The Prophesy: Book 1 - Cave Lupus

 

The column left camp an hour after prime, and kept a good pace to cover the seventy-eight miles separating it from Frieburg's border. A one-hour break at sext and another at nones made sure that the elven infantry would reach the border village of Cologne, Ultrech, around vespers, when most people, including troops, would be eating. An hour before the elves would crest over the hill leading down to the village, the cavalry left and continued ahead to take the bridge leading into Frieburg, and the sister village of Aude, facing Cologne.

To say that the charging cavalry took the meagre border posts that acted as custom offices on both sides by surprise goes without saying. The few men manning the posts cowered and surrendered without even knowing what was happening. Yamato left half a centurie at each end of the bridge, and headed at full gallop towards Aude. His troops took Aude without the defences being even raised, as they were all watching the events occurring in Cologne with the elven army.

The elven column came running down the southern road leading into Cologne and emerged in view of the gate less then three hundred feet away from it. The guards did try to close the gate, but the sudden arrival of two hundred wolves in their midst, teeth bared, completely disorganized their effort, and before anyone even considered shooting an arrow, the Royals were in control of the entrance. The rest went without a glitch, as the troops spread into the village and took control of the different strategic intersections, and buildings. The raising of the Elven Royal Colours on the flag post signalled to Yamato that Cologne had fallen, to which he replied by raising the Wolf Throne Colours in turn.

The Elven Kingdom Flag: Oak Tree in Full Autumn Colour

Enron, with the accord of the others, had held off using the conscripts, as he did not want any to try giving them the slip on a battlefield where they could merge in the population way too easily. Furthermore, there was the need to keep those conscripts separate, so that those who would fall under conscription during the early morning hours in Cologne and Aude had no prior warning of their fate. After eating, the princes and kings wrote the list of conscripts for both towns, and a wolf, after taking a rest, carried the one destined for the gentry of Aude to Yamato. The farms would be visited by the elves in the early morning and their contingent of conscripts would fatten the harvest. Quite a few farmers would find out that mistreating their horses got them in a lot more trouble than they had ever expected. The additional conscripts were few, less than ninety, and the military amounted to two hundred and some. The security was again left to the care of canines, a combination of wolves and dogs. Cologne's baron was incorporated in the army to command the combined forces from his city and Aude, while Aude's baron stayed behind so as see to the preparations and conversion to military production.

The next morning found the increased army leaving at prime for the Astorian border, approximately sixty miles away, and a seven and a half hour run, excluding lunch. There was no way to assault Frizz by surprise during the sext luncheon. The only thing they knew is that Frizz's baron had positioned his forces to face north and west, overlooking the river into Astor and Zorba. Frizz was also a fortified city, with imposing walls. At one time, it had been part of the defence line that had followed the river along the border between Munster and Frieburg, the Little Danube. As the army progressed northwest across Frieburg, the army leaders discussed the upcoming situation in Frizz.

"The dogs report that there is increased activity in Frizz, dad. The baron is worried about the events up north, and is preparing accordingly. For once, we have someone that takes the initiative rather then wait for orders to fall down from the tree."

"What about Zorba and Astor?"

"Both are also mobilizing, albeit at what appears a slower speed. The counts that control the area are more worried about the activity in Frieburg than what is happening north."

"We'll change that shortly, Paschal. Enron, have you given some thought as to how to proceed with Frizz?"

"Yes. The baron seems a good man to have on our side; at least he is doing what everyone should be, rather than play cutthroat. Dad, do you remember the baron's name?"

"Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a fine strategist, if I remember well. And you are right in assuming he would be an asset, if he passes the Mitsuko test."

"True. Astor will not be offering much support since a small unit of border guards, with no city or village whatsoever, occupies their side of the river. I have been monitoring the activity, and, apparently, when they need something, they get it in Frizz. Astorians seem a relaxed lot. Zorba is a bit different, it has a fishing village; however, they get most of their supplies from Frizz as well. The farmland seems to get a bit more sparse, probably because the soil seems to be getting less fertile; they have more sheep and beef, and grow less stuff."

"You mention that Zorba and Astor are mobilizing; certainly you cannot tell from the meagre population?"

"Oh yes, they have organized civil defence drills, a new thing. Farmers are asked to be at the market the day before it opens each week, and they exercise in a field below Frizz's fortifications. Apparently, the baron takes the situation seriously enough to have convinced the Astorians and the Zorbians of its gravity."

"That is very interesting, Paschal. Anything else?"

"Well, dad, the counts and the baron are supposed to hold a meeting tonight at the baron's instigation, in his castle. He has guaranteed immunity by giving each group one of his sons as hostage," Sitar told them.

"Hostages? Trust must not be on the menu daily, in the area."

"You can say that many times over, Harold. I do not have the exact count of the number of times the Archduke of Frieburg broke the King's peace, but I'm glad we got rid of him," commented Samson. "All sorts of stupid excuses were drummed up by the Archduke, from 'invasion' by a fleet of vessels from Astor, which, actually, was a fishing boat who broke an oar and drifted into Frieburg's territorial waters, to piracy, because two fishermen collided in the middle of the river. Think stupid, and you have the archduke."

"I see, Samson. Enron, back to Frizz, what are your plans? Remember, young man, you are Prince Regent!"

"Please, Harold, don't remind me! Dad, are you sure you do not want the crown back?"

"Oh no, boy! I have never felt so light-headed in five hundred years!"

Enron making a face said, "I thought so. Unfortunately. Any suggestions, brothers?"

"Hey, why not simply walk into Frizz, trumpets, drums, and the whole gimmick, like we were on parade? After all you are the king, Samson, and that should be one of your prerogatives!"

"Sitar, I thought showing off was Harp's prerogative?"

