'Aye. He just killed him… dead.'

Unknown.

--------

Probably one of the spectators to the duel fought under light rain between a certain Thomas Meyer and Janus Boult during the long siege of Issir's Eagle. Both opponents not well-known or possessing a spotless record, with the first man having served in the disastrous Maiden's War under Lord Albert Van Durren and the second, one of the better swordsmen of the previous generation according to his peers, but suspected of several unsavory acts with the 'Vulture's Own' outfit in the many years he'd served under Lord Ruud De Weer, most notably rumored to have participated in the dastardly ambush and murder of the previous Duke of Scaldingport, along his newborn son.

-

Jasi

'The Queen's Eunuch'

On the Queen's orders:

Thirty feet of thick wall

2

-Anytime you are ready…-

Characters mentioned:

For the Khanate

Vizier Pourem, the Khanate general defending the capital

Norem, Remas etc. Pourem's lieutenants

Mutobo, Admiral Osahar's skilled leader of Khanate's marines

Timor, a Horse-Archer leader vaulted into a bigger role

Jep Ipsen, an Issir convicted to death by quartering, smuggler and murderer, freed by Remas.

for The Queen's entourage

Baron of Hunter's Cot, Sir Stephan De Braal, influential patriarch of this very large Issir family and former Duke's Shield for thirty years at Scaldingport

Sir Mandel De Braal, Stephan's oldest son. Had lost a finger during the Queen's nuptials.

Jurian De Braal, Stephan's youngest son.

Sir Beren Kuik, aka the 'Young Osprey'. A semi-retired knight, a veteran warrior and member of late Duke Ruud's loyal men-at-arms group known as the 'Old Vulture's Own'. Sir Beren, a former squire, had been already raised to a knight by Stephan De Braal fifteen years ago. Due to Lord Ruud's refusal to accept any titles not given by him or acknowledge them, Beren had struggled to find employment away from Hunter's Cot until he was given a large estate by Queen Elsanne, which cemented and improved his status as a proper Knight.

Janus Boult, a veteran man-at-arms, the oldest of their group and former arms instructor.

Ward Neve, another veteran in the same group.

various Mercenaries

Dottore Dalai-Tue, a medic with the Gallant Dogs

Northern scouts/rangers:

Rad 'Carrion' Severs, named Northern warrior (a fighter that has won a duel to the death inside the circle of shields) turned mercenary scout.

'Grass' Bordon, another Northman, and part of Severs' crew alongside Nod Weather.

Jed 'Nod' Weather

-

mirte, one of Jasi's recruits, swiftly used his bath towel to clean the mud off her legs. The towel was thus ruined, and the eunuch had to suppress the sweltering irritation building up in him to avoid lashing out. Jasi leaned against the couch's support inside the carriage to watch Mirte finish up. The rain's steady fall muffled some of the sounds from outside, but it still pierced Jasi's sensitive ears. His poor back ached after weeks of rough travel through the land of the barbarians, and a chill seeped into his bones. Even the sight of the young Issir woman's naked form couldn't provide him any warmth.

Mirte, a lustful soul, tested this notion cupping his shriveled cock with a cold hand without asking for permission.

"Oh, my... the Queen worked on that already? You are disinterested boss," she noticed, when Jasi removed the claw from between his legs with a grimace of pain.

"I'll put a hot pepper in your mouth, little harlot. Or a nail. Now you take some solace in the rejection, for it's the weather that has killed my libido and not your bucolic manners," Jasi warned her and Mirte chuckled, then darted away from a slap to pick up her dress. "How did you get out of the city?"

"I used Remas man," Mirte replied and went to the small table to fill a glass with liquor. "There's a smuggler's route via Stag's Bridge, and he's in charge of that," she explained with a gasp as the burning liquid went down her throat. "Cherry?"

"He just went along? I guess you remembered not to use your teeth whilst sucking his cock," a surprised Jasi commented, hint of razz in his voice, and glanced outside the door's window, feeling the jolt of the carriage coming to a stop.

"Whoring is the best job one can do right now. But it is still a job and needs skill. The new girls and boys have none. Anyways, a blowjob didn't do it the first time, but then I used a finger," Mirte explained and made a lewd gesture.

"A finger always helps," Jasi agreed and gathered his robes to stand up. "What does he seek though? Coin?"

"Sure. Jep Ipsen wants to escape reprisals for past and current crimes," Mirte explained whilst Jasi cracked the small door open to glance outside. The chill invaded the cabin right away and made the eunuch shiver all over.

