“So what are you suggesting that we do now?” King Aled asked Rhydian. It had only been a few days but they had been able to confirm that Duke Ryder had truly pulled back his forces. Duke Burn’s new allies had apparently spooked him enough to stop his dogged pursuit of the King’s forces, if temporarily. “We move. I doubt …

“I had heard that you had returned, Sire. So how did things go back at the castle?” Rhydian asked when Braydon went to find him. Braydon wondered how Rhydian still seemed to be able to keep track of him whilst managing the army and planning for war. It was not like Braydon going to meet guests should have been one …

“We will have to see, but hopefully this is not Duke Burn inviting the wolves in.” Braydon could quite easily see a future in which the Dukes, having been invited into the conflict, decided to ‘advance’ their own positions. He just hoped that Duke Burn would be able to deal with it at the time. And preferably without getting the …

“Why does the amount of running around I do these days feel like more than I do on the battlefield?” Braydon asked Nela. He had thought that the life of a noble lord involved much more ordering other people to run around in his stead. How he had been proven wrong by the civil war. “Probably because it is. There …

“We understand that it is an implausible situation, that is why we think that such a person should be easily memorable.” The talkative man spoke again, seeing that his partner had decided to stop speaking. Now that they were actually talking about the matter that they came for, Braydon found them to be less irritating. But irritation was replaced by …

“We thank you for your great generosity in listening to our ramblings.” One of the two men said in a thick Serheshi accent. Braydon may have thought this to be a pleasantry if it had been said at the start of the conversation, but they were already 3 hours in and he had yet to hear anything of substance from …

“I did not think that you would come back so quickly, my lord.” Colin greeted Braydon as he dismounted from his horse. Part of the reason that he had sent word to Gerald was because he was sure that both Braydon and Rhydian would be too busy to deal with things happening in the castle. They had a civil war …

“So Duke Ryder did not attack the bridge along with Viscount Sharpe?” Rhydian asked to confirm. He knew that Braydon wouldn’t lie to him but it was such a critical matter that it would likely shape the course of the war. He could not just take that lightly. “Yes, both Cinar and myself thought it odd that he did not …

“Are you an idiot?” Braydon could hardly believe his ears. He knew that Viscount Sharpe was not the brightest of men from his first encounter with him but he did not think that it extended to such lengths.  “Not as much of one as you are!” The still defiant Viscount Sharpe all but confirmed Braydon’s suspicions with his response. Insulting …

“Is he still marching towards us after seeing that we are prepared for him? Not a single pause for thought?” Braydon wondered to himself as he looked towards his opponent who had not stopped marching even after coming into view. He thought that Sharpe would still decide to attack anyway but he had not expected the man to be that …