Horizon of War Series

Chapter 63: Settled

Settled

The scent of smoke and charred vegetation filled the air, while ash rained down like grim snowflakes, blanketing the ground with a layer of grey dust. The once verdant steppe had transformed into a smoldering wasteland.

Lansius and his knights had been searching for Audrey for quite some time. They had crossed paths with straggling groups several times, but nobody was in the mood to start a fight.

After riding across the western plains, the scout finally found traces of carts that led them to a small creek.

“They’ve crossed, My Lord,” reported the scout confidently.

Just as planned.

“Let’s give chase,” ordered Lansius. He was relieved to find no signs of fighting at the crossing, suggesting that Audrey’s cavalry were able to subdue the retreating convoy without resistance. And they were fast enough to evade the retreating forces.

Lansius and his knights crossed the small stream and headed south, following the cart tracks.

“My Lord, I see something,” one of the knights reported.

“Vanguard, ride ahead!” Morton shouted, and two knights sortied ahead.

As Lansius saw the outlines of the unmoving caravans and horses, he blurted out, “They’re stopping?”

“It seems that way, My Lord,” Sir Harold answered.

They rode straight, showing their banner high.

“Unbelievable… So many carts, there must be more than fifty!” Harold commented, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Indeed, the result exceeded even Lansius’ expectations. As they rode closer, Audrey’s men noticed their approach. They stood tall and straight as their Lord arrived.

“My Lord, the victory is yours!” The men began to clamor as they caught sight of Lansius.

Lansius wasn’t accustomed to such treatment. They hailed him as the Great Victor and showered him with praises. Using all his strength to maintain a stoic expression, a smile nonetheless formed on his lips. As he slowly rode past them, the men reached out, touching his gauntlet and greaves as if they were charms or amulets.

Their devotion-like attitude had Sir Harold grinning from ear to ear.

Among the cheering crowd, Lansius spotted Audrey standing near a laden cart; soot slightly blackened her face.

“What’s happened to your arm, and your backplate?” she blurted out as she approached, taking the destrier’s rein as if it was nothing more than a docile dog.

“Well, things happened, probably a fracture, but no blood,” Lansius commented about his left wrist which was in an arm sling.

“You shouldn’t be here. You should ride straight to Korelia--“

“I know, but,” Lansius gazed around the group. “I need to make sure that we’re winning.”

At the mention of winning, faces around them broke into smiles, eyes welled up with tears of joy and relief; their gratitude for the outcome of the war was showing. Nobody had expected Korelia to win the siege in just half a day. This victory was nothing short of a miracle.

“Umm, My Lord, may I speak to you about something?“ Audrey fidgeted.

Lansius sensed something was amiss. “Are you injured?”

But then somebody even more blackened than Audrey came forward. “My Lord, I can explain.”

A female voice. Her face and attire were blackened, but her blond hair still stood out.

Lansius furrowed his brows and asked with suspicion, “Hannei?”

“Yes, My Lord, I asked Captain Audrey to allow me to ride with her--“

“But you can’t ride,” Lansius retorted, interrupting her words.

“Ermm… Margo helped me a bit on that matter,” Hannei admitted.

“Oh, please no,” Lansius groaned. He never allowed the young pages into war.

“My Lord, please listen…” Hannei’s tone was polite, but her eyes were sharp as knives.

Lansius sighed. He might be a Lord, but the mage was wrathful and well-connected. Thus, he motioned for her to continue.

“We split our forces and I went to the encampment. Using my tricks, there’s little danger from the fire. And we successfully captured a few dozen supply carts.” Hannei ended her story briefly while clearly omitting the dangerous part.

She seemed pleased, and indeed it was a great achievement. However, they had broken military rule by disregarding Lansius’ command and could set a bad precedent.

Lansius took a sharp breath. He didn’t like to censure, but men would die and battles would be lost if they acted on their own just to fill their pockets. “Lady Hannei, I applaud your courage. However, military law and discipline are not to be trifled with,” he said sternly.

As expected, the one responsible, Audrey, put herself on the line, shielding Hannei. She stood with her back straight, helmet carried in hand at breast level. She silently waited for the punishment as Hannei was her charge.

Hannei gave Lansius a look, hinting at him to let this slide, but he couldn’t. Military law was where he drew the line. “Captain, were you able to capture Lord Omin?”

The crowd went silent.

“I’m unable to find him, My Lord,” Audrey replied.

Lansius closed his eyes for a moment. "Capturing Lord Omin, while vital, isn't the primary objective. So, I don't blame you. Especially when you only have so few horsemen, it's only natural to lose him in the chaos of war."

