"Ullari," Rayne's red eyes burned as she strode quickly into the tent, the sunlight filtering through the red fabric cast red highlights on her black braid and white skin, "under what authority does the Crusnik Gurthar take a guard of
your soldiers, and move on the northern lines?" She demanded hotly.
"So Gurthar has finally moved on the northern lines" Ullari replied emotionalessly "The soldiers Gurthar uses are under his own command, he traines them and uses them as he sees fit, and if he should use them to trouble the Northern fortress what is that to me?" he said with a slightly raised eye brow "Why do you want your own personal army so that you to can go wreaking havoc along the lines of Lomien's little army, i don't have the troops right now to spare Rayne, Gurthar is...for the most part a skilled tactician, and mind you the only one in this entire Army to actualy fight my brother and win" he reminded her sharply. Ullari appreciated her devotion to his cause, though her jealousy irked him ever so slightly though this was somthing he had used to his own ends more than once.
"Gurthar is
your soldier, why should he have his own army, his own campaigns, and his own agenda?" Rayne demanded, not afraid to let Ullari know that she believed Gurthar's agendas were not in the best interest of his cause. "The Crusnik was never one of your Brotherhood, why should not one who has been loyal to you from the start have command of your armies? The Brotherhood have not all fallen." Rayne was not trying to recommend herself for promotion, Ullari would know that that would be the farthest thing from her mind. For Rayne, there was no Dark Army, there was just Ullari and his cause, and the soldiers who served that cause.
"Gurthar, was instrumental in our initial success on Telpurion not to mention our most benificial alliance with the Minotuars. And while he was not openly in the dark brotherhood he has always been an ally, though only recently has he been able to make that public" he said thinking over what she had said. "He has a personal vendetta against my brother, somthing that has proven quite useful and i never give him command of more than a thousand at a time so that if he does decide to turn, he won't be able to do much harm" Ullari said with a smirk, he knew the Crusnik had his own agenda, but he was also keenly aware of his hatred for Lomien.
"Why should he not make his loyalties known? I stood by you when it brought the anger of my father and the rest of the High Counsel down upon me, why should he not have let his loyalties be known?" Rayne demanded. She sighed and approached Ullari's side, something that no one would dare do, save for this young Dark Elf. "I do not believe that the Crusnik's agenda is in your best interest." She said concerned.
"Nor do i, but at the same time he is a tool, a valuable one at that" He said, she was the only one he could talk freely with, and for that matter the only one who could approach him unbiden. "As for not making his loyalties known....quite simply because the war would probably have started much sooner and before we where ready to overthrow Telpurion" he said quietly.
Rayne grunted sourly. For her, loyalty was black or white, either you were all in or not at all. She sat in her seat, at the head of the table on Ullari's left side, and glared across the table at Gurthar's seat on his right. For Rayne, that seat was the symbol of much injustice. That the Cursnik, who was not necessarily loyal to her lord, should sit at his right hand, while the remaining members of the Brotherhood went forgotten, made her blood boil.
"Your time will come Rayne" Ullari said reading her mind, even he did not know why or how the Crusnik had risen to such a high level, there was little he cared about any more, somthing about him did not like to see her unhappy though he was not sure why. He almost enjoyed the rivalry that it had spawned "You know if it bothers you so much little one then i would permit you to challenge him to a duel" he said with a smile, he did not often allow duels between commanders simply because he needed them out fighting the alliance and not at each others throats.
Rayne's sour look turned to one of disgust as she glared at the chair across from her. "I could best him, I am your best sorceress, even with his weapons he would be little match for me. He is much slower than I, he would be unable to strike me, but I could strike at him." She said, her mind calculating. "Still," she said shaking herself out of her thoughts and kneeling before Ulari with her head bowed, "Gurthar is your man, and though I may disagree with your placement of him, I am loyal to what you believe to be the best course of action for your cause." She said humbly, though somewhat reluctantly.
"I never said he was the best, i keep him there soley so he doesnt as questions, and like i said he is a rather skilled tactician. If you want you may take a detachment and see if your own force can out do his, i hear he even took a Minotuar cheiftain....t
is be a shame if it dies though" he frowned "I am offering you his spot Rayne, but it is a spot you will have to fight for, and Gurthar is perhaps the best fighter that we have"
"I will not pit your armies against one another. If I challenge Gurthar, it will be to single combat. I can assure you that your servant shall triumph my lord." She said, still down on one knee, with her head bowed.
