The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Forty-Eight: Katelyn Ryd

Rengle's words stumbled in confusion, "This is your army."

"True," Katelyn shrugged, "But I'm not a knight. I didn't go to battle school or have Osby teach me how to swing a sword. I'm about as empty-headed about war as my little red flower here."

Rengle never thought he could see so much red on a girl as blood rushed to Katherine's cheeks at her mother's comments, "But I'm grateful you have such faith in me, but Osby is the one you want to talk to.'

"Osby?"

"Osbyrn. The big man who led you here. Why don't you two have your war talks while I serve up some wine," her sharp eyes turned to the young knight, whom she noticed was glancing towards her daughter, "Sir Jergan, have you ever had wine from the Bryn vineyards?"

His head snapped towards her, "No, Lady Ryd. I haven't."

"Well, you're in for a treat. Katherine, fetch Osby for us so he may join us with our guests."

"Yes, mother," she ran off into the camp to try to the master-at-arms.

"Odd place for a young lady to be," Rengle stated.

"You're one to talk, Lord Rengle. I heard you brought Markus Elenor's daughter with you to Talonwood, right in the path of the Morcars. That is a very odd place for a lady indeed," she beckoned that Rengle and Jergan follow her into the tent. Inside was a four-sided table, with a glass of wine atop it. In the corner was a cabinet, where the lady kept her clothes and two beds occupied the other corner. One for Katelyn, the other for her daughter.

"Lady Eliza is a fine warrior, and I didn't have much of a choice."

"Can't deny a lady her bloodshed, I suppose."

"She's friends with my son. In fact, he dragged along several of his compatriots from the School of Chivalry."

"Is that so, young Jergan?"

"Yes, my Lady."

"Ha. Talk about a young knight's dream; killing enemies with his school chaps."

Rengle looked to his son, and saw the pain in his eyes, "I lost one of my friends. Three days ago."

Katelyn was in the middle of pouring a cup of wine when she heard the young knight, "Oh, my," she put the cup and the bottle down. She approached Jergan and took his hand in hers, "What was his name?"

"Bart. Well, Bartheyis of the House Brunowil. We just called him Bart."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Come, Sirs. We'll drink to him," she let go of his hand and quickly filled up three cups, "Please, have a seat," she handed both of them a cup. As she did, her daughter returned with Osbyrn behind her. This was the first time Rengle and Jergan saw him without his helmet. He had a massive beard that reached below his breast, and his eyes were dark brown like the woods around the camp. His face was the picture of a Westland man.

"Ah, come my friends we're about to drink to memory of a brave young man," she poured two more cups and the two took their seats. Each of the adults got their own side of the four-sided table, but the young ones needed to share.

"To whom, Lady Katelyn?" Osbyrn asked.

"To Sir Bartheyis Brunowil. Died fighting alongside Rengle and Jergan at Talonwood. Brought many Morcars with him I'll bet," she raised her cup high, "Sir Bartheyis."

"Sir Bartheyis," Rengle, Osbyrn and Katheryne all said.

"Bart," Jergan said quietly before taking a sip.

"Now, my Lords, I'm sure you have much to talk about so get on with it," she said. Katheryne, when you're done with that why don't you play us a pretty song?"

"Yes, mother."

While Katheryne serenaded her mother's guests with her flute, Rengle and Osbyrn devised an ideal strategy for halting Olsen's advance. There was a winding part of the road that the traitor would enter late in the morning. It cut between two steep ridges and would be surrounded on all sides by cliff. No way around the pass unless Olsen was willing to waste days.

"We have hundreds of Userian archers. If we can trap them in that pass we can rain hell on them."

"But do we have enough men to hold them?" Osbyrn asked, "You brought over about two hundred of your own and six hundred of those sellswords. If we deploy archers there, we will have to spare men to guard them."

"But if we don't, what's to stop the enemy from putting their archers up there and raining death on us?"

"I've known Olsen since he was a boy," Osbyrn said, "He's impatient, brash, and has no place leading an army. He won't think to do so. He'll charge right as us and we'll cut him down,"

"But there are others who might think of it. If he is as dim-witted as you say he is, he could never have usurped his father the way he has. He must have help. Does he have any friends who would ally with him?"

"None except Felix Carry, the only boy I've met more idiotic than Olsen."

"Then there is no doubt another hand at play here. We're placing men on those hills. Even if he does throw everything into the gorge, it will be all the better for us. The archers will cut them to pieces like lambs to the slaughter."

"Lord Rengle, he has two thousand men. Maybe more. We'd have to hold them there with a third of his numbers. The archers don't need to be up there. They can just fire over the heads of our lines."

"But this road goes through two curves," Rengle traced his finger along the road, "If we put them behind our infantry, the only part that will be in range is this last stretch. Not even thirty yards. If we place on the ridges, they can fire everywhere, and kill Olsen's men as they clog up the gorge. Our goal isn't just to stop them, we have to rout them. As long as Olsen can deploy men, Talonwood is in danger. If we wipe out his army here, he can't summon anymore without putting Rydstone Keep itself vulnerable to Prince Tauron at Rainguard. What I also want is Olsen. Alive. I want him alive so we can find out who he's working with and why."

"If you do get your hands on Olsen, bring him to me so I can slap him upside his pig head," Katelyn added.

"Couldn't he send a second army as long as he holds Clayton Blackwell?" Jergan asked.

"He's also got Lord Clayton's entire army to look after, and Lord Olver's as well. He'll need men to keep around or else risk the chance of revolt."

"So we wipe out Olsen's army. then what?"

"I return to Talonwood and leave Rydstone to the Prince. If we capture Olsen, we could negotiate a surrender of the Keep. I want to get his battle over with quickly tomorrow so we can get back."