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"However," Lansius continued ominously, "you violated a direct order, endangered my guest, and put your men in unnecessary danger. Do you have anything to say?"

Audrey knelt. Her face was downcast as she spoke. “No, My Lord, I… humbly ask for your pardon.”

The men’s faces around them looked sour. Nobody was satisfied with this development.

“In deference to our victory and this bountiful result, I shall sentence a lighter punishment. Half pay for a year.” Lansius announced the punishment.

“My Lord, please, we beg your forgiveness! Have mercy,” the men cried, pleading for leniency on behalf of their beloved captain. Receiving half pay meant earning only half their wages, which would barely cover rent and food, let alone allow for any indulgences like spare clothes, or alcohol.

Hannei looked composed, but Lansius knew she too was wrathful.

“Order, order!” Sir Harold rode forward to assist. The knights behind him also assumed formation to show support. But it was unnecessary; there was never a threat to begin with, just discontent.

“Military laws are strict for a purpose,” Lansius shouted, using the pain in his left wrist to fuel his anger. His voice commanded attention and caused surprise. “Failure to follow a command may ruin an army. If that happens, we would all pay the blood price.”

He paused to gauge their attention before continuing, “You may have succeeded this time, but can you guarantee the same for the future? Are you willing to gamble all of our lives against death or, worse… servitude?”

His words eventually pacified the men. Even though they were uneducated and only understood a fraction of military law, they feared its consequences.

“Pageboy,” Lansius called.

“Y-yes, My Lord.” As he had expected, a blackened Margo appeared.

“Write the punishment for Captain Audrey. Half pay for the rest of this year.”

“At once, My Lord,” Margo replied, albeit weakly.

With the punishment dealt with, it was time for the reward. “Margo, while you’re here, let’s distribute the loot. How many carts are there?”

The words ‘loot’ and ‘distribution’ gathered everyone’s attention. The previous emotion and bad taste immediately cooled down.

“There are a total of seventy-three carts, My Lord. Comprised of--“

“Let’s do the ones that Lady Hannei specifically captured,” he told the squire.

Margo checked the piece of wood he used as notes as he was without parchment or ink. “There are thirty-three carts captured, My Lord. They are filled with grains, clothing, and weapons.”

Lansius pondered for a moment. “Eight carts should go to Sir Justin’s column for their sacrifices. Four for Calub’s men as they bled as much. Another four for the Knights as they have lost horses and gear. That’s sixteen, correct?”

“Indeed, My Lord,” Margo replied while jotting down on the wooden board with his knife.

“Another four should go for future military expenses to capture Baron Omin. And four should go to the city’s militia,” stated Lansius.

The men around Lansius grew weary. They had worked the hardest for this and hadn’t been mentioned. Furthermore, the Lord had yet to say how many he wanted. As was the rule, the Lord always took the lion’s share.

“Twenty-four recorded. There’s... nine carts left, My Lord,” Margo informed him after counting furiously with his fingers.

“Three should go to Lady Hannei for her skills. Three for the men who participated in this, and the rest should go to Captain Audrey,” Lansius concluded.

“Oooh, three carts!” the men shouted in pure joy. Each imagined getting three pieces of clothing and a bagful of expensive trinkets. For them, it was as good as a laborer’s pay for three harvests.

In front of Lansius, Audrey poked at Margo. “Hey, how many are my share?” she asked curiously. Mental math was uncommon in this world.

“Please, a moment,” Margo replied to Audrey while facing Lansius and spoke, “My Lord, there seems to be a slight mistake. You haven’t taken your share?”

The crowd went silent.

Lansius let out a faint smile. “No, this is purely the men’s hard work. They took the risk and endured my wrath. Besides, Captain Audrey has taken full responsibility. So, I shall claim none from the thirty carts.”

This evoked something primal amongst the men who shouted even harder, grateful for their Lord’s generosity.

Undisturbed by this, Audrey pressed Margo for an answer. “Well?”

“Three carts, Captain. You got three,” the Page grinned as he said it.

Audrey punched a fist into the air while the men rushed to congratulate her. She was well-loved.

Nearby, Hannei let out a smirk and nodded approvingly at Lansius, and he nodded back. They let Audrey and her men bask in the limelight.

When the commotion was over, Lansius rode closer. “Audrey.”

“Yes,” she replied with a wide smile.

“Sorry for the harsh words.”

“That’s okay. You also gave me three carts,” she grinned.

