Three Must Decide.

Part 14 A Tide of Horses.

Chapter note. the first 3 chapters have introduced you to the Three. Each faction is controlled, to a degree, by a real life person so decisions have to be made.

The Grand Duchess had to decide how to defend their seige works that they had built around Peregrin Run should Terrill try to retheir garrison. They also had to decide if they should split their force to re gain Diegous lands.

Terril had to decide if they should ride out against Ehmet, Caroline or both.

Perhaps there will be hidden consequences.

Read on to see what they have decided.

Caroline's deep dark eyes looked south towards Peregrine Run and traced the line of siege works that the True Order had constructed to seal the defenders in. Defenders she was assured by Lord Godbolts would soon be unable to resist as they were surely starving. Caroline had felt the admiration of her army and in return she was doing all she could to keep them safe, the siege had cost them nothing. The force sent with Diegou had reclaimed his estate and the lands between them. Caroline sent them out only when she had drawn on all the intelligence she could gather which suggested they could reach Diegous home without incident. The reports had been right and not for the first time it reaffirmed that her eyes and ears could reach far and dig deeper than her enemies.

There was a light morning dew clinging to the grass and a slight mist hung over the field between Peregrine Run and the low rise which was now topped with newer earth works. She walked along those works, with her came the ever present Lady Jane and Lord Godbolts. She had changed from the usual regal wear in to a finely crafted suite of leather armour. She felt awkward as she was not a warrior, but to those around her she walked with confidence, purpose. She needed to because as the morning light had broken it had revealed the coming of Marquess Terrills mounted army. From her vantage point atop the earth works the ground dropped a little down to a small stream and then rose again to another small rise no bigger than the one she now stood on. There along its entire length stood more horses and cavalry soldiers than she had ever seen. She forced herself to continue along the ramparts even as she felt her heart momentarily jump as she took in the line of the enemy, close but beyond even the rang of her Long Bows. Finally, she stopped amongst the Men at Arms and foot soldiers that stood closest too them. Her standard fluttered in the light breeze above them.

As she came to a standstill so a single rider came forward from the line of horse, the rider could only be Terrill himself who rode forward a part way down the slope, stopping and rising his hand before lowering it slowly. In so doing the entire line came forward in unison, and behind that another and another until they reached their commander and general. There before Caroline stood an earth-shattering weight of soldiers and horse that she could not protect her soldiers from. Today she had commanded them to ready themselves to face them, face them and break them.

She turned to those around her, Lord Godbolts and her staff who would carry word of the battle to her. There would be no rallying speech in front of a gathered mass, the field was far too large for that but her staffs first task would be to carry her words to the commanders and from them to the soldiers who would fight for her today. Once that task was done they would expend most of their strength on Lord Godbolts commands. He would lead the army Caroline knew she did not have the experience to command on a field of battle and neither could soldiers look to her while struggling to survive when standing face to face with their enemies, their commanders, Captains and the champions among them would have to drive them on. Carolines banner would be at the rear with a powerful reserve ready to enter the battle were ever needed.

Although she would not command, not while she had people like Lord Godbolts, she was not unfamiliar with the horrors a battle will bring. She had seen it during the Civil war, been close to fighting while she had been exiled, experienced hard ships finding Dark Harbour and making it her stronghold. While the people of Vasted fought each other her family had fought and at Peregrine Run had cared for the sick, wounded and dying. She had been much younger then but in those times she had helped were she had been allowed to help and so now although she could not lead the soldiers she would be their Angel Of Mercy.