Balls in mouth!

"Get back in there and get him onboard," Jasi grunted and went to pick up a woolen blanket. "You'll take a bird with you. Can you get a small box in?"

"It'll be easier to have a man wait at the South Corner," Mirte argued and got the purse coin Jasi had left on the table earlier. "Ipsen is stationed there. He'll have to cross the river though, via the islet, because Mitch's rangers have covered the banks up to the inclines of the West Gates. They were picking up bodies from the woods until recently and are not in the mood for games."

"It's not a game Mirte. We just pretend it is. How many girls work for you?"

"Three, but it's not easy to move about, even with the Horselords more worried with the Duke's moves. They've left the east side of the city to Remas and he's a nasty little man."

"Stay away from him then. So Remas turned it over to this Jep Ipsen instead," Jasi murmured and heard horses approach their carriage.

"Ipsen had been jailed, but it was a job he knew." Mirte replied.

"Running cheap whores and suspicious packages in an out of the city's gates?"

"Aye. Amongst other things."

"Wait here for a bit," Jasi told her and went to exit the carriage in order to check what the reason of this new delay was. "But if I'm held up, leave and return to the capital. Pay this Ipsen and get me a report within a day."

Katelyn's stiff expression is enough to shrivel one's cock without any help from this blasted cold, a sour Jasi thought trying to open his small umbrella and failing. The falling rain tickled his shaved head and the eunuch had to duck under the blanket he'd dragged out, turning it into a cloak of sorts, in order to protect his makeup and dignity.

A bad makeup job can be salvageable on a younger person, he thought, but nothing can protect an older geese with its mascara running from ridicule.

Sir Stephan De Braal's cold stare went even beyond that, into utter disgust territory.

"What is this cursed cloak?" The mounted nobleman rustled and his younger son Jurian smiled.

"It's a blanket," Jasi explained holding the edges under his chin to keep the 'hood' wrapped around his head. "One must work with the tools available."

"Huh, one must indeed," De Braal let out a grunt of sorts, it was a mocking laugh, but the old brute hadn't learned doing a better job at it.

"I explained to the Baron," Katelyn said stiffly. "The Queen needs to use the bathroom wagon."

"Urgently!" Elsanne was heard from inside her bigger carriage. De Braal's wrinkled face got distorted with the addition of even more lines. The ancient, but newly minted Baron of Hunter's Cot, turned on the saddle of his steed to perceive the right side of the road and the treeline at its edges. Then he slowly turned his helmed head the other way to gaze with the same intent the trees on the other side.

"Anyone?" Elsanne probed when the moment dragged.

"The trees could be of help," Jasi remarked to the frowning De Braal, who knitted his brows in astonishment at the eunuch's insight into his mind. "However, we could end up losing her highness in the wilderness, lest we have her relieve herself at the periphery and risk exposing her royal backside to the entire procession."

"Uher's heavens!" De Braal replied sternly, before devolving into outright threats. "Mind your words, eunuch! Lest ye swiftly find yourself missing thy tongue as well!"

"The cock is still there," an affronted Jasi hissed. "But for the darn humidity that cuts at it like a sharp blade! A foul memory wilts steel they say."

"Good grief!" De Braal grunted in disgust and pursed his mouth tight to keep the rest of it inside as the troubled Queen had appeared at the door of her large royal carriage.

"How far is the bathroom wagon?" Elsanne asked them and a blushing Jurian pointed a hand down the packed with animals and wagons road.

"It's coming up, your grace," the Issir teenager explained. "They had to change a wheel."

"Well, we can't possibly hold out for much longer," Elsanne decided and stared at Jasi knowingly. "To the woods it is!"

An hour later, Jasi stood inside the royal carriage whilst the Queen discarded her muddied dress with the help of Katelyn. The eunuch had some apple pie and half a glass of milk, watching Elsanne fight a pair of leather pants.

"You left them in the wash barrel too-long," the bare-arsed Elsanne accused the rigid Catelyn. "It smells of urine?"

"It ain't that, your highness," the maid argued civilly, leaving it vague on which of the two raised points she was referring to.

"No? Then we don't know what's going on here," Elsanne snapped and glanced at the grinning Jasi annoyed. "Help us, old friend. In our hour of need."

Jasi sighed at her dramatic tone and approached the two entangled women. "I'll hold the pants for you."

"I'll squat and you'll pull them up?"

