In spring, speaking with His Majesty, with whom they had been childhood friends, he assured him that the north was completely safe, and no army could overcome the passes in the Nalim Mountains. He could handle small detachments himself. Convincing his friend not to worry and to fight calmly against the townsmen, he was truly confident in his correctness. All his advisors echoed the same sentiment. "The Nalim Mountains army won't pass!" And all rumors of the townsmen's preparations for this were nonsensical nonsense. Summoning the baronial militia, he had no doubts as he fully sent it to the royal army and added half of his own retinue. Now all that remained was to be glad that he had hurried a bit, and some barons simply hadn't managed to come to their liege's call on time. A second summoning of the militia, with the order to muster all possible forces, was supposed to yield about two thousand soldiers. The city and peasant militia, urgently summoned in the nearest settlements, were supposed to provide another thousand and a half, poor but soldiers nonetheless. The main hope, however, was in half a thousand of his personal retinue and the "Black Axes of Ilhori".
Yes, they were the "Black Axes of Ilhori", the renowned mercenary band from the kingdom of Ilhori. A thousand elite warriors, renowned for their defense of fortresses and castles.
His Majesty had contracted with them to guard Zalon Fortress, intending to strengthen his army with the soldiers freed up. The war with Orod in the west was proceeding with varying success, and the king intended to settle its outcome with numerical superiority of his army. Thus, he dispatched a mercenary unit north, particularly skilled in defense. However, the "Black Axes" didn't manage to reach their duty station. The king's representative in Savoyarde, anticipating an attack by the townsmen, without much consideration, included them in the city garrison by his authority. The mercenaries grumbled, but could do nothing; the contract did not restrict their use to just Zalon Fortress, and moving there immediately would mean facing the entire invading army alone. It was better to stay within the city walls.
"So you're saying a company of paladins?"
"That's what my sources say, Your Excellency."
"The same ones who already routed both the vanguard and another detachment led by the baron?"
"Indeed so, Your Excellency."
"Interesting. Why did the baron and the knight flee?"
"That remains a mystery. But as soon as the wagons emerged from the forest, the baron and the knight sitting on them, as befitting noble people unconstrained by anything, jumped up and dashed into the woods. More than a dozen of my men witnessed this scene."
Baron Savoyarde stood in his study, with the young duke sitting at his table, questioning him about the details of recent events.
"They haven't been found yet?"
"They have been found, Your Excellency. Their bodies. Beasts ate the bodies, but there's no doubt it's them."
"Why did they flee..."
The baron ignored the rhetorical question.
"Damn! A whole Baron of Orod. This was a real catch; King Henry would pay any amount."
"And he will pay for his body, Your Excellency."
The baron was actually quite satisfied. Whatever the outcome of the siege and all this epic, the destruction of nearly a thousand enemy soldiers had already been credited to him. His misstep with the spring advice had been redeemed, so life could continue. And wealth could be amassed.
Trophies handed over by strangers had already been sent to markets in the kingdom's center. The baron's body was embalmed and sent to the capital. All this promised good profit. By the Grace of the All-Seeing, if he were still alive next spring, he would increase his retinue by twenty warriors.
"And tell me, Vilt, what do you think about meeting the townsmen's army on the trail?"
The baron froze. The duke was certainly a boy, and as is typical of youth, he speaks everything he thinks and repeats everything he hears. It's interesting who suggested such a stupid idea to him?
"That's not entirely wise, Your Excellency. The Northern Road passes through ancient forests. Although it is wide and well-maintained by His Majesty's cares, troops will not be able to spread out on it."
"And these settlers of yours? Where did they rout the Orod detachment?"
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