The mud squishing under his horses hooves, he rode toward the village. Some of the buildings had damage from Rimelander’s raid, but the village still stood, mostly intact. Murmuring a quick prayer of thanks to Melandiel and Mithriel that he and Solace had gotten here in time, he continued on.
We do not even know the name of this place yet, but I feel responsible already. The knight commanders in Fenristadt had done their work well. Shaking off this thought he touched his heels to his horse. There should be a hetmann, assuming they survived the raid, and if not there should be someone who was able to tell him about this village and the region around it. Tonight they would celebrate and embrace life, but for now the details that crowded in on a commander at the end of a battle were piling up.
Morvald had not been much of a Warlord, none of the Ironbloods they had found since arriving from Vissvind had been worth their Brands. Upon reflection, Ivar had fought a good fight against Manfred, even if his followers had attacked as soon as he had fallen. The Inquisitor had taken their survivors for questioning, but he doubted they would know much really.
Ingvar wondered idly how Sven’s pursuit of Havdan had gone. Elf-Blood had been crushing the Ironblood army when Ingvar had begun moving to the southwest. But the Ironboods had been in the region longer, so most likely they knew the terrain better. Some of them may have been able to slip away. The unconfirmed reports of Coldhands warbands in the region also were a concern. They were not as good in a stand up fight as the Ironbloods, but were much more cunning. Regardless, the first battles of this war had gone in their favor. Now we just have to maintain that momentum. He had been pleasantly surprised that the Brands they wore had already drawn men to Sven and himself. The only thing faster than birds wings are men’s tongues. More would undoubtedly hear of their exploits in battle and would come to swear. My oath ring will become polished with the oaths of Karls.
The levies he had gotten from the Markgrafin stared back at him as he rode by. Their eyes a little less bright, but their backs more straight. No longer the green troops of two days ago, but not seasoned veterans they would be something to build on. He continued toward the heart of the village where his Karls had set up. They were the core of this new legion and with each victory more would come. It is the start of a long and bloody war for us, regardless.
He spied Ketil, the leader of his Karls, standing outside of the small hall that served as the hetmann’s home talking with an older man. Once again setting heals to his horse, Ingvar rode ever forward.
Autumnal Correspondence
Januarius 604
Father,
Thank you for the suggestion about which family to place Arnhelm with. I will begin the conversation by raven. Do you think they would send a representative to Stragosa? I would like to meet personally with them, but my duties here preclude my leaving.
Along those lines, I have spent another half season at War with the Heretic beasts. I have taken their fortress and reclaimed my banner from Aleric. It is bloodied and tattered but I will keep it as such to remember those who I failed. By the time this reaches you I will have had the Inquisitors burn their Heretical stronghold to the ground. The taint of that foul place will be cleansed by the Light of God. This continues to be a long and frightful campaign.
I knew coming to this place was going to put us in dangerous positions and was prepared for it. I was not prepared for how difficult it is to get even the most basic things done. I had never thought about how much the common folk around Sonnenberg were invested in the community’s well being. Even with Sanguine’s attempts at building consensus there is much resistance to community based growth. This is a place of overwhelming belief in individuality.
I will be sending a letter to Mother as well, so tell her to expect a raven. I know that I could send messages here, but we both know she enjoys her own network of correspondence. I will enclose a letter to her from Arnhelm as well so she may judge his writing and educational progress, she will have insights of her own to help me guide him. You may also tell her that her teaching has borne unusual fruit here in Stragosa, a wandering spirit entered the Tavern last Forum seeking to battle wits. I was able to come up with some rhymes to move it on its way, so some of what I was taught of poetry did actually have some use.
I appreciate your most recent letter and look forward to hearing from you again. It is always good to hear about home, sometimes I dearly miss it and look forward to a time that I may return.
Reinhart
A Letter Home
Decembris 604
Father,
I thank you for sending Der Rachenritter. It is my hope that I can end this crusade as soon as possible. With the Imperial forces under Imperator Corvinus and the other commanders, including Graf Trakt we should be able to remove the Kuarlite threat to the Valley. I should like to remove the stain of vile heresy from this part of Gotha.
I have agreed to become the Marshal of Stragosa since Sebastian has travelled back to Woefeldt. It allows me to direct the campaign more fully against the heretical forces that have coalesced in this forsaken Valley. We have had several setbacks, these creatures are extremely hard to kill while being lethal combatants. I have however taken battle to them as well with several victories of my own.
During these last seasons fighting, between my duties within the City, I have kept up with my studies. I think often on your adage: “Tree which is not growing is dying.” I have been reading in my few moments alone to keep the darkness from overtaking me, so many lives lost like embers of a campfire doused before moving camps. I cannot help but think about all of the men that I have lost in this valley.
This place may be an untapped resource for the Empire but it is requiring a very steep price in terms of blood from our family. I am beginning to think that this place may not be worth the cost of lives. But I will discharge the duties of the position to which I have been appointed. I also fully intend on destroying every heretic force in this valley as payment for my men’s lives.
On a happier note, your Grandson “requires” that I inform you that he has grown more skilled with a blade and has been studying his books “diligently” in order to show you that he is ready to become a page. It is my hope that within the next year to foster him with another family to help educate him further prior to him returning to become a squire in Sonnenberg. I know that my time in Lystadt as a youth was important to where I sit now. If you have any recommendations to that regard I should like to hear them from you.
I look forward to hearing from you about the happenings back home. Give my regards to mother. Until next we correspond.
Reinhart
