The Fireseed Wars

"Will Prince Zylannos be able to rule once we've returned to Greater Beshta?" she asked.

"Now that the Agrysi forces have left, there's no one inside Thaphigos who offers any real military threat to his rule. After twenty winters of incessant warfare, most of the castles are in ruins and many of the peasants have starved or fled. The people of Thaphigos would accept Hadron himself as a ruler if it meant an end to warfare. Furthermore, these days I don't believe even Kalvan himself could raise three thousand able-bodied fighting men in the whole Princedom! And I don't want to camp anywhere near the border, either."

"Afraid we might get embroiled in the warfare in Hos-Agrys?"

"Yes. We've already learned from our agents that Soton and his army have set sail from Thebra City for Agrys City. If Soton gets into trouble besieging Agrys City and asks for my help, I'll have a hard time refusing him if I'm only a day or two's ride away. I have no desire to support Soton or Styphon's House. If Roxthar has his way, he'll turn Hos-Agrys into another Hos-Hostigos. And I refuse to be a part of that."

"We could stay here in Argros. My father has given us a border tarr as part of my dowry, Tarr-Dodra. It's an old castle and needs to be refurbished but with some work it would hold our army through summer. It's on a hill and it's only a two-day's ride to Thaphigos."

"A great idea! Is this it here?" he asked, pointing to the map.

"Yes, it's about a day's ride from Argros City. But far enough away from Agrys Town that Soton will find it time-consuming to send his couriers."

"There's no place in Hos-Harphax far enough away to discourage Soton should he get a wasp in his breeches! Let him beseech away, it will do him little good."

"It has other advantages," Arminta said with a smile. "It's close enough we can visit my family, but far enough away we can work on one of our own."

Phidestros smiled. Now that's a job I'm going to enjoy!

THIRTY-EIGHT

Kalvan's Army of Greffa was now about two hundred marches into

Greffan territory. Between the Mobile Force, the Mounted Rifles, three thousand dragoons-mostly shot with a scattering of pikeman and halberdiers, about half the Royal Cavalry and two thousand Urgothi stradiots, Kalvan had over twelve thousand troopers and the flying batteries to throw at Greffa City. Not to mention the new thirty-two pound brass gun, Galzar's Mace, which was being towed on a long ox-wagon some fifty marches behind the army. General Alkides, who was staying behind at Thagnor City to man the walls, had argued that they should bring two of the rifled sixteen-pounders with Galzar's Mace.

Kalvan had disagreed; the two cannons were much more important to the defense of Thagnor. If he couldn't storm Grefla with two flying batteries of twelve guns apiece and Galzar's Mace, then it was a doomed exercise to begin with. Besides, his mission was more of a diversion than a serious attack, meant to draw off King Theovacar and force him and his army back to Greffa City.

For the first time since fleeing from Hostigos, Kalvan was beginning to believe that things were finally improving for him and his people. The Thagnor City defenses were almost complete and Lysandros, or whomever was in charge of the Grand Host, could spend all year battering them with round shot and still get nowhere. Chartiphon had raised and trained a substantial force in Rathon, enough men to maybe turn the war. If his forces could hijack the Styphoni supply trains or even keep them from arriving, the Grand Host would find itself in deep waters come fall. Let them eat shoe leather for a change!

Captain-General Errock came riding up from the van, his horse lathered. "Your Majesty, according to our scouts, there's a village ahead holding between forty and sixty militiamen."

"What's the name?"

"Vagnor, sire."

"Verkan, do you know anything about this village?"

General Verkan nodded. "Vagnor's a small outpost, population roughly three to four hundred. It's a road junction and trading center for local fur trappers and hunters. There are a few small farms for local greens and grains."

This part of Greffa, the other side of the Thagnori border, was mostly unsettled with first-generation forests, mostly of oak, sycamore, ash and maple trees.

Kalvan turned to Errock. "Any military to speak of?"

He replied, "A few guardsmen, probably a squad. Some local militiamen, most of whom could shoot a bow, crossbow or the occasional smoothbore. Nothing against Hostigi firepower."

"What kind of walls?"

"From the scouts' report," Errock said, "wooden palisades, towers and some blockhouses with a small gun or two, sire. Nothing we couldn't smash down in a day or two with our artillery."

Kalvan tugged his beard. "I'd like to settle our differences now before we have to come back through this way come summer. I don't like leaving combatants in my rear, either. Do you think we can negotiate a surrender?"