"I did not meen as in you two fight one another, simply which one of you can claim the northern fort first" Ullari was amused at Rayne's confidence that she could best Gurthar.
Rayne found herself smiling, now that sounded like a better test of her worthiness to serve Ullari. "Of course my lord." She said, "Again, you may trust me not to fail you."
"Very well then, we shall see. Take a detachment of men, you may have your pick of the type of Honour guard you chose, even if they are Minotuar Cheiftains, you've earned that much Rayne, rise" he said, slightly embarassed that he had let her kneel for so long.
Rayne rose to her feet and smiled at Ullari. "I will not fail you." She said confidently, "When Gurthar returns, and return he shall, I shall take the fort."
"If the fort is not already his" Ullari corrected lightly "Gurthar has with him the means to achieve his end, but like i said if not now then your time will come"
"Ah, but I have heard report that Lomien himself is present on the battle field, and his Ninquelote with him. I doubt Gurthar will have such an easy time taking the fort merely with a straight-forward attack. However,"Rayne said, recalculating, "I do believe I shall take a supplementary force of my own, perhaps Gurthar's attack will cause the distraction that I need to take the fort myself.
Ullari blanched at Nin's name, only breifly though. "Do as you see fit, i believe Gurthar's seige engines left a few hours ago infact" he said trying to recover from the tormented memories that surged through his mind.
Rayne started upon seeing Ullari flinch, "My apologies my lord," she said bowing, "I should not have been so careless. I shall assemble my force. I have you permission to pick whichever of your soldiers I see fit?"
"None needed, tis only my reminiscing about a past long dead, beware of Gurthar Rayne he is the only one to have wounded Lomien and Ninquelote at the same time and live...how he did it remains a mystery, all the more reason to be cautious around him. Yes you may choose whatever troops you see fit" he said with a smile. Ullari was troubled by the fact that Gurthar had survived that encounter, somthing he had never disclosed to any one and was only now doing so to Rayne because he felt that she had a right to know that much.
Rayne's eyes grew wide as she realized that the fact that Gurthar had survived an encounter with Lomien troubled Ullari. She quickly hid her wonder at her lord's fear of one of his own servants, "Of course my lord, I will be aware, I will not fail you." She said bowing out of the tent and heading for the Dark army Training grounds
"I should think you won't" he said, smarting internally at her impertinant musings as she left.
Rhapsody entered the command tent and slowly approached Ullari, bowing at the waist, keeping her eyes on the ground. "My Lord Ullari, is there anything that you wish me to do?" She straightens, looking up slightly to stare directly up at him.
Ullari looked up from the reports spread out on the table before him. His black eyes studied Rhapsody for a moment, "Rayne and Gurthar have ridden for the Alliance's Northern Fortress." He said off-handedly, "If you wish for something to do, you may inquire after their progress. Report back to me directly, if the fort is already taken then bring them both to me." Ullari did not care how she did this, she could send someone for them for all he cared, he just wished to know if Rayne had prevailed, or if Gurthar would remain his highest adviser.
Rhapsody bows again, a small smirk on her face as her waist length golden hair fell in her face. "Of course my Lord." She then turns on her heel, leaving the command tent to gather her things before her departure.
Ullari watched her go, board, and turned back to the reports before him.
Ullari, quietly sat at the end of the table musing over various books and writings hearing a shout an comotion he glared at the door, intent on chiding whoever came through. All of that however died in his throat when he saw the young assasin stumble through helped by two other guards "Leave us" he said to the guards walking over to the young elf "What happened?" he asked sternly. After hearing the tale, Ullari dismissed him, seeing to it that he got the treatment he needed So that blade got the best of him again...and people wonder why i do not venture onto the field, i wonder how long until he masters it? We must strike soon..and hard he thought warily to himself. Ullari resumed his seat looking over his maps I wonder..if tervel could be used as a staging ground for the final phase?
A while after the assassin had gone Rayne entered the tent, stopping just inside the door and waiting respectfully for Ullari to acknowledge her presence. She was not looking forward to reporting the news of the desolated army, and she hoped that Gurthar would return to the camp soon.
"ah Rayne, com in" he said looking up holding an injury report in his hand.
Rayne approached Ullari, "My lord, I have come to make my report of the battle for the northern fort." She said formally.
"Continue, i just got a message from Gurthar. He an Rhapsody are in Tervel making Lomien's life miserable" Ullari said with a satisfactory chuckle.