"Let's not go that far. But hold your end, your grace," Jasi countered with a smile. "Katelyn, loosen the end of the corset a bit, too-much material is pushed downwards."

"There's not much material to begin with! What are these lies we are hearing?" Elsanne hissed, as they struggled with the tight fit for a while. The eunuch standing behind the Queen as they both hobbled back and forth inside the moving carriage. A ridiculous scene that would have probably given an aneurysm to De Braal and as close to a fatal feat to pull through for Jasi had Gust still been around, as the ailing knight had even less of a sense of humor than the Baron of Hunter's Cot.

"We'll be at the bridge before nightfall," a heavy-breathing Elsanne noted, now in Anne Burton's 'outfit', and took a sip from a short glass filled with black whiskey, the Blood Raiders had brought for her from the supply wagons. The procession almost three kilometers long, it had blocked the busy road towards the capital. Sir Beren Kuik scouted ahead with the Old Crows and the Blood Raiders marched behind the wagons to protect their rear. The rains had messed up the roads after Colle and adding even more escorts there, was probably a mistake in hindsight.

"Boss is still at Eagleport," Jasi told her and the Queen paused perusing out of her open window to look his way. Even tired Elsanne was the prettiest Issir woman Jasi had ever seen, but growing up she'd lost some of the sweetness in her stare. Her famous 'jade-eyes', a striking contrast with her dark skin and pure-white curls, now regarded the eunuch serious.

"Why the delay?" She asked him.

"Hard to say if it is a matter of genuine lack of will to push through adversity," Jasi started. "By men that have already fought bravely to defend their homes." Elsanne narrowed her eyes. "The enemy fighting with more desperation now, or just something we hadn't foresee."

"What will that be?" Elsanne queried and glanced outside the window again. "I haven't seen the cherry trees since the summer of 188. Sigurd was with me on our way to Riverdor. I didn't want to go, but Antoon had left us little room to maneuver. I'm dictating the rules now Jasi," she added harshly. "They'll do as I say."

"I'll make sure they do," Jasi said and gathered the blanket around him again to combat a shiver.

"Surely, you're not so chilled?" The Queen remarked with a frown.

"Remember what I said to De Braal about my poor cock? …don't be childish your grace. It's just a word," Jasi paused for a moment, as Elsanne had started chuckling before she could control herself. The Queen had seen his private parts on Eplas, when she was younger and more curious. "Well, it has vanished. I can't sense it," Jasi finally remarked thoughtfully, causing the uncontrollably giggling queen to touch her chest, her face flushing in mirthful embarrassment.

It was true. He had to curl his toes to endure the chill, which made walking properly a big challenge —though Jasi was never one to manage that anyway. The eunuch possessed even wider hips than the now-laughing Queen.

Good, he mused. It's crucial to prevent Elsanne from sinking into sadness and despair with Gust absent.

-

Two hours later,

Three hundred meters from Reinut's Bridge,

And the edges of the 'Field Hospital', which originally had served as the Gallant's Dogs camp.

Jasi climbed out of the queen's carriage, the other wagons stopping one after the other behind them, both sides of the busy road crowded with parked carts, animals and personnel. The hospital's tents had created a small village in front of the large bridge and a bazaar had been birthed around it, with many of their own followers heading there to find a spot for their wares. Mostly Castalor merchants —in the process of expanding to Colle, but also traders and hunters from Rusted and Scaldingport looking to make quick coin. While the royal lands had been hit harshly by war, the siege had brought thousands of men back to the hemorrhaging capital.

"Not much has changed," he told the also exiting the carriage Elsanne, with De Braal's men-at-arms cordoning the queen's transport, as Sir Klaas had stayed in Scaldingport to protect the little prince. The Old Crows, retired Scaldingport men-at-arms the Duke's Shield had re-hired to help him protect Hunter's Cot and the expansive forests surrounding it, were a dreary bunch of veteran fighters. Led by Sir Beren Kuik, a hardened knight freshly-elevated by the Queen at Beren's insistence and the duo of the ancient man-at-arms Janus Boult —Boult was fifteen years older than Beren, who at fifty-five was no spring chicken— and the not much younger thuggish-looking Ward Neve.

Janus was the one closer and he stared broodingly at the shivering, blanket-covered eunuch, before his wrinkled mouth formed a foul smirk, or it could have been a grimace of pain. A lot of teeth were missing from the veteran man-at-arms mouth.

