Liko

On the Queen's orders:

The Bridges at River Uxrid

I

-Oiled pounding-

-

Gallant Dogs

Mercenary Company

(Banner -an 'aroused' black Molossus war dog)

(Dictums – 'Call the dogs', 'Do it for me Pretty', 'Pull it Rick', 'Bite their ankles off' 'On the Queen's Orders' and 'Send for Liko' amongst others.)

*Command structure after the battle of Even Fork and before the campaign for Uxrid River (Summer of 195 NC)

Gold Badge

(Company's Staff members – by seniority)

Captain Dante Blackwood (KIA 189 Hellfort)

Captain Ottis (KIA 190 Eikenport)

Captain Whisper 'Pretty' Jinx (not with unit after 190?)

'Mighty' Soren (not with unit after 190)

Victor 'Pale' Hook (KIA 189 Teid River)

Zola (KIA 190 aboard the Marquette)

Kirk and Cassara ('the twins'- KIA 188 in Oakenfalls)

(Commandant) Captain Rollon Martel (Severely injured at Even Fork. A cripple for life.)

'Purse Officer' Crafton (A Nord from Fetya. Died from his wounds in late spring of 195 NC after Even Fork and was buried in the woods nearby.)

'The Kid' Liko (Young boy from the Free Isles initially. Later sergeant of First Office)

Monarch Arguen Garth Aniculo (Rumored)

-

Three Companies

550 soldiers + 80 engineers with the supply train (GD's had suffered over 400 casualties the months prior -365 killed- and had trouble replenishing their ranks)

Old Dogs –

200 soldiers/warriors – about fifty injured were left with the supply train from the original 350 (Type: veteran armoured fighters with spears and swords. Shields, but also bows.)

1st Sergeant Flavius Super (KIA at Even Fork)

1st Sergeant Lu Douc-Re (promoted)

4th sergeant Killian Vandam

Scout leaders: Rad 'Carrion' Severs, Grass Bordon and Jed 'Nod' Weather

Chariot driver: Ladas

Gold Contract –

150 soldiers, 20 injured and left with the supply train, out 250 initially (ex-300 company members. Heavy infantry. Mixed weapons.)

Captain Nathaniel Wyncall (2nd in command. Severely injured in the face during the battle at Even Fork. Lost his tongue and the ability to speak.)

2nd Sergeant Bardo Masin (Promoted)

Adam

The Grunts (Spear infantry)

Around 200. 45 injured and left back, out 400 originally. 30 recruits joined after the 3Roads campaign. (All recruits served here first)

Captain Elmer Sax (3rd in command)

3rd Sergeant Tule Nzo (A Cofol)

Paton

Engineers

(With the supply train)

Around 80 out 120 (+ Ten Scorpios, 3 Heavy Catapults)

Sergeant (of Engineers) Ricard White

Second (Engineer) Rick Willian

Dottore Dalai-Tue

Company Staff personnel

'Purse Officer' Crafton (KIA at Even Fork)

'Purse Officer' Demetrius Martel (the commandant's youngest brother)

'The Kid' Liko (Sergeant of First Office. A Free Islander)

Bert Ottis (2nd Sergeant of First Office. Captain Ottis nephew.)

Johnny 'Hardwood' (Recruiter. Former slaver.)

Nita Ola (Female scribe –Johnny's slave)

*The company's HQ was stationed permanently in the Garth District of Eikenport in the 'Home', but had business interests in other districts and ports. Later it expanded in several cities and had recruiting agents in most mercenary Guild headquarters. According to the 'ledger' the Mercenary Guild's records in Castalor, the Dogs reached the status of being 'the richest' company in the realm around 193 (toppling the Iron Fists of Parmaport) and never lost it. Usually numbered around a thousand soldiers.

2) Rollon Martel was the last member to receive the original golden badge as it was replaced with the now common silver 'dog pendant' after 193 NC.

3) All original members were portrayed in commissioned paintings inside the commander's office in the headquarters' building, what Martel later turned into the company's museum hall to generate revenue, moving the headquarters' into the Watchtower after the Dogs 'camp' expanded outside its walls.

