Jessica Jackson
Stories
5
Chapters
1,060
Words
656.8 K
Comments
0
Reading
2 d, 6 h
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Flesh and Spirit Plenmont At night, the palace in Plenmont was quiet; only the guards disturbed the silence, making their rounds. In the hour before dawn, the servants began to rise, preparing for the day. Hearths were lit where needed, so the chambers would not be cold when their masters and mistresses woke, which, depending on the person, could take place at any time between dawn and noon. There was one exception to this. In the chambers he shared with his wife, Leander sat on the edge of their bed…
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Dreams Plenmont The great hall of the palace in Plenmont was bustling with activity. It was only a few days before winter solstice, and servants were flitting everywhere, busy with preparations. Twigs and branches from pine trees with their green needles were being hung everywhere; a reminder that spring would return with its blossoms once the dark winter was over. Furthermore, the tables by which the court dined were being rearranged. This allowed for a large, open space in the centre of the hall. By…
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Atheling Middanhal Eventually, the news spread that the Adalthing would convene for an extraordinary session. For the common people on the street, life continued as usual, and for the most part, they considered the war to be at an end. As for the armies gathered in the capital, the soldiers considered this a pleasant turn of events; until the Adalthing had met and its affairs were resolved, none of them would be marching against Isarn. Thus, rather than be stuck digging trenches and building palisades…
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The Spoils of Peace Middanhal In the capital, they were anxiously awaiting news. It had been a week since the army left, and it felt as if the entire city was holding its breath. There were constant glances to the south, wondering if Middanhal would soon be under siege again. Those who had money to spare bought food for their stocks. Salt was near impossible to find and worth its weight in silver. Inside the Citadel itself, Theodoric sat in one of the rooms of his quarters. He was seated by a table with…
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From Friend to Foe The River Cudrican Once the Order army left Middanhal, it precipitated several days of manoeuvring and scouting. They linked up with the soldiers from Vale and marched their combined strength towards Athelstan. He similarly had his outriders keep close watch of their progression while moving his own army around in a careful dance caused by both sides’ apprehensions. The Order did not wish to initiate a battle on terrain favourable to Athelstan, who in turn needed time to fully…
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The Right Dagger Middanhal The following day, a small party left Middanhal and travelled some ten miles to the camp of the Vale forces, which now flew the banner of Hardling; the surcoats of every soldier remained red and gold, however. The group consisted of Richard, Brand, Fionn, and a handful of men-at-arms acting as their bodyguard. Entering the tented area, their eyes glanced in various directions, taking it all in until they reached the centre of the camp. Unlike the Order, the quarters for the…
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The Greater Foe Middanhal In the capital, the Order was taking full advantage of the respite given to them. While none of the commanders could divine why Vale’s army was remaining camped a few days out and not making any move, they were grateful for the extra time to prepare. Richard had arrived with the main army, meaning that Middanhal finally had a full garrison with every tower, wall, and post manned. Add to that, more levies from Theodstan had arrived at the same time to bolster their forces, and…
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The Velvet Glove Coldharbour Earlier that week, while Athelstan was preparing his assault on Middanhal, the Vale army was still recovering from its defeat and had retreated into the safety of Coldharbour, tending to their wounded. Other than that, they had done little else except cause trouble for the local inhabitants. The appearance of Athelstan, his capture of the siege camp and its engines, his usurpation of their stated goal of besieging Middanhal, all of it had left Konstantine…
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Wolf and Lion Middanhal After the battle of Bradon, the Order army did not give pursuit. Middanhal was lightly defended in their absence, and the agreement had been to avoid prolonging this state. While they might chase the fleeing Isarn soldiers all the way to Silfrisarn, they were not equipped for a siege. They had bought themselves time and kept their northern gate open, allowing for further reinforcements from Theodstan; now they could also devote their full attention on the South and the true…
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A Masterful Play Valley of Bradon The Order army under Richard’s command had marched two days along the north-western Kingsroad until the scouts had clashed with their counterparts from Isarn. Both armies had made camp some distance from each other, and on the following day, they had marched out and arrayed their forces in ranks opposite their foe. The area was called Bradon, a slight dent in the landscape sloping downwards to shape a shallow valley. Both forces had made use of this and positioned…
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