Dorian inclined his head. "Yes, My Lord. Although they typically wield bows and short swords instead of crossbows. Rangers, I believe they're called."
He paused briefly, eyes shifting toward Marcus. "He is suited to it. I had intended to bring it up to you when our numbers grew large enough..." His words trailed off as the captain exhaled faintly.
"That man's never been particularly ambitious. And I wonder if his casual bearing would affect the men under him if he were put in charge of an entire unit."
Lucien folded his arms behind him, watching the riders walk out to meet their families with a spring in their step.
"It is not set in stone yet. We can observe how they fare in the coming days before we make a decision."
Their exchange drew to a close when Marcus made his way back to them again.
Coming to a stop before them, the guard dipped his head.
"My Lord. Captain."
Dorian inclined his head once. "Report."
Marcus straightened, his easy manner falling away as his expression turned neutral. "We rode out along the northern road, then started searching for signs of any foraging orcs as planned."
"I found tracks of a larger party first. About six of them, but they seemed to be moving farther north. Given Lord Lucien's order..." His words trailed off as he glanced at Lucien.
At that, Lucien gave a nod. "Target groups that are no more than four, preferably three if you can find them. I take it you didn't pursue them, then?"
When Marcus shook his head, Lucien rubbed his chin. "Is the larger party aiming for travelers...? But they should know by now that the caravans stopped coming weeks ago."
"They might have splintered from the group, My Lord," Dorian replied, though he didn't look pleased despite what should've been good news.
At Lucien's questioning look, the captain exhaled through his nose. "We know the band consists of at least sixty. Perhaps more, though I doubt it. Orc bands rarely reach such numbers without infighting."
"Even with a variant leading them, they won't be able to maintain their numbers if they are not given opportunities to raid. Orcs don't tend to keep their food supplies for long...and if there aren't enough captives in their camps to keep them occupied..."
Lucien's brow creased as he tried to stifle the disgust welling within.
"Hence the group drifting north. If there are already signs of splintering...does that mean they might commit to an assault soon?" he asked at last.
When the captain responded with a slow nod, Lucien let out a breath. They still needed more time, at least a few more days before their other preparations were complete.
Setting the thought aside, Lucien turned back to Marcus and gestured for him to continue.
Marcus cleared his throat. "We took another route away from the first group. Not long after, we came upon signs of a smaller party of four. Once I confirmed the trail, we followed their tracks until we spotted them."
He hesitated just long enough for Dorian's eyes to narrow. Under the captain's stare, the man let out a breath before he finally spoke.
"We failed our first attempt. Some of the men hesitated while others fired too early, alerting the orcs before we were ready. I ordered a retreat not long after."
Marcus dipped his head, not quite meeting Dorian's eyes. "It was my mistake, Captain. I should've accounted for their inexperience."
For a time, Dorian regarded the guard's bowed head while Lucien remained silent. Then, the captain let out a breath.
"No. We expected the first attempt to go poorly, and you did well by ordering a retreat immediately. Continue with your report, Marcus."
Marcus lifted his head and folded his arms behind his back. "After losing the orcs, we rode farther north before turning east to hug closer to the Easthollow River instead."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "In order to assuage the men's worries, I told them that we could always flee toward Helvarn if we got surrounded by them...as a joke, of course."
Lucien kept his expression carefully neutral, refusing to let his amusement show as a tired look came over Dorian's face.
Before the captain could speak, Marcus raised a finger. "Then we found another group. The tracks were a little smaller compared to the previous group, but there were three of them."
The slight smile on Marcus's mouth nearly turned into a grin, only for him to smooth it over quickly at Dorian's warning look.
"This time, we caught them with their guard down. The beasts seemed like they had just barely woken from their naps when we fired the first volley."
He patted the satchel on his side. "And I managed to put two arrows into one of them, My Lord. The men killed the other two while we led the one I shot in a merry chase. I kept track of how long the poison needed to take effect too."
At those words, Lucien inclined his head. "Good. We will need the timing for the next stage of our plan."
The rest of Marcus's report went as expected. After fulfilling their task, they returned by a slightly longer route, keeping nearer to the western side of the road until they reached the village.
Once he finished, Dorian and Lucien exchanged a brief look before the captain shook his head, indicating he had nothing more to add.
By then, all of the men had already left, no doubt to unwind from the stressful day they had endured.
"Marcus. Tomorrow and for the next few days, you will continue to lead the men and launch probing attacks on their foraging group. I will leave it to your judgment on whether to retreat."
Lucien met the guard's eyes. "But I want you to be even more cautious than today, especially once the men begin growing used to this kind of fighting."
"You are wary of them growing complacent, My Lord?" Marcus asked, his smile fading.
"Yes. That is what happens when a plan continues to work well. Men grow too comfortable in their success. Do not allow that to happen, and don't risk killing any orcs if the danger grows too great."
Lucien let his words sink in for a brief moment before gesturing to the northeastern tower. "Your goal is to harry them and make the orcs aware of your presence, then we can move on to the next stage of our plan."
"By your command, My Lord." Marcus snapped a salute, then turned to leave when Lucien waved him away.
Turning toward Dorian, Lucien reached into his pocket for the rolled parchment he had been writing earlier before the riders had returned.
"Have a messenger deliver this to Lord Vaelric, Dorian. If the orcs are showing signs of splintering, then we will need to be ready soon."