"I'm not sure, but you need to figure that out. I'll allow you to continue your operations. That being said, if it backfires, it'll be your head. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Earl Belmont stands straight as the Duke lays out his final ruling. Disaster has been avoided for the moment, but the stakes have been raised.
Ray Belmont finishes getting ready and steps outside. Although the sun can't pierce the leaves hanging overhead, the warmth of spring still manages to trickle down to the ground. The fort is crawling with activity. Over one hundred men are now garrisoned at the facility. The Earl preforms his morning rounds to check on the state of affairs.
"Baron Brimsfield reporting, no causalities to report. All units are ready for combat. Additionally, all caravans are operating smoothly. The food and weapon stores are full. All units are fully equipped in case a battle starts."
"Good."
"Thaddeus reporting, the fortifications are almost completed. The stone walls are four feet thick and should be able to endure anything they throw at us."
"What about earthquakes? Will the walls still stand if the ground shifts beneath them?"
"It depends on how powerful it is, sir. No fortifications are completely immune to an unstable foundation. These walls can survive an earthquake created by a squad of mages from our army. I don't think they can match us in firepower, so this should be plenty."
"What if they can?" Earl Belmont asks.
"If they can overwhelm us in terms of magical firepower, then I think we would have bigger concerns than the thickness of the walls, sir. No disrespect." Thaddeus bows as he finishes giving his opinion.
"Mhmm, that makes sense. Moving forward, I'd like to expand our line of sight. Is there anyone in the garrison that can use the Farsight spell?"
"Yes, sir, two, sir." Brimsfield sharply replies.
"Good, I want them on round-the-clock surveillance of the area."
"But sir, they won't have enough magic to maintain the spell at all times. There are also trees blocking our line of sight, so they can't see very far." The Baron protests.
"Don't they have Circumvision so they can see around objects?"
"Only one of the two men can use that spell."
"Have them on watch during the day and the other on during the night. We'll supply them with MP potions so they can use their skills continuously. Any other questions?"
""No, sir!""
"Good. Inform me of any disturbances immediately. I don't care if you have to wake me up in the middle of the night. I want to know as soon as possible." Earl Belmont orders the two men, and they scamper off in opposite directions. He breaths a sigh of relief, having taken yet another step to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
[This is getting expensive, but it's a small price to pay for an advantage in this war. If we can prevent the fairies from intervening until after our fort is completed, they won't have a chance of dislodging our foothold in the forest. Having a safe path to retreat will make all future operations much easier to plan. If we were to send out patrols that were wiped out, not only would we lose men, but we wouldn't be able to gather any information. As this is the fairies' home territory, the battle for information will be crucial in turning the tide of war.]
After finishing his rounds, Earl Belmont returns to his tent only to be alerted shortly thereafter.
"Sir! The lookout you ordered has found some suspicious activity in the forest!"
"Bring me to him." The two men rush over to the far walls. From their position on the ground, they can see the lookout with Circumvision standing atop the parapet. The man who alerted the Earl shouts up to the lookout.
"You there! This is Earl Belmont! Explain to him what you told me!"
"Right away, sir!" The lookout scrambles down a nearby staircase and soon stands before the nobleman. "It looks like there's a bunch of dirt piles all around here."
"What do you mean?"
"Like, there's a big pile of dirt a few hundred feet from our position and then another one a short distance away. The whole area surrounding our camp is filled with mounds of dirt." The lookout excitedly stammers out his explanation. The Earl brings a hand to his chin as he thinks about this new information.
[What could they be doing out there? I need to send a patrol out to investigate. No, that's just what they want me to do. I'd be falling right into their plans. The mounds of dirt are, in all likelihood, a distraction. That dirt is either being pulled from a location or concentrated at a destination. They have no use for trenches or walls, so neither option makes sense. The only reasonable explanation is that they're trying to lure us into the forest.]
The Earl leaves the two men to their own devices and strolls back to his tent. He agonizes over what to do along the way. Eventually, he decides to send out a patrol. If they get attacked, then he can just return to his original policy with minimal causalities. On the off chance, the fairies are preparing something that can threaten the fort, hiding behind the walls will only lead to their demise. Not wanting to risk any veteran troops, a squad of conscripts is gathered and informed of their mission.
"I need you to quickly investigate those mounds and report back immediately, understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Morale is high as the patrol leaves friendly lines. Earl Belmont climbs the walls and stands next to the lookout as they depart.
"Keep an eye on them at all times, understand?"
"Yes, sir." The lookout responds briskly to his order which helps calm his nerves. He watches as they disappear between the trees.
"Can you still see them?" He asks again.
"Yes, sir." Now that they've left his sight, he no longer has any control over the situation. The planning and preparation are the only factors at play. His heart beats heavily in his chest. The entire area is silent as everyone waits to hear back from the patrol.
"What the hell?" The lookout exclaims.
"What is it!?" The Earl's pulse skyrockets as he desperately pries for more information. The lookout doesn't respond immediately, which only makes the tension that much more difficult to bear. The lookout squints while moving his head around. It's as if he's trying to see around something in the distance.
"They're gone…" his shoulders droop as he reveals the patrol's fate.
"That's impossible! You were looking right at them! What happened?" Panic rises in the Earl's voice as he interrogates the only person near him.
"I don't know. They just faded away…." it's clear the young man isn't sure what he just saw, but it may still be possible to recall the patrol. They aren't too far away, so they should respond to the horn that signals for retreat.
"Sound the alarm! Bring those men back, now!" The Earl's voice is hoarse as he shouts out his orders. In mere seconds the entire camp is scrambling about. Horns are blaring, and men line the walls. Not even a fly could approach the fort undetected. "Do you see them?"
"No…" The lookout's eyes are frantically scanning the area. It's clear to Belmont that he's not at fault here. As much as he wants to punish someone for the failed operation, the only one to blame is himself. No one responds to the call for retreat. The men that entered the forest that day are never seen again. Despite knowing their fate, the Earl keeps up the alarm the rest of the day and well into the night. It's imperative that his men understand the value of their own lives. If they believe their leader doesn't care about them, then they'll lose morale. An army is a well-oiled machine requiring food, water, and hope. If one is lost, then the whole mechanism collapses.