The Blood of Alchemy

Chapter 19: Riche

"Captain Riche, the boats are at pace, we're making good speed with them."

"Good, make sure we stay together, we must arrive at the same time. We will flank the city, and leave them no choice but to surrender. I doubt there will even be much of a battle." Riche laughed, as his horse trotted along underneath his saddle and his shoulders swaggered with the butt of the animal.

"By the pace, if we keep it up, we should reach the city in two weeks. Though, if it starts to snow, we might lose our advantage. The north folk know how to fight winter warfare."

"And do you think I am not ready for that?" Riche said. He sounded smug, but for good right. He had read plenty of military books, some written by the Oldfolk themselves, some by old Arbol generals, and anything else he could get his hands on that furthered his tactical prowess."

"I am sure you are, captain."

"And what about the enemy?"

"It seems they have found out that we are coming, but they do not appear to have many numbers. Once we are a week closer, there will be no way for them to fortify by land. We stand a strong position."

"Good, now ride ahead and tell the frontline that we will camp for the night. Have a rider signal the ships to anchor for the night."

"Yes, captain." and Riche's aide took off along the side of the line of cavalry men, giving the word that most had been waiting to hear since the sun had gotten low. Riche pushed them hard. He knew he needed to. Now that his enemy knew he was coming, he had to push even faster, so they could not strategize themselves and find more men from small surrounding towns.

The lands back was now covered in a white frost every morning, and the chill had set in greatly on the Oroshi men, none of who were used to cold weather. Every single one missed the warm comfort of their home city, but instead, they were raising thin tents on the rocky north floor.

Riche did not have it so bad, his caravan set up a lavish tent every night, and unpacked chests of furs to make him a bed fit for his father. Guards stood by his tent while he slept, and while he fucked. He had brought his lady with him, her name was Aliss Boone, it wasn't the prettiest name, and he often joked with her that 'one day, I will make your name sound as pretty as you, my princess. Aliss Eckhart. - As if it was not meant to be.' He would say.

She would giggle with her doe-y brown eyes and her long hair, that she kept mostly bunned up while they were in travel, and at night she would undo her the golden laces of her silky white robe, and press herself against him. Her breasts were perky, and firm, with small nipples that Riche would caress to tease her.

Tonight, she looked particularly beautiful, he thought as she came into his tent.

"My prince."

"My princess."

Riche got up, he had taken off his armour and was in his nightclothes, a loose white v necked shirt with leather laces in the v, and fit tan leggings on his legs. Before they could say another word, their lips were pressed, their chests too, and helpless. They stumbled back with their mouths locked together and Aliss pushed him back onto the bed, and jumped on top of him, pulling up her gown.

"I like it when you're like this." Riche said.

"Sometimes I feel like doing the tossing," She said as she took his hand and slid it down between her thighs and to the warmth and wetness that he loved. He put his other hand under her gown and pinched her nipple firmly. She shivered, and then took him, threw his hand away, and slid herself down onto him, tossing her gown to the floor, and then stripping him of his shirt.

The two fell back entwined after it was over, and Aliss wrapped her arms around his body. He was muscled, and they were both tanned from living their whole lives in Oros. Aliss was a daughter of the lord of Kanos, one of the eastern neighbouring cities to Sci. Her grandfather had played a crucial role in the Great War, with the men of Kanos coming to the aid of Oros, and had been one of the first to support the cause, helping to insure other cities. She was high born enough to marry, she was beautiful, and Riche loved her.

The next morning Riche woke up to Aliss boiling some water in the corner for tea. She was a tea drinker, swore that it kept her healthy.

"Riche, what do you think your mother would say if you and I ended up with a grandson?"

"I expect she would be one of the happiest women in Aurea." Riche smiled back. "Are you telling me something?"

"No, I just wondered." Aliss said as she brought Riche a cup of tea. He did not much like tea, and preferred a cold beverage. He drank it, and it burned his tongue.

"Besides, we must marry first, would not you think?"

"You're right. It was a silly thought, right now."

Riche got out of bed and kissed Aliss on the forehead. "It is not. I will love nothing more when the time comes. But, I am fighting a war, and would not have the time to spend as I would like with our child. It is not the time. I do not want to be my father."

"You will never be your father."

"I suppose I cannot blame him as I do. His own father was fighting a war while he was a boy, and died soon after. And my father was too consumed with vengeance over that. Perhaps I am destined to be like him, but I will not let my sons follow the same path."

"You cannot be destined to be the same, if those are the words that you speak." Aliss said. She admired him. He was different than his father.

"You are a moon goddess' daughter, sent down to save me, I know it." Riche said, looking at her amorously.

"Oh stop it," She said. "Isn't it time we packed up, and you got dressed for the day."

"See, why is it not you that is leader of the army. You inspire me to be hard, and they say a soldier must be hardened."

"That is not funny," Aliss scolded with a hidden smile.

Riche just smiled wide and started to get into his armour. He wore very plain armour, for Oroshi armour. It had a few rubies here and there, but only rubies, and the rest of the armour had a crimson tinge to it.

Riche left the tent, and almost as if he had stepped out of a dream, he stepped into a clearing of trampled and flattened grass, which the night before had been riddled with tents. Within minutes of him leaving his tent, it was packed up onto the horses and the men were ready to go. If there was one thing Riche did, it was train his men proficiently.

Every man in Riches command respected him, and knew him to be the first prince in a hundred years that led his own battles. His courage always got the others' just as high.

Aliss rode in the middle of the troop, in a caravan. She had tried to say she would ride, but Riche had insisted that his princess have comfort as she travelled, if she insisted on coming, which she had. There was no real concern for her safety, for when the battle happened she would be far off from where it happened, and in any case, she was worth more alive than dead as a hostage, if anything did go horribly wrong.

Snow started to fall when they reached Highport, or rather it had been falling there for days, and they had only just walked into it. The whole ground was white diamonds sparkling and flickering in the sunlight. The flakes fell, and melted on their mares and leather and armour. The knights had all brought layers for the snow, but the cold was more than most of them had expected, and waking up in the frosty mornings, getting out of their beds, even the largest men could not help but shiver.

The meals had all become warm meals, warm porridge with brown sugar, stews with potato and salted beef, brothy soups, and hot spiced wines and tea. It was hard for Riche to know what was more comforting, the nourishment, or the warmth that spread from his belly and to the rest of his body.

Aliss did not seem to mind, she had grown up quite far north, and had experienced cold winters before, and her caravan was quite warm. Riche would have loved to join her, but every chilled bone in his body told him 'that is what your father would do, not a warrior'

The days grew shorter, and the walking time was less, so they often had to walk during the first hours of the night too. It was starting to get bitterly cold, and the men seemed much less happy to be on the mission than when they first had left. They had all been bragging to the rest of the knights, that they were actually going to do some work. It had been a long time since Oros had need to send out an army of this size.