Finally Found

Chapter 26 - Bel

We've been marching for a month straight now and it's the most bored that I've been in centuries, there is very little to do while marching. Even though we've been making good time the weather is starting to turn against us now as over the past few days there's been plenty of rain making the path more difficult for us. So long as it doesn't get any worse we should reach the border in just under another month. Gods I'd give anything just to fly there on Kor.

Not even talking to, or at, Kor is taking the edge of my boredom anymore. In fact the only highlight of the past month was a few weeks ago when we'd got a letter from Emmy and Lilas. We'd been able to send the letter we wrote to them together with a report for the Council that contained our planned route so at the next town we stopped near a reply was waiting for us.

I've kept the letter tucked close to my heart and in really bored moments, when it's not raining, I'll take it out and read it again. Usually aloud so that Kor can hear it as well. Emmy seems to be settling into her role as Queen now that she's selected her ladies-in-waiting, at the time we'd received the letter she'd spent a lot of time at court and had even started organising another ball. With this ball though she's hosting it in support of the army, attendees will be encouraged to give donations that will be turned over to the Council to help us with supplies.

When we'd read about it I'd been so proud of her. It seems gaining so many friends through her ladies-in-waiting has really helped her with her confidence and even hearing of her doing so well at court makes me happy. I can't wait to get back to Hadlau and see it for myself. Apparently she's already making plans for a feast in advance of return from war. Lilas writes that it makes her happy planning for our return even though it may be a few years before we're back.

The letter does include something worrying though that keeps planning on mine and Kor's minds, we're eager for the next letter that should put our worries at ease. According to Lilas, at the time of the letter, Emmy has been ill although they didn't know the cause. He had added at the end of the letter that she'd finally agreed to see the Healer as it hadn't stopped after a week straight so in the next letter we should have answers. Ideally we'll be told that it was nothing and that Emmy is perfectly fine. If not Kor may lose it and fly back to check on her, we'd never really dealt with illness before as the rest of our species very rarely get ill.

Ahead of me Asaroth is riding next to Kor discussing defences for when we get to the border. Now that we're so close they want to get their plans finalised before we get there although some small changes will still need to be made. Information from the border has informed us that Rhistel hasn't made his move yet although he has started sending more patrols along Nerkise's side of the border, no doubt waiting for our arrival.

I have no doubts that by now he's been informed of the army marching to the border so is keeping a look out for us finally getting to the border. We can hope that he doesn't have an accurate count of our numbers just yet so we still have a slight advantage of him not knowing how many more soldiers we have than him. Our spies have done what they can to estimate the enemy troops for us and so long as it's not a vast underestimate we have a much greater number of soldiers. Plus with Kor's experience and training we're in a good position.

"We still have a few rivers to cross none of them too deep so it should be easier than the last few. So long as we don't get a massive amount of rain." Asaroth comments as their conversation turns from defences to the march. He's right though and the last few crossings have been difficult, we'd lost a few soldiers and some supplies at each of the last few rivers as we tried to cross them.

"That's good news, hopefully the Gods will favour us with good weather. I can't wait to finally get there and stop this damn marching." I complain butting into their conversation. The last war that Kor and I had fought in started more suddenly than this one so we'd flown ahead of the rest of the army to aid in the fighting straight away. This time though nothing has truly started yet and it wouldn't be appropriate for the Kings to go off on their own when the army they're meant to be leading can't follow.