War in the North

[Xenograg]

Xenograg slouches back into his easy chair. It is late but he is still in the library of Dojo Darelir answering corrospondence--and planning a war. The Rellugai have been in exile for seven years and will wait no longer. Chief Samuj asked for the Nur-Wan's aid, financial and professional, and Xenograg was honorbound to give it. He has again become General Xenograg in fact as well as name, and it is tiring. War is for young men, not ones pushing sixty years of age.

Xenograg had just given up his entire life in his homeland in order to reduce his obligations to just Barsi and Rhydin. The plan was to devote the majority of his time to Barsi, but that will not be possible this year (at the least). No, not with the Rellugai, the Temple of Divine Light, Legendazona, and the Bloodspeakers all active pieces on the playing board.

The Rellugai will march in a lunar month. By then, Xenograg will know what Alia Anor's (and the Temple's) reaction to her abduction will be. Of all his concerns in Rhydin, the Temple is the most ominous but least threatening; perhaps until now. Alais may very well have awoken a sleeping dragon.

Xenograg rubs his eyes and then stands. He walks out of the library and through the dojo proper. Beyond is the sanctum and its magic mirror--to peaceful Barsi and its beautiful queen, Amaltea.

[Xenograg]

The day has come. The assembled medicine men, led by the venerable Inhuut, make sacrifice to their gods and read the entrails. The first sacrifice is not propitious and another is necessary before a favorable omen is discerned. The shamans then bless the host of Rellugai warriors. Xenograg is present but is not involved in any of the rites; he is still a foreigner despite being The Foreigner.

Chief Samuj then takes the horsehair standard in hand and puts spurs to his horse. With wild cries of excitement and courage-building, the Rellugai warriors gallop after their leader.

They ride north.

[Vinny]

Vincent looked at the letter he had and crumpled it in his hand. So, the Liberator was making a move with that little war of his. He paced around the temple for a good twenty minutes, debating what to do. He could hardly afford to pass up this opportunty to make a move on Xenograg, but it couldn't have come a a worse time. There were too many things which needed his attention here.

He went to his room and barred it shut, leaving specific instructions on the outside that the door was not to be forced open upon penalty of death. Knowing what happened after the last time someone disobeyed that particular instruction, it was unlikely that it would happen again. He did however, state that he would come out every couple of days to show that he was still alive.

The door was locked, wards were set up, and lights were set up to get rid of any shadows. He could hardly afford to have any unwanted visitors. Putting his hands to the floor, he absorbed up some of the stone, building his mass to twice what it normally was. Then, with a hellish scream, his body slowly began to split in two. After a few minutes, two Vincents stood in the room, smiling at one another.

They both spoke in unison. "Vincent Smith, I presume?" A frown then made its way onto their faces as they both continued to talk at the same time. "I need to watch out with that. I'd hate to have all my conversations simulcasted through you."

One of them sat down, going into a state of meditation. The other one, turned his temple garb into a simple black outfit with cloak, and passed through the walls into the night, heading north.

[Xenograg]

The Rellugai have a tradition of training their women to fight. The women go to war alongside the men only when the survival of the entire tribe is at stake, as during the Twilight Time eleven years ago. The current campaign is perilous as well, and a contingent of female volunteers rides with the men. The rest keep the herds, care for the children and elders, and all the other family and tribal duties that constitute the logistics of everyday life.

Xenograg has long employed Rellugai as his retainers. The employment contracts are with families rather than individuals. Some families refuse to have anything more to do with Xenograg (owning to deaths of sons while in his employ), but Xenograg has no trouble maintaining sufficient staff. The make-up of that staff can vary, however.

With every man needed for the warband, Xenograg has accepted the substitution of a woman for every contract but two. As with all new retainers, their steppe training must be supplemented with that of fighting on foot and guarding a city building. Xenograg spends a few hours a day in Dojo Darelir assisting his (male) captain of the guard with the training.

Xenograg flies out to the steppe about every other day to confer with the Rellugai chiefs. He stays only an hour or two before flying back to Rhydin City and on to Eldicor or Barsi.

[Vinny]

An ice cold wind whipped around him, sending the night's chill deeper into him as he looked off into the distant campsites. He'd spent a few nights out here now, observing movements, patterns, and trying to keep an eye on the Liberator. This was turning out to be more difficult than imagined, as he was constantly going back and forth, and there was no way he could outrun a horse without giving himself away. He'd been very strict about making no contact whatsoever, simply observing from afar, cloaked in a few spells to keep his presence a mystery.

After a few more days of observing, Vinny contemplated a bit. The Liberator was here about every two days or so. However, he was here constantly, and although it would be much fun to imitate the Liberator and sow discord and chaos, it was really unlikely that he could do so. He knew little of the tribe's customs, their exact relastionship with Xenograg, and it was almost a certainty that he would be sniffed out almost immediately.

He shook his head. What was once looking like a promising plan was rapidly losing its appeal. He couldn't afford to keep splitting his attention between bodies like this. If he did, it meant that sooner or later, he'd make a mistake. Those were definately not allowed at this stage of the game. So he crept off into the night, back to the temple to reunite with his other half there.

[Xenograg]

Having finished the day's meeting with the Rellugai leaders, Xenograg dismounts the steppe pony. He has several Rellugai retainers travelling with the host, and his attendant takes up the reins. The Rellugai continue to ride north while Xenograg begins walking south. Once the tribe is out of sight, Xenograg invokes two enchantments: with the first, he renders himself invisible; with the second, he leaves the ground and flies back to Rhydin City far to the south.

