A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 1179 A Passing Result - Part 2
1179: A Passing Result – Part 2
1179: A Passing Result – Part 2
There were a few murmurs of agreement from amongst the marching men as they listened in on his proclamation.
It seemed a rather innocent statement, or so Oliver thought, but Lombard was watching the man ever so carefully, as if to warn him from saying anything more.
“I wonder, did you see the state of our own castle walls today?” Verdant continued.
He directed the question towards Tolsey, who received it with a thoughtful look.
“I didn’t have the time to spare on them,” Tolsey said, reaching up a hand to stroke his beard, as he swayed side to side in the saddle.
“I was more focused on those siege weapons.
As long as we kept their firing to a minimum, I thought our job to be done.”
“Indeed, that seemed to have been accomplished,” Verdant said.
“Lady Blackthorn – what might she demonstrate in seizing the initiative, and seeing that three of them were out of action.
I don’t think the timing could have been any better.
Just when my Lord had set our new strategy in formation, and when General Rainheart had successfully dealt with the threat that had been mounting atop our walls.
What a breath of relief it must have been…”
Captain Lombard continued to glare, warning the man, but Verdant didn’t seem to notice the look.
He spoke on, as if conversing with only Tolsey, and Tolsey listened in, nodding his head.
“That is true.
It must have been a morale boost for those men.
They know they’ve got support on the ground now, at least.
As little as we can offer, it must still come as a relief.
But the wall will still be degrading, I suppose.
There’s little we can do in that regard.”
“I do wonder,” Verdant said, smiling a thin smile.
“Since our arrival at around midday, I took care to take note of that wall.
As we all did, I am sure.
For that is the object of our defence, to not know the state that it is in, that would be foolish, wouldn’t it?”
The question wasn’t targeted at anyone in particular, but more than one of the nearby Commanders blushed.
Firyr was amongst them, realizing that he hadn’t given the castle wall a thought more than ‘that bastard had better not fall anytime soon.’
“Well, I wouldn’t put it that strongly, but I do suppose I am in agreement, Lord Idris,” Tolsey said.
“To know what you are defending goes a long way in regards to the actual defence of it.”
“And in noting it, I can say that the change of it between our arrival, and now, was most minimal.
I could not spy a single added crack.
Though indeed those siege weapons did continue to fire, it was a most tickling rhythm at most.
The barest patter of rainwater compared to what it was… But I suppose that to be mere coincidence,” Verdant said. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
He finally glanced towards Lombard.
“I would not put it so strongly as coincidence,” Lombard said, making his point – whatever it was – as clear as he could, and holding his tone to a firmness.
He seemed to expect Verdant to understand from that, but the Idris man continued to push forward.
“Oh, indeed,” Verdant said.
“Perhaps I might be overthinking it.
But the might of Blackwell, and Karstly – they had managed to keep their wall so safe.
One could not have expected the same from a newly appointed Colonel of the name Patrick, could they?
I certainly would not have.”
Now, finally, Oliver saw what Verdant was getting at.
It was looping, and out of the way, but if one followed his laborious speech, one could see the evident praise that he was implying for his Lord.
Or at least, Oliver hoped they could.
All aside from Lombard were simply nodding, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“The effective authority that Captain Patrick has been granted does appear to extend to the same bounds as a Colonel, so I can forgive the mistake, however I must point out that he has yet to receive the proper title to be called as such, and so I must warn, Lord Idris, against using it out of turn,” Captain Lombard said.
“Ah, but of course, that is my mistake,” Verdant said, smiling.
“A successful day, would you not say, good Captain?”
“I would,” Captain Lombard said gruffly, well aware that Verdant was trying to entice something more out of him – something that could likely be called praise.
“Tomorrow shall be a harder endeavour, however.
General Zilan has countered our strategy.
We will have a hard time finding meat to sink our teeth into.”
“Just as we did today,” Verdant said.
“But we will manage, I am sure of it.”
“If we do not, his advantage will continue to mount, and it will be as if we are not there at all,” Captain Lombard said.
…
…
The next day of battle began, with the combined Blackwell and Karstly forces taking to the battlefield one more.
The two had set up their camps on opposite ends of the battlefield, and it seemed for all intents and purposes that they were different armies entirely, if not for the continuous communication that took place between them in the form of birds.
“But indeed, that is how it must be,” Karstly said.
“Else we would have the same mind, and the same intentions, and our good friend Khan would only move too easily in countering us.”
The day previous, Karstly had made its sole target the camp behind Khan and General Harme’s combined armies.
Harme had been tasked with stopping him, but had been unable to put a complete halt to those efforts without Khan’s interference.
At the same time, General Blackwell had been busy harrying the siege weapons at the front of the battlefield, preventing them from easily continuing their siege upon General Broadstone’s castle walls.
And what a number of siege weapons they were now, after Khan had brought all of his, after sending the central castle into complete collapse.
