John Carr - Siege of Tarr-Hostigos

"It's good to see you again, Verkan. I see you made it back just before winter. Did you bring Dalla with you again? I'm asking now because if I forget, Rylla will have a courier riding over to your townhouse for an

answer!"

"Yes, Dalla insisted I bring her along on this trip. We plan to stay a moon-half, maybe more."

"Excellent, the first good news I've gotten in some time." Turning serious, Kalvan paused to light his pipe. "Were you able to bring in any field guns?"

"Yes, I had them sent by barge to Ulthor from Greffa-six eight-pounders."

Kalvan's eyes lit up and he all but clapped his hands. "We can use those guns, Verkan. With Captain-General Phidestros stockpiling arms at Tarr-Veblos, our strategy has changed and I, for one, am not happy about it."

"Yes, taking the war to your opponents has always been the best strategy."

"Exactly, what I'd planned to do before Phidestros circumvented Phrames and took Tarr-Veblos. At last report, he's garrisoned it with about two thousand troops, with reinforcements nearby. We're still going to go on the offensive, but we will have to marshal our forces more carefully, or face defeat in detail. We'd be much better off if we still held Tarr-Veblos-"

From the grim look on his friend's face, Verkan knew that Kalvan was thinking of Rylla's unanticipated attack on Phaxos that allowed Captain-General Phidestros to establish a beachhead in Hostigi territory last year by capturing the Beshtan castle, Tarr-Veblos.

Kalvan shook his head, and continued, "I'd much prefer to confine this fight to Hos-Harphax, but that's not in the cards. Maybe we can end it on the field of battle this campaign season, for once and for all. But enough of this talk, tell me about your visit to the Sastragath. Were you able to meet Ranjar Sargos?"

"Yes, I did, and once Sargos found out I was a friend of Great King Kalvan-there was no end to his hospitality."

Kalvan smiled. "That's Sargos, all right. He's a great friend to his allies, and a holy terror to his foes. It was his idea to burn the Knights out of the Drynos Mines-the idea came to him in a vision. I could use him and his horde right now-turn them loose in Hos-Ktemnos."

Verkan nodded. "Sargos told me lots of stories about your time together."

"We did have a lot of time to talk and, truth be told, he was a much better conversationalist than King Nestros, who quickly proved to be a bore."

Verkan chuckled. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Nestros, but I'll accept your judgment. Anyway, Sargos has mulled over your words and come up with some interesting reforms. To solve the problem of all the war orphans, widows and clanless men from the War of the Three Kings, Sargos has offered to make all those of Urgothi extraction clan members of the Tymannes. He told me he'd liked your 'melting pot' idea, but that the Clan Elders rejected the idea completely. Many of the Tymannes still hate their Ruthani allies-and former enemies.

"Not surprisingly, there were thousands of Urgothi warriors whose clans and tribes were decimated during the Time of Troubles and most of them have flocked to his standard. Being a tribeless man in the Sastragath is a terrible fate, usually ending in indentured servitude, or outlawry. To be able to join the Warlord's Clan is not only a great honor, but also a refuge with possibilities of many battles and all the loot and honor that go along with them. Sargos has added so many clansmen to the Tymannes that they are now the largest clan in the unclaimed territories. Wannax Sargos is personally able to field about fifteen thousand warriors, with almost ten times that number of women and children!"

Kalvan paused to knock the heel out of his pipe. "I learned a lot of this from his Warchief Vanar Halgoth, who arrived shortly after you returned to Greffa and brought me up to date. The last time I saw Sargos, all the warriors of the Tymannes didn't number more than a Royal regiment. I do remember warning him about establishing a cult of leadership without sufficient loyal troops."

"Yes, and you also told him about the twenty acres, a mule and 10 golden Crowns. Now Sargos is settling his new clansmen along the Hos-Ktemnos border. That'll give King Cleitharses a few sleepless nights. He told me that your words convinced him that it was time to civilize the Sastragath before the Knights or Hos-Ktemnos did it under Styphon's House's direction."

"I wish I'd sworn Sargos to take his horde into Hos-Ktemnos. I doubt that a Sastragathi invasion would take Grand Master Soton out of next spring's campaign, but Great King Cleitharses of Hos-Ktemnos would think twice before sending any troops north with Sargos and his army knocking on the back door!"

Verkan laughed, but the smile quickly vanished. "No one expected Styphon's House to rear up off its hindquarters as if bitten on the end-parts by a wolf! Besides, Sargos might have had to turn you down, which would have meant a blood-debt had gone unpaid-and that might have brought about a real breach between the two of you."

Kalvan finished refilling his pipe with fresh tobacco and nodded. "You're right. Maybe we can get some help from Great King Nestros. I'll have to send an envoy-Prince Ptosphes, maybe Harmakros too, since they hit it off. Anyone with less status than First Prince Ptosphes, Nestros would be sure to see as an insult, damn his thick skull! I don't have enough good officers to send them haring off on wild-goose chases in Hos-Rathon!"

"From what Tortha told me of your Trygathi campaign, Nestros certainly owes you anything you might ask for. As for Sargos, I'm sure he would be more than glad to 'help' out. But he told me that he has already promised his Ruthani allies that he would take a large force into the Sea of Grass to fight against the invaders from the South. Sargos told me that if he can take the war across the Great River that will help settle things in the Sastragath so he will be able to concentrate his future energies on building his new realm. Also, it's been a long time since any Sastragathi Warlord has taken his army into the Sea of Grass and I think that appeals to his vanity. With the firearms he scrounged during the war and the ones you sent him, he'll certainly have more firepower than any Sastragathi army before him."

Kalvan took a long pull on his pipe. "Sargos doesn't strike me as a man who fights for vainglory; I think he's still establishing his leadership position among the clans and villages of the Sastragath. By taking his warriors across the Great River he's reversing the usual invasion route and proving his capability as Warlord and Var-Wannax. If he's already making the changes you've mentioned, he's going to need all the credibility he can get. Still, we could use his help."

Verkan nodded his agreement. "Now that the Fireseed Mystery is blown, time is running out for Styphon's House. They must realize they need to win this war while they're still controlling the Southern Kingdoms.

All you have to do is hold out for two or three more winters, and Styphon's House -will collapse from the inside of dry rot."

"It can't happen too soon," Kalvan replied, shaking his head.

Archpriest Anaxthenes knew he should be packing for his departure to Balph, but his mind was too crowded with plots and machinations. Great King Lysandros had been obviously pleased that such a high-ranking Archpriest, the Speaker of the Inner Circle, had arrived in Harphax City to officiate at the enthronement. Anaxthenes had met with Archpriest Grythos, Grand Master Soton's candidate for the Inner Circle, and had found him to be a strong potential ally. Soton and he had discussed many issues and found themselves in agreement on most of them. They had even discussed ways to decrease Investigator Roxthar's influence over the Temple Guardsmen. For the first time since Kalvan had begun his conquest of Hos-Harphax, Anaxthenes believed his own star was again on the ascent.