"Come on, Enron, why must we always assume the worse? For one thing, there is very little chance he has knowledge of what happened in Elven Woods; second, he might welcome reinforcements; third, he might even be ready to move with us up north."

"Sitar is right, Enron. And a show of force with all the royal colours, the royal fanfare, and the legions walking at the tempo of drumbeats might do better at opening the fortified city's doors. Let's give the citizens of Frizz a military parade to remember for the next thousand years!"

"All right, Dunbar, how about you organize the parade?"

"When we reach our resting place for lunch, at sext, I'll see to it, Enron. Since we still are some time off that stop, I'll take this interval to think things over."

"OK, Dunbar, come back to me with your plan as soon as you can."

***

Sext came and the column was rearranged slightly. The first units that would enter Frizz would be elven, composed of Samson's Royal Fanfare, followed immediately by the Royal Guards with banners; Yamato and his cavalry would be third in line flying the wolf throne colours, followed by the lead drum of each centurie and its unit, with the centurion in full parade uniform on horseback; to prevent any of the newly enrolled recruits from taking a tangent, their units would be framed by five rows of wolves as they paraded down the main street. Immediately after the new units would come the regular elven army, organized by unit, with full colours flying. Right in the middle would be the royal party, followed by several units of wolves walking on parade. Immediately after that would be five more units of elves, to be followed by the coyote units, the horses, the donkeys, and the asses, each organized in units of specific species, with the head stallion or the alpha canine leading in step ahead of the unit. Then would come the foxes, another five units of elves, and the dogs. Closing the parade would be another centurie with drummers. All taken into account, there would be over three hundred centuries of all sorts, human, elves, wolves, coyotes, foxes, dogs, horses, asses, donkeys, and mules combined. Each unit would carry its colours, indicating the nature of the task assigned to the centurie, from scout to engineering. Even the quadrupeds would have a ribbon to their colour, red for battle, green for medical, yellow for royal post, blue for cargo, black for covert operations, white for scouts, grey for hunters, and so forth.

"Have you even the slightest idea of the time it will take to cross that town and for our last unit to enter Astor?" asked Dunbar to Harold.

"No, but I suspect you can tell me?"

"I did a calculation. Our current convoy stretches about four miles long. At parade speed, which is about four miles per hour, it will take those at the southern gate of Franz an hour to see the last of our men walk in. And the construction of Frizz is longitudinal, stretching over six miles from the southern gate to the northern gate across the Danube. That means an hour and a half before our advanced guards see the drawbridge, and all told, to get us across the town, you can count on it taking two and a half hours before our last man steps foot on the bridge to Astor."

"Dunbar, you need to take into account that an army cannot, under any consideration, walk in step on either a drawbridge or a concrete one. There is such a thing as resonance, so you can add an hour at least to the whole process," noted Yamato.

"Damn, you are right! So, let's make it three and a half hours to get entirely moved into Astor, from the moment our avant-garde steps foot on the northern drawbridge of Frizz."

"And you assume that Baron De Coubertin won't ask for a halt while he talks to the kings," added Harp.

"Again, another uncontrollable factor, I guess."

"Not entirely, Dunbar," intervened Williams. "We can always send a message to the baron asking he meet us as we set camp across into Astor. That should delay any intervention from him and let us move forward."

"Better still, Williams, let's send him a message as we enter Frizz telling him the king will be at his meeting but wants his troops moved forward into Astor as soon as possible to prevent any undue delay. He is a fine strategist, Samson stated earlier today; he will certainly understand the necessity of continued movement in such a large group of armed men, momentum and all."

"Harp, are you sure you aren't a general of old?"

"Probably, but all I remember is what matters, not the name."

"OK. I agree. I'll write the letter, and countess Theresa will deliver the letter," decided Enron. "We still have an hour and a half of travel to get to Frizz; I'll send Theresa ahead of us about half an hour before we come to the drawbridge."

"Isn't that a bit short, son?"

"The less time the baron has to think, the better. Even doing her best, by the time Theresa delivers the letter in hand to the baron, we will be knocking on his door. I doubt any guard in his right mind would dare stop the royal army marching in, unless he or she is suicidal."

"You have a point. Let's finish that meal, and you can dictate the letter to the Royal Scribe, while you eat, son."

***

Countess Theresa left riding a sable horse, bareback, as is customary with elves, carrying the letter for the Baron in a satchel bearing the Royal Seal of the Elven Kingdom. She had her weapons, and a banner wrapped around a lance, whose base was inserted in her right boot top. The banner would be unfolded as she rode hard towards the drawbridge, the colours clearly indicating the royal origin of the messenger.

Meanwhile the column continued its advance towards Frizz and made good progress. As the countess met with the baron in his private office to deliver the letter hand to hand, the first soldiers came into view of the drawbridge, and continued at full run until they reached it. The baron looked at the seal to verify its integrity, and, as he ruptured it, he heard from his window the sounds of the royal trumpets.

"What is that?" asked the baron, looking outside of his window, and not seeing anything, as the drawbridge being used by the royals was at the southeastern part of town and his windows gave a view on the river and into Astor and Zorba.

"The letter will explain everything, baron. The King is moving north and crossing your city. By the way, as soon as you are done reading that one, I have another for you."

The baron looked at Theresa, his temper flaring. "The king should have asked permission!"

"I doubt he needs permission to cross a city you hold in his name! And I wonder how you could hold against three hundred and four centuries of dedicated troops! Now, read!"

The baron, almost purple from rage, read the first scroll, frowning as he progressed further down.

"Who is Enron?"

"Enron is the Prince Regent, which replaces King Samson. He is King Samson's son."

"This is highly irregular, especially when I seem to remember that prince Enron is but a child?"

"Maybe so, but consider the army you have at your door! It follows Enron north to face the orcs. Can you ignore that?"

"Still, three hundred and four centuries! That is huge, given our population! How can he have that many?"

