26 Bad news
Simon has the same ability as John, but unlike his friend can run for short stretches, can make shots but can not hold his head. The young commander has understood that it is not enough to have a skill to master it. John runs every day, he trains in his only skill. Each person has only one ability, since when he is young he makes it his reason for living. Simon can have hundreds of skills but he will never be able to compete on the same level with someone who fully master his ability.
That's why no one is surprised to see John rushing to the village of dwarfs at an exaggerated speed. "Simon! