"There is no rush. They've definitely gotten word out of the impending siege, so we don't have to cut them off fast." The plans on the table before Stewart showed the city of West Reaches fully encircled, but each section of troops was marked with a time.
So far, they'd begun the encirclement and spread nearly a quarter around to the north side of the city, but the south side needed more time. There were four big roads leading to West Reaches, not counting the eastern road that led to the capital, and as many railway lines leaving it. The lines and roads needed fortifying, and all that was within the allotted time frame for that part of the army.
"I wish I had more long-range rifles." Stewart sighed as another round of cannon fire thundered over the wide plain that West Reaches nestled in the middle of. "The lines I've established keep us out of their guns' range, but it would be nice to retaliate with rifles more often."
Elanor could smile at that. Despite having taken up the station of the kingdom's inquisitor, she still felt a strong attachment to Northridge. It was the place she'd been set free, after all. "The first batch new mortar shells will be arriving on the next train, they said."
"Good news, then. I wonder how they managed it? I still would rather not fire adamantine cannonballs into the city—at least until we can breach a wall with them. As much as I'd like the citizenry of West Reaches to not suffer, I also don't want to give them adamantine."
"Have they offered to parley yet?"
Shaking his head, Stewart let out a sigh. "I suppose it was too much to ask for that he would surrender and let us have his head." Only realizing who he was talking about after having said it, he said, "So—"
"No. He deserves it. Those two armies we already ran into were meant to die slowing us down and bleeding us of resources. Then there are the people he's killed in the first steps of this scheme of his. You freed me of my bonds to this family, and though I would ask for mercy on my parents' behalf, David Fitzgerald deserves to be a head shorter." Elanor surprised even herself. Her fists were clenched and she wanted, with all her might, to punch her former uncle in the face. "Are you sapping?"
Nodding, accepting Elanor's support as it was given, Stewart said, "There are plans to sap the walls. West Reaches is an older wall design, thankfully. It hasn't had the same treatment that Home has. The footings are deep, though, and so it's going to take a lot of work."
"How long until tunnelers will reach the wall? I want to talk to the city."
"I'd suggest flying on Lady Penelope's back," Stewart said, doing his best to speak her full name and title as often as possible, if just to remind himself that she was far more than a horse substitute, "but old cities have ways to attack dungeon creatures infiltrating them. I'd hate to have you both making the ride back here so soon."
"I guess I can't just walk up to the wall then, using that shield I did in the first battle?" At Stewart's droll look, she laughed. "I'll wait for a tunnel. It would help, though, if we could get the city on our side like we did with Far Reach."
"If you need to return to Northridge, I won't hold it against you. A siege is not something done fast nor will it be without casualty." Intending it to be an offer for her to find some time to herself, Stewart was surprised when Elanor snorted. "Wha—?"
Stepping closer, into Stewart's personal space, Elanor reached out and put her arms around him, pulling him into a hug before kissing his cheek. "You think I'm here looking for excitement?"
Stewart managed to start the process of thinking up an answer when she kissed his cheek again and scattered the thoughts.
"I'm here for two people, and two people only. You, of course." The idea of a romantic moment with both of them in armor should have been silly, but Elanor couldn't help but have the impression that the two being accomplished fighters as being a cornerstone of her bid for his affections. "Because you don't seem to have any other ladies fighting for your hand, and if they do, I will fight back.
"The second is the kingdom. That man tried to kill the kingdom, and there's no way for them to fight back unless you and I are here. So here I will remain."
Fighting to not grab her and kiss her more intimately, Stewart parted his lips to say something to calm the situation down when her third kiss landed—and it wasn't on his cheek.
"What's this?" Brother Rupert asked. He looked the woman up and down, recognizing her as a member of the adventuring group Travis had hired before the siege of Northridge.
"Gold. You own several of the lots on the northwest side of town." As soon as she mentioned it, Ogmera saw calculation in the man's eyes. "I want to buy one."
Weighing the bag in one hand, Rupert knew exactly how much of the locally minted coin was in it. "You wish to expedite the process? There is more gold in here than a normal deposit would require."
"Yes. With the city wall being expanded, I know that property prices within the old city walls will be at a premium once that happens, so I am willing to pay a little extra to ensure I acquire one of them now."
Rupert nodded along. "Time is money, or so the saying goes. What purpose will the property be put to, and how long do you intend to let the debt ride?"
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"Not long at all, but that was something I wished to discuss. I will pay you the entire balance after a year or return the property and all changes I've made. I am told by a reliable source that this is a good deal for both of us. For me, since if my plans don't work, I can walk away without debt. For you, because you could always sell it again." Just the thought of what she planned made Ogmera think of him again, and she smiled. "It will be a bar with game of chance tables."
"Gambling? Not my first choice of activities, but under the circumstances, I can't see a problem with that. The Scales always tilt for those who can't stop touching the pan. What property were you after?"
Flicking through a sheaf of papers, Ogmera pulled one out. It was a drawing of the city with a mark where she intended to buy. "At least, I hope this is one of yours. Word is the temple here is more than a little flush after the siege. Something about mass talisman sales."