"Now comes the second letter. I hereby give you in hand the general mobilization orders covering the entire kingdom. I also have the orders for the conversion to full military economy, the proclamation of martial law, and the tasks expected of citizens and military alike. We are at war, baron. I also have a list of conscripts, that are to join the king's army or be disposed of."

Again the baron read the different orders, bleaching progressively as he read them one after the other.

"Well, that boy sure knows how to word things! No wonder he has that many centuries at his disposal. I was wondering what was keeping Samson, but I can see his son is not doing things half-heartedly. I have never seen such an exhaustive review of our resources and requirements! It's as if he was in our storerooms and did the inventory himself!"

Theresa did not bother telling the facts to the baron. The less he knew the better.

"I gather that Samson is dead, since his son is regent?"

"No, king Samson isn't dead, but he got hurt during a battle with orcs and passed command to his son. King Samson is now back in good health, but has refused to take the crown back from his son. He says he enjoys the vacation and that Enron is doing a fine job."

"Ah, I see. Well, from these letters, I would have to agree with Samson. This is fine work, and shows a remarkable sense of timing. I wonder how Franz of Sophia took to the passage of your army on his lands?"

"Coldly, as a corpse."

"What?"

"Oh, we simply disposed of him. Enron isn't one to take lightly any dumb jerk trying to help orcs or, for that matter, priests!"

"Orcs, I understand, but priests?"

"Well, I think we have a copy of a drawing of a priest. The best is you wait and see to understand the true meaning of that comment."

"You said that he disposed of Franz? I remember, now, that Enron is a weak, sickly, child, and that Franz was a fine blade. How can Enron have disposed of him?"

"I suggest you keep all your questions to when you meet with Enron, baron. Things will be a lot more easily understood then."

"That's another question I have. How did he ever know of my meeting with the representatives of Zorba and Astor? That meeting was decided forty-eight hours ago! He can't possibly know of it!"

"You have a knack to ask questions I cannot answer, baron."

Just as she said that, the first drums of the legionnaires could be heard, mixing their regular beat with the royal fanfare.

"Now what? We do not have marching drums in our army, as far as I know!"

"Baron, how about coming with me to see the royal army walk by? Staying here will not help you understand, and you might want to see with your own eyes."

"I think I'll do as you say, countess. Let me get my armour and sword of office, and I'll be back with you shortly."

"Take your time, baron, the first centurie should reach the central plaza in an hour, given the speed it is moving."

"They must be slow, at parade speed it takes an hour and a half to cross Frizz."

"No, baron, it's the need to desynchronize the walk while we cross the drawbridges in and out of town that slow us down."

"Ah yes. I forgot that."

The baron took off to his private apartments, and quickly donned his parade armour, his blade of office, the helmet with the red plumes, and his baton of command. He then joined countess Theresa in a solemn walk towards the main entrance to his castle that gave access to the town plaza. He led Theresa to the catwalk overlooking the plaza, where they could watch the parade without any obstruction to their view.

"Since I am here to view a parade, I might as well enjoy it from a good vintage point," commented the baron.

"Quite right. I will identify each unit as they pass in front of your drawbridge separating your castle from the town, baron."

"I can identify each one from its colour, countess!"

"You are in for a surprise, baron. Remember, you, yourself, wondered where Prince Enron found all these centuries. Surely, you will find that there are some you have no knowledge about."

"I think you may be right. What is the plan?"

"Well we are coming from there," Theresa said, pointing towards the southeastern door, "and we will turn due north in the plaza, to follow the road to your northern gate and cross into Astor."

"The Astorians won't like it any more than I do, countess."

"As Enron said, he is there to win a war, not a popularity contest!"

"Given the wording of his orders, he is well on his way to winning the hate me contest!"

"He couldn't care less."

"If I were Enron, I'd try to be a bit more diplomatic. He will need the support of the archdukes and dukes to hold to his crown."

"Given the cleanup that occurred in Elven Woods, baron, he has the vote already."

"The more you talk, countess, the more lost I feel! It's like a millennia has gone by without me noticing it!"

"I feel the same way, and I have lived it, so do not feel bad!"

"I won't ask about the cleanup, since you will probably tell me to wait?"

"Quite correct, baron. Ah, here comes the royal fanfare."

The royal fanfare walked in the plaza from the southern entrance, stopped in front of the castle's main entrance, did an about right to face the castle's entrance, saluted, and presented arms, then did an about left, and resumed its walk northward.

"Well, Enron seems to have managed his army right! I've never seen such a synchronised move from even our best units!"

"Now is my unit, the Elvin Royal guards. I hope Melissa, my second in command, will do things right, she is always scared in parades!"

"Second in command?"

"Well, yes, I am the captain of the Elven Royal Guards, baron."

"You are full of surprise, countess Theresa."

"You have no idea!"

The Royal Guards, under the command of Melissa, did their parade duty impeccably, much to the relief of Theresa.

"I will have to felicitate her when I see her tonight. She did an impeccable job."

"Why bother?"

"I have learned one thing from all this, baron. When someone does something good, even if it is not perfect, and this was perfect, praise, recognize the work and the effort, and you will get better results faster."

"This surely is a new type of leadership. Usually, it was fear of reprimand that got people to change!"

"Well, you will learn more tonight. Not that abysmal failure isn't punished, it is, but wait and see."

"More mystery, Theresa?"

"Yes!"

As the Elven Royal Guards departed by the plaza's northern exit, Yamato and his cavalry walked in, each horse prancing and walking in parade step. They came to a halt at exactly the same place as the previous units, turned to face the baron and Theresa, lifted their right paw and slammed it on the ground hard, sending a resounding sound across town and creating an intense vibration that shook the castle's walls as it propagated under the moat to their base. They then turned back northward and resumed their parade walk.

