John Carr - Siege of Tarr-Hostigos

"An excellent case, Phidestros," Soton replied. "You have taken time to study the man as well as the army. Kalvan, if the truth be spoken, is an honorable man."

There was an audible gasp of breath at this heretical notion, but no one there was about to upbraid Grand Master Soton in his own headquarters. Phidestros was most glad that Roxthar was not present to overhear these words.

"Despite all words to the contrary, a study of Kalvan's actions since he has been in Hostigos will bear this out. Because he does care so much-possibly too much-for his subjects and their welfare, he cannot stand by and watch them suffer or be destroyed. This is his greatest vulnerability, one that our Grand Captain-General is attempting to use against him. You young Generals and Grand-Captains, pay attention here; this is how wars are won!"

Phidestros nodded to Soton, somewhat taken aback by his uncharacteristic praise.

"Remember, this war against Kalvan is a new kind of war. A war not only against Kalvan, but Hos-Hostigos as well. We must not rest easy because a battle or a siege is won. This war is not over until Kalvan and every member of his court is defeated and destroyed."

"Praise Styphon!" a grand-captain shouted. His voice was echoed by the assembled generals.

As the meeting broke up a high-ranking officer in Blethan colors came into the room to confer with Captain-General Lykron, commander of the Hos-Bletha contingent. A few moments later Lykron motioned Phidestros over.

"Is there trouble, Captain-General Lykron?"

"Worse than you know, Grand Captain-General." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "There has been a revolt in Hos-Bletha. Bletha City is under siege. Great King Niclophon wants me to return to Hos-Bletha at once!"

Phidestros first reaction was to cry 'impossible,' but he stilled his voice, and took out his tobacco pouch to cover sudden silence.

There were less than twelve thousand regular Hos-Blethan troops under Lykron's command and, to tell the truth, they were over-armored and under-armed. They were certainly no match for Kalvan's regulars. In addition Lykron commanded three or four Sastragathi and Ruthani light cavalry companies that might be put to good use, especially if taken away from Blethan command and put under an officer who knew how to get some real use out of cavalry.

"Captain-General Lykron, you know I have the authority to order you and your troops to remain with the Grand Host?"

"Yes, but-"

"No, I do not intend to force you to make such a choice. You have my permission to remove yourself and most of your men and return to Hos-Bletha."

Relief was openly visible on the Captain-General's face.

"I just have one request. I have need for some of your men."

The Captain-General's expression was that of a farmer about to make a deal with a shifty horse-trader.

"You are free to leave with all your regular troops, but I would like your light cavalry to stay with the Grand Host. I have something special in mind for them."

"You have my blessing, Captain-General Phidestros," Lykron said, looking visibly relieved. "I have many more back in Bletha. They are yours. Styphon be praised! I have many preparations to make. May I leave now?"

"Of course, Lykron. You are dismissed."

Soton had drifted over to pick up the last part of the conversation. "Trouble in Hos-Bletha?"

"Yes, although this is one disaster that can't be laid at Kalvan's table. King Niclophon has long ruled with a heavy mace. Now it appears that even his long-suffering Blethans have grown weary of it."

"I, too, owe him little good will. His harsh hand has long made the job of guarding the marches more difficult. But little good is to be gained by the loss of his troops from our Host."

"Maybe, maybe not. Do you have someone you trust who can speak the Blethan Sastragathi and Ruthani tongues?"

"Yes. Heron, my oath-brother."

"Could I borrow him to command a little expedition?"

"Of course, but what do you plan?"

"Kalvan has some Sastragathi allies, does he not?"

"Yes."

"What if a large party of them were to be seen looting his pay wagons during the battle… What then?"

Soton's open hand smacked Phidestros' shoulder like a mace. "You never cease to surprise me! At the right moment, such a move could prove disastrous for Kalvan. I will tell Heron your plans. He was born in the Magaouisse Swamps. He winters in Hos-Bletha and speaks the local dialects. I will put him in command of the Blethan Ruthani light cavalry. Heron has learned much by my side, and has taken several wounds meant for this old hide; he is the man for this job."

At the top of the ridge, Verkan and his Mounted Rifles were lying in. ambush for an advance arm of the Grand Host. According to Kalvan's scouts, there was a large detachment of cavalry and infantry, fifteen to twenty thousand troops, which was attempting to threaten the Army of Hos-Hostigos from the northeast. Kalvan had sent Verkan and the Mounted Rifles to the northeast, and two other brigades of Hostigi cavalry to the east. Whichever detachment ran into the enemy was to send messengers to bring the others on the run.

Verkan, as he checked the priming pan of his new eight-bore Hostigos rifle, scanned the opposite ridge for the first sign of the enemy. According to Mounted Rifle scouts, a combined Harphaxi and Ktemnoi cavalry force was within three and a half marches, as the Hostigi called it. He wished he could consult Kirv, but local spy-eyes were out of the question due to the clear weather, which was ideal for contrails. This was no time for transtemporal contamination, not with so many Hostigi close by. Verkan was under no illusions about outtimer inferiority; the men of the Royal Hostigos Mounted Rifles were just as savvy and intelligent as any squad of Paratime Police. The Zarthani might be less educated and technologically backward, but never inferior.

As much as he enjoyed a good fight, this time Verkan had hoped that it wouldn't be the Mounted Rifles who would make first contact. Verkan had placed his command at a critical juncture, the last mountain pass before the Kythros Valley, the one Kalvan-when he was in his cups-called the Nittany Valley. If the Styphoni took this pass they could overrun the Foundry, with the First Level Study Team, and cut Kalvan off from Hostigos Town. Both would result in a disaster, one a political bomb for Verkan back on Home Time Line, the other a major setback for Kalvan's beleaguered army.

Verkan had been a student of military history since his first posting as a Paratime Police cadet over a hundred years ago when the War Between the States was raging on time-lines throughout Europo-American, Hispano Columbian Subsector. For a few decades he'd read everything he could find on warfare, until he met Dalla-then his life took a much more interesting and less predictable turn. Still, he was very aware of the challenge posed to Kalvan by this Grand Host, the largest army ever raised on Aryan-Transpacific, Styphon's House Subsector.

The Hostigi were in an ordered retreat after rushing into eastern Beshta only to find the Grand Host deep inside Hos-Hostigos, less than twenty miles from the border of Sashta. Instead of fighting a pitched battle against an overwhelming force, Kalvan had chosen to fall back. Verkan was well aware of just how much that had rankled Kalvan and the Hostigi regulars who were used to setting the pace and forcing opposing armies to dance to their tune.

The Grand Host was even larger than the first estimates compiled by Hostigi intelligence; anywhere from one hundred thousand to one hundred and twenty-five thousand men were the numbers that had been bandied around at Kalvan's War Council. Overhead surveillance and some groundwork by the Harphax City Study Team had given him an estimated figure of one hundred and forty thousand combatants. The army of sutlers and camp followers following the Grand Host was estimated to be twice that number!