“I think it’s only fair,” Lansius replied.

And then Audrey smiled at him so innocently that it made his heart race.

I have to tell her...

His heart pounded hard as if he was about to charge the enemy’s line again. Worse, he only had cheap corny lines in his head. He had asked, but this was a different era. Here, if a man liked a woman, he would send his uncle to meet the woman’s father to discuss lineage and dowry.

“Audrey...” he called with a slight nervousness. Her eyes met his and Lansius continued. “Ever since I met you three years ago, I’ve met many ladies, but none as capable or as interesting as you. Lady Audrey, would you marry me?”

The Lord’s unorthodox and sudden declaration hushed the entire crowd. Eyes widened, and many faces broke into grins. Even the usually stoic knights were smirking.

Suddenly, the blackened Dietrich appeared out of nowhere. He approached Lansius, surprising him with a bouquet of colorful wildflowers. Meanwhile, the equally blackened Sigmund strummed a looted lyre, providing a melodious backdrop to the scene.

Amidst all the chaos, Audrey, the center of everyone’s attention, stood her ground but blushed red. Her lips parted, as if to speak, then closed again as she gathered her thoughts.

The crowd hung on every word, their faces showed a myriad of emotions. Smiles and anticipation were in the air.

Audrey finally smiled. Her answer was almost certain, but the words that came out from her lips were, “No, I can’t.”

A pang shot through Lansius’ heart at the rejection, reopening an old wound that could be felt despite his amnesia. His face remained stoic, but his mind went into overdrive to control the emotional turmoil.

Of course, she rejects it, dumbass! You just cut her pay and rebuked her openly!

Cold logic pounded reason into his senses. The chaos still whirled around him. Dietrich took back the wildflowers, while Sir Harold approached with an opened wineskin to ease the pain.

Before Lansius could take a drink, Audrey approached and the knight wisely gave them some space. She stepped on the destrier’s stirrup, grabbed the horse’s saddle with her hand, and pulled herself up.

Suddenly their faces were so close that Lansius could see the faint freckles on her nose, the beautiful hazelnut color of her eyes, and feel the heat radiating from her blushing cheeks.

“Wha—” Lansius’ word was left unfinished as their lips met. He was completely taken aback by the sweet surprise and instinctively wrapped his right arm around her.

Meanwhile, the crowds went crazy with wolf-whistling, clapping, and shouts of approval. Everybody went mad, their pent-up frustration from the war and their victory combined into one.

“But you said no?” Lansius said, still dazzled.

“Lans, I can’t marry you, but maybe a concubine is more fitting,” Audrey replied with a reddened face while avoiding direct eye contact.

Her explanation baffled Lansius. “W-who gave you the idea?”

“Mm, Hannei, but mostly Felis…” she answered.

“Well, can’t have you as that... How about as a consort?” Lansius proposed a more honorable status as a spouse with all the official recognition and standing.

Audrey shyly nodded her head.

“Then it’s settled,” the Lord exclaimed as he pulled her closer to share the saddle.

With hoarse voices from so many successive rounds of cheering, the crowd gave their loudest support for them. Sir Harold, Dietrich, and Margo readily removed the destrier’s armor and the saddlebag to lighten the horse’s load.

Lansius and Audrey also helped each other to remove parts of their armor to make their ride more comfortable. She was particularly careful with Lansius’ arm sling.

“Hail to the Lord and the Captain Consort,” Dietrich yelled and a burst of laughter followed. Lansius had to admit that was quite funny, while Audrey just took it in stride, looking embarrassed but happy.

“Lans, are you sure this is okay?” his soon-to-be consort asked.

Braving the cheering and merry laughter, Lansius cuddled her from behind, reassuring her. He gently pulled the destrier’s reins to the side. “Come, let’s head home. Korelia is waiting.”

Observing the Lord’s reaction, the men cheerfully obliged and promptly readied themselves. The cavalry group finally set off for home along with the captured convoy. For them, the battle of Korelia was finally over. But for others, it was only just beginning.

“Mm, Lans,” Audrey whispered as they rode home. “What about the Lord of Korimor?”

“Baron Omin? Don’t worry about him.” Lansius tightened his grip on her hands. “Remember when I told Batu to act once he sees a signal?” He gestured towards the smoldering western plains, a clear signal of their victory. “I doubt he’ll miss that.”

“Ah, the hunt?!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Yup, I won’t allow anyone to escape. They have to pay the price,” Lansius stated firmly as they approached Korelia from the southern side, flanked by the knights and the slowly moving caravans trailing behind them.

***