Cavalry Stables and Barracks

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin stepped into the officer barracks.  This was where the cavalry officers would be found, next to the regular cavalry barracks and the stables.  He could see the junior officers, some laying on bunks, some at a table eating, still others at another table playing a game of chance with dice.  He casually ignored the small stack of money on the table, as gambling was against the rules here.

A senior officer noticed Altario and called the room to attention.  Everyone jumped to their feet and stared hard at who they assumed was the general's aide.  Altario closed the door behind him and surveyed the room.  "Gentlemen," he spoke softly.  He then faced the senior officer, a captain, like himself, though Altario could not remember his name.  "Where is the senior officer's office?"

The captain smile and indicated a door at the far end of the barracks.  "That's my office; I'll show you to it."

Altario shook his head, and spoke in a voice loud enough to be heard by all.  "No, that is my office, Captain.  I am in command of this detachment as of this afternoon."  He looked about.  "We shall go inside for a brief talk, and when we come out, your officers better have this place looking like an officer’s barracks, and not like the Boar's Beard inn!" 

As he and the captain strode across the room and entered the office, Altario heard the men begin a scrambled attempt at cleaning.  This was definitely not the way he wanted to take over the command, but circumstances were dictating otherwise.  Any time he had to gently introduce himself to them and garner their respect through mutual bonding was gone.  They needed to know he was in charge right now.  Altario sat in the high backed leather chair that was behind a small desk.  He squirmed in an attempt to get comfortable, but was discouraged.  As soon as the captain shut the door, Altario looked up at him.  "I assume you brought this chair here.  Get rid of it tonight and get back the one that is supposed to be here.  What is your name, captain?"

The captain eyed the newcomer narrowly.  "It's Jahzhur Zekarsis-eck-Kor'och.  What is the meaning behind this, sir?  I had assumed that I would be taking this post when Colonel Ammesh retired."

For a moment, Altario could sympathise with the man.  Only an hour or two ago he had felt the same way when he thought Graviaro had replaced him as aide.   Zekarsis-eck-Kor'och, a good Remusian name; Kor’och’s Wind.  The man was from an old and distinguished family.  "I know this is hard, Captain, but I need you to get past that right now.  There is an orc army descending on us and will be here tonight."

The captain was startled.  An orc army?  Here?  "Shall I gather the men and get saddled up?"

Altario shook his head.  "No.  How many men do you have?  A few hundred?  The army of orcs is about three thousand strong.  Leave the horses as they are, but we will need to get the men ready to defend along the walls with the city guard."

Jahzhur nodded.  "Of course."  Suddenly self doubt crossed his mind and he was actually relieved that he was not going to have to be in charge.  This was too much, too soon.

Altario saw the look in the captain's face.  "Jahzhur, do not doubt yourself tonight, or in the days to come.  I am sure this has nothing to do with your ability to lead men.  I will need you, and I will rely on you."  Altario stood up from the big chair, its luxuriousness making him feel ill at ease. “Listen, Jahzhur, we are pressed for time to get to know one another.  You know these men, they are yours.  I’m going to be the new guy, and for now, the bad guy.  I need them to die for me, for you, for King Araman, and for Remusiat in the next few days.  I don’t have time to make them like me and respect me, so I shall settle for simply respecting me.  You, I need more from.”

Jahzhur could not help but feel his chest expand a bit with pride, despite his disappointment.  “You will get everything I can give you, Sir.”

Altario smiled.  “Good.  Get me a chair I can sit in.”

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario waited for soldiers to remove the large leather chair from the small office, and replace it with a rawhide chair, stretched over a wison horn frame.  He then sat, the less luxurious seat fitting him more closely than the opulent one.  When the soldiers left his office, it left only him and the other captain, Jahzhur Zekarsis-eck-Kor'och.  He looked hard at the captain.  "I want you to get the men ready, gather them in the yard.  I will address them shortly.  First, I need to check on something."

Jahzhur nodded his quick ascent.  "Yes, sir.  What about the scouts?  I'm not sure where all of them might be at this hour.  Some are on patrol, while others are about the city."

Shaking his head, Altario's lips formed a thin line.  "No need to worry about them.  They seem to go where they are needed on their own.  In fact, I'll be seeing a few of them when I leave here.  My brother was wounded, and I plan on seeing him before this night gets underway.  And where there is Denrykmar, there is Garret."

Jahzhur raised an eyebrow at the news.  "Your brother will be alright?"  He barely knew the scout, but felt it obligatory to ask the question anyway.

