Chapter 172: Chapter 33 – The Laufgraan War 8
The rest of the morning was dedicated to bringing the encampment closer to the fortress. Earth magicians raised walls while carpenters set up fences. Servants raised tents and soldiers helped all of them.
The ships that stayed afloat were being repaired. Their sailors fled in life boats or swam to shore and were now inside the fortress. The ones captured by Matthew and Firynn were now being transported to the coast and sent to various prisons in the allied counties.
For that, they had to displace 2,000 soldiers to escort the prisoners, around 650 Matthew captured and another 1.000 that swam to shore.
They lost a helicopter in the sea, the other was too damaged to fly and had to be sent back to Earth for repairs, since they didn’t have the technology for it. The other was being rearmed.
The tanks suffered no damage and the humvees only had some tires slashed. But would be soon ready again.
Out of the 500 men used in the skirmish, they lost about 200 to injuries or death.
In total, Farzan’s army had about 10.000 men, but now they were spread thin across the Duchy. He had only 2.800 men with him now.
Firynn’s army was no different. He had less men in total, about 8.000, 1.500 in the fortress, another 700 in the city, about 500 sailors that survived the assault, and the rest was spread around the country fighting the enemy.
While the sounds of work came out from the forming camp, the war council was deliberating how to proceed with the attack. They managed to destroy Firynn’s navy in a single day, but besieging the fortress was still impossible. They had no way to blockade the harbor.
"We’re at a disadvantage here." Farzan said in Elven.
"They have more soldiers, they have a fortress, walls and a harbor." Dalynn agreed. "The more we wait here, the worse for us."
"We should have killed the prisoners. Sending 2.000 men away was a mistake." Another noble said.
"I will not be a murderer." Farzan protested. "Remember that after the war we still have to rule over these lands. We can’t do that if the people hate us."
"Still. We need reinforcements." Azan said.
"Can’t we use the Vissof?" Faralynn asked, talking about the ship they captured. "Or the others?"
"The frigates are beyond use." Another noble said. "Their hulls are too damaged. Even moving them is risky. But the Vissof is good, it just lost its mast and sails, but we can still move it somewhat with water spells."
"We can call upon Lord Bafnozan to send his ships to blockade the harbor." Azan said, rubbing her chin.
"How long would that take?" Farzan asked.
"About 2 weeks." The same noble as before said. "They’ll need time to prepare."
"Too long." Dalynn noted.
"Call him anyway." Farzan ordered. "If the battle goes that long, we might need his help."
"How about reinforcements?" Faralynn’s aunt asked.
"All our troops are engaged. The soldiers that went with the prisoners will return in 5 days." Dalynn explained.
"And to take the fortress as is?" Faralynn asked.
"We need at least a 3 to 1 advantage, my lady." Dalynn explained. "At the moment, we have less than that."
"Destroying Farynn’s armada was a great blow to his forces, but sitting here doing nothing will give him the war." Azan commented. "As things are, he’s just waiting for an opportunity to come out of his den and assault us. If any reinforcements arrive for our enemies, we will be damned."
"Then we keep waiting and trust our men." Farzan said.
The war council ended without any action decided. They had too few men to try to assault the fortress and no way to blockade the port. Firynn also didn’t have enough men for a decisive win in open battle, so he would not come out from behind his walls.
Both armies were now just looking at each other. They were waiting for the other battles around the duchy to be resolved and free their men to reinforce their positions.
Trebuchets and cannons were placed aiming at the fortress and throughout the next days they launched stones and cannon balls at the defenses.
Little by little, the soldiers that went out escorting the prisoners returned along the next 5 days. But a lot of those soldiers had to stay behind to help guard the prisoners. Only a quarter returned.
The original plan was to assault the walls with 5.000 men, but now their forces were reduced to 3300.
Morale was high, but there was a part of the army that felt that letting the prisoners live was a mistake. Discussions about the issue started to spread through the camp.
Matthew was training his shooting on some hay targets together with the archers.