Laughing, Rupert nodded and examined the map. "That would give you the whole corner there. Quite a good spot for a tavern. That block is still recovering after the fires of the siege."
"That's why I chose it. I've been arranging a supply of lumber and stone, some skilled craftsmen, and I will also have some folks who can work there. More than gold, being an employee of Travis' opens a lot of doors." Ogmera didn't need to use her talents for affecting luck when it came to this deal. She had the gold, she had the backing, and she had the determination to get it done. "So, we have a deal?"
"We have a deal. You should have led with being Travis' employee. I had wondered where all that gold was coming from. He is a strange being to both count the value of gold precisely and yet not care for the power it gives him at all." He took the bag of gold and put it into a cupboard under the altar. "Let me write you up a legal writ of lease with intent to sell. I'd hate to leave anything to chance."
It was the single most dangerous place anyone in the kingdom could be, and Astrid had brought her pack into it—or rather on it. The train plowed along across the tracks, each carriage making repetitive thunking noises that had caused her worry at first, but had drowned out into the background.
A rather large train, but an important one. She had volunteered to escort it, if only because no amount of explosion would result in her being unable to bring back from death. It became such a boring mess, in the end, that they barely noticed when the train began slowing.
"We're almost there," Hreti said, from his position half hanging out the side of the boxcar they were in. "I can smell the campfires and gun smoke. Why aren't they using those new cannon designs? They don't make my nose itch."
"I'd say something about how much we embrace magic now, but I agree. Are we going to take a run at the city, Astrid?" Liv had an axe out and was slowly drawing a strop across its blade. The weapon weighed easily as much as most humans, and had the same dull finish as her armor.
"It won't be much longer before Travis gets the godmetal, he said." Njal's words deadened the voices of all the wolves of his pack. "I don't think he understands what that means to have."
"I'll talk to him about it," Astrid said, remembering the last time she'd seen the stuff. "Forging artifacts is not something to do lightly."
Hreti cleared his throat, intruding on the talk. "If there's anyone in the south I trust to make them, it's him." All the pack nodded and made grunts of approval. "Once we explain how dangerous they can be—"
"Like the chain," Astrid said.
"Just like the chain." Thinking on it, Hreti laughed and rolled his shoulders to shrug off the undertones of the conversation. "You know, I might get Tinpot to make me a gun when we get back. I bet wolves could manage a larger gun than normal."
"Small cannon," Liv said. "Or a big cannon, if we work together to carry it."
The pack kept up joking about what kinds of guns they could carry as the train slowed. The smell of burnt gunpowder grew stronger as they neared the siege. Soldiers were digging huge trenches, bracing timber pointed at the city, and slowly building what amounted to a small city around Stewart's camp.
It brought back memories for the pack. Northridge had been a fine city to besiege—too fine in the end. "Let's go bow to the king and ask him how he wants us to die." Astrid jumped off the side of the moving wagon, beginning a loping jog as her pack joined her.
A shadow passed over the group of wolves a moment before Penelope landed beside them. "Travis sent you?"
As one, all the wolves' hearts beat faster and then slowed as they sensed both a huge predator and were washed in the calming presence of their dungeon boss. Astrid nodded her head and slowed to a walk beside Penelope. "It was either send us or a lot of soldiers. The survival rate of regular folk on munitions trains is not so good if they get attacked."
"Are the new mortar shells onboard?"
Even though Astrid was used to Penelope in most senses, it was still a little strange to have someone talking to her who towered above her. "They are. Tinpot and Axel came up with them, even borrowed a mortar to test fire a few. They are as terrifying as they are destructive."
Flashing her teeth, Penelope felt a little hope that they might make a difference at the siege and shorten the whole thing. "Here comes Stewart now. You can give him the news. Also, we're trying to show some deference to—" She cut herself off as the wolves all stopped and dropped to one knee. The sight surprised her enough that she stopped beside them—though she didn't kneel. "Your Majesty," Penelope raised the volume of her voice to ensure the soldiers could hear, "Sir Travis has sent a squad of his most fearsome fighters."
"Then they have no business kneeling. Stand and be proud." Stewart had long since avoided feeling embarrassed by simple acts of kneeling, but at the same time he didn't want to show any disrespect to the warriors who made the gesture. He knew their history, that they had all died fighting against his people, and now they were dedicated to one of his kingdom's most important citizens.
"Travis thought it would be best to guard the train with warriors who don't mind being exploded," Astrid said, nodding toward the city a few miles away. "But, since we're here, was there anything you want us to do?"
Before Stewart could reply, Penelope made a suggestion, "They can scale a city wall faster than most men can run and, in the dark of a new moon, are almost invisible."
It wasn't a hard choice to make. Stewart rather liked the idea of them at least trying to wrest the gate controls and let his army stream in. "The darkest night of the lunar calendar is five days away. Make your preparations and I'll see about making a distraction for you elsewhere on the wall."
The offer was too good. Astrid leaned her head back and raised her voice to the sky, howling—and was soon joined by her pack. It was, after all, a chance to redeem past failures.
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