A grin swept over Altario. "Yes, he'll be fine."  The smile faded.  Fine for now, though there was no promises over what would be happening over the next few days.  He stood from his chair.  "Very well, Captain.  I shall return shortly.  Gather the men and await my return."

Altario then waited for Jahzhur to leave before departing; the Wison Breath Inn as his destination.

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario looked at the man, and shook his head.  "We will have someone sent to get them.  We will be housed at the barracks, which are attached to the stables, so they will be close.  Right now, however, I need to get back to the men."  Gathering his coat tightly about him, he stepped briskly in the late afternoon light.

It did not take long before the barracks came into view.  In it, they would find respite from the cold wind that blew.  If only for a moment.  It would be a long night outdoors.  But, cold would not be on the minds of those men tonight.  What was a chill wind when compared to an orc arrow?  What was a night of discomfort compared to the lives of those thousands of lives that hung in the balance?

Altario glanced up into the sky, the last rays of the sun sweeping over the hide-covered rooftops of the town.  Kor'och would be bringing many of them home tonight.  How many lives did a god need to satisfy his desire for blood?  A chill passed through Altario, and he cast his gaze downward.  What he was thinking was near heresy.  And tonight, they would all need Kor'och's blessing.

Entering the barracks, there was a thunder of shuffling, as men came to attention.  Jahzhur Zekarsis-eck-Kor'och stood before the gathered men, and he saluted the commanding officer, with an open palm held aloft.  He looked curiosly to the foreigner behind Altario.  A new recruit?  "The men are ready, sir."

Altario nodded.  "Orsah-Arrock Jahzhur, this is Orsah-Dragguer Calder.  He will be acting as my personal assistant."  Altario motioned toward the man behind him.  He knew that the news would take the Remusian by surprise, and was not disappointed.

"I had thought I was to be your assistant," Jahzhur spoke, recalling his previous conversation with the new commander.  First he lost his command, and now this?

Altario nodded slowly.  "I had considered it.  But, we will need to be separated to be most effective.  I will take command of the forces at the western gate, while you will command at the southern gate.  Dragguer Calder will be our intermediary.  I do not have time to discuss this, Jahzhur.  This is how it will be."  A stern look is what Altario shot the captain, silencing any potential rebuttels.

Instead, Altario faced the large crowd of fully armed warriors.  They were an impressive looking bunch, in their leather armour, weapons at the ready; long spears in their hands, short swords on their hips.  On the right flank, a detachment of warriors with the famed Remusian bow.  They were the elite of the cavalry.  He cleared his throat.  As he began to speak, he was joined by the five hundred voices of the soldiers in the room, all in hushed reverential tones.  It gave him goosebumps as he prayed.

"My horse, be swift in flight,
As a vévan’már,
My horse, be sound in flight,
as you do me bear.
Homeward we two will fly
And you rewarded be
With banners brightly red.

My sword, be strong in war
as the Thunderfoot
My sword, be true in war,
Keep my honour fast.
A warrior I will be
To the last air I breathe,
And then to Kur'och's side."

There was a moment of silence after the prayer, before Altario began to speak once more.  "Remusiat is in danger.  An orc horde that greatly outnumbers us is on its way.  Most of the army is away to the western lands.  That leaves you.  The proud, the honoured, the elite of our forces to defend the city.  Kor'och favours the cavalry most of all his children.  That is why it is the hardest of the forces to become part of.  Every one of you deserves to be here.  Every one of you is the best of Remusia.  You are what the rest of the world aspires to be!

Tonight.  The next days.  The next month.  You will need to prove that you are the best.  We have lived proudly as Remusians, and now we must die proudly as Remusians.  Songs will be sung.  Poems will be written.  Stories will be told of you.  How you held at bay the orc horde.  How Remusiat was saved by you!  Our blood will spill, but orc blood will run like melted snow across the plain.

We fight for honour!

We fight for Kor'och!

But we fight for Remusiat!"

Spears shook with enthusiasm, while voices cheered heartily.  A pride filled Altario unlike anything he had ever felt before.  These men, these wonderful men, were ready to die for their home.  What more could be asked of a Remusian?  To protect the capitol city.  It was as if Kor'och himself had arranged this, to lift them all above all those who came before and all those who would come after.

[Calder Knightson]

     "We will have someone sent to get them. We will be housed at the barracks, which are attached to the stables, so they will be close. Right now, however, I need to get back to the men," Altario announced before gathering his cloak around him and moving swiftly into the fading day.

