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Lord Camlash
This column start off with twenty five thousand men and now I have only half of them here, and we have yet to fight a major battle except for the one at the river. Now I am wondering if this war is cursed from the start. But I have to finished off these Outsiders. I am now camping on a flat land of green looking at the nearby forest which they said is haunted. If its so, I hoped it the ghost of the Outsiders as I am tempted to kill those too. I have send out the scouts to seek out the position of Prime Leader Raihan and his status.
I looked back at the forest, and then at the helmet in my hand. It was found by some men of mine when they went hunting for food in the forest edge. It belong to the Column lost sometime back. Could it be they made it so far and was vanquished, or they retreated through here. My own men are shaken up by the river incident and I need them to be motivated again, so I let them rest. I have to as the wagon is not exactly comfortable to travel on; my haunches has got sores where I cannot reach at all.
Prime Leader Raihan
I dislike this war now, more so when it comes to walking into dark forest. The men told me they found some bones on the trail and believe that this place is haunted. I came with twenty five thousand men, and now I am left with half of them. We been fighting ghosts and disasters instead of Outsiders. My scouts send out does not return nor do I know Lord Camlash position. My men needed some rest and I offered them that until I figured out Lord Camlash position or some signs from the Gods.
Braven
Both armies at the forest edge and yet do not see the other. Now my men are here too with those of Damai. We just need is some time to set things up and soon we will fight and end this war. But as men of the enemies can rest, we have to work. And we did it so that we can then rest. Now I leave it to the ghosts to do their work. And ever hear of one who says the ghosts sometimes can be picky on who they choose as victim.
Damai
I wondered whether I will be as lucky so far to be alive. Some time last summer, I was in the city with my kids and laughing at some clowns. Today, I am in the forest laughing at the clown who hunts us. I salute you Braven, as your wide experiences taught us many things we never thought of. Its partly your traveling during the days as ambassador that allowed you to see the new strategies we put here.
But are you also planning on taking my wife back. If you are, I will fight you and kill you. Claudia has been my hope for years now, and you cannot take her away. Unless I am dead here. I told her before I left for this war, to marry you if she wants but only on the confirmation of my death.
Lord Camlash
My scout returned from their journey, the Praetorian army is over yonder in the other side of the forest. But he did not make contact with the Prime Leader as he was chased by some Outsiders. He rode back to tell me. I asked how does the strength of the Praetorian Army; he said huge about like us. My mistake was not to asked more details, as his ‘huge’ is based on my current size.
I instructed my men to break camp at dawn and marched into the forest; we will meet the Praetorian to merged force.
Prime Leader Raihan
I received a scout from Lord Camlash army; they are at the other edge and pursuing the Outsiders inside the forest. He told me that the Lord request for me to joined him and merged the forces. I asked why is this so, and his reply from the scout was they suffered some loss of strength from the attacks. I send the scout off with the message that we will see him in the forest at dawn tomorrow.
I got a column of two thousand marchmen and five hundred lancers to march double speed to assist the Lord. The rest of us will follow suit once we break camp and march on. The instruction to the relief column was not to be hampered by any ambush, just march on until you reach the Lord. Be careful of the Outsiders deceits. One officer asked if they are dressed by our army, should we retaliate.
My answer was yes. The Praetorian bows to no man, except their own officers.
Braven
At dawn, my men was inside the forest on the same trail as the previous incident; waiting and keeping our weapons ready. The column came is as scheduled; the lancers in the front and followed by the archers and then the marchmen. From the scouts report, the Lord traveled somewhere behind the lancers and he looked tired. This time the Misty Trail which they marched on was hard and solid from the dry weather, but the bushes are still as thick. The mist stayed on as this was named after it, but visibility has increased to a longer distance. I had the army harassed by sounds of animal calls and they are their edge in terms of their nerves. I has some of the men threw headless small animals into their part to mock their bravery. every time they send an advance guard to see the trail ahead, I had the ambushed and left for dead, but their armors and weapons are taken.
When I was sure of my harassment has raised their fear level, I took my action to fight them in open battle. I raised my arm and signaled the released of the fire bushes, to be rolled down on to the column. This was as seen before in the previous encounter; the marchmen tried to organized into formation of squares while the lancers rode on. I signaled the released of the arrows by the archers and blankets of arrows rained on the enemies. The lancers on seeing the arrows galloped off to hunt for the archers. As it was dark in the forest, no party can really make out the other from a distance for the mist included, not so when the forest are is still filled with flying arrows from all directions.
Further to the right of the lancers’ trail, was the Praetorian marching in and they were attacked by my men too dressed in the army amour and weapons. The brief skirmish was then broken off and the disguised men ran off in the direction of which the lancers will come by. As the forest is full of undergrowth and trees, some actually threw away their armors and choose to hide or climbed up some trees with pre-planned ropes ready. The agitated Praetorian who was charging ahead in the dark misty forest was looking to exact some vengeance on the army for their foolish acts.
Meanwhile more archers wearing the uniform of the Camlash army thus confusing the Praetorian’s, was also shooting at them with arrows from the safe distance of the hill slopes. These archers when seeing the oncoming lancers, they also slipped off into the dark forest. Unknown to the lancers, my archers was getting them into position to attack the Lord’s army from a vantage point. The leader of the lancer on seeing the Army marchmen, assumed that they are the Outsiders as they were charging towards the trail of the column of Praetorian; took action on his own accord. But my bowmen and disguised marchmen were whisked off to the top of the trees and a series of planned routes allowed them to escape the area. The marchmen of Camlash on seeing the attacking Lancers, immediately formed their squares and clash with the lancers.
When the Praetorian marchmen on arriving and seeing the attack of their lancers, they also assumed it was the Outsiders and attacked it. These was seen by the oncoming followup of the marchmen of Camlash who was following behind also crashed the party for a fight too. Soon both armies are in the midst of fighting themselves while the Outsiders withdrew to the sides.
It seems the ghost picked the right people to die this time. They left out mine, although some did get caught in the fight or joined in for the fun. But we lost not more than a hundred men that day.
Lord Camlash
‘Prime Leader Raihan, your men are fools. I will report to the Grand Lord on this matter.’ I looked at the old man who was to assist me ended up in making me lose another two thousand men, and more was wounded. It took us sometime to called off the fight as the emotions was high then. I think the Prime Leader lost over a thousand of his men as they were in the forefront formation when mine was charging head on.
‘Lord Camlash, I bid you farewell and may the Grand Lord decides.’ So ends our discussion and the withdrawal of his troops. I too withdrew mine and marched back to the city. The men are not in the mood to fight with anyone for now.
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