"This kind of humidity gets in them bones. Rots them up from the inside," Janus told the worried Jasi. "Them old wounds and the bleeding gums, ayup," Janus Boult continued. "Sometimes gelded animals take the fever. Did they stitch ye up properly down there, senior basil?"

"It's Jasi. I'm a person, not a spice flower," the perfumed eunuch retorted. "I'm all healed up by the way mister Janus."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Janus Boult crooked his mouth. "No, ye aren't."

"Maybe you are the one ailing, old goat?" A frustrated Jasi snapped.

"Ha! I maybe ailing, but I ain't ready to go yet. Eh, young Beren returns. Went to the field hospital he did, and the bridge after that since younglings have energy to burn, for no plaguing reason. He's dragging quite the posse wit him ma'am," he told the Queen, who had approached in the meantime. "Reckon he'll come here first, unless the old Shield spots them."

Stephan De Braal did notice his man approach and rode there to intercept them followed by his youngest son Jurian. Remus and Sir Mandel had stayed in Scaldingport and Hunter's Cot to 'hold down the fort', as the newly minted Baron had said. Jasi waited with the Queen, whilst the elder De Braal talked with the newcomers and Janus Boult, who had ordered a man-at-arms to find the Queen's horse before joining them.

"Sir Adrian Hakker," Elsanne told the grimacing Jasi. "He escorted Rik in Riverdor," the queen added and the eunuch nodded, flinching when a crackling thunder was heard. More rain started falling and a strong breeze swept through the hospital tents coming from the river.

Jasi thought about retreating to safety, but the large group of armed riders rode near them. De Braal stopped first, a permanent scowl on his drenched face and a mess of thinning white hair plastered on his skull.

"Sir Hakker," he informed Elsanne with a rustle and a harsh stare at the younger Issir knight. Adrian was in his thirties, a tall Issir, with a square jaw and the starts of a white beard on his face. "The Duke sent him."

"Your grace," the knight started bringing his muddied horse next to De Braal's, his dark-grey cuirass sported an engraved crow resting on a tree's branch with a castle in the background. "Welcome to Issir's Eagle."

"We are not exactly there, Sir Adrian," Elsanne noted civilly. Katelyn, who held an open umbrella over the queen's head gave the knight a rare smile.

"The Duke suggests Granlake village as an alternative, your grace. You don't want to camp near the front. It's rather uncomfortable," the knight replied.

"We are not here to see the lake, Sir Adrian," Elsanne reminded him. "Why are we not inside the city?"

"Pourem won't negotiate a surrender," Adrian replied. "The Duke looks to starve him out, but it could be a while before that happens."

"What does he hope to gain?" Elsanne probed, with Jasi examining the faces of the men behind the mounted knight and Sir Braal. A group of Northmen, tall men dressed in leather vests and chainmail, with their long beards and soaked wild hair, carrying axes, custom blades and even a couple of Issir-type heavy crossbows. Plus a ton of attitude, the eunuch noticed feeling the Northmen returning his stare. The group of three, appeared rather intrigued either by the eunuch's painted face or the large blanket tossed over his shoulders.

Another man-at-arms stood beside them, not belonging to their group, better armoured than Janus —or in newer gear, his plate cuirass sporting what looked like a large shrimp holding a sword. A lobster more like, Jasi thought, whilst Adrian talked without saying much —the knight was holding back something and De Braal probably had a hand in that, and then realizing Elsanne was getting angry, the eunuch returned his attention on the conversation.

"Boss still hasn't cleared out Eagleport," a peeved Elsanne noted, "And De Moss with our good Duke, wait for more machines to be built. Is this your report, Sir Adrian?"

"Aye, your grace," Sir Hakker replied.

"What's wrong with the machines we have?" Elsanne asked. "The catapults and the big crossbows? Do we have to build these trebuchets? It's a type of mangonel, is it not?"

"It is and we do. They need to be built on site for we can't carry them around easily," Sir Adrian elucidated. "The capital is very-well defended."

"The Khan got inside though and Lord Anker afore that," Elsanne hissed.

"The Khan didn't fight for the city," De Braal rustled and then eyed the knight annoyed. "Lord Anker used 'Uher's Light' to collapse part of the walls and attacked a surprised force. Still he didn't secure the city, just entered it. Pourem won't budge as long as he's supplied and we don't know how long his provisions will last."

"Six months," Jasi said surprising everyone. He'd gotten a report from Mirte earlier. "But he's starving the population to manage it."

"Lord Rik?" Elsanne asked with a frown.

"He's inspecting operations at Chinos River, your grace," Adrian replied.