If Rayne felt any emotion at this she did not show it, she merely proceeded to give her report, bracing herself for Ullari's reaction. "My lord, the fort is taken, the Alliance have deserted it." She took a breath, "However, your army has been destroyed. Gurthar and I are the only survivors to be found.
Ullari gave a dumbfounded look "How..did that happen?" he asked her, one eyebrow raised as he rested his chin on his hands.
"I know not, my lord. I confronted Lomien, but I was unprepared. Gurthar took me from the fortress, and while we were outside the whole place collapsed around your army." Rayne said.
"Do you think that point is still feasable for a launching point? Has the Alliance completly with drawn from there or where they just content to decimate the Army?" he asked her, intrigued all the more that Gurthar had been pulled into a trap.
"The northern fort is completely deserted." Rayne said confidently, "Most all of the northern towns have their own fortresses however, not as strong as the one they have just lost, but fortresses none the less. It is feasible, however you must be prepared to fight several batles, and loose many of your soldiers.
"That is why i have legions at my disposal Rayne is it not? So that we may achieve victory...though i do not like the idea of expending lives, however i think that this may have to be the case...what a messy place to wage a campaign in such a mountainous and hilly terrain choked place" he grumbled.
"Perhaps we can go around. There must be a gap or weak place somewhere in Lomien's defences." She said coming around to Ullari's side to study the maps before him.
"There is, but we must go through the heavily fortified regions to get to it" he said with a grunt "It is doable, it will just take time an lives..which we have both. Though we will be fighting with that densly populated neautral kingdom....i hate fighting dwarves!" he said rubbing the scar on his head with a growl.
"There must be another way," Rayne said studying the maps, strands of her black hair escaping her braid and falling into her face. "There, what is that?" She looked up at Ullari, her long white finger on a small pass with no cities marked near to it.
"You don't want to go there either..that is the dragon's gate home to a large concentration of dragons" he said grimacing at the pass "And i don't know about you..but dragons are no fun either" he said smiling studying the map "Besides even if we could convince them to let us pass through, it's to narrow and we would be detected soon enough, especially because alot of the dragons are openly Loyal to Lomien"
"Hm." Rayne went back to studying the map. There must be another way. She thought,leaning over to get a better look, not realizing that she was leaning against Ullari.
Ullari raised an eyebrow, not that he minded it though. "We could attack the center fort...but that is a heavily defended military district" he said to her, looking over the possible line of attack "I suppose we could try to crush the wood elves on Telpurion" he said casualy
"We could." Rayne mused, "But how would that get us any closer to Lomien? Though I suppose it would expand your territory, and your army if the Wood Elves could be made subject to you." She looked up at him thoughtfully and realized that she was closer to him that she had thought. Rayne quickly took several steps back, lowering her eyes, "My apologies my lord." She murmured, hoping that the light filtering through the red tent fabric would mask the blood that rushed to her face.
"Hmm, sorry for what?" he asked her purposfully pretending to be oblivious "Yes it would get us closer to Lomien, it may even put him on the same battle field if Gurthar's scout network is correct he is in Telpurion as we speak right now" Ullari said slightly enthused.
Rayne blushed brighter at his apparent obliviousness, but then snapped her eyes back up to him, "Lomien is on Telpurion?" She asked, arching a thin eyebrow. "That could very well prove to our advantage." She smiled a little.
Ullari was enjoying his little game, though it was all he could do to keep from turning red himself. "It could, provided that a) he doesn't rally the wood elves and high elves, and b) that that dratted blade doesn't get the best of him"
Rayne looked at Ullari curiously, her embarrassment forgotten, "Blade? Do you refer to Gurthang? What do you mean by 'get the best of him'?"
Ullari grimaced at the thought "That blade has a mind of its' own...sufice to say, its' immense power comes at a harsh price"
Rayne looked at Ullari curiously but asked no further questions. "So what will our course of action be? Shall we wait for Lomien to return to his camp, or shall we attack?"
"I'll leave that for you to decide, go find Gurthar and Rhapsody, somthing tells me they are having quite a bit of fun tourturing that Vampire count near Tervel" he said laughing.
Rayne was all at once emotionless, "Of course my lord." She said beginning to back out of the tent, though she resented being sent as a currier, especially to Gurthar.
"There is an old castle outside of Tervel, that is where you will find them" he said to her as she backed out.
Rayne nodded, and turned and left for Tervel.
Stumble!