4) It is estimated that at the battle of Reinut's Bridge –one of Uxrid River's 3 Bridges- the fighting portion of the company almost got wiped out.

-

Granlake Road

East of Lake Woods and four kilometers from the large village lake-port of Granlake,

The village had taken its name from the great lake nearby

Day 29th of the eighth month of the year 195 NC

Sergeant Liko stood at the edge of the road to behold through the spyglass the first buildings and warehouses of the large village, his eyes wandering beyond them to the lake's blue expanse and the heavy mist stirring towards the forest.

Martell's captured Khanate chariot -driven by Ladas- raised a ruckus of epic proportions as it approached the two young mercenary officers inside a thick cloud of dust and the men of Gold Contract Company marching past them came to a stop, after 2nd sergeant Bardo Masin barked an order with a heavy Lesia accent.

"Halt! Plaguing hells Martell, you did it this time!" Masin roared, in a professional manner, but it still rubbed the Commandant the wrong way.

"We're getting too familiar sergeant and folks might get the wrong idea," Martell barked back, with veins popping on his neck and the stitched scar –shaped like a hoof- visible on his right cheekbone flushing a bright red. Martell's face had a permanent grimace marring its right side. "I can't work fast, but I'm still mobile enough to ram fist in arse, reach up and rip that tongue right off!"

Masin waved a small square scroll about in response.

"Fuck is that thing?" The bandaged commandant's walking stick stabbed at the deck of the Chariot angrily.

"Captain Wyncall's words sir," Masin retorted and Liko with Ottis chuckled watching the scene unfold. "In writing."

"Right. What does he say?" Martell asked with a glance at the also bandaged, scarred and injured captain, who scowled back at him.

"Halt. Plaguing Hells Martell, you did—" Masin went to repeat, before Rollon Martell stopped him with a grimace of frustration.

"Well shit, we got the gist sergeant," he grunted and took a breath in, coughed to get the dust out and stared at the gathered mercenaries with tearing eyes. "Liko will check on the village," Martell finally elucidated, before Liko interrupted him.

"Commandant—"

"Lad, give me a blasted minute to finish," Martell barked at the young sergeant. "Ottis wipe that stupid grin off your face son. Ye started to look like an otter, fuck's sake. Demetrius!"

"Sir," his younger brother replied, elevated to purse officer through blatant nepotism, and approached in the company of the recruiter, Johnny 'Hardwood'.

"Fine the sergeant a week's wages for interrupting me."

"Right away sir."

"Come on!" Bert Ottis protested loudly at the harsh punishment. "You had paused!"

"Shut up. I was trying to draw breath," a miffed Martell grunted. "Anyone else? Good. Now, as I was saying," the commandant attempted to continue, but got again interrupted by the protests of Ottis, several other mercenaries citing the code of 'gentlemanly discourse', and sergeant Masin who waved another piece of paper at him. "Sergeant," Martell hissed, turning an unhealthy red in the face.

"The full company should approach," Masin read what Wyncall had quickly scribbled in the missive.

Martell smacked his lips, 'a-hummed' and then eyed Liko solemnly.

Oh, damn it.

"I saw no Horselords," Liko told him and the commandant nodded puffing out. Then waved his arm for him to proceed with the 'scouting' mission just the same.

Liko grimaced and cast a sour look towards Bert. "My back still hurts. Wanna help me carry the haversack?"

"No?" His friend deadpanned smartly.

"Bert get your arse going to help him out!" Martell barked hearing their exchange and that was that.

-

An hour later

Granlake village

Granlake's shores is a famed vacation spot for a reason, a sweaty Liko thought resting near the water splashing on the docks and enjoying the humidity coming from the lake. We could really use some time off.

"Pourem brought them back with the boats. Purposefully sunk most of them, but several local lads have good lungs around here, so they dived in them shallows and helped us bring a good chunk of those boats back up," the local Issir resident explained to Bert Ottis. Matt Lundgren –with a fat 'L' and a heavy 'ou'- wasn't the mayor of the village, but was now the owner of the small boat fleet left behind, which made him important enough to speak for the locals. They had left when the Horselords arrived more than a year back, but returned when the last of the Khanate soldiers had departed. "Took everything eatable, livestock, plus furniture and gold."

"The Horselords eat furniture?" Bert asked smartly, since everyone was favorable to gold.

"No, but they steal just like the rest of you jackals," Lundgren retorted.

"Hey! We are legit mercenaries, mister luber-get," Bert protested making a mess of the Issir surname and Liko blinked slowly trying not to burst out laughing.

"Yeah, you're licensed to loot," an affronted Lundgren fired back. "Ain't nothing left to steal lad, so take yer jokes and stupid face out of my docks," he added with an angry stare at the approaching Wyncall. The Captain was already scribbling a missive for them.

"The captain says," Masin started squinting his eyes to read the scribblings. "Ahm, Robert turned at the junction and is heading for Deer's Bridge."

"The bridge is half-destroyed from the floods and no one bothered to repair it. The King is dead," Lundgren said.

"We've a Queen now," Masin grunted.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Lucius kicked the bucket?" Lundgren queried.

"I ain't from Regia," Masin hissed. "Was talking about the Issir Queen."

"Haha," Lundgren chuckled, a couple of gold teeth amidst the white giving a touch of color to his black face.

"You think it's funny?" Masin growled.

"Yep, but I can see why ye lads wouldn't," Lundgren retorted.

The Lesia native sergeant run his gloved hand over his short-cut blond hair. "Anyways. Robert can repair it, your bridge," Masin finally retorted.

"Good luck with that," Lundgren countered not giving an inch.

"Who the allhells is he?" Masin asked a little perturbed with a miffed glare at the smirking local Issir.

"Mister Lundgren owns the boats," Liko informed the sergeant and the latter gave a nod before he turned to receive another missive from the grunting Wyncall.

"An hour. Get your lads some lunch sergeant Liko," Masin read the Captain's orders.

"Anything eatable?" Bert asked the listening Lundgren hopefully.

"Only fish."

"The local fish-market works?" Liko asked a little surprised as the village appeared dead.

"No son," Lundgren retorted. "But the lake is full of all kinds. Ye want to eat fish, you boys better start fishing."

"Anything?" Bert asked the softly stirring his makeshift fishing-rod Liko, about half an hour later. They had some water and one of the sergeants of the Golden Contract had a sack of biscuits on his horse the men had shared, but only a couple of fish had taken their meagre baits –worms, but also pieces of cloth, a shoe, leaves and even jewelry had been used with little success. The men were hungry and in a foul mood, while the initial pleasant humidity of the large lake had turned suffocating and the mosquitos instead of leaving them alone, they had multiplied it seemed.

"Nothing moves in there," Liko replied with a smack on his irritated from all the previous smacks neck. He checked his palm and found a squashed mosquito there which was comforting, but the feeling went quickly away when another landed in his left ear. "Gods!" he cursed and stood up with Bert taking the rod to move it about clumsily. "They say—"

"Rider!" A sentry barked and everyone jumped up nervously, a mercenary slipping with a panicked yelp from a bench he'd napped on and into a water trough. "Ours!" the sentry added receiving a litany of curses from most of his colleagues.

"Damn it Adam!" A young soldier yelled.

"I was eating a fine meal in me sleep," a veteran murmured sadly with Bert adding excited swinging the rod this way and that to get it out of the water.

"It moves! We got a live one Liko!"

Eh.

Wyncall walked towards the arriving rider -the mounted man had already cleared the first houses of the main street, but cast a glare at the diving on the spastically leaping here and there trout Bert Ottis, young man and fish rolling in the mud, one desperate to return into the water and the other unwilling to sleep hungry.

"Captain Wyncall sir," the messenger reported. "The Commandant orders the unit to turn around."

Wyncall grunted, his mouth and right cheek still sporting several rows of stitches, reached for a pack of scrolls and a coal stick, then proceeded to scribble down a single word frustrated.

Why.

Liko went to help Bert stand up, and it took him a minute to get the sergeant out of the slippery mud, while the messenger gave them the official version of what was to follow.