"Viscount De Moss?"

"Holds downs the camps, and oversees construction of more machines," the knight said. "Sir Cramer has pushed Timor's Horse-Archers towards the sea and away from Delta Market."

"How many machines do we need?" Elsanne asked a little exasperated.

"At least five, your grace," the knight replied.

"For the whole city?"

"The Barbican, your grace," Adrian explained. "We can't approach the west gates on account of the elevated corner tower. The Duke is exploring other avenues, but for now the main gates need to be breached, else the defenders will continue holding advantage. A ladder assault would be too-costly in morale and manpower, and none of the two we possess in abundance, your grace."

"We'll lose the men… your highness," De Braal barked, what the knight had tried to dress up in a more palatable manner, before continuing in a firm manner. "It shapes to be a long campaign with a winter in it. Might be better to stand down for a while."

Elsanne grimaced and Jasi blinked in shock.

"I want control of the capital, before Lord Anker's armies move," Elsanne told them irritated, directing a glare at each one of the men standing before her. "The Khanate's lackeys kicked out of my palace! Am I clear gentlemen? Is there something else we need to know?"

"Yer wishes don't much matter, Jarlinde of the Issirs," a rough, uncultured rustle interrupted the tense moment and Elsanne snapped her head towards the scarred, fit Northman with the nasty taunting smirk giving her a once over. "Ah, yer as appealing as the stories say," the Northern brute exclaimed and spat down afore adding in his broken Common. "Thirty feet of thick wall stand in yer way, and this obstacle needs a lot more than stones to break it down."

"This Northern hoodlum," a furious De Braal grunted, grinding his teeth, after a moment of astonished silence followed the Nord's words. "Works for the Gallant Dogs. He's a hired thug with the manners of a wild pig. Remove him from my sight!"

"Call me Severs," Severs retorted with a clench of his jaw. "Rad is reserved for me friends and I already have a moniker. Not as fancy as Vulture's dog, but it serves its purpose and it was well-earned."

"Boult!" De Braal growled at the half-asleep on the saddle man-at-arms forcing him awake. "Arrest the Northman!"

Janus Boult blinked and then looked at Sir Beren Kuik, who grimaced crooking his mouth so much, Jasi thought he broke his own jaw. "Mister Severs," the eunuch intervened. "What is the better approach?" He asked trying to withstand Rad Severs' even more hairier partner's intense scrutiny.

"Whatever it is the Lord Crow is doing," Severs replied, keeping his eyes on De Braal's men warningly. "But yer gonna need a strong stomach for that and a black heart."

"The Duke is attempting to block Pourem's access to supplies via the river," Sir Adrian informed them.

"Severs," De Braal grunted, still irritated with the mercenary. "You've said your piece. Now, go back to your post."

"Martel wants a word wit the Jarlinde," Severs replied, ignoring the old Baron's command and focusing on the scowling Queen. "We're here because many brave men have been taken by those slant-eyed fiends. Some of them are friends, and in our line of work, we don't get to have many of those."

"We will work to negotiate the release of any captives, Mister Severs," Elsanne assured him, and the Nord nodded. He paused to look at Sir Beren's weathered face —the seasoned knight had come to aid Janus Boult in the event it was needed, and with another quick, measuring glance at the younger man-at-arms waiting a short distance away, Severs turned his filthy horse around to make his way to the bridge.

"We'll setup the big tent for the Queen," De Braal started crooking his mouth after the rangers went away. "Continue the briefing there Hakker, out of preying eyes."

"Milord Baron," the younger man-at-arms of the bunch said. He'd stood behind Sir Beren and Ward Neve, another hardened old vulture. Between Sir Beren who was in his fifties, Janus Boult at seventy winters and Ward at sixty, not to mention Baron De Braal himself, the well-armed Issir looked quite young, but he was over thirty Jasi guessed.

"Ah, Thomas Meyer is it?" De Braal growled not happy with the interruption.

"Aye, Milord," Thomas replied and approached on his mount. "The Viscount gave me this missive for the Queen."

"What is it, Lord Stephan?" Elsanne asked, whilst the sober De Braal read the tiny scroll.

"A moment, your grace. You wish to serve with the Queen?" De Braal asked Thomas and he bowed his head confidently. "He's from Riverdor," De Braal informed them.

"Do you bring news from Duke Charles, Mister Meyer?" Elsanne asked.

"Only my services, your highness," Thomas replied.

