The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Twenty: Rengle Fallaner

An army of nearly seventeen thousand strong left Castle Blackfield the second day after the end of the Festival of Steel. Most of the troops arrived the previous day when Nakbar Nazeen agreed to join Tauron's ranks. Along with Yorod's armies came his two oldest sons, the Cassius', and any of the Lords that happened to be at Blackfield at the time of the Festival. The army left Blackfield with Prince Tauron at the helm. Riding alongside him was Jon Malken and the Dayvey brothers. Close behind was Helg Velrock also came at the Prince's personal request.

"Quite a group you have somehow rounded together," Helg spoke as he rode up to the Prince.

"Did what I could, Helg," the Tauron said proudly, the proudest Helg had ever heard him. Never before has the Prince rode with such confidence.

' "Do you think it'll be enough?"

"No. I don't think so. Quite frankly, just between you and me it will take all of Liticea to drive out the Morcars."

"But no you just have this rabble."

Tauron smiled, "It's a start."

Riding with Lord Dayvey's army were Eva, Terrall and Merric. Merric felt that they had blended in quite well. Well enough that they would be able to stay close to the Prince, their main goal. Terrall was not accustomed to marching. He was given an aging mare to ride into Balckfield which Merric made him sell. Eva had some experience, but Merric was a hard and true marcher. He had marched with Austin during the Corasian War and now he was marching off with the Prince.

"Terrall."

"What?"

"When you get to my age you begin to notice a few things."

"Like what?"

"The world never seems to be short of wars," Merric said, sorrow played in his words, "People always seem to need to kill each other."

"Of course. We're an army. An army needs to fight. If we don't fight we get soft and we get invaded. Such as the Morcars," Kade pointed out.

"Well, why do the Morcars need to invade Terrall?" Merric asked.

"Because men need to conquer everything," Eva said.

Merric and Terrall both gave her disapproving looks, "We do?" Merric asked.

"I feel that the world would be a bit quieter if women ran everything."

"Than maybe women should stop pushing men into this world," Terrall stated.

"And don't forget our good lady Diana the Conqueress, the greatest woman in history," Merric added.

"Yeah, Eva," Terrall did not miss a beat to rub in Eva's face as he was marching, "What about her? She conquered the world. Not exactly a 'quiet' woman."

Eva said nothing. She only shook her head and kept marching. They took a brief glance back and saw that they had made quite a bit of progress from Blackfield. Soot City was now a blurred, smoking jumble of buildings in the distance, and Castle Blackfield itself was the only distinguishing feature that they could still make out. Even when the buildings went out of sight, they would still be able to see the smoke rising for hundreds of miles.

"Maybe Diana was a hermaphrodite?" Terrall whispered and he got a good laugh from Merric and an elbow in the stomach from Eva.

Among the recent graduates from the School of Chivalry, Locke was singing an old song from House Horcaster about the courage and the ferocity of his ancestors. Most of the rest rode in silence, unsure of what the road ahead would lead to. Jergan especially felt in his gut that this road was leading to a massacre. He had always been inclined to believe that the worst lay ahead. Ever since he was a child. Ever since Hod died. Since Hod died in that river.