The Duke paced restlessly across the floor of his salon. The clatter as wagons were loaded with silverware, papers and his favorite toy soldiers was making it hard to concentrate as he reread the latest dispatch from the front.
Those bloody knights! Sons of nobles and rich merchants in the finest armour recruited into a household cavalry. All at their own expense luckily. They had begged to be allowed to go to the war and so he had relented then the fools hung around at the back of the battlefield refusing all orders to advance. Now trusted with the defence of the flank, one lot had gone haring off to impale themselves on pikes without orders and then scampered off the field like so many rabbits while the other squadron had just stood quivering till the enemy's battle hardened troopers said Boo! Well at least, if Rossi's infantry could hold off pursuit and some accommodation could be reached with Stagonia, the estates of those nobles, whether dead or disinherited by decree, would help pay for some mercenaries to defend the walls. The bloody levies had run after the first volley again, probably best not to trust the walls to them.
If only Franscioni's veterans can hold. Still best go check to make sure that all the best valuables are on the wagons in case it was necessary to leave in a hurry for his familial estate in the hills.
On the positive side, the Rose Ridge fight is still on Stagonian soil . . . even if barely so.
ReplyDeleteThere are still two more battles to be fought in the mini-campaign but things are not looking good on Rose Ridge right now. Rossi and Franscioni may be forced to withdraw depending upon how quickly the Stagonian forces can maneuver.
At least the Duke is protecting important things like his toy soldiers (who undoubtedly perform better than some of his real ones).
-- Jeff