"Well, we are in need of a personal blade," Elsanne noted with a smile. "Sir Klaas is away."

"I'll be honored to serve at the Queen's side," an elated Thomas said.

"The Duke turned him down, your grace," Sir Adrian Hakker intervened and De Braal furrowed his brows troubled. "It's been a couple of days, but I remember him."

"You insulted the Duke?" Elsanne asked the grimacing Thomas.

"Never, your grace," Thomas replied. "I wished for a knighthood and the Duke disagreed."

"The Duke explained his reasoning Meyer!" Sir Adrian blasted him.

"You have the Viscount's blessings," De Braal noted in a calmer manner and the flustered Thomas stood back. "But he also mentions that you approached De Moss first."

"If the Queen wants my services, then she'll have my preference," the man replied and Jasi exchanged a look with Elsanne.

"Are you capable, Mister Meyer?" Elsanne asked and Thomas tapped the pommel of his sword confidently.

"I am, your highness."

"My Queen," Sir Adrian protested. "You haven't vetted the man!"

"We don't question the Queen's judgement!" De Braal growled, glaring at the Knight.

In public was his meaning.

"I like his eagerness. We can afford another personal knight," Elsanne started. "Baron, can I have your sword?"

"Of course, your grace," De Braal grunted and climbed down from the saddle. Thomas did the same and dismounted lithely, a pleased expression on his face. Jasi watched as the former Duke's Shield marched near the Queen, only to pause on his tracks to look at the scowling Sir Hakker, then at the smiling Meyer, before his cold eyes turned on the eunuch.

Jasi frowned unsure. What is this? He wondered and De Braal cleared his throat once, tongue working the gums behind his lower lip.

"Baron Stephan," Elsanne said warningly sensing something was amiss.

"A test of arms, your grace," De Braal finally said crooking his mouth. "Shall alleviate all doubt and mend any rift."

"I don't have doubt," Elsanne retorted now annoyed. "My word is the only one that matters!"

"Milord, just name the opponent. I shan't cower and prove myself!" Thomas declared.

Jasi narrowed his eyes and then talked before the perked up Sir Adrian could volunteer.

"It can't be a knight," the eunuch said and Elsanne glanced his way confused. "Certainly not Sir Adrian, nor Sir Beren."

De Braal pursed his wrinkled mouth, eyeing Jasi intently. Sorry, old dog. Jasi thought. Whatever it is you are trying to pull, it won't succeed. The old Baron had a smirk on his cracked lips now.

"Boult!" He barked again and the sleepy, ancient man-at-arms rubbed his tired face from the back of their group and then became visibly very-annoyed. "A clash of blades," De Braal offered and Thomas looked at the barely standing on the saddle figure of Janus Boult, the old Issir's wrinkled cheeks dipping where he missed several teeth.

"Are you certain, milord?" Thomas Meyer queried, and Jasi realized De Braal was never going to pick Sir Adrian Hakker. Elsanne turned his way with a relieved sigh.

"Aye," the Baron grunted.

Balls in mouth!

"We have taken a liking to mister Boult, Thomas," the queen told the confident, much younger man-at-arms. "So be careful."

"Why him?" Jasi insisted and the Baron raised his brows pretending at surprise.

"Janus was Ruud's longtime blade partner," De Braal replied and Jasi grimaced nervously. "All I know, I've learned from him," he added and Sir Beren Kuik shrugged his shoulders then nodded in agreement.

"I merely hinged on the lads in this journey for the rare opportunity to glimpse at the capital, Stephan," Janus rustled, running a hand over the bald patch atop his head. He then wiped the moisture from on his right pant leg before donning a leather glove over slightly-crooked and roughened fingers. "I was planning to retire this past summer. Purchased a piece of land in the woods and everything."

"Well, summer has passed," De Braal shot back. "And you're still here, Boult. You won't get that blasted land unless the Baron signs the cursed contract!"

"That would be you," Janus rustled, twisting his mouth, and De Braal nodded in agreement. "Alright then," Janus grunted, trying to dismount. His pivot boot slipped in the stirrup, causing him to slide halfway to the side with a pained groan, until he finally managed to swing his other leg over the horse's back and touch the ground. "Damn it," Janus swore, glaring at the sky. The rain continued to fall, now merely a drizzle, not worthy of the old warrior's ire.

"Why hasn't Janus been knighted after so many decades of faithful service?" Elsanne inquired curious, whilst the two men readied themselves for their duel. Several passersby, whether on foot, in carts, or mounted, slowed down at a safe distance —outside the security perimeter— in order to catch a glimpse of the Queen, and upon sensing a duel was imminent, decided to linger a bit longer.

