User blog:Maltalidenta Kwuitidherali/Mahtamétima Chapter 2

There is one thing no one expects, disloyalty among their own household. Luckily that did not happen to me, but there was certainly a division emerging. I knew even then that my time to leave would be soon. Rebellions can be crushed, but the unrest because of them stays for years. It would never be the same again, and all I could hope now was I did not leave in anger. That would have been a miracle indeed. Well, I could hardly sit around so I made the best use of the time that I could think of. I visited the commonfolk, to perhaps gain some of their support in this matter. Even then I knew this situation had already turned sour, but not the true extent of it. It took another month for the next major thing to happen. Another skirmish, but worth a mention. This time they didn't go for me, they tried to burn the storerooms. Thankfully the commonfolk knew this, and resisted them every step of the way. My own men arrived almost in time, managing to save large portions of our stored food but there was that which they didn't save, and even that would have an effect later. This time it turned out to work in my favour, at least in the short term. The unrest in the city decreased slightly, but word was spreading and men were coming from the surrounding countryside looking for pay. Like vultures to carrion, they descended. Mercenaries to my side, even. But when they learned how much I'd already spent on shoring up the defences, they soon turned back. I'm no deceitful man, so I promise neither gold nor glory, for that is not a thing for me to promise. Yet I knew, all the time we wasted sitting around the more time the rebels had to gain men.

So I made my move, I had wasted too much time already. Out of the gleaming white walls my men marched, for any open rebels had been executed or exiled. We would liberate the surrounding towns, for they had been captured by the rebels fleeing the city. First, Palyra, then Carerae would fall. We marched to war that day, and this following battle would effect not just the outcome of the war, but the problems that we would face after it.

The night was cold as we marched, but the days were still holding their warmth. Winter was coming, but not yet upon us. All was quiet except for the steady beat of marching boots. Then, out of the darkness one sound emanated. The sentries had seen something, and the cry was carried through the darkness. The calm lasted mere seconds before the sound of steel being drawn and bows being strung. This time we were ready for them. A small patrol was all it turned out to be, and they ran at the sight of us, but it could've easily been a large army. We were more careful after that, doubling the watch each night. I marched the men day and night, eager as I was to get this over with. Even then, it took a good week to get there.

The days passed by, uneventful as ever. Even the countryside didn't change from the green forests we had been using for cover. The only difference was how well used the road was, and after an army had marched over it even that was unnoticeable. On and on we marched, never looking back. Never considering what was happening behind. After all, we'd only taken a small percentage of the army to this place. What could happen back home?

The time for the final approach neared, and soon we were within bowshot, but still we kept back. With a bit of luck the gate would be open, and we could take the castle without too much trouble. Reinforcements would be our worry in a siege, and the army we took was too small to deal with any.

That night we arrayed the army, if you can call it that, with archers at the front and then followed by swordsmen. I had decided to camp in formation, ready for the long day ahead before we charged in the evening. With some luck the guards would change at the same time and we would have the optimal time to strike. The hours passed, and we remained unnoticed. The whole process was unnerving, I can only imagine the stress we would have been put through if we were seen.

But we weren't, all went as planned. Soon enough we were watching the light begin to fade, and the time came. The evening was still warm, and smelt of the countryside with its trees and flowers. I felt sorry to spoil such an evening, but blood had to be spilt or we would get nowhere in this fight. As soon as we thought we heard someone approach the gates, the first line of archers surged forth into the fray, quickly followed by the first line of swordsmen. There were twenty in all, running forwards. It took a few seconds for the enemy to notice them, and they tried frantically to shut the gate. But it was too late, we were in.