"Who the hell is that?"

"That is Yamato, captain of the Royal Guards of the Wolf Throne, and the Royal Cavalry."

"I never heard of The Wolf Throne?"

"That is one of the surprises I was talking about. These are humans, albeit you might not have seen it from this distance. Their ears are round, rather than pointed, like ours."

"I know how humans look, countess. I traveled outside the kingdom in my long lost youth. But this seems to be a well-oiled military unit!"

"There are seven centuries of legionnaires with King Harold of the Wolf Throne, baron. They are responsible for the improvement in both discipline and training. They have been driving us to our limits."

"Had I known, I would not have allowed their passage! This is an alien army on our soil! How can Samson or Enron tolerate their presence?"

"Because King Harold saved Enron from the grip of orcs, and restored him to life. Were you there to save King Samson's son? Were you there when baron Volta tried to kill the King and his worm of a son tried to kill Enron? No, you were not! However, King Harold was and saved the day, with his son! So, please, do not judge people on how they look, baron, but on how they act!"

The tone employed by Theresa left no doubt in the mind of baron de Coubertin that countess Theresa was telling the truth. He looked at Theresa from the corner of his eyes and saw that he had better keep his xenophobia in check if he wanted to stay alive! The narrow and fiery eyes spoke of impending death.

"The more I learn, the more I feel outdated! Any more surprises?"

"Quite a few, in fact, baron. Just be careful as to how you act, or talk, or even think! You were quite close to the red line, just now!"

"And how would you have done the deed? You are unarmed!"

"Baron, I got retrained by the legionnaires. I can kill with my bare hands."

Another doubtful look from the baron earned him a carnal smile from the countess. "Just wait until I have to get rid of a couple of traitors in your administration before judging, baron."

The icy tone used by Theresa removed any doubts the baron might have had about her intentions and capacities.

"No use asking how you know of traitors in my household?"

"Exactly."

By then, the first unit of recruits walked into the plaza. As the baron looked down, he noticed that the elves were framed by rows of huge dogs.

"Well, that is a new type of unit! I never saw such huge dogs before, and they seem to be well trained! No leash, no collar!"

"I doubt the wolves would appreciate leashes and collars, baron. This is the first unit of conscripts. They are framed, more exactly, boxed in, by the wolves so they do not try to make a run for the town's seedy part. They have been forewarned during lunch. Anyone that tries to cross the wolf lines gets his neck snapped by a wolf."

"Conscripts? No wonder they are not as disciplined as the previous units. But I never heard of conscription in the Elven kingdom. The situation must be far worse than I anticipated!"

"There is that, and there is more. You have your list of conscripted. They will be picked up early tomorrow morning, an hour before prime, and incorporated into units. All told, three hundred conscripts will come directly from Frizz, and six hundred from the countryside. Zorba will supply its fair share, and so will Astor. We expect about two hundred to be added from these duchies as we enter them, for a total of eleven more centuries of elves; add about twenty-two centuries of equines, and now you know how an army grows in size. They had better understand quickly there is no escaping conscription except with a shorter body!"

"A shorter body?"

"Headless."

"Is that all?"

"Actually, no, you and your units, which amount to three centuries and supporting horses, for a total of nine centuries, will be incorporated in the army as well. And Zorba will be supplying its contingent, something in the order of three centuries from its military stationed at Aude."

"But that will drain every police and military officer in the area, including the counts and other officials!"

"We know."

"Who will police the city?"

"The wolves. A single wolf can do a better job at cleaning up a segment of a town than a decade of elves. They have been doing it in Sophia, Loren, and Hamburg quite effectively. Wolves are very disciplined when they know what is expected of them. And they get all the help they need from the dogs, usually the females that are nurturing or whelping. Furthermore, most of the troublemakers are weeded out, and incorporated into the marching army. You wouldn't even fathom how calm a city is after we have finished the cleanup!"

The baron was shocked and leaning on the wall, looking down at the plaza. As he watched, awed, he noticed the wolves were walking in step. Suddenly, a huge wolf, walking ahead of the unit, barked and the unit stopped. It barked again and the wolves turned as one towards the baron. Another bark produced each wolf lifting the right paw in salute. The elves that were boxed in followed the wolves' example, albeit with a minor lag time. Two more barks were heard and the wolves again faced north and started to walk forcing the elves to resume their forward movement.

"I can't believe what I just saw! Wolves walking with as much discipline as the best army units, obeying order! Pinch me! OWWWW! That was a figure of speech, Theresa!"

As he looked at the departing unit the baron asked, "You told me that you would identify the units for me, yet you have not done so in this case?"

"There are two units here; the elven conscripts, the first Conscripted centurie of York, framed by the first centurie of Wolf Military Police. These are the miners that tried to defraud Archduke Volant of York of his opals. The next centurie is from Sophia, and so forth, we try to keep units coming from a similar village or area separate. We do not want a concerted attempt at a run."

Each unit did the same manoeuvres as they walked by the castle. As the regular units of the elven army began their entrance, the baron's interest peaked. He could finally recognize something, and he was surprised at how each duchy seemed to be represented.

"It seems everyone is present!"

"Everyone that was at the royal convocation hoping to sit on Samson's throne, you mean. We did a serious cleanup, and the number of fratricide cooling offs was astounding. The king has had a field day trying to replace the number of dukes, archdukes, barons, earls and counts that took a liking for the dust. Once cooler heads prevailed, it was a piece of cake to take control of the elite units of each duchy and archduchy so nicely delivered to us at our doorstep."

"You have a way with words that send shivers down my spine, countess."