"I doubt Ruud dispensed titles easily, whether minor or otherwise, your grace," the tense Jasi responded. "Beren was in the same situation until you knighted him."

"Obviously, Mister Thomas can win this duel. No?" Elsanne asked, while the two opponents prepared themselves and those still on horseback gave them the space to maneuver, keeping the bystanders back. "Boult has forty winters on him," the Queen added.

"I think you should stop the fight, retire to your tent and take the personal hit," Jasi urged her. "Having to stand in the drizzle to watch a man and his father fight is pointless."

"Jasi, the Baron is right. Gust vouched for Klaas, so who is going to do the same for Thomas?" an irritated Elsanne argued. "If this makes them accept my wish without pouting, then so be it."

I don't think they will.

"Anytime you are ready, old timer," Meyer told Boult, the latter casually wiping his drawn blade with a dark towel. "First strike to the body?"

"Any strike!" One of the onlookers yelled, probably a man-at-arms outside the immediate circle.

Boult twisted his mouth, threw the towel into the open saddlebag of his horse, and then gave its rear a light tap to send it towards Sir Beren Kuik. The knight halted the animal, grasping the dangling reins, and his gaze searched the older warrior's face for something. Without uttering a single word, Janus Boult pivoted to confront the bulkier man, holding his longsword casually in a grip with his right hand, resting part of the guard and blade across his left forearm in front of him —making it align parallel to his torso.

"Get it over with," De Braal grunted after walking near the Queen and Jasi, who watched standing at the sides of the large royal carriage.

With an eager nod, the spirited Thomas Meyer lunged at the more sluggish Boult, his sword held high above his head. He closed the distance within reach of the longsword and then swung down with a fierce grunt, the weighty blade cutting through the air.

People gasped, with Elsanne stifling a shocked sound, in her attempt to suppress a yelp, and the constipated Boult deflected the blade with his own, redirecting it away. The sharp clang rang painfully in the ears of the spectators.

Thomas attacked for a second time with another equally loud grunt, the sword screaming sideways on the return —now parallel to the ground, but Janus Boult defended again deflecting the blade up and over his head with his own sword. The unaccustomed to such blatant brutality Jasi grimaced, feeling an urgent need to pee down his leg, as the duel took on a familiar pattern and rhythm for a while.

It was probably less than a minute, thought it appeared longer to the tensed eunuch. Meyer kept attacking with increasingly higher intensity the ever-defending Boult, which apparently was the right way to go about a duel with an unknown adversary judging by some excited comments thrown by the spectators, since you wanted to finish up an opponent quickly or make him panic.

Right. Jasi wanted to know how one can start a duel with big naked blades without feeling panic to begin with.

In the same vein, how in Goddess' cock would a strike connecting with the defending Boult would be anything but outright crippling, Jasi had no idea, but several of the men-at-arms watching the scrap appeared to appreciate the intense action, with Sir Adrian's face showing his worry for the outcome and Boult's gaggle of old comrades appearing rather divided, more-like standing somewhere in the middle. Specifically, Sir Beren looked right uncomfortable about Boult's overall chances, with Ward Neve almost the complete opposite.

As a matter of fact, the covered in dark spots all over his face Neve —from a case of bad liver caused by excessive drinking, chuckled nervously the whole time, as if he found the dangerous scrap a hilarious an event, as much as exhilarating.

Whatever the case of the veteran's strange behavior might have been, Boult's defenses held up even when a mighty overhead chop from Meyer —also parried aside at the last possible moment— produced enough sparkles to set a part of the older man's hair on fire and then burned through it quickly, creating another bald spot next to the one he already had at the top of his head. Despite this mishap, the stumbling backwards flustered Boult's defenses withstood the barrage of blows somehow, and Meyer found himself winded in the process.

So when this small opening came, the younger man couldn't follow it up.

He made an effort, taking a forward step on tired legs and slashing at Boult, but the latter sidestepped to dodge it, then swiftly slashed hefting the blade with both hands and whipping it at Thomas who had rolled into the longsword's reach from the momentum.

"Grrgled," Meyer croaked, spraying gore out of his mouth, even more spurting out of his sliced open throat —his trachea split and flooded with blood— while the grimacing Janus walked away from him, yet again moving with difficulty.

