John Ringo - There Will Be Dragons

“They’ve got some smith from before the Fall. And they’ve got some heavy-duty power on their side. Among other things, most of their force are Changed. Really nasty Changed, too. Short, dark, broad, powerful and just as stupid as the day you were born. Light armor, though, mostly leather and not boiled at that. But there’s a core of human fighters that are really heavily armed and armored. And their leader is some idiot named Dionys who thinks he’s Satan’s gift to evil.”

“Do you know their plans?” Edmund asked.

“Everybody in the camp knows them,” the rabbit said. “Stupid, like I said. They’re planning on coming up the west bank of the east valley then fording the river somewhere south of the town. Then they’ll approach along the east bank. Dionys has promised them that this is the richest town in the entire valley; they’re planning on looting it and burning it when they’re done, like Resan.” The rabbit shrugged, difficult for a being that seemed to have no shoulders. “It’s as good a plan as they can muster; anything more complex would have them so totally confused they’d end up attacking themselves.”

“How truly good,” Edmund said, musingly. “How truly wonderful.”

“Yes,” Gunny said in the same tone. “Let them come?”

“No, fire arrows,” Edmund said. “Maneuver warfare.”

“High disparity of force,” Gunny pointed out.

“Reconnaissance, ground,” Edmund replied.

“Hai, that would be me,” Bast said with a smile. “A long time since we’ve fought together, my lord.”

“With that size force they’ll have a serious logistics problem,” Edmund said.

“What are you talking about?” Daneh interjected. “For the militarily illiterate present?”

“They’re talking about suicide if you want my opinion,” the bunny said. “They’re talking about taking their ‘army’ out and fighting them in the field.”

“We can do without your comments, evil one,” Bast growled.

“I answered the questions,” the rabbit replied. “And my password rotates when used!”

“I can guess some of the others,” Bast said silkily. “And I bet anything that you have an override, don’t you.”

“Curse you, Wood Bitch,” the bunny snarled. “Stay away from me or you’ll end up as a harem girl.”

“Well, Mister Bunny,” Edmund said. “I think that you’ve fulfilled the bargain.”

“What about the Deal?” the rabbit asked. “The girl’s a looker.”

Edmund smiled tightly and stared at the rabbit until it, with apparent unconcern, nibbled at its back again. “I’ve been stared at by worse,” the rabbit muttered.

“What do we get out of the Deal?” Edmund asked.

“Chaos!” Bast said. “Make no deals with the Devil, Edmund Talbot.”

“I won’t betray you to them,” the rabbit replied, ignoring Bast. “I’ll settle for just the alfalfa as long as it includes margaritas.”

“We don’t have any tequila.”

“Damn I hate this fallen world. Okay, alfalfa and whatever you make in the way of hooch.”

“I make a decent bourbon and there’s some brandy,” Edmund admitted. “How much?”

“Three shots a day and bottle of high test at New Year’s eve. I’ll find my own girls. And alfalfa. As much as I want.”

“Alfalfa we have in quantity,” Edmund said. “Deal. Shake on it.”

“By my true name which no one may know,” the rabbit said, sticking out a paw with a glance at the elf. “Right?”

“Fine by me,” Bast replied with a shake of her head. “But I think you know not what you do, Edmund.”

“I’m not going to trust him,” Edmund said, shaking the small paw. “But now that I’m a baron, we need a court jester.”

“Oh, very funny,” the rabbit said, hopping off the table. “I’m going to go drink my ration. The rest of you can just blow me.” With that he hopped out of the room, humming.

“Okay, what just happened?” Rachel asked.

“Your father made a most unsavory deal,” Bast replied, shaking her head.

“I’ve heard of that rabbit,” Edmund said with a grin. “Shall we say he is a small but doughty fighter.”

“Aye, for both sides!”

“He won’t fight for the side he is attached to unless he is tricked,” Edmund said. “I’ll just have to be tricky.”

“When do we leave?” Herzer asked.

“And what is this about leaving?” Daneh added.

“We can’t fight an army of that size at the walls,” Edmund said, “even with every man and woman who can carry a blade. They’ll just spread out and swarm the walls. So we’re going to go out and fight them. We’ll have to use some trickery, but it’s better than just trying positional defense. If we had a real castle, maybe. I’ll see if Sheida has any help to provide and send a rider to Angus as well. But I doubt the dwarves can arrive in time. So we’ll go out and maneuver on them.”

“That is why we have been training so much,” Gunny added. “With the walls defended and us on their heels, they won’t be able to attack the town.”

“You’ll be… badly outnumbered,” Rachel said. “Worse than in the town.”

“We’ll try very hard not to let them surround us,” Edmund chuckled. “Gunny, boots and saddles at one hour before dawn. Tomorrow, we march.”

“Herzer,” Edmund called to him as they were leaving. The baron walked up and put his hand on his shoulder. “Come up to the house. You haven’t had any dinner, I think.”

“I have to see to my armor, sir,” Herzer protested, looking sideways at Daneh and Rachel. “And… I don’t think I’d be welcome.”

“You’re quite welcome, son,” Edmund said with a smile. “I’ll admit I was a bit… put off about the news. But if anyone had any doubts about your courage, today has settled that well enough. Damn, twelve of them! I want a better report than that bald statement you made in the council chamber! And there’s plenty of armor polish at the house.”

“And you, too, Bast,” Daneh said, linking arms with the wood elf. “From what Herzer said, I was afraid we’d never see you again in this lifetime.”

“Well, when I heard tell of the army of McCanoc marching to the town, I knew I couldn’t let Edmund and Herzer have all the fun,” the elf replied with a smile and grabbed Rachel’s arm to link into hers. “I could do with some supper. And I can’t think of a better group than this!”

So the five of them proceeded up to Edmund’s house. They moved slowly in deference to Daneh who was not as mobile as she had been. The night was busy with people and Herzer was glad to see that many of them were armed. He knew that the triari and the archers would do all that they could to stop the dark tide rolling towards the town but in the end it might just come down to these half-trained militia. And even if they were not proof against the Blood Lords, so many, and so armed, might be capable of holding the walls against whatever was left.

As they walked through the town, Edmund stopped from time to time to talk to one person or another. The rumor that the defenders were going to be marching out had spread in the town and there was a great deal of uncertainty, but wherever Edmund passed the uncertainty seemed to disappear. His simple answer that it was better to face them away from the town and fields was accepted, sometimes with reservation but always with at least reluctant agreement. And any time the subject of the difference in size of force was brought up, Edmund simply pointed to Herzer and his still blood-splattered armor and laughed. “If one Blood Lord can kill twelve of them, then what will the whole force do to them?” At each such explanation the people nodded at Herzer, many of them with wide eyes, and by the time they were halfway through the town there was a following of young boys who marched along in the most military manner they could manage.