-

Night of 29th to 30th

Granlake Road, 21 kilometers from Reinut's Bridge

Gallant Dogs marching camp

The Commandant's tent

"So, Robert is at the bridge and working to get over it. So that'll take a bit of time," Martell continued after everyone had taken a quick bite before the supply train that had just arrived was turned around and directed back the other way, not to lose them more time. They would eventually catch and then leave it behind pretty fast anyways. "Some of Viscount's soldiers are marching ahead of the supply wagons down the North Greenforest road, but no one is near the bridge. The Desert Crows that were guarding both to allow us to cover more ground, had to move west on Eagleport Road and Eagle's Bridge, once Boss' attempt to immediately take Eagleport failed."

"What happened?" Masin read Wyncall's missive and Liko caught Nita Ola –the scribe and Johnny's slave- exchange flirty glances with Bert Ottis. He gave his friend a discreet nudge -via a swift kick beneath the map table, while the Commandant took a deep breath puffing his chest, downed a short glass of black whiskey in a go and then responded.

"Ai, damn. This will get the toxins out," the sweating Martell grunted with a loud smack of his cracked lips. "Right then, here it is. Desmond Boss entered the town but found marines waiting for him and was counter-attacked out of it. He retreated to the road and then the woods in order to regroup, but asked for help from the Crows. Now, while they were marching half their force towards him, they spotted Khanate riders roaming close to the bridge… yes, sergeant?" He paused seeing Wyncall had passed another missive to Masin.

"What riders?"

"Horse Archers. Timor, according to Sir Cramer. He made an attempt to cross the bridge, but decided against it as nobody knows what's on the other side. With the Crows preoccupied with Timor and helping Boss, someone needs to keep an eye on Reinut's Bridge until the Viscount arrives."

"Is this the Queen's order? Given the alternatives?" Masin asked.

"No, but that's the spirit of her general strategy."

"So, it's yours?" Masin queried.

"You got a problem with that?" Martell grunted. "We get to visit a resort and babysit a blasted bridge sergeant!"

"It was the captain's query sir," Masin protested.

"Wyncall, we don't have… yes?"

"I haven't finished reading the missive sir," Masin interrupted him and Johnny 'Hardwood' a Cofol with a Jelin name guffawed.

"Why not recall Robert? He'll never threaten the city from the east gates," Masin proceeded to read quickly the rest of the missive.

Martell grimaced, the sunken part of his face making it contort more than it was intended. "Sir Robert has a different task," he said hoarsely with a glare at the former slaver.

"On the Queen's orders," Johnny added sarcastically.

-

The Pirate Queen, or the Queen of Veer's Gulf, still reeling from the shock after the serious injury her husband had suffered at their wedding, expended the next few weeks trying to stabilize Gust's condition and settle the matter of succession in the Duchy of Scaldingport. Despite the obvious need to concentrate on her spouse, the political and strategic matters forced Elsanne to turn her attention outside Scaldingport.

Lord Anker, High Regent for baby Antoon, had won against the Khan and now stood poised to cross the river Chinos in order to attack the walls of Issir's Eagle. With no knowledge on his accurate strength and casualties suffered after the large-scale battle of Crimson Forest, Elsanne asked Duke Van Oord of Castalor to attack the capital first. The Duke requested a month's worth of reprieve initially, since he was dealing with his heir's –Sir Walter- serious injuries himself and the apparent loss of his daughter, which he was granted. Soon after though he messaged the Queen that while the Khan had departed the capital, general Pourem's reserve army had returned from Meertje –the port village of Smallake- to defend the city.

'Given that Lord Anker appears to have ordered a halt to regroup and several of his units are returning to Red Bridge, it would be prudent if we take the time to do the same your grace,' Duke Van Oord wrote that summer asking for a longer reprieve. Elsanne didn't want to wait though. Part of it was her fear that if the armies dispersed and the men returned home, it would be difficult to reorganize them again for a new campaign some months down the line with the winter looming. The other reason was that she probably didn't trust the intel coming out of Lord Anker's camp and worried that the Black Duke was about to take the capital in another great victory for her adversaries. If that happened, Elsanne's stature and claim in the eyes of the people would have greatly diminished, even after one tallied Anker's atrocities against fellow Issirs.