[Phaedra Maia]

There are times when it becomes necessary to employ darker means to accomplish an objective. I am one of those means, and I have been given a task.

This task involves the permanent removal of 3 people. The first person will be the Foreigner, the one known as The Liberator to those from the Temple.

War has many accidents, and the old man is going off to fight a battle that the Rellugai cannot win. The perfect opportunity will present itself, and no one will question a man dying while at war.

Looking in the mirror, I am satisfied with my disguise.

The war band was moving, it was time for me to move as well.

[Phaedra Maia]

It was easy enough to purchase a steppe pony, one of the shaggy beasts would fit in nicely with the band of Rellugai and allow me to fit in with no problem. I bought a gelding to minimize the risk of waking the war band when I slipped in amongst them. A mare would talk to the stallion in the herd, and another stallion would talk to the mares, a gelding was my safest bet.

My clothing matched the war band, and and I followed a safe distance behind the traveling Rellugai, and in the night slipped in amongst them, picketing my pony on the last line, and silently laying at the edge of the sleeping war band when the watch moved away. Yes, it was easy enough to slip in amongst them when you have stealth on your side.

Morning saw me awakened by the man beside me with a rough shake, and inwardly I smiled as we ate breakfast before mounting our ponies and continuing on.

It was late morning before I saw him. Xenograg was conversing with the elders, and I kept my face averted, but listened as well I might without drawing attention.

Onward we marched.

[Xenograg]

There have been two skirmishes between the Rellugai and forces loyal to the usurper khan. Both were short and inconclusive; the invaders are simply being tested.

Xenograg's flying trips are now almost daily. Before going to the Rellugai host, he now flies ahead to reconnoiter. This allows his allies to avoid ambushes and physical obstacles. This kind of practical information, doubted by some at first, is now welcomed in council. The Rellugai make plans to ambush the enemy main body when the time comes.

[Xenograg]

( Cross-posted from Amaltea of Barsi. )

Amaltea gives her daughter a short, daytime tour of Rhydin City. As with any city, there are safer quarters than others. She learns that Dojo Darelir is in one of the less safe areas. Due to lack of time, Amanda only gets a short glimpse of the ever-busy Red Dragon Inn and the empty Duel of Swords Arena.

Meanwhile, Xenograg has flown north to the steppe. He finds the Rellugai just as they are encamping for the night. His retainers here set up the tents. When everything is ready, Xenograg sends a mental signal to Amaltea. The two women arrive minutes later. Amaltea pockets the magical purple gem she just used to span the distance from the City to the camp.

Xenograg summons all his retainers before him just as he did in Dojo Darelir that morning.

"This is my daughter, Amanda thu-Darelir," he announces. "Her safety is now your foremost duty; all others are secondary. She is also to be obeyed unless her safety is threatened or you have orders to the contrary from myself, my wife, or your captains. I will have new oaths on this." Each retainer, in turn, nicks a finger on the knife held by Xenograg and presses the cut into the palm of Amanda's hand. That is the oath.

Xenograg has moved his base of operations from Rhydin City to here. The three Darelir will sleep in the tents for many nights to come.

[Phaedra Maia]

The skirmishes had been inconclusive, and the war party made slow progress. Each day Xenograg had come to join the Rellugai, and each night he had left for his own destinations. My patience was wearing thin.

But, now there was a change to his routine, and a smile of anticipation flickered across my face before I could mask it. He'd brought his wife and daughter to the camp! How positively glorious!

If I could not get to him, there are new options.

I turned and worked on grooming my steppe pony as they introduced the daughter to his retainers, and I marked each loyal retainer into my memory. They would need to be out of reach when the time came. And now, they would sleep with the warband. This changed everything.

[Phaedra Maia]

The skirmishes had been useful in one aspect. As we walked the battle field, I was able to collect several of the enemie's arrows, a pair of spears, and some various personal items of the enemy that lay dead upon the battlefield. These would be useful.

Phaedra smiled. Yes, useful articles indeed.

[Phaedra Maia]

The Sorcerer had been seen in RhyDin last night... dressed in full battle gear. He'd been seen in mail, and wearing the Ostego cloak, and overheard to say that it was for precautions.... I smiled. Those precautions will do no good to protect from an arrow in the back.

My time spent here has been useful. We are headed for another skirmish, and my first opportunity may just present itself.

His wife and daughter now ride with us, and I keep to the edges, watching.

[Xenograg]

The two hosts have danced around each other all summer. The time has been well spent by the Rellugai -- another tribe's allegiance has been secured -- but autumn comes early in the north. They must finish this war, one way or another.

Xenograg and Amaltea are here. Amanda has been taken to Eldicor for safety.

The usurper khan has unsuccessfully tried to force a major battle several times. It will come the day Chief Samuj decides not to withdraw anymore. That day is here. The next thrust against the Rellugai will be counterattacked.

[Phaedra Maia]

I watched, waited, planned, considered my options. I've become part of the clan, no one looks twice at me, and he'd brought his daughter and wife along. I had hoped they would see him die, right here before the winter sets in, but he's taken the child away again.

There were enough of the enemy's arrows to nearly fill a quiver, and I keep that wrapped in my bedding. It will come in handy soon.

Brushing my pony, I watch. The wife acts as his body guard in her own way, but she will never expect and arrow from behind him. She focuses on what is in front, what we face with each skirmish.

The morrow will see another meeting of forces.....