Mitar Vidson looked at Alex and smiled as he shook his head. “So much for Bledsoe’s enemy not expecting his next move. What is our plan of attack?”
“There is not an easy answer to that question,” mused Alex. “General Bledsoe will not readily surrender. He is going to have to be hurt badly before he sees reason, and that will require a great deal of bloodshed on both sides. It would help if Team Miram was the only threat left against Tagaret. We then might be able to draw out the engagement long enough for him to understand that he is not going to win, but I doubt he would believe us if we told him that the other teams were out of the war.”
“We could prove it to him,” suggested King Arik. “We could bring the defeated generals here to meet with Bledsoe.”
“Or their heads,” Mitar nodded in agreement.
“That would mean turning our attention to Team Mya starting today,” frowned David. “We can’t afford to let time slide by for both teams. They are getting too close to Tagaret.”
“General Fortella will never surrender,” stated Alex. “Clint has made that clear, but his second, General Whitman, might have no such compunction. Whitman has a reputation for cowardice among some of the other generals.”
“You aren’t talking about the Rangers and Red Swords taking on Team Mya, are you, Father?” the queen asked accusingly. “You plan on going after General Fortella alone. Am I wrong?”
“Sort of,” Alex replied. “I was planning on taking your mother with me.”
Queen Tanya inhaled deeply and clenched her teeth, but she said nothing.
“What will that accomplish?” asked King Arik. “We have not planned for the surrender of Team Mya. We do not even have wagons to transport the prisoners. I see it only as a diversion.”
“We will not be seeking the surrender of Team Mya,” explained Alex. “If I can assassinate General Fortella and leave General Whitman in charge of Team Mya, we can afford to let them continue marching on Tagaret. General Whitman will move much more cautiously than Fortella would, and I think that would buy us the time we need to deal with General Bledsoe. I would like to bloody Team Miram with as few casualties on our side as possible.”
The king looked at the queen for direction and Tanya grudgingly nodded her approval.
“Your plan would endanger Tagaret if General Bledsoe suddenly decides to resume his march,” frowned David Jaynes. “We do not have enough men to stop him if he truly makes his mind up to head south. That would result in both teams gathering before the walls of Tagaret.”
“Balamor can help in that regard,” interjected Jenneva. “His illusions can add thousands of men to your ranks. Do not attempt to prohibit Bledsoe’s spies from scouting. Give them free reign, but make sure that they see soldiers wherever they go. That should keep Team Miram holed up in their makeshift fort until we can figure out a way to finish them off.”
King Arik nodded in agreement and then looked at Alex and Jenneva with a pained expression. “Do not push it if the odds become too great. We will find another way.”
Alex nodded silently, took Jenneva’s hand, and led her down the slope to depart.
Theos frowned deeply and spoke softly to the queen, “Do not push it? He is going alone into the midst of twenty-thousand men to kill their leader. I cannot imagine the minimal odds of success for such a mission.”
Queen Tanya bit her lip. Those were words that she had not needed to hear, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She had tried to honor her vow not to interfere when her parents engaged in dangerous missions, but it proved too hard for her.
“Go with them, Theos,” the queen said softly. “Watch over them for me.”
Chapter 39
Bumps in the Road
The captain leading the vanguard of the 9th Corps of the Empire of Barouk raised his hand to bring the column to a halt. Far before him a small tent sat in the middle of the Barouk-Ongchi Road. He could see four horses standing alongside the tent, but only one person was visible. It was the first sighting of a Lanoirian in days, and the captain was not entirely sure how to handle the situation. If the 9th Corps still had a cavalry, he would send riders forward to capture the locals and seize their horses, but he had none. He felt sure that the Lanoirians would flee before his foot soldiers could reach the tent.
“They’re flying a flag of truce,” the sergeant behind the captain said with surprise. “What do you make of it?”
The captain squinted into the sun, his hand rising to shield the brilliance from his eyes. Then he saw it. It was a flag of truce, and his reaction was immediate.
“Your squad will escort me, Sergeant,” ordered the captain, “and send word back to General Kolling. I do not want him unaware of this development.”
Twenty men formed ranks around the captain, and the group set off for the tent. The captain kept his eyes on the tent and the person outside it as they got closer, and he soon realized that the lone person was female. His curiosity grew. When they came within one-hundred paces of the tent, the captain called a halt.
“Spread your men out and stay alert,” the captain instructed the sergeant. “I am going to see what this is all about.”
The captain advanced cautiously. The tent appeared to be paper thin, and he could see the silhouettes of three men inside. The men appeared relaxed, and that brought a frown to the captain’s face. The woman also appeared relaxed, although her face showed no emotion. She stood behind a small table that held a teapot and three cups. A decorative rug was spread out before the table, and pillows placed upon it. It was a ludicrous sight in the middle of a major road, and even more ridiculous when one considered the armies marching towards it.
“Welcome to Lanoir, Captain,” the woman said when the captain had reached the area of the rug. “I am Rut-ki, a Knight of Alcea. I would like a chance to speak with General Kolling under this flag of truce. He may bring General Gertz with him if he so desires.”
The captain glanced at the tent and the silhouettes of the men inside. “I must know who the general will be meeting with. Have the men come out so that I might see them.”
Rut-ki smiled and walked around the rug until she stood before the captain.
“The men inside the tent are generals,” she said softly. “They will not leave the shade of the tent until your generals arrive. It is my task to arrange the meeting. I am sure that you understand.”
The captain understood, but he was unmoved by the woman’s soft voice. “I must insist.”
“Then we shall just wait here until they arrive on their own,” shrugged Rut-ki. “I will mention to General Kolling that I was prepared to send two of my mounts to carry him and General Gertz here, but that you refused to carry my words to him. I do not think he will be pleased.”
The captain’s brow creased as he looked at the beautiful horses. He knew that if General Kolling got on one of them that the Lanoirians would never get it back. The offer was tempting, and he knew that it was meant to be. It still bothered him that he was being denied the chance to ensure that the meeting spot was secure.
“I cannot advise General Kolling to attend a meeting when the participants are unknown.”
“I do not recall asking you to advise him,” scowled Rut-ki. “I asked you to carry my words to General Kolling. If he is afraid to meet with me and the generals, then that will be his decision, but I am not about to allow a junior enemy officer to gaze upon these generals. You are not authorized to meet with them. Make your choice, Captain. Take two mounts to carry your generals here, or turn around and walk away.”
There was really no decision to be made. He had to report the incident to General Kolling in any event. He might as well take the horses. He walked to the horses and untied the reins to two of them. He led them back to where he had left his escort and ordered the men to retreat to a safe distance. He then mounted one of the horses and led the other towards the Federation column. Moments later, he halted in front of General Kolling and General Gertz.