To curb the Duke's resistance Elsanne pressured Baron Sigurd Bach –in a difficult position after his family's treasonous conduct at the Queen's nuptials- to pledge his ruined barony under the Duchy of Castalor, giving the rest of the Baron's lands to De Braal. Given the Duke's state of mind and tardiness, the rich Castalor weapon's merchant, also general, Desmond Boss –of Boss & Strudel- was ordered to assume command of the army, regroup and march towards Jaw Castle. Sir Wim Cramer, a veteran Knight, was given command of the Desert Crows and was also ordered to assist Boss marching past 3Roads towards the river Uxrid.

Sir Cramer was followed by Robert Van Durren's Eplas Foot and the mercenary outfit operating out of Eikenport, the Gallant Dogs under Commandant Rollon Martell. The mercenaries and the Desert Crows moved fast, with the first reaching the two main bridges over Uxrid River, the mid bridge or Reinut's and the west bridge or Eagle's, and camped between them to keep an eye on both. The Gallant Dogs marched towards the shores of Granlake instead and the village with the same name, but upon arrival they realized the Khanate had retreated from the difficult to defend lake port.

Boss arrived at Jaw Castle two weeks before the end of the month –the eighth- relieved the heroic and emaciated commander Holsman and scout officer Verner (of the destroyed 2nd Foot) from their duties with the Queen's blessings, then moved fast towards Eagleport. Boss arrived at the large port serving the capital and marched inside, but found the port's buildings barricaded, the roads blocked by Mutobo's marines (redeployed from Colle) and retreated out of the town. Boss surrounded Eagleport, cut the road and setup his headquarters inside the nearby woods while contemplating the best course of action. He also wrote Sir Cramer asking for advice on the matter or even assistance (the record is murky) and the latter marched Gel De Moss' (the viscount's kin) Old Spears towards the port to help him take it as fast as possible.

While Sir Cramer repositioned his Desert Crows nearer Eagle's Bridge, scouts informed him that a large mounted force was approaching from the other side of the river. This was Timor probing the Issir positions with his Horse Archers. Sir Cramer pulled the majority of his men from the mid bridge and messaged Martell (he had already secured the unguarded Granlake) to move his mercenaries towards Reinut's Bridge as he was getting spread too-thin by circumstances. With Viscount De Moss' Scaldingport's force following after the massive and slow-moving supply train clogging the main road, and Robert's Eplas Foot repairing Deer's Bridge (the easternmost bridge over Uxrid River) following another set of orders, Martell's battered and in great difficulty to find new recruits mercenaries, were tasked with anchoring the army's center.

'Keep the bridge for a day. I've over two hundred horses raising hell beyond the river,' Cramer had written the still half-injured Martell and the mute Nathaniel Wyncall, a straightforward request seemingly, until one starts debating what securing anything really means.

-

12 hours later

30th (also the Lorian Bacchanalia)

Reinut's Bridge

The Gallant Dogs scout parties attack the Khanate patrols

Some of the mounted mercenaries had returned. The horses spent from racing across the heavy stone bridge and covered in drying mud alike their riders. Liko watched them bring their animals to the water barrels, the sun rising on the horizon, but the heavy night mist still dominating the river's shores.

And insects.

Crickets still buzzing loudly and swarms of mosquitos leaping out of the reeds. Liko licked his dry lips, the plate cutting into his skin at the collar and hearing the chariot's wheels approach, he stepped out of the way. Ladas stopped the horses with a loud yell near him and Martel climbed down with the help of his walking stick –and plenty of curses.

"It'll be dry land in two hours," the commandant told Liko.

"Ayup."

"The lads returned?"

"Severs is back. Bordon's saddle billet broke and went down. He can't walk," Liko informed the grimacing, still injured Martell. "They caught four sentries napping on the other side, and a late night patrol. Took no prisoners."

"Now this, I don't like. Never kill a man for no reason," Martell grunted.

"What's the best reason?"

"Eh, there's no such thing. But you can always do it for coin obviously."

