The Reformation Wars: The Trump of Ibis

Chapter 7

Dustin and his company of a thousand successfully left the frigid mountain pass behind and enjoyed the warmer weather of the Arorian plains for about two days' travel. What followed was several days crossing the Innutukian countryside, which only grew more and more unforgiving the farther west they went. Unpleasant as eastern winters could be, nothing could compare to the dangers of the west's unrelenting ice, freezing fogs, and the dark clouds that blocked out the sun for days at a time.

Chilly breezes pierced Dustin and his men down to their very bones, and at times, even breathing became an unpleasant task due to the coldness of the air. Many nights, the soldiers wasted much of their allotted resting time to dig away snow from the spot they intended to sleep. Much as the men clamored to turn aside to a nearby town for shelter instead of sleeping out in the open, Dustin was forced to refuse them. Any delay could seal the fate of the Monteraynians holding the siege effort and cost countless lives.

But at last, after enduring fifteen days of grueling travel, Dustin nudged his horse Consequence forward, and they emerged from a thick fog. Able to gaze miles out rather than just beyond his stallion's fiery red snout, he beheld the stark silhouette of the Innutukian capital on the horizon. A wave of gladness washed over Dustin. He glanced over at Jude, who had just stepped out of the fog.

"Just about an hour, and we should be there." Dustin said, "Are you ready?"

"I'd say so. Are you?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Though with this cold, I feel drained already."

Jude nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Once you get movin', that'll warm you up for sure." Kyle remarked, having appeared on Dustin's other side.

Dustin chuckled. "You do have a point. Let's ride."

So the mounted soldiers trotted across the plain that stood between themselves and the capital. As they drew nearer, Dustin began to make out the forms of the Monteraynian soldiers surrounding the walls, along with their countless horses and tents. Though he'd never seen the original force, he could only deduce they'd lost a great deal of their men, based on how thinly they'd now been spread. At this rate, even a small squad of Innutukian troops would be able to punch a hole in the Monteraynian formation and bring supplies into the capital.

When Dustin had come close enough to see archers perched on the walls of the city, raining death down on the Monteraynians below, he let out a war cry and pushed his horse to a gallop. Consequence's hooves kicked up clumps of snow as they charged into the fray. The frosty wind whipped through Dustin's hair, but his focus remained on providing relief to his struggling countrymen.

After shouting back instructions for his thousand men to disperse among the soldiers already present, Dustin broke off to find Captain Altruz. With the battle being waged between projectile weapons and his main specialty being the sword, he could do little to begin with. And since he planned on taking charge of the operation, it was incumbent on him to familiarize himself with the situation as it stood. No better place to receive an update than the captain himself.

Dustin urged his horse to stop outside the command tent, and after tying a rope from the reins to a wooden stake, he tramped through the snow to find the entrance. He sucked in a deep breath and tugged the tent flap open.

He stepped inside to find Captain Altruz and the officers below him, all decked out in suits of plate armor, and all huddled around a map of the Innutukian capital. The men took turns jabbing fingers at different parts of the drawing while explaining the importance they saw in holding a strong position in that spot. Altruz spoke sparingly, however. He mostly listened to the others' input while visibly weighing it all out in his mind.