     Calder nodded silently, though the gesture was missed by the commanded and instead of responding with words he lifted swung his pack over his shoulder and followed. The weight of both armor and possessions weighed heavily on him as he followed his new captain through the streets of the frozen city toward the mentioned barracks. By the time they had reached the building that the man was heading toward, the back of his white shirt was slightly damp from the layers of clothing and heavy bags that were slung over his back.

     He entered behind the Remusian, watching as the men formed ranks and another man of rank reported to the Captain. He shifted to change the position of the weight on his back while the men spoke and winced inwardly as pieces of armor clanked together. His expression darkened as this other man spoke of being the Remusian's aid, but Altario's next works made since and that along with a look ended the discussion.

     Next the man looked over the assembled soldiers and raised his voice in a sort of chant. When the others joined in and the words started to flow, Calder recognized it as a prayer. He dipped his head slightly in respect to which ever god they worshiped, but not much. Nearly two years had passed and he still held a grudge, wondering why the gods had seen fit to punish him so. The usual anger that usually hovered near death in the back of his mind roared to life but only for a moment.

     He had believed that for some reason he could run away and hide from the past and the pain, but it was always with him. Breathing became more of a task for the few moments that the pray lasted and he was able to conquer the emotions that threatened to consume him. There was no time now for regrets, not with a battle ahead. Mind returned to body in the middle of a speech to raise the spirits of his men.

     He listened, hanging to each word that flowed eloquently from the trained fighter's mouth. Their leader's words of encouragement rallied the men to face the danger that had come to their doorstep and threatened their lives and the lives of their loved ones and friends. The voices of the gathered men rang through the room and Calder felt the exhilarating mix of fear and excitement that preceded battle.

     His mind returned to one thought, as it did when ever he faced danger. Would he survive this or would he finally meet his end and die by the sword like the soldier he was? One thing he knew to be true like every other time before, if this was it then we would go down fighting. He would go into this without fear and with acceptance of the outcome, what ever it may be.

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario turned back to his two officers.  First Jahzhur.  "Take your men to the southern gate.  Man the wall, reinforce the gate.  Begin to get word out to the city of what danger lies ahead.  Make sure they understand what will be required during this siege.  We may need conscripts.  We may need to confiscate supplies.  A curfew might be instituted."

Jahzhur nodded solemnly.  He understood the requirements of the city.  "Yes, sir.  I'll do my part."  He then went to gather his men.

Altario thought he heard a sullen tone to the man's voice, but did not have the luxury of time to think about it.  As long as Jahzhur acted like a proper soldier, it was all that was needed.  He then turned his attention to Calder.  "Go in advance of us to the western gate.  Kressfell or Malowart should be the Wyshnir-eck-E’shov on duty.  That is our name for," he searched his memory, "Sargeant.  Whoever is there, let them know we are on our way.  If both are there, have one meet Jahzhur at the southern gate.  There is an elf there, Isoto, who is the acting aide to Graviaro.  Inform him as well.  I'll bring the men."

Now, there was one last bit of business to take care of before he left the stables.  "Zaerkin!"  He looked about for the horse handler.  A grunt escaped him when he spotted the ruddy skinned man over by the stables, tending to one of the horses.  Altario made his way there in only a few steps of his long legs.  "Zaerkin, how is my brother's horse?"

Zaerkin looked up at the captain, his short stature in contrast to the other tall soldier.  "He's fine.  Take a lot more than a roll in the snow to hurt that animal.  Tell  Denrykmar to rest assured, when he needs Zekar, the stallion will be ready.  Now, if there is nothing else?"  He nodded toward the the rear of the horse, where he was standing.

It was only then that Altario noticed that the stablemaster had his arm inserted into the horse up to his elbow, and was pushing further.  "When is she ready?"

Rocking his head from side to side, Zaerkin squinted.  "I'd say in the next few days.  Doesn't feel like twins. "  He pulled his arm out, having been satisfied with the position of the foal inside.  He began wiping his arm on a strip of leather cloth to clean it.

Altario nodded, satisfied with the progress report on the mare, still, his brow furrowed deeply.  This horse was very strange, and it was a bad omen, he thought.  Mologh horses usually came into heat in the Changing Winds, and foaled in Molten Ice.  How this particular mare came into heat so late, then managed to get pregnant, was beyond explanation.  Truthfully, Altario would have been more comfortable killing the horse or its foal, but Graviaro had ordered it looked after.  Why, he could not say.  Things like this, things that were unnatural bothered Altario, and he made no bones about it.

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