"It's life, baron. Ah, here comes the royal party. On the center destrier of the arrow is King Harold of the Wolf Throne. Right to his left is Prince Regent Enron, and to his right is Prince Paschal, the one that disposed of baron Volta. Next in line is, from left to right, Prince Sitar, King Samson, Prince Harp. The next line is made up of, again from left to right, Duke Grand Master of the road Dunbar, Duke Williams, Grand Master Mage Ferriday and Royal Master Healer Francesca. Right behind, are the Royal dogs and the Captain of the dogs, Blackie, followed by the Captain of the Wolf Guard Lord Duke Greywolf, Commander of Coyotes Willie, Commander of Foxes Bush Tail. Immediately behind are the Royal Wolf Guards, followed by the proper units of foxes, coyotes and dogs. And now back to elves."

"That parade will never end!"

"Dunbar and Williams estimated about three hours. I hope you can hold your bladder long enough?"

"Countess!"

"Ah now comes the fascinating parts, the quadrupeds. Notice that the commanding officer carries a colour to indicate what type of work his or her unit does. They are well disciplined, as you can see."

"I have no further comment, countess. I am speechless."

"Ah, could it be that this army has finally impressed the great, unflappable baron de Coubertin? Ah! My favourites! The Covert Operations! You can't imagine how effective wolves are at spying!"

"Given what you have told me, I'm going to look under my bed for a wolf! The thing that impressed me the most is the amount of training that must have gone in all this, especially since I see no elf or human with the units!"

"Training was easy, it seems, albeit I cannot tell you how the princes did it. You will have to ask them the question."

"Another mystery, it seems."

"Yes, and here is the greatest of all, Silver Moon, the silver colt you see there, with his mother."

"That is only a young colt, not even a yearling, I see nothing special with it?"

"It's because you do not know the story behind Silver Moon. The colt was dead at delivery, and the boys revived him, brought him back from the dead, according to Francesca, the healer, who was there to help King Harold affect the delivery. Since then, every horse, mule, ass, or donkey has been obeying the princes like God was ordering them to do things. You noticed the destrier horses used by the princes? Do they look untrained to you?"

"Well, no, they do not, in fact I am impressed by their remarkable training."

"Yet these are wild horses. They came into camp as if on call, and have been carrying the princes and the royals as if they were trained for it since birth. The only trained destrier is King Harold's; the other horses, except those used by the Royal cavalry, had never been ridden before."

"Even the one that brought you here?"

"Yes, even that one."

"Truly remarkable!"

The parade continued until the last unit of legionnaires drummed by.

"Well, baron, I must now retire to rejoin my unit and relieve Melissa. Expect the kings to be with you at vespers, along with your two sons that you so graciously sent to guarantee the life of the envoys from Astor and Zorba. By now, I am sure both are already in our hands, and Yamato, being his usual effective self, has taken control the village in Zorba, Rhodes, I think it's called."

"Who should I expect exactly?"

"The entire royal party, the Royal Dogs, the Wolf, Coyote, Fox and Royal Dog guards, the Royal Cavalry, and my unit, and the appropriate commanding officers. Also expect Silver Moon, and his mother. Ah yes, and the mage."

"You seem to say this as if the animals were equal to us?"

"In many circumstances, they have proven better than us."

"Well, Theresa, I'll see you at vespers. What will all these people eat?"

"Canines eat meat, they have developed a taste for cooked cubes of meat, I've been told; the humans eat meat, fruits and vegetables; the horses, carrots, and grain. And we eat vegetables and fruits. Prepare about five pounds of meat per canine. Or about five thousand pounds."

"Five thousand pounds of meat? That will put my reserve to the floor!"

"Do not worry, usually they hunt and tomorrow morning we leave. We have a war going on!"

"I know. I have orders to give if we are to leave with you. Have a good day, countess."

"You too!"

"I doubt it!"

***

The evening meal at vespers, held in the grand hall of the baron's castle, brought together the baron's household, including his two sons that had been lent as hostages to the Astorians and Zorbians; also present were the counts from Zorba, and the entire contingent of border guards from Astor. Enron had made it clear he would not put up with the kind of policies that underpinned hostages and other lower ends of politics.

The sensation of the day was the presence in the Grand hall of a considerable number of wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Even more shocking was the behaviour of the royal family towards what they named Captain of Royal Wolf Guard Sir Duke Greywolf, a real wolf, and similar counterparts in the fox, coyote and dog family!

The baron was brought up to date on the events in the Kingdom, with many "Incredible!" "That is hard to believe!" "You don't say!" and other typical comments from a sceptic. It took Theresa disposing of the traitors bare hands so fast the baron couldn't even see, much less understand, how she did it for reality to finally sink in.

The usual fealty test to the Royal throne of the Elves took place, with Paschal holding the sword this time, to the surprise of everyone in the room. No one thought such a young boy would even be able to lift that huge sword, much less handle it as if it weighed less than a strand of straw. The Mitsuko test began with the baron earning his letters of noblesse again. On the other hand, two of the baron's household failed, and as Theresa had announced earlier that day, she delivered the killing blow with her bare hands, before the two renegades had the time to understand what stuck them down. One died the larynx crushed, and the other had his nose kicked into his brain.

The next morning found baron de Coubertin leading his troops across the bridge into Astor to join the royal army north. He had left his eldest son in charge of the town with instructions to prepare it and the surrounding area for war. The usual number of undesirables was incorporated into the army as well and joined the previous conscripts, adding nine centuries of conscripted elves to the column from Frieburg, three from Zorba, and one from Astor. De Coubertin contributed another five units of trained military, and Zorba two, one per count. The Zorbians protested but their attitude substantially improved after Theresa's little show of battle skills. The youngest son accompanied his dad, even if he had no military training. De Coubertin had been more than fascinated by the behaviour of the princes, and figured if they could be like that, there was no reason his youngest, Alistair and aged seven, couldn't do the same. Seeing the boys exercise in yard with the adults and win had the baron revise how he felt about all he had been told.