Uhm.

"We sound like murdering cunts commandant."

"Yep, and it is why we have thick skin lad. In this job you're going to take a verbal pounding alongside the usual one. Anyways, and pounding aside, Demetrius shall handle it. Talk wit Severs."

"Demetrius ain't going anywhere near Severs, commandant," Liko argued and Martell let out a pained grunt, then went to rest his back on the chariot's wheel. They had removed the blades to make it faster and quieter.

It hadn't worked at all.

"We need to cross the bridge and then defend it against Pourem," Martell finally said after mulling the matter over in his head for a moment. "Cramer's meaning is clear. He fears the slant-eyed bastards are up to something. Could have told him that right away, given the shitty plan they came up with."

"Didn't you say this was a vacation? And the war meeting laid it down differently. Take the capital's port and then cross the bridges to isolate the capital completely," Liko argued. He wanted to see Issir's Eagle, but wasn't eager to fight Horselords after the last time. He carried a bad back and couldn't sit down proper. A brother that can't sit down is a tired fuck all the time, which is fucked, Bert preached with the wisdom and eloquence of a twenty year old grunt who had seen some shit.

"Eh, it's been easy for us up until now. Remember yer brothel lessons. First you apply oil and then deliver the pounding. Ayup. Boss is fixing to do the Duke's bidding, help his business also. So he grabs the coastal counties, in the realistic hope to convince the willing Queen to add them to their Duchy. Growth brings profits. They'll trade Eagleport for Jaw Castle in a sense. The rest of the bunch just go along with the Queen's wishes and her lovely grace, well… the girl is looking to find allies anyway she can. In a realm of cocks, the Queen has two guys she can trust really, but one of them is half-dead and the other a freaking eunuch. Ah. We operate on a different, more practical timeline."

"What about Robert?" Liko griped, still trying to process all the information. "He is on her side but went along with it too."

"Nothing he could have said given his situation. Her mind is made up. The Desert Crows are leaderless, and De Moss is bought by the Queen in a sense, a titled lackey the new Duke of Scaldingport probably don't like very much. I don't believe Pourem will give up the capital if he loses the port, this is Osahar's problem. We on the other hand, need to make sure the Queen wins in order to get paid first and then keep Garth happy. Yep, you heard Captain Jinx. Our employer needs the Scalding Sea's ports open."

Rad Severs, the mercenary scout had finished unloading the bags from his horse. He carried everything to the wagons. Not all of the company's supply train had arrived, but the back and forth had allowed most to reach them during the night with the rest not that far away.

"Any movement from the capital road?" Martell asked the Nord and the wiry man scowled, his fierce red beard reminding Liko of the late Crafton. Severs had plenty of weapons on him and carried different pieces of armour –of all ethnicities- which made him very noisy. He'd a different approach to scouting than the Issirs or the Lorians. A dead man can't raise the alarm, so ye don't have to be quiet all the time, Severs had told him once and this time, he answered the commandant with the same raspy, heavily-accented jargon of his.

"They sent many horses west," Severs rustled and dug a bloody severed hand out of a chainmail gauntlet with the help of a small knife. He tossed the butchered hand to the four dogs following the outfit starting a riot, and kept the gauntlet for himself. "But they'll have more coming."

"You get the Grunts over the bridge. Follow Sax about because he's easily spooked," Martell told Liko with a grimace. "Cover Wyncall's flank and I'll be marching after you with the Old Dogs and the engineers."

"It'll take a while to get them moving. White is crippled," Liko griped.

"I'll give him a ride," Martell deadpanned and stood up from the wheel. "There's room in the chariot."

-

An hour later

Liko paused to rest his legs, his eyes on the rows of spear infantry crossing the bridge. Bert came running towards him after he finished talking with Captain Wyncall and Masin. Well, Masin did all the 'reading', as the captain appeared angry.

"Wyncall is pissed," Bert said, confirming his suspicions. "Severs went to check on the junction, but Masin who went with him up the main road reported that there are signs of a lot of movement during the previous days."

