The Assault on Colael
The Assault on the Elven City of Colael by the forces of Houses Piergaten, Ravenstad & d'Ortonnaise, under the banner of the Cadar's Wing, Commanded on the field by Lt.Col Benedictus d'Vaud.
The Assault on the Elven City of Colael by the forces of Houses Piergaten, Ravenstad & d'Ortonnaise, under the banner of the Cadar's Wing, Commanded on the field by Lt.Col Benedictus d'Vaud.
Contents
- Smoke
- Ember
- Blaze
- Steel
- Blood
Smoke rose from the several small campfires which huddled around tents scattered in the vicinity of Fort Tond, rising into small pillars of dark cloud, before being blown away in the easterly wind. Soon, the soldiers that sat around those small campfires and rested within those tents of pink, red & magenta would march with the wind, beneath the blue banner of the Cadar's Wing. It was early in the month of February 306 AC when these quarrelsome troops had gathered at on the shores of the Elven Lands; a collection of levies from Houses d'Ortonnaise, Piergarten & Ravenstad, seeking prowess over the Elven Realm.
From his position on the parapets of the fortress this mild morning, a stern-faced, blonde-haired individual watched with icy blue eyes. Both gloved hands were clasped together behind the small of his back, resting upon his cloak of black, white & blue. The dark leather boots on him were placed shoulder's width apart, while his front was emblazoned with an unbuttoned azure jacket, sporting a white shirt and black sash across his chest.
"Sir…?"
The officer turned to his left, gazing upon the 6ft tall man who addressed him; charcoal black hair and a dirty line of stubble which lined his firm jaw. He looked leathery, battle-hardened, with a singular gaunt eye of a blue tint. The other, the left, was blinded by a long scar that lined diagonally from his forehead to the top of his cheek bone. His hands resting upon the hilts of a sword and dagger, sheathed upon his belt, casual and informal.
"The Raven's Imperial Banner has not arrived. What do you want to do?"
The Field Commander turned his head back towards the sea of tents before him, removing his hands from behind his cloak and waving his hand towards the man, speaking in his brisk Opper-Calem accent.
"Proceed as planned, Barrulf."
With a bow of his head, the Second-Lieutenant moved off from the Field Commander, down towards the men below. Soon enough, the several campfires that littered the landscape were now extinguished. The tents that once filled the landscape were steadily removed and their cargos placed into wagons. The soldiers that had rested the night prior and had their morning ration of bread, meat and watered-down wine, began to line up and their accompanying officers.
With a small garrison of Ravenstad levies left behind them to maintain the beach-head and thus the supply lines from the Empire's Navies, the Cadar's Wing began its march.
Ember from the dying torches, flint & tinder from the satchel of some of the soldiers, relit campfires after a lengthy march. For some hours, they had marched with the wind behind their backs, travelling through the forests and flora of the Elven lands. At which point, the wind had since died down and the sunlight gave way to the dusk, painting a picture of purple and shade from the silhouette of their target: Colael.
Some began with their nightly chores, whilst others erected tents for the camp, located a safe distance away from the enemy city and simply-fortified with a guarded palisade. After such time, a camaraderie of d'Ortonnaise levymen began to collect available drinking water from the surrounding area, only to have wandered through the Calemburg Cohorts and into the range of Ravenstad men. Jeers and insults were hurled like snowballs, until a Lieutenant of serious bearing and donning both the Red of Ravenstad & the Blue of d'Vaud approached, chastised both sides and ordered them to their duties. Grumbling, but compliant, the levies obeyed.
As they dispersed, the woman headed off in the direction of a singular tent, blue and black. Inside, the Field Commander gazed up from his papers and maps, dipping a head to his kin.
"Czylle, What is the issue?"
"What is the issue?" the Lieutenant complained, "They act like children. Squabbling over nothing at all. They need to be taught, Ben. They need to be taught to co-operate in times like this."
"They will be cooperating soon, unless they want to fall victim to the enemy. Just keep them in line until then, Lieutenant."
"Of course. I will do what I can. One way or another, they will learn. Either by taking notice of what I say, or by learning the hard way. Permission to talk some sense into them?"
"Granted."
The Lieutenant formally bowed her head to her cousin and trudged off, a stormy look upon her features.