Zorba's two counts also added their family and left their holdings in the hands of their wife, with orders to convert to military production what could be. Astor's border guards also got enrolled, and their material however poorly maintained it was, added to the growing stock of weapons commandeered by the Royal army. Also added were the usual number of equines of all sorts, some of which were in such bad shape that the boys had to heal them before they were able to go far, much less be of use to carry goods. Also added were the dogs and other canines in the immediate area, including the wild ones. Meanwhile, the citizens were introduced to the redoubtable efficiency of the canine Military Police Force now in charge of security in Frizz and the Zorbian village of Rhodes, facing Frizz. Snarling wolves bringing down drunkards and taking them to the recruitment center by the seat of their pants made the picture abundantly clear to all.

Seventy-eight miles separated the Astorian border from the army's next main objective. It took slightly more than eleven hours, from prime until slightly past vespers for the first units of the royal army to show up at the entrance to Greco. The army walked right across and entered Frieburg's capital, Berlin, from its eastern gate just as the legionnaires, riding on horseback, overran the dam and entered downtown Berlin, thus cornering the units stationed there between a hammer and an anvil. Although baron Zeppelin tried to organize a defence, the speed of the two-pronged attack totally took him off guard. The Royal army installed itself in Berlin and proceeded to the incorporation of the next batch of conscripts while the regular army units stationed in Berlin were rapidly incorporated into the royal forces. By compline, all was told, and the baron, pragmatic, had recognized the royal decree of mobilization. The night was spent collecting the city bums on both sides of the border as de facto conscripts, and the military units received their marching orders for the next morning. A few stiff necks got snapped by the wolves in bars and the city's nobility lost a dozen heads to Mitsuko, but it went relatively well, all considering. The immediate impact on the royal army was the addition of eighteen centuries of conscripts from Berlin and its immediate vicinity; and three from Astor. With the added nine regular units from Berlin, and the two regular units from Astor, the total gain in elven centuries amounted to twenty-one conscripted centuries and seven regular units, with matching equines. Again dogs and other canines added themselves to the army as well.

"Enron, the more I see you work in getting that army built up, the more I'm considering making this transfer of the crown permanent!"

"Dad, don't you dare do that to me! I want to have some fun before I get too old!"

"Are you aware that you have done, in the past few weeks, things it would have taken me months to accomplish? You kick butts so hard their balls dangle from their noses!"

"Continue like that dad, and I'll shove that crown on your head so hard you will have to be incinerated with it!"

"I believe you should heed that warning, Samson. He might well do it!"

"That's what worries me, not the battle! Death is nothing, Harold, compared to pissing my son off, it seems!"

"Dad, I've done some calculations, it is a five-hour walk to Munster's capital, Vienna, and Astor's capital, Delphi, is right across the lake, four miles away. It will be impossible to hide he fall of Vienna to them, if only because there is a constant shuttle of boats from one side of the lake to the other; there is even a ferry service. I'll send Theresa and her unit on the ferry, to deliver the royal decrees to the baron, and get him mobilizing already, so that when the main army walks in we can actually walk through without the need to stop. Speed is of the essence. The situation north has degraded further according to the last wolf reports."

"Enron, you should incorporate the duke of Astor in the forces sent across the lake, that will speed up things, since he will deal directly with his baron."

"Good idea, Harp. I'll do just that! I keep forgetting some did survive the fun at Elven Woods!"

"I've done the count, we added another twenty-two centuries of conscripts, and fifteen units of regular army enlistees. Add the canines, and the horses, and we are getting near unmanageable, Enron," Paschal commented.

"I agree with Paschal here, Enron. We must find a solution!"

"And what do you suggest, Sitar?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, I do," piped up Harp. "Look at the map, the roads encircle the lake. We could divide the army into two branches, the main army traveling on the western shores and the smaller army travelling on the eastern shores."

"Why not the opposite? After all, Munster isn't an ally."

"Because reversing the direction of a huge army is difficult, but doing the same with a smaller one is easier. We live off the locals when we cross, and we do not want to corner ourselves by facing a stretch of no food because we ate everything along the way."

"Why reverse, Prince Harp? You can ford the river a bit above the lake; the river crosses on a rocky bottom of a very hard nature, and is very wide, thus very shallow. The river should also be very low by now. It's very practical to cross, especially for an army like the one Prince Enron has accumulated, with no carts and the like."

"You seem to know the region well?"

"Oh yes, I do. I've not always worn the ducal crown, your highness. In my years of folly, I did some contraband, and regularly held companionship with less than recommendable individuals! I still maintain contacts with them, if only for the fun of doing an occasional run across the border into Munster!"

"And you don't mind?"

"Why? They give me some thrill in a boring life! I just positively hate being pampered by all the court rats wanting something from me, and believing I'm too dumb to see what they are really after. My son will go with countess Theresa by ship to talk to my baron with my letters and vested with the proper authority to drown the bastard in the lake if he drags his feet, but I wish to accompany you to the ford. It will be like reliving my youth!"

"Drown him in tar instead, water is too precious!"

"Approved, Prince Sitar!"

"And by how much will our army grow?" asked Harold.

"Add another fifteen units of conscripts, which we will collect as we move north towards Munster's capital, Vienna. Once we have Vienna, add another four."

"This means you need an army of about eighty centuries of elves and humans, plus their support units, for a total of approximately two hundred and eighty units. Not such a small group after all."

"How did you arrive at that number, Harold?"

"Simple, Samson. I count we need four men of our already incorporated army to take control of the conscripts effectively."

"That divides our army in approximately half?"

"Somewhat, I think. We haven't kept count of the number of units since we left Frizz. We may well have added another one hundred or so centuries since then, mostly canines and horses, but still."

Enron looked around, and stood up.

