Chapter 49

The Allied army was remaining at Abramoch for a week to rest and refit. Access to the now working gateway meant supply delays were at last over. It also meant the wounded could be rapidly transported to Diriona for healing by the senior priests in the various Temples there. This meant the gateway was in constant use in freight mode and restricted for private use, hence Darras was unable as yet to visit Erren and clean up, though he did avail himself of an army barber to get a shave, as did a few of the Humans in his group.

The Elves in the group were busy enough scouting the route ahead, along with the Rachtelin mounted archers. Amina’s group were busy around the town checking for potential issues, though other than reporting where the former Lord had stashed the town treasury had found the people to be mostly listless and not inclined to cause trouble. The local businesses had immediately swung back into service when they realised the troops of the various armies paid their way, plus they could be supplied with a greater variety of goods by the steady stream of merchants once they could use the gateway to mostly supply the armies.

Hence Darras, Balat and Sondrast were basically at a loose end and spent most of their time outside the town lazing around waiting for the go ahead to move on to Drannos. The only interesting thing from Darras’s perspective was the pick-up in pyrotechnics as the magic users of Thenarron seemed to have woken up from whatever it was they were doing and attempted to deal some blows to the Allied armies. Fortunately, the Allies had enough magic users of their own to counter this, though remained on the defensive.

Elsewhere, the Elves of Rossaris had been replaced at Tornua forest by the second Dwarven army as the dark kin were now bottled in their fortress and the mobility of the Elves was needed elsewhere. The Torgillon army remained at Tornua to bolster the Dwarves with a mobile force for patrolling the outside of the forest and ensuring the various villages and hamlets behaved. Though again, there were few if any signs of resistance amongst the ordinary folk, most of whom were relieved at the lack of restrictions on travel and trade.

That’s not to say there were no incidents, but the Allies cracked down hard on any attempts at rebellion and the perpetrators, assuming they survived, were often enough hung on the spot or enslaved for the various work gangs repairing the road links at the now open borders.

The main plan of the Allies was to deal with potential areas of resistance and draw ever closer to the Thenarronian capital of Drannos. A task made easier by the near collapse of the Thenarronian army’s morale due to almost twenty years of repression and neglect, most being local levies and not the brutally efficient armies of the Allies.

Here and there, small units of dark kin would, if given an opportunity, surrender to the Humans and Dwarves of the Allied armies, though never to their Elven kin. This had caused a few issues in transporting them to a gateway, though with the opening of the Abramoch gateway this had become easier than trying to use the one in Diriona. Linota had set up a specific gate and route through the town to avoid the Iversirion forces who were forbidden to congregate there at certain times. This was facilitated by Keltranas and his officers who enforced discipline on their unhappy people who were often angered by the presence of the dark kin. Though they accepted the restrictions as the priests of Erren with them foretold that her wrath would fall upon any who mistreated or killed prisoners in cold blood.

“Think we’ve won?” Balat asked the three as they prepared the evening’s rations.

“I think we’re winning and should win,” Darras replied thoughtfully. “That said, I believe that things will get tougher now as all those who really oppose us will be congregating in Drannos.”

“Yes,” Sondrast agreed. “Plus, the power of their spells has increased greatly since we took Abramoch. Our spell users are managing, but it has become a full-time job for them.”

“Wonder where they’ve been hiding?” Darras asked rhetorically.

“Yes, I have wondered the same,” Sondrast nodded.

The following morning the party were requested to scout ahead of the main army. Darras noted for the first time a seemingly concerted effort to destroy anything of use to the Allies as the Thenarronian forces retreated before them. Hence, wells were fouled, village stores emptied (though the villagers often remained), attempts to burn crops, which were mostly unsuccessful due to inclement weather, and several attempts at hit and run raids that kept the scouts on their toes. Wells often enough were cleansed by the priests of Osruit, and Balat invariably was able to advise of ambushes laid where the forest folk could observe.

In this, the Human part of the Forest Kingdom came into its own with its stored harvests from its bountiful fields. So, following the army were often grain wagons along with other wagons toting food and supplies for the often surprised villagers. Hence to the surprise of the Thenarronian command, there were no uprisings and discontent to the rear of the Allied forces approaching from Abramoch. The Torgillon advance, though facing similar problems, came up with similar solutions from its ally, Jizzard, who also had abundant harvests and food to spare.

And so the Allies moved swiftly, driving the Thenarronian forces before them to approach Drannos, the Thenarronian capital and fortress of the Witch Lord.

“Guess we know where all the spare resources in this Kingdom went,” Darras stated out loud to his group as they stood on a low hill looking down towards Drannos.

“Yes, formidable walls and a central castle that looks a tough nut to crack too,” Firios replied, scanning the double walled seaport city.