Blaze from the bright sun gave rise onto a scene of carnage below. Under the heat of the next-morning sun, the stinging sound of a whip could be heard throughout the camp. Several slaves, that have been stolen from the countryside between Fort Tond and the now besieged settlement, worked under the yoke of the Regalian Army that now attacked their homeland. They lived with a meagre half ration and toiled to create dug-outs and earthen-mounds for the upcoming battle.
"Come on, get a move on you pointy-eared, lazy ****** !"
Crack! The lick of a whip slashed against the shoulder of one of the unfortunate, held by the Second Lieutenant as he wiped the sweat of his brow. With a handful of taskmasters under his directive, he was ordered to have the slaves create defensive works for the camp, as well as creating some workable siege equipment for the assault on the city. Of course, not all of them were so compliant. Those that failed to do so were tied to stakes and left to the torment of the troops.
Nonetheless, soon siege ladders and portable shields were created from the forestry of the land, accompanied by a singular ram of Oak & Leather. Under inspection from the Field Commander, the Second Lieutenant pointed out the ditches surrounded the encampment and were aided with piles of dirt which pushed up against some of the palisades. The d'Vaud gave a singular and contented nod as he stated:
"With these basic defensive works and roughly five thousand d'Ortonnaise troops left behind, the forces within Vall with have a harder time attacking from the rear."
"Isn't that how they usually fight though, Sir?" Barrulf coyly replied.
With no response than a small glance and grin, the Field Commander turned on his heel and returned to the safety of the camp. In the morning they would deploy from their location and begin their assault on the city of Colael, but would they be enough, he thought. The Imperial Banner under the rest of the Ravenstad force was supposed to accompany them for this endeavour. Could thirty-five thousand men take the prize?
Steel swung and clashed from the ramparts of the city. Spear-headed by a direct assault on the city gates from the western-most point, the Field Commander & Piergarten troops had created an almighty thud upon the gate with the battering ram in their hands, splintering the wooden beams of the barrier in front of them. Lieutenant Czylle, Second Lieutenant Barrulf and the Ravenstad Levies took use of the ladders and begun fights to the north of the gate, receiving some casualties in the accompanying skirmish with the City's defenders. Likewise, the same was occuring with half of the d'Ortonnaise forces to the South. Among them, a young woman dressed in the uniform of a private attempted to scale the walls of the city, only to what little resistance there had been fended off by the initial soldiers.
Imperial soldiers beneath the banner of the Cadar's Wing broke into the City, but as they did so, they met little resistance. What soldiers had come to prevent their entry into the city where little more than a city militia, peasantry wielding whatever useful weapon they could find; not a coherent force, but a rabble. Their woeful defeat laying bare any available plunder for the soldiers, as the Field Commander permitted a pillaging of the residences and an enslavement of any remaining population.
Colael had Fallen.
As he marched his way through the Elven City, Benedictus d'Vaud looked around with a furrowed brow, his icy eyes comprehending the scene before him. There was no army. No enemy force. Where had the twenty thousand or so army of the opposition gone? This was too easy. Those captives that had been gathered in the mercy of his army's restless pillage were of low-stock, but the valuables taken by the soldiers were an adequate haul. He turned to the men.
"Take what residences you fancy and find the granaries, we're occupying this city."
Blood spilled out onto the cobblestone walkways of the city. The light of the sun had long since faded and given way to an overcast night, offering no moon nor stars in the sky. No artificial light shone down, until the footsteps of an Imperial Patrol passed. Holding a torch light in one hand, the soldierly Private looked down on the scene before her in abject disgust. Another corpse. Dead crows from the fauna of the land had their beaks impaled into the eye-sockets of the soldier, while cold blood dripped from the soaked tabard of the victim. This was the eighth.
Turning to the colleagues who has accompanied her on this patrol, Private Juliette Miramonte rose the torch over the body and examined the carcass before her, her hands patting down the individual and taking mental notes of the wounds. Standing back straight, she asked for the assistance of her fellow soldiers in dragging the corpse to the Commander.
It did not take much time to take it to him. Benedictus had set up a small command unit inside what had previously been a form of courthouse, accompanied with his Lieutenants. They turned to the corpse with a trio of frowns.
"Another one."
"This won't stand."
"Where was this one located, Private?"
"At the Crossroads to the East, Sir. But, who would have committed these murders and what are we to do?"
"Don't speak out of turn."
The Field Commander placed up his hand to silence his cousin, before replying to the subordinate soldier.
"We'll find the culprits, Private. And they'll be justly treated."
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