"It's decided then. Tomorrow at prime I leave with eighty units to take Munster by storm. Theresa, you are with me! Dad, I want you to accompany Harold on the other side! And no big eyes! You want me to wear that junk? Bear with it, now! Paschal, I want you with me, along with Greywolf! Sitar, Harp, you are going with Harold. Duke Poudaropoulos, your units are with me. Archduke Volant, you are with Harold. Baron de Coubertin! You are with me! Baron Zeppelin, you are with me as well. I need your knowledge of the area! You have your marching orders!"

"Give power to someone and he becomes pushy!" Samson lamented.

"I heard that, Dad! We leave at prime, reach Vienna an hour before sext. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is to stop us! We take that town by storm! By sext, I want the royal banner to be flying on the castle's highest point! As we travel, units detach, capture villages, collect the conscripts and the regular units, and slide back in the moving army as we go north! Greywolf, leave a unit of canines at each village! We will replace the wolves as we move north! Blackie, same with dogs! Only the expectant bitches and the bitches that are feeding pups are exempt from mobilization. Paschal, our latest reports show about a hundred horses mistreated and needing help, will we be enough together to deal with their healing?"

"I think so. I've seen the reports from the farm dogs, and mostly it's minor, well considering how bad some were down south. We will be picking them up as we move north. The dogs on the farms are already preparing themselves for the intervention as we speak. Dad, reports state that there are about twenty horses needing help on your way to Delphi. You should also pick up about three centuries of conscripts, and an additional unit of regulars from Astor. There is a difference of four miles between the sister villages of Priapus in Astor and Düsseldorf in Munster. I want us to reach the two villages simultaneously, so Harold, we will give you a thirty-minute lead. You will collect some of our conscripts as well; I do not want dead weights as I take Vienna. By the time you reach the Astorian capital, I should have raised the royal flag over the citadel in Vienna, and Theresa and the duke should be on the ferry. Anyways, either I or Paschal will keep you informed of our progress both before and after the passage in Düsseldorf."

"Damn! It seems that obsession with the penis was widespread in the Ancient civilizations. When you named the town, the evocation of a god dedicated to the male genitalia in ancient Greek mythology popped into my memory."

"Well, at least we know it's not only you, Harp, that has this obsession in mind!"

"Bite me, Samson!"

"Given you probably would be like the bull frog and secrete toxins if I tried, forget it, young man!"

***

The next day went as planned, and by sext, as Enron had envisioned, the royal banner was flying on the citadel of Vienna. Harold and Samson had no difficulty penetrating Delphi because of the Royal colours; the arrival of Theresa and duke Poudaropoulos by ferry comforted the baron in his decision to let the royal army walk through his city to exit at its northern gate.

As the cleanup began in earnest in Vienna, Paschal became worried, so he contacted Harold.

«Dad, I need Mitsuko as soon as you are done with it. Send it with Harp, please?»

«Certainly, son. Are you expecting trouble?»

«Yes. Ask Yamato to ride back at full speed to Priapus and cross the bridge there into Munster, so his forces can join with ours. Also send back Theresa and her unit by ferry immediately.»

«Harp walked in and is taking the sword with him along with his battle staff. He looks positively furious! Expect him with the next ferry. Damn! He popped out and I heard him yell in the ward at Yamato to move his ass and get to Vienna on the double. Now, it's Theresa's turn to get a chewing to have her unit at the port on the run.»

«Popped out or pooped out?»

« Popped out, as teleported himself to the yard.»

« Another first by Harp, dad. I wonder what he will think of next.»

«I don't know, Paschal! God damn it! Where did Yamato and his entire centurie go?»

«What do you mean, dad?»

«I was looking outside the window and bang, well no, not even bang, they vanished! And now it's Theresa and her centurie! And Harp!»

«Dad, I have your answer, I have Harp standing besides me! He popped up out of nowhere. And there is a commotion in the ward of the battlement. Some cries of sorcery, and a very, very furious Harp just popped out again!»

Paschal walked to the window overlooking the inner ward, and whistled. "Oh God!"

«What's up, Paschal? You have me worried!»

«What worries me is the bloodbath Harp is causing! Mitsuko is literally glowing white as Harp handles it, and the battle stave is launching thunderbolts from both ends, vaporizing attackers at each hit. There is a strange smell in the air, much like the one you have after a huge thunderstorm. Head, members, body parts fly everywhere. And here comes Yamato and his cavalry, swords swinging! The horses are literally foaming at the mouth with rage, kicking and crushing with their hoofs! And now it's Theresa and her unit! I've never seen such a rain of arrows! Dad, I got to go, we have a group of assailants trying to corner Enron and I.»

«Oh no, you do not! I'm going there now! I will not let my sons face danger alone! Sitar! Samson! To battle! Get your weapons!»

«I have my sword!» replied Samson.

«Ready to leave on your command dad, I'm ready too!»

«To Paschal, now!»

The three royals popped into a room in full battle, their sudden appearance pushing the assailants against the walls violently by its sudden displacement of air, and a few through the window. Enron and Paschal had braced themselves and taken cover just in time!

"No quarters! Kill them all!" ordered Enron, enraged by the treachery of the baron. "The bastard pretended to accept our presence but then tried to capture us! I will not put up with that kind of behaviour!"

The battle redoubled in intensity as the royals gradually pushed back the attackers outside of their room. Suddenly everyone heard Harp's strong boyish voice order to Nature itself!

"Let thunder deafen our enemies! Let lightening blind them! Let hail kill them!"

Immediately, the sky outside became as black as night, and thunder, lightening, and hail assaulted the felon troops, deluging them as if all hell had broken loose.

"Let the fires of Heaven burn them!" was overheard, again by Harp.

A veritable sheet of fire descended and swept across the yard roasting the baron's men, whether they were on the catwalks or the ward.

"To the castle! Take no prisoners!" was heard from Harp, as the units moved as one to enter the bastion.