"Gods, he's terribly hurt," Elsanne commented, when the younger man faltered, dropped his sword and sunk to his knees. He'd a hand wrapped around the wound on his neck, but more blood dripped out from between his gore-covered fingers and then leaked down his chest plate. Meyer still tried to speak, making incoherent, drowned sounds while the onlookers murmured in shock at the sudden change in fortunes.

The tensed Jasi stared at De Braal, who after waiting for a long moment —it seemed, finally barked, taking a step forward.

"Clean strike! It's over," the Baron announced with a glare at the heavy-breathing Boult, who glared back at the displeased Baron, the reason becoming clear right away. "Someone help the man darn it. Curse ye Boult, just finish the job!" De Braal grunted but no one moved to help and they all stared at Meyer speedily bleeding away amidst groans and strangled gasps, until Elsanne snapped at them angrily.

"Find the medic! What are you all standing there for?" The pale Queen ordered and someone run towards the Field Hospital tents to locate Dalai-Tue.

"Don't bother ma'am," Janus told the upset Queen who turned to look at him in shock, but afore she could utter a single word, Thomas wilted forward with a sigh and buckled for the covered in gravel ground headfirst.

"Welp, that's a silver coin down the drain Maximilian," one of the unknown bystanders commented to his partner and his words sparked more reaction from the frozen crowd, until a large crow landed on the gravel. The nervous Bob —Ruud's old crow, blinked once, stared at the onlookers next, and then made a small leap towards the fresh corpse of Thomas Meyer.

"Ward," De Braal ordered coming about. "Take Bob away—"

"Big… crowd! Many… brothers!" Bob croaked tipping its head back to abruptly interrupt the scowling Baron. "Occupied… elsewhere!"

"What the all-hells? That bird just spoke!" someone exclaimed, and a livestock trader beside him responded pensively.

"The Vulture's birds can do that," which made Bob shoot a warning look at the oncoming Ward Neve.

"Was first... motherfucker! CAW!" the angry crow squawked. "CAW!"

"Good heavens," a frustrated De Braal muttered. Neve lifted his hands, indicating he'd no objection to Bob's argument, and halted in front of the astonished crowd, allowing Bob to take a bite of the fresh carcass.

-

There's likely no validity to the tale making the rounds about the duel in front of the Queen of Kaltha. Some aspects are downright ridiculous, such as the one involving a massive crow devouring the man's face, or the explanation for why Janus Boult ended Thomas Meyer's life that day. Meyer, who had ties to Riverdor and the Van Durren, had approached the queen to volunteer his services —many Issirs serving under different lords had attempted the same— but he 'went about it the wrong way,' according to various accounts. When the Queen seemed to take a liking to the outsider, it appears measures were swiftly enacted to eliminate him. The official narrative claims that Thomas Meyer's premature death was merely an accident.

Be that as it may, the Queen's arrival caused even more problems for the supply trains heading towards the army's camps as her large caravan and royal camp blocked the already clogged up road. Some supply caravans were redirected to Jaw's Castle —then Eagleport, which was good for General Boss' Castalor troops, but a problem for the men of Scaldingport camping before the walls of the capital.

The latter faced little trouble during the winter, but the situation inside the walls slowly but surely deteriorated, with Duke Rik's soldiers harassing the supply boats making the river trip from Chinos Delta to bring Pourem vital provisions. Duke Rik managed to sink two large boats during this time and took no prisoners, allowing the hardened Desert Crows troops —Rik pulled them from the rear where they hunted Timor in the wilderness— to shoot at will at their incapacitated opponents, trying to swim to safety.

The besieged Khanate general retaliated with ferocity, executing a dozen Issirs daily and leaving their mangled bodies to be collected under the cover of darkness. Oddly enough, the Queen refrained from visiting the primary army encampments for an entire week —right up until or just before the first snowfall other sources claim— and seemed to discover the extent of the slaughter with a noticeable delay, which may hint at the possibility of some internal scheming or the initial indications of the split that was to come.

Lord Sirio Veturius

Circa 206 NC

The Fall of Heroes

Chapter VIII

(Princess Elsanne Eikenaar, the Pirate Queen, *Khalifa of the five Gulfs)

—The struggle for Issir's Eagle—

Volume I

A well-defended place

*Five Gulfs, the ruler of the gulfs moniker was given to Elsanne by the Khanate historians, for she had control of Eikenport's Gulf, Boarsnout at Castalor, Colle Gulf, Veer's Gulf at Scaldingport and Reinut's Gulf at the capital.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.