"What signs?" Liko asked standing aside as a mercenary had whipped his cock out the moment they arrived and started pissing down with a groan. "Fuck's sake Paton!" He cursed him.

"Sarge, the river water is foul," Paton explained with a pained grimace while keeping the flow of yellow piss from spreading out too much towards the officers. "Need to get everything out."

"Anyone else wants to urinate, or worse," Liko barked angrily. "Run for them woods!"

"Horse turds, pools of piss," Bert replied to his previous query, narrowing his eyes when Paton released a powerful wet fart. "Dress the lines?" He offered and the disgusted Liko agreed eagerly. They walked fast at the other side of the busy road. Wyncall had deployed his infantry to the west of the bridge's mouth, but due to the raised dust, visibility was poor.

Not for the bugs, they were finding their targets easily.

"Damn it!" Liko cursed delivering a smack on his own nape that rattled his brains. "We might need a Dottore here, if more of those retards relieved their thirst with river water!"

Bert went to reply, but the Gold Contract's trumpeter blew his horn and stopped him. Bergamo had a set of powerful lungs.

Liko and Bert Ottis turned their eyes on the stirring mercenaries about twenty meters away from them and fifty from the mouth of the bridge. They both immediately spotted another dust cloud rising further to the west of Wyncall's formation.

It spread as it came their way against the wind.

"What's to the west?" Liko asked as sounds of alarm were sounded from the Grunts behind them and the mercenaries were ordered to find their weapons and shields.

"The other bridge," Bert replied and slotted the conned helm on his sweaty head.

Liko turned his head to observe the quiet main road heading towards the capital's walls, the west corner towers could be seen in the distance through the field glasses Severs had told them, standing on the heavy incline near the river banks.

"SHIELDS UP!" An officer barked. "FORM UP!"

"Liko," Bert yelled grabbing his shoulder. "We need to bring the men next to Wyncall. Cover his flank!" The young officer told the thoughtful Liko.

"ARROWS!" The Gold Contract sergeant warned.

"Bring them forward," Liko grunted, spotting the distant dust cloud growing from the direction of the capital. "Pourem is coming."

The Khanate general had a plan of his own.

"What? Oh shit," Bert Ottis cursed and then got smacked by an arrow on the left side of his helm. The arrow was deflected downwards and into the young man's face, the steel arrowhead exploding out of the other cheek, ripping at the skin and spraying gore on the flinching Liko's face.

It was an armour penetrating spike and not a barbed head, speaking of faces, which is why the ravaged and twirling about Bert still had one.

"Kergl," Bert gurgled ineligibly, grabbing at the bloody shaft with both hands and Liko bodied him behind the rows of raised shields, yelling at the gathering his breeches returning Paton to stand outside of formation.

"GET THEM FORWARD TEN PACES! FIND SAX!" Liko barked and shivered when Bert broke the arrow shaft to extract the arrow from his cheeks with a groan of pain. "FORM A PLAGUING LINE!"

"Argh… got da flark," Bert mumbled, spitting blood whilst speaking and leaking gore from both cheeks.

"Fucked?"

Bert nodded with a pained glare and Liko sighed, as it was a sign his friend -although maimed badly, was still lucid enough to jest about it. Then more stray arrows arrived, along the ululating cries of the arriving Horse Archers and while still far away, amidst the sounds of hooves, the whistling arrows and the clanging weapons, the rhythmic drumming of approaching boots marching in step.

"Ever fought Jang-Lu sarge?" Paton asked wiping his dirty hands on his pants ducked behind the corner shield when Liko returned to the front of their line.

"Not personally," Liko admitted and tightened the helm's straps on his chin. "But got a look at them in Rida with Captain Ottis."

"Yeah? How did it go?" Paton queried stooping to pick up his spear, before unhooking the shield from his back.

"Decent enough, I suppose," Liko grunted not wanting to talk about it.

"Didn't Ottis' brother lose in Rida?" The mercenary asked.

Uncle.

Liko pursed his mouth, saw the sun shine on the marching Khanate heavies armour, a bright white flash out of the dust cloud and then lied through his teeth with a grunt of disdain, just like Jinx would.

"Twas a close run thing."

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