"Explode!" ordered Harp at the reinforced wooden door, which literally exploded inward, shards of wood and steel killing the castle's defendants that had accumulated in the great hall to repulse the impending attack.

The bloodbath moved inwards, and the progress of the units under Harp's intransigent command could be heard as doors blew up one after the other, and bodies rained out of the windows. Projectiles made of tables, chairs, beds, even masonry, flew at the mere look of Harp, whose eyes were glowing red with fury. People burst into flames, even bricks cracked and split under his gaze. It took ten minutes for Harp to reach Enron and his brother Paschal. To say that he was surprised to see his dad and the rest of his family there would put it mildly.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I heard Paschal's description and I figured I was needed."

"Well, yes, actually, it's a good thing. I'll be dealing with the felons, but I think my judgement may be tainted with fury, so I want you to be the judge. I, Prince Harp of the Royal Wolf Throne, ask that judgements be rendered by the Royal Bench concerning cases of high felony and treason!"

"I hear you, Prince Harp, and I will hear the cases you bring in front of me."

Samson and Enron looked at each other.

"I. Enron, vassal of the Throne of the Wolf, asks that the case of felony I will bring to your knowledge be judged by the King's Bench of the Wolf Throne."

"I hear you, Prince Regent Enron, and I will hear the case you bring in front of me."

"That's not all, we still got some cleanup to do in this place. I hear Theresa and Yamato working in the higher levels. Let's join the battle, I feel blood-thirsty!"

"Yes, Harp, the work seems to be unfinished. Let's move!"

It took another hour to explore the castle from the dungeons and basements to the roofs and their dales. When the battle ended, a total of nine hundred and forty three bodies were recovered coming from Vienna. Unknown numbers died in pieces, or got vaporised by Harp. Few survived, except children. One of the rare survivors was the baron, who was discovered hiding in the castle's cistern.

Judgement was expedited quickly with Mitsuko, and of the few surviving adults, none passed the test, to the consternation of Enron. Harp proceeded to the execution himself, using Mitsuko to deliver the verdict.

"Did we lose many?" asked Samson.

"About a centurie, dad, before we realized what was up. Basically, half are wolves and other canines, a quarter are horses, and the rest elves. I will ask for the names of our lost comrades and have a commemorative tombstone erected on their common grave from Captain Greywolf and the Stallion that led the equine units."

"Proceed! Citations of honour shall be distributed to all those that partook in that battle and showed bravery. All units with distinguished services will also get a commendation; as for those who died on the field today, they will receive posthumous recognition for service to the state and their family get fair compensation for their losses."

"That is in the order of things, Harold. You are turning out to be a fine king, given your initial misgivings!"

"Don't tease me, Enron! You are not in any place to laugh at me here!"

"By the way, the cleanup of the city had to wait. We will be delayed by a day. I plan on sending the conscripts back with you, dad. Some were remarkable fighters, but I know I cannot trust them yet."

"OK, Paschal. I'll be going back with Harp and Sitar. We will await your go-ahead to start moving north again."

***

As the cleanup of Vienna began in earnest after vespers, the royals exchanged information telepathically. Enron was furious at the baron's family, but civilized behaviour prevailed, as Sitar talked to him from across the lake.

«What would you do with them, Sitar? I do not feel it is a good idea to leave the baroness behind, and she gave birth to twins less then six months ago.»

«Send her to Elven Woods. Mom will keep her in check, and take the two girls under her tutelage. In fact we need to do this with just about every family that used to govern this scorpions' nest.»

«That is an idea, but we cannot afford to spare the two centuries needed to escort them back to Elven Woods.»

«Enron, you seem to forget something, here. Harp teleported two centuries and all their weapons to the castle to help you. What stops you from doing the same, but with these dead weights? Send them to Elven Woods.»

«How many are we talking about, Enron?»

«About five hundred, mostly kids. Some are pretty furious at the disappearance of their parents, and will probably be pains in the royal posterior in the upcoming years.»

«We have trained a lot in Elven Woods since you left, boys. And the number of dogs has been on the increase, as well as wolves and other canines. The number of horses is also on the rise, but at a much slower rate. We have enough eyes and ears to keep them under constant watch. And the castle here is relatively big; by and large it is possible to give shelter to five hundred kids and their accompanying adults. Send them, Enron. Just give me twenty-four hours to organize things.»

«Fine, Queen Annabelle. We will do as Sitar suggests. I hope I can teleport as well as Harp.»

«You need not worry. I will lend you my eyes to help you focus the image of the destination; that should be of help. I think that is how Harold did it today.»

«Ok, thanks. Talk to you tomorrow.»

«By the way, Paschal, how are we with our timetable?»

«It's been five days since we left Sophia. We had expected to take something like ten days to reach Vienna, which puts us well ahead of our schedule.»

«At least some good news.»

«What worries me is Harp.»

«Why is that, Annabelle?»

«I saw what you saw, and I saw what he saw. For a while, Harp wasn't Harp.»

«He went feral during the battle. I did too, mom, and so did Sitar and Enron. For that matter, the entire two centuries became feral for a short while. We became wolves if not in shape but in mind.»

«And that doesn't worry you, Paschal?»

«It is our nature. I suspect dad and Samson felt the urge too, but having lived longer, exerted better control. I am not sure dad will bother exercising that level of control with orcs or priests.»

«Another question to you boys. Given you can teleport centuries, why not move them directly into Ra?»

«Most of the conscripts are untrained and unfit. By making them run all day, we get them fit; by making them run in step, we give them discipline; by making them practice weaponry after their day's run, we give them a fighting chance; and by making them suffer a common fate, we give them a unified mind, a sense of belonging to a unit.»

«Paschal, you talk like my drill sergeant! Are you sure you aren't reincarnated?»

«Don't give me nightmares!»