David Gemmell – Rigante 4 – Stormrider

Within three days of the assassination the Redeemers had control of the capital, and all major ports. The last vestiges of the defeated Covenant army were hunted down, many of their supporters in the south arrested and summarily hanged. Redeemer forces across the land established military law, and the power of Winter Kay closed around the nation like a fist of iron.

At Baracum he reorganized the army, in preparation for the march on the north. With all secure behind him Winter Kay would be able to lead sixty thousand men on the march. Sir Sperring Dale had arrived from Eldacre, and his reports showed that the Moidart now had around eighteen thousand men, including new recruits. Redeemer seer scouts also reported some two thousand Rigante moving south to join him.

Winter Kay involved himself in all aspects of the current campaign, from supply of foods and necessary equipment to training and recruitment of officers. Strategy meetings were called often, and Winter Kay spent hours scanning written reports detailing the minutiae of preparation. With his senior officers he studied maps of the north, calling for population estimates and supply routes for the rebels,

‘This,’ he told his staff, ‘will be a war of annihilation. The north will be laid bare. Not a single rebel is to be spared. We will lay waste to his lands and ensure no future rebellion ever returns to haunt us. Choose your men with care. Weed out those with weaker dispositions. The men who march north must be like wolves, savage and uncompromising.’

He radiated confidence, and seemed unperturbed by the news that Gaise Macon could no longer be seen by his seer scouts. ‘He has acquired a demonic amulet or some such,’ he said. ‘It will avail him nothing.’ Attempts to kill the spirit of the vile little magicker aiding the Moidart had also met with no success, though Winter Kay now knew his identity. Aran Powdermill, a demon worshipper and mystic.

Powdermill did not have the talent to penetrate the seer ring around Baracum, and his spirit always fled swiftly when discovered. He was a nuisance, nothing more, though his use of ward spells around Eldacre meant that the Moidart could meet with his generals in secret. This was of only limited use, as the same men would then have to relay his orders to their own officers outside the walls, and these orders were observed and reported back to Winter Kay.

The attack on the north could not proceed for another five weeks, while supplies were gathered. Winter Kay used the time wisely, strengthening his hold on the nation. He had himself declared Protector General of the realm, and issued edicts and proclamations, promising the restoration of the Great Council and changes to the law once the enemy had been defeated. Attempts were being made, he announced, to find the true heir to the murdered king, and when this was completed a golden age of peace and harmony would be restored. A nation sick to its soul of war greeted the news with joy.

Other reports were sent out, telling of the atrocities committed by the vile Moidart and his treacherous son, Gaise Macon. Macon had been part of the force who murdered the king. His capture was of paramount importance and a reward of two thousand pounds in gold was announced for any man, or men, who brought his head to Winter Kay.

In Eldacre Galliott the Borderer was on the verge of exhaustion. The problem facing the army of the Moidart was a simple one. It would begin to starve in less than two weeks. The food required to maintain the strength of eighteen thousand men was just not available in Eldacre, so soon after a harsh winter.

Galliott had sent out skirmishers to scour the countryside and buy cattle where they could, and the main warehouses in Eldacre had been commandeered – much to the chagrin of the owners. A rationing system had been speedily introduced. This had already caused ill feeling among the residents of Eldacre. That ill feeling would grow substantially worse when the food ran out.

Eldacre had been one of the main suppliers of cattle, grain and oats to the king’s army. Many merchants had become rich on the profits, but this meant that only the bare minimum of supplies was warehoused in the north. It was shipped immediately south where it earned twice what it would in Eldacre itself. This avaricious pursuit of wealth had backfired alarmingly now that the north itself needed feeding. There were no substantial stock piles. Food was still being imported through the three coastal towns in the east, and some was due to be brought to Eldacre within the next month. Too little and too late.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *