time.”
Inside the house, Chase, Corvis, and Lynn sat at the table discussing their strategy. Guy, lay on his pallet, awake and listening quietly. Charity had just finished helping him eat some dinner and was outside with one of the soldiers getting the cart ready for him. It had been several days since he was injured and he was healing quickly, but wasn’t able to walk reliably on his own yet.
“We have enough men, and thank God for the horses, but it is still a huge risk. It might be best to head to the mouth of the valley and hope they pass us by. Waiting seems like too much of a risk, and the way we plan to do this is…brutal.” Chase had already made the argument, but he felt that duty required him to try one more time to persuade the Lynn to go with another plan.
Corvis shook his head and said, “Chase, we have a plan. It’s a good one. We have enough men to start the fires. We have the routes mapped out and we have horses. The only problem with your plan is that it leaves the enemy alive to follow us. There is risk to everything, and yes it’s brutal, but this plan is solid. I’m with Lynn.”
With that they both looked to Lynn.
He was silent for a moment, and he looked each of them directly in the eyes before he spoke. “You and your men are not mine to command. But together we CAN win. We don’t know yet, why these rebels are coming up the mountain. Could be after you,” he said to Chase. “Could be after me,” he said to Corvis. “Either way, they are part of the same rebel army that indiscriminately kills our families, and burns our villages each year. I have no reservations about being brutal. There is no dishonor in killing the enemy before he kills you. What I know from experience is that the best plans are usually very simple. I also know that for a smaller force to overcome a larger force, it needs a significant advantage in weaponry or terrain. We have superior knowledge of the terrain, and we know the forest is dry. Fire is our weapon.” He looked at Corvis, then over at Guy and then back at Chase, “We can all make it out of this…but only if we’re willing to completely destroy the enemy.”
Chase looked at Corvis and nodded solemnly.
“One last thing,” Lynn said to the two men. “When this is over, I need to find a swordsman named Kelly Turner. Have either of you heard of him?” he asked.
Chase and Corvis started to chuckle. “Kelly Turner?” said Chase. “He’s the King’s Master of Swords.” The two men traded a mischievous look. “You can find him in the capital, usually at the castle. Why do you need to find that crazy old man?”
Lynn shook his head and refused to say more. The conversation went no further.
At the opposite end of the valley, a company of rebel soldiers searched for signs of the escaped prisoner. “Sir, it looks like someone was camped here. There are horse tracks as well. We believe at least two men were camped here for several days. They were probably lookouts for a larger group farther up the valley. I’ve sent a few men ahead to make sure, but there is a path through the center of the valley that may be the shortest route. I suggest we set up camp here and maneuver up through the valley at first light tomorrow. We can send a squad up each side of the valley like pincers while the main force moves down the middle.”
The rebel Captain shook his head and laughed. “Sergeant Major, you are always so cautious! We are after one man. So what if he has a few others with him? We have an entire company of the best fighting men in the Rebel army!” He said that last part loudly enough for anyone to hear. Some shouts of approval were heard among the resting men. “No Sergeant Major, we will not wait. We will march into these woods tonight, and we will capture this man as he sleeps. Or we will kill him when he tries to escape.” He turned to face the men and shouted, “One hour! Catch your breath and be ready to march in one hour! This ends
Inside the house, Chase, Corvis, and Lynn sat at the table discussing their strategy. Guy, lay on his pallet, awake and listening quietly. Charity had just finished helping him eat some dinner and was outside with one of the soldiers getting the cart ready for him. It had been several days since he was injured and he was healing quickly, but wasn’t able to walk reliably on his own yet.
“We have enough men, and thank God for the horses, but it is still a huge risk. It might be best to head to the mouth of the valley and hope they pass us by. Waiting seems like too much of a risk, and the way we plan to do this is…brutal.” Chase had already made the argument, but he felt that duty required him to try one more time to persuade the Lynn to go with another plan.
Corvis shook his head and said, “Chase, we have a plan. It’s a good one. We have enough men to start the fires. We have the routes mapped out and we have horses. The only problem with your plan is that it leaves the enemy alive to follow us. There is risk to everything, and yes it’s brutal, but this plan is solid. I’m with Lynn.”
With that they both looked to Lynn.
He was silent for a moment, and he looked each of them directly in the eyes before he spoke. “You and your men are not mine to command. But together we CAN win. We don’t know yet, why these rebels are coming up the mountain. Could be after you,” he said to Chase. “Could be after me,” he said to Corvis. “Either way, they are part of the same rebel army that indiscriminately kills our families, and burns our villages each year. I have no reservations about being brutal. There is no dishonor in killing the enemy before he kills you. What I know from experience is that the best plans are usually very simple. I also know that for a smaller force to overcome a larger force, it needs a significant advantage in weaponry or terrain. We have superior knowledge of the terrain, and we know the forest is dry. Fire is our weapon.” He looked at Corvis, then over at Guy and then back at Chase, “We can all make it out of this…but only if we’re willing to completely destroy the enemy.”
Chase looked at Corvis and nodded solemnly.
“One last thing,” Lynn said to the two men. “When this is over, I need to find a swordsman named Kelly Turner. Have either of you heard of him?” he asked.
Chase and Corvis started to chuckle. “Kelly Turner?” said Chase. “He’s the King’s Master of Swords.” The two men traded a mischievous look. “You can find him in the capital, usually at the castle. Why do you need to find that crazy old man?”
Lynn shook his head and refused to say more. The conversation went no further.
At the opposite end of the valley, a company of rebel soldiers searched for signs of the escaped prisoner. “Sir, it looks like someone was camped here. There are horse tracks as well. We believe at least two men were camped here for several days. They were probably lookouts for a larger group farther up the valley. I’ve sent a few men ahead to make sure, but there is a path through the center of the valley that may be the shortest route. I suggest we set up camp here and maneuver up through the valley at first light tomorrow. We can send a squad up each side of the valley like pincers while the main force moves down the middle.”
The rebel Captain shook his head and laughed. “Sergeant Major, you are always so cautious! We are after one man. So what if he has a few others with him? We have an entire company of the best fighting men in the Rebel army!” He said that last part loudly enough for anyone to hear. Some shouts of approval were heard among the resting men. “No Sergeant Major, we will not wait. We will march into these woods tonight, and we will capture this man as he sleeps. Or we will kill him when he tries to escape.” He turned to face the men and shouted, “One hour! Catch your breath and be ready to march in one hour! This ends
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