Kingslayer by Honor Raconteur

you’ll have sacks of cats by night’s first bell.”
    Shade finder being some form of informer? Darius wasn’t quite sure of that, but clearly Navid knew how to approach this, which meant he was the right man for the job. “Since you apparently know who to talk to and how this works, I’ll let you handle it. When the cats are collected, can you have your Night Raiders sneak them onto a few surviving supply wagons?”
    “Cats instead of supplies?” Ramin stared at the map thoughtfully. “Sir, that’s evil.”
    “You say that, Ramin, but you’re smiling.”
    “Because I can picture it in my mind, sir.” He gave a regretful sigh. “What I wouldn’t give to watch as those poor hungry souls open the wagons for food only to get angry cats.”
    Darius had to admit, the mental picture had a certain appeal to it. He might fantasize about it more during that interminable dinner tonight. But for now, he had to stay focused. “Navid?”
    His taciturn commander gave a simple nod of the head.
    “Good.” Darius turned to the next item. “Sego suggested that we do a little propaganda. I want flyers made stating that I am now the lead general and that any man that wishes to change sides will be welcome. Put it in as many languages as you can think of.”
    Kaveh caught the implications first and let out a low, admiring whistle. “That will be a heavy blow to morale, sir.”
    Indeed it would be. Darius was the only general that’d come anywhere close to conquering Niotan. He also had more experience than General Jahangir, who’d basically gotten to the rank he had because of family connections. Hearing that they would now go against Darius would be a huge psychological blow.
    “It will demoralize them, but it won’t make them go away,” Ramin pointed out. He lost his energy for a moment and some of his exhaustion seeped into his expression. “Granted, it will make them easier to fight.”
    “We don’t need to defeat all twelve thousand,” Darius corrected. His commanders looked at him, clearly not sure if they could believe this or not. With a shake of the head and a sad smile, he explained quietly. “We don’t need to kill them all. We just need them to retreat. Do you know? The easiest army in the world to demoralize and defeat is the conquering force. The defending force is much harder to defeat because they have so much they are fighting for —if they fall, their homes and family are in jeopardy. But the conquering force is only marching on orders, with vague ideas of power and glory. If we can defeat them here—” Darius tapped his forehead with his index finger “—then they will quickly give up and yearn for home. A man with no fighting spirit is easily persuaded to retreat.”
    Kaveh and Navid looked sold on this idea but Ramin clearly wasn’t sure. He just didn’t want to contradict a superior officer out loud.
    Darius reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Tell you what, Ramin, I’ll make a bet with you. Two thousand Brindisi soldiers will desert their posts before the first day of battle is over.”
    Those dark eyes lit up in anticipation. Ramin, apparently, was a betting man. “If I win, sir, you have to take me to a formal dinner.”
    That would have been Darius’s idea of a punishment , actually, but to each their own. “And if I win, you are my errand boy on your next day of rest.”
    Ramin stuck out his hand with a fierce smile of anticipation and challenge. Darius clasped the hand firmly to seal the deal.
    “But isn’t two thousand deserters a bit too many for the first day?” Kaveh objected.
    “The barbarian forces number about two thousand,” Darius informed him cheerfully.
    Ramin’s eyes shot wide. He had apparently not realized just how many barbarians there were in that army. “Sir!”
    Darius shook his head with a genial smile on his face. “A bet’s a bet, Commander.”
    “But sir, with the cats, of course they’ll run!”
    “You should