Vol thought that to be a tactical blunder. 'They should have been content with setting one of their keeps to the fire, if necessary… Now they'll likely lose both of them, if that Count has even the slightest bit of sense.'
The Count could quite easily just avoid the battlefield that they'd set up in preparation for him, and march on their keeps directly instead. Both keeps had been emptied in anticipation of that, at least, with the noble family members stowed safely elsewhere, but that didn't prevent Count Thrush from burning them from the inside out, and destroying them regardless, just as they had feared that he would.
But the Commander who gave them their instructions was adamant that Thrush would come to them. "He meets his enemy head on," he said. "For that, he has to be given credit."
