The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Ten: War Meetings

On the second morning of the Festival of Steel, the whole of Blackfield smelled of it. A mixture of wine, ale, vomit, and urine filled the air, but did not disturb those wobbling through the street that had too much the previous night. Their senses have been dulled by severe headaches. None quite as badly as Jon Malken, who was so absent minded that unwillingly stumbled over a low fence and fell into a sheep's den. Thinking the gooey mud for his soft feather pillows, he dozed off with the sheep.

It was here where Freedmir found him the next morning. he knew that it would be his job to look after the Lord, as he had a passion for drinking, especially after an intake of the Leaf. He searched all around the campsite for most of the morning. Lord Jon had become lost to him in a sea of liquor, vomit, and urine. Once he ruled out the camp, he asked around the castle, inquiring if anyone had seen a man wearing the Oakleaf emblem of the Malken family. A nervous sheep keeper had told him of a man asleep in his pen that wore such a sign. He led Freedmir to the pen and there he found the good lord, still fast asleep.

"Lord Malken?" he said, reaching through the fence and shaking the general awake.

"What is it? Don't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

"The Prince has called a meeting of his officers. He insists that it is urgent."

"Urgent?" the Lord tried to stand up, but his foot gave way and he landed face down, splashing mud onto Freedmir's cloak."

"What the hell?" Malken seemed to finally figure out where he was, "How did I get here? Why am I in a sheep pen?"

"You fell asleep here my lord. Right after you left the celebration."

"Ah, the celebration. Celebration of what?"

"The Festival of Steel, sir."

"Of course, of course. Help me out of this sty, will you?" Freedmir helped Jon climb and stumble over the fence. Jon then lost his footing and reeled down onto his back.

"As I was saying, my Lord," Freedmir said, standing over him, "The Prince is expecting you."

"Not very well dressed to meet the Prince, am I?" Jon's face and the front of his body was covered by a crust of drying mud, "Suppose I should wash up first."

"You had best hurry, the Prince is impatient."

"You tell your Lord to hurry," Jon suddenly flared.

"Only suggested it," Freedmir corrected.

"Of course you did," Jon said bursting into laughter as his temples throbbed from his ghastly head ache, "Help me up again."

The Prince had assembled a tiny meeting in the royal tent with . Among them was Captain Noc, and Ulysses Cassius, whose presence was personally asked for the previous night. To the Prince's left was Lord Clayton Blackwell, and his vassals. Together they commanded an army of five thousand soldiers from Raenna and the surrounding country, and they hoped to receive at least four thousand Blackfield men and two thousand knights  from Lord Dayvey immediately. Even more in the future as all the soldiers in the Duchy of Forthren join him.The two thousand Brukalil soldiers would not provide the elite fighting skills to combat the Morcars.

"Where is Malken?"

"He's gone missing, my prince," Blackwell said, "It seems we have a stroke of luck."

"He's my second in command by the order of my father and I want him found."

"Yes, my Prince," Clayton sent his guards outside the tent to search for the last of the Malkens.