"You’re getting better." Faralynn said looking at his grouping.
"Yeah. I spent too long without firing a gun." Matthew smiled at her.
Faralynn brought up her bow and took position by Matthew’s side. Her arrows hit the bullseye consecutively.
"You always impress me." Matthew said, making her blush.
"How long are we going to stay here?" Ffyr asked, interrupting the couple.
"Until reinforcements arrive." Tina said.
"And when is that?" The fairy fiddled with some arrows, bored out of her mind.
"When one of our other troops wins their battles." Tina said, pulling Ffyr’s hand away from the fletchings as if she was a child. "You’re going to ruin those." She admonished the fairy.
"Can’t we like... Sneak in and open the gates? Like a horse of Troy thing?" Mia asked, sitting over a closed barrel of water.
"If only it was so easy." Tina sighed.
Then a loud discussion started nearby. Someone threw a punch and suddenly a brawl started.
"People are getting tense." Erin commented as soldiers ran to stop the ones fighting.
"It will only get worse with time." Tina noted. "I’m going to work on some gems." She added before walking away.
"We should occupy ourselves as well." Faralynn said. "The stress and the stillness can get to us as well."
"But do what?" Mia asked, getting down from where she was.
"I’ve been helping with cooking." Erin said.
"You can play with Ffyr." Matthew suggested as if the fairy was a child.
"I do not need a babysitter." Ffyr protested.
"Lynn has her work with the war council and all the politics stuff." Mia said, ignoring the suggestion while Ffyr showed Matthew her tongue. "What are you doing Matty?"
"Training, mostly." He answered pointing to the shooting range.
"Perhaps I should train with you." She thought out loud.
Before anything else could be said, a commotion came from one of the camp entrances. They rushed to see what was happening and found some wounded soldiers being treated by medics.
Matthew recognized Pyrzan, unharmed, looking upon the wounded being treated. He rushed to her side.
"What happened?" He asked.
"We were ambushed on our way here." The elf explained.
"How many?" Faralynn asked her.
"About 10. A scouting party, maybe?" Pyrzan answered.
"What about your mission?" The elf asked.
"We completed it. But I lost 5 men in the ambush." She reported.
"I’m sorry." Faralynn said, putting her hand on the elf’s shoulder. "But we’ll need a full report right now." She then turned to a nearby soldier. "Call the war council."
The soldier ran at full speed inside the camp to call upon the nobles.
"What’s going on?" Matthew asked Faralynn.
"I can’t say right now. Can you ask Ffyr to fly around and find the soldiers who ambushed Pyrzan?" She replied.
"Yes." Matthew said, looking around for her and finding her distracted with a cat.
He used their telepathic connection to call upon her and make his request.
Ffyr flew high and fast, taking it as a game.
Meanwhile, Faralynn took Pyrzan with her to the war council to discuss what was going on.
Erin knelt with the wounded and aided the medics healing them.
It didn’t take too long before Ffyr communicated to Matthew that she found the enemy soldiers nearby.
Matthew rushed to her.
"Where are you going?" Mia asked him as he began to run.
"Ffyr found them!" Matthew shouted.
"Wait!" Mia ran after him. "Erin, warn Faralynn!" She shouted back while she ran.
Mia had to use her Blink skill, which turned herself into light, much like Matthew’s Shadow Form skill, to catch up to him.
"Mia?" Matthew was surprised.
"I’m not letting you go there alone." She said.
"Alright. Stay close. They’re on the move." He smiled at her and increased his speed using his Reckless Agility skill forcing Mia to keep using her Blink skill to catch up.
Matthew followed Ffyr’s instructions until he saw her flying over the treelines.
"They’re close. Prepare to fight." Matthew said to Mia.
"Ok."
Matthew’s blood froze when he saw the men. Elves, all of them, but one. One of them Matthew knew well.
He was a human with a glass eye and a scar over that eye. He had a faint beard and short brown hair. He was on a horse with his legs strapped on the saddle while the others were on foot.
"Orson!" Matthew screamed.
