Part Ten: Homecoming
Max watched from his post on the Sonnefurt battlements as the forces of Kroppenleben established their camps in the fields surrounding the town. He had gladly welcomed his few days of respite from the intense combat, but could now tell it would be coming again. The air was filled with tension. People talked of the abandonment of Sonnefurt, for the Council had mysteriously disappeared the night before, only to send messages from Ertingen that morning. Max found it hard not to relate it to rats fleeing a sinking ship. Everyone sensed that there was a distinct possibility Sonnefurt would fall.
The only good news came from the chatter that the explosion that was heard the night before had been a resistance movement in Ostrach that had deliberately targeted the gunpowder supplies of their enemies. Sure enough, Max could still see a small plume of black smoke rising from the town to the East and had been able to hear the occasional smaller, follow-up explosions carried on the wind.
The Kroppenleben army still seemed to be enormous, a vast horde of men decked in the livery of Wissenland but also many irregular troops, both clearly from Kroppenleben with their green markings but many with their own heraldry, clearly mercenaries drawn to Baron von Kalb due to the spoils he could offer from the rich and bountiful Barony and the trade routes he sought to secure.
Construction could be heard throughout the morning as the men toiled to make ladders and other siege equipment. The lack of gunpowder meant it would be difficult to muster a long artillery bombardment to break the Dwarf built defences and they would need more traditional ways to enter the city. Thus it would be a good few days before they were ready to launch their assault, enough time, Max hoped, for reinforcements to arrive.
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Victor awoke to a lot of commotion outside the window of his townhouse. He was a fairly wealthy, middle class citizen of Ertingen and lived in the centre, near the grand plaza of the town hall. Crowds were assembling here and looking towards the town gates. Victor spied Mayor Heim bedecked in his finest livery and also noticed he was accompanied by many other important figures within the Barony, the Marshall, several nobles and the Mayors of the surrounding towns. He quickly got dressed and rushed outside to see what all the fuss was about.
“The Council of Sonnefurt have established themselves in our town hall,” a friendly passerby told him, “and the Baroness is on the outskirts of the town. She’s back, and she’s brought soldiers!”
**********
The armed men walked into Bezeinhof early that morning. The villagers stopped their work when they noticed they were dragging a girl with them in chains. Their jaws dropped when they noticed it was Matilda. She was cut a bruised and had clearly been tortured. Her comrades from the night before had thought she was dead, now they realised she had suffered a worse fate at the hands of the enemy soldiers.
“This woman,” started the lead soldier, “was involved on an insubordinate raid on Ostrach last night, along with what I can only assume were many other residents of this village. Baron von Kalb was gracious enough to leave you villagers alone, in the hope you would obey in return for peace, but you were brazen enough to attack his men. He wants retribution, and he will get it.”
He signalled to the men to drag Matilda forwards. He grabbed her by the throat and shouted in her face.
“Denounce your fellow raiders! Denounce them or I will kill you here and now! In front of your friends and family!”
Matilda’s mother let out a muffled yelp at this threat.
“No.” Matilda uttered quietly.
“What was that?! Defiance?!” the leader slapped her round the face. “Do you not fear your death?!”
Matilda spat at the floor before his feet.
The soldier pulled a pistol from his belt and levelled it at her forehead.
“Do you wish to change your answer? One last chance!”
Matilda said nothing, staring down her tormentor, never blinking, pure defiance glinting in her eyes.
He cocked the pistol.
Bang!
Matilda’s body slumped to the floor, the blood from her skull pouring into the earth, running far with the morning’s dew. Her mother ran to her body, clutching her tight and whimpering. Her father comforted his wife, tears welling up in his eyes. They had lost their only two children to this conflict.
“If there’s another attack, all of you will endure the same fate!”
*********
The armed column that entered Ertingen was by no means large, but was a significant number of men. They were troops from Meissen and Heisenberg, towns far to the North from which the Von Heisenberg family had come generations before and still had strong links with. The Baroness had been spending her annual visit in Heisenberg for Von Heisenberg day when the conflict had erupted, and had been travelling with the column almost continuously, collecting token gestures of troops in support from the towns to accompany her.
Gustav had been with the Baroness for the entire journey, comprising her personal guard. He had risen through the ranks of the Sonnefurt military, originally hailing from Ostrach, until he had been promoted due to his valour to the ranks of the Zweihanders that protected the Baroness day and night. When he had learned of the treacherous attack and the fall of his homeland, he had been itching to return, and now he was entering Ertingen, he finally had.
The soldiers provided by Meissen and Heisenberg were well trained men, but were not numerous. The towns had decided to pledge resources which wouldn’t damage their own military numbers, supplying mainly artillery and sharpshooters, who would be kept out of the fray and could be sent back in one piece. This is not to say there were no infantry men, the half pike regiments that were sent were dressed resplendently in their uniforms, marked with black and red markings along with the traditional Wissenland colours. Gustav was happy to have these men at his side, and at least they would provide some reinforcement for his homeland. The time for Sonnefurt’s liberation was nearing.
*********
Frank and Sepp waited till the clear of morning to see the damage caused by their mistimed sabotage the night before. They claimed it was for the light of day, but it was clear they wished not to return to Martinskorf without any other survivors.
The bridge was utterly decimated. Huge pieces of Dwarf masonry lay in the river, and had displaced a lot of the water. Bodies were washing down the Soll, a grizzly surprise for the fishermen downstream, far away from the conflict of this Barony.
The two men had run over explanations in their heads for the entire night. Frank blamed his sweaty palms, but that would have served to delay the explosion. Sepp blamed his rousing of the men beforehand, making them eager for Kroppenleben blood. They both tried to blame the faults of the barrels and their mysterious origins, but could not blame anyone but themselves however hard they tried.
Fortunately, the attack received no retribution, for it was largely attributed to the same group from Bezeinhof, but the sentiments of the village were equally solemn and vengeful. Sepp thought it best to say they died fighting, but were overwhelmed, a lie which held a lot of truth, but kept him and Frank out of blame. He thought that this village, suffering such significant loss, would still need him as a strong leader. However, he did decide that resistance efforts were not the best option any more. Both raids had been a success, but at a huge cost.
**********
Victor listened attentively as the Baroness gave her homecoming speech to the townsfolk of Ertingen.
“My beloved citizens, our Barony is in dire times. Let me first let you know that I would never abandon Sonnefurt, it is my home and the legacy of my family. I have been entrusted to lead you through the good times and the bad, and that is my only purpose. Fortunately for me, in my absence I have a great Council I can call upon! As you can see, I have brought men I hope can turn the tide of this terrible situation. The Marshall tells me word has been sent to all the surrounding towns hoping for pledges of support, and messengers are as we speak on their way to the greater powers of Nuln and Karak Hirn, pleading for intervention to save us. One can only hope they succeed in their journeys, for Sonnefurt needs all the help it can get right now. I need every man to take up arms for their homes and families. We will not be beaten!”
A rousing cry went up from the assembled troops and citizens. Victor felt incredibly passionate, seeing the Baroness return had restored his faith. As an Uppsoller for all his life, having been born in the small town of Strazen, he had passed off this trouble as a Sotsoller problem, and that they would be the ones who would solve it. Now he realised they were all in this together, that everyone had their part to play in Sonnefurt’s darkest hour. Despite being a wealthy merchant, he bore this in mind and signed up to join the Ertingen Irregulars, part of the Dieten Hills Township Militia. He was equipped with simple leather armour and a halberd, and began a rudimentary training programme. Victor was going to war.