Drannos straddled the Tuurval river as it met the sea and would under normal circumstances have been a pleasant place to look upon or visit. However in the twenty or so years since the invasion of Rossaris clearly a lot of planning had gone into turning the city into a highly defended last redoubt of the Witch Lord.

“Even the river entrance has a massive portcullis blocking entry,” Traskis observed.

“Not just one,” Darras pointed out. “The second wall has one as well.”

“Doriel’s people are not within the city and I doubt they’d be much help here,” Balat added.

‘Osruit’s waterfolk are, but can only observe via the wells, ’ Erren informed Darras who passed this on to the group.

“No underground streams or caves?” he asked of her.

‘Nothing usable.’

“Guess it’s up to the Dwarves then.”

“My people will join the refugees,” Amina informed the group. “Though other than surveying the place I doubt we’d be able to get anyone in easily if at all.”

“That should suffice,” Firios replied. “Just be careful, friend Amina.”

“I will, friend Firios,” Amina replied, openly acknowledging the bond of friendship that had grown between the two parties.

“Aye, looks like a tough nut to crack. We’ll not be breaching those walls with trebuchets any time soon,” Linota acknowledged the report that Darras and Firios brought back.

“Nor will towers help, as if they lose the outer wall to an assault, there’s a second behind that they’ll just drop the bridges to. Gates are also offset to prevent a direct charge,” Darras replied. “There’s a harbour chain to prevent a seabound attack.”

“Any suggestions?” Rigilo asked.

“We’ll invest the place and allow our trebuchets to pound the walls, whilst I bring up our mining teams to go under the damned walls,” Linota replied.

“Amina’s scouts will supply us with information as soon as they find a way to communicate,” Firios added. “In the meantime we’ll check around as there are often ways and means for entry and exit that their architects might not have considered.”

“Aye, do so please,” Linota acknowledged. “Commander Keltranas, could you set your people to patrolling our supply lines and ensure any remaining saboteurs are dealt with?”

“It shall be done,” Keltranas nodded.

“Prince Rigilo, could you request your people to start siege lines and counter vallation works?”

“I can,” Rigilo replied. “Keep the encampments small?”

“Aye, make sure the edicts of Gilmea and Hallis are strictly observed.”

“We shall. Last thing we need is an outbreak of pestilence,” Rigilo nodded.

“Thank you, fellow warriors,” Linota acknowledged. “Expect the main Torgillan force to arrive within the week and we’ll begin in earnest then.”

A week had passed more or less peacefully other than a constant stream of magical attacks over Drannos and the Allied lines. The Torgillan army had arrived and set up its own lines on the east bank of the Tuurval river, having defeated the last Thenarronian forces in the field. Earl Graccen had taken overall command of the joint armies, though approved Linota’s plan to tunnel under the walls even as various siege engines were assembled to hurl objects at the walls of Drannos. As with many sieges which Darras had witnessed, there were occasional sallies by the Thenarronians and a small trickle of deserters and others through to the Allied lines.

“So the city is well supplied and provisioned via the port?” Linota asked Nemmos who had infiltrated from Drannos to the Allies.

“They are, the ships fly the flag of Crusal,” Nemmos added.

“The Torgillan navy are making their way here and will attempt to form a blockade,” Earl Graccen informed the gathered supreme command. “Though if the Crusal Navy get involved it could get messy.”

“Aye, the corsairs of Crusal are known even to my people for their prowess upon the seas,” Linota acknowledged.

“They are and their nation is on the Golsten continent and not easily accessible to our armies,” Graccen replied.

“The good news is the mine is going well,” Linota informed the group. “The forest folk are providing cut lumber for the props and there are no real issues with water inundation. Still, it will take a while though.”

“Well, we have most of the summer to do it,” Graccen nodded thoughtfully. “Will it be enough?”

“It will. My people are rather skilled at this and are digging all hours to make it happen.”

“Good to hear.”

“I’m intending rotating my knights and others with the forces of Earl Ordetas and Earl Miront if permission to use the gateway at Abramoch is given,” Rigilo announced.

“No problem here,” Graccen replied, getting nods from Linota and Keltranas. “The reports tell me they fought well.”

“They did, but are no longer needed here. I’ve no problem with others arriving to claim what glory remains,” Rigilo replied with a slight frown.

“Aye, glory is a dirty business all told,” Linota sympathised as did the others.

“Isn’t it just,” Graccen agreed. “Send a list ... all of you and I’ll arrange timings.”

“My thanks,” Rigilo politely replied, as for all he outranked Earl Graccen, he did not have anything like the experience of the Earl, despite the initial poor performance of the Torgillans.