For the last three days fever had kept the Viceroy of Mithrim confined to bed-rest. It had been a long march home in the cold due to the harsh winter weather and by the time they had reached the castle after victory in the east against Albus, Thalion had been carried in on a litter. Now it seemed, that the fever's hold had broken the viceroy was able to stomach proper victuals once more. It was then that ill-news arrived from the west. A herald had arrived in the grey morning baring tidings that Roastam's forces had been overcome by a surprisingly stiff peasant resistance at Nova Rebache, meanwhile the first assault against the walls of Curaw.
Even worse there was rumor spreading of dark magic being employed by Bryggan's army. During the battle for Curaw, a siege tower had been pulled through the very rock and stone of the walls, as if they were made of water. Even worse though, while the timber of the siege tower passed through the walls without difficulty, any men who were on the tower were thrown off to their deaths, being unable to go through the stone. At least one of the surviors who had been fighting near the walls said that he heard strange chanting from the other side of the wall. Perhaps, it was this Pope Albus' revenge for being defeated in the east. Perhaps he was not a Pope at all, but a dark magician of power and cunning. Worse to moral than sorcery, however, were rumors. Already most of the surviving troops left from the Curaw siege had fled into the wild, leaving the Lord Warden to return only a few of his surviving household knights.
Thalion rose from his sick bed, putting on a thick fur robe and donning his slippers to save his feet from the cold stone of the castle floor. His legs felt weak after the fever that had sapped much of his strength, strength he would have need of so soon.
A few moments later there was a sharp knock on the door, Thalion guessed who it was. "Enter," he said patiently. An angry Lord Warden pushed his way into the room.
"We could have had them!" he said smashing his fist down on the table, knocking over some of the pieces representing armies on the battle map. "They bewildered the minds of our warriors and cast aside our siege engines with dark magic! Besides that, they were fierce and well armed, I'd say they are all two handers to the man, blast their hides and curse their builds!"
"Much is risked in war, sometimes the price is heavy. We must learn from our own folly and the enemies cunning. Many who stand now in our ranks are new recruits, young warriors who have not fought in the great wars of old. It will take time for them to learn our warriorcraft." responded Thalion.
The Lord Warden merely nodded as he peered over the battle map and righted several of the pieces that had been knocked over. "As you say, yet we cannot remain idle. Already the enemy has fresh field forces in the lands near Ismirala. We cannot allow our territorial integrity to be so compromised, as such might be construed as a sign of weakness. The armory is in better operational order?"
Thalion sighed. "Yes. I made sure everything has been consolidated and reordered. It won't be such a mess again."
"And Captain Thelix has made it back to Ismirala unaccosted?" Finnian asked, still musing over the battle-map.
"Yes, in addition other small forces have come up from the south." replied Thalion.
"Any sign of the Hounds?" asked Finnian.
"Not as yet," Thalion said somberly. "The ways through Calradia are dangerous these days. Perhaps our messages have not yet reached them, or their messages to us have been delayed."
"We must send another round of messager raven's then" added Finnian. "Word must get through. This Bryggan must be stopped before he is allowed to gain too much momentum."
"There is that, and a matter of diplomacy. It seems that Bryggan is trying to broker a marriage alliance with the Starks of Calradia," said Thalion.
At this Finnian raised an eyebrow. "I'd guess you'd welcome such as thing, as it would mean and end to Not-So-Innocent-Virgin's attempts to marry you, Thalion."
"I would, indeed, if it were not for the fact that Bryggan is now her most ardent suitor. Such an event is no doubt Bryggan's attempt to swing the balance of power more in his favor and rally the few remaining of Calradia's houses not completely destroyed by the plague."
"And your thoughts on the matter?" Finnian asked with a quizzical tone.
"We must play every card in our hand wisely, there is now no margins for error. This war stands upon a swords edge, now more so than ever. I wonder now, if the Gods do not laugh at us. Doomed people's fighting wars over doomed lands," said Thalion, who now turned his case out the window to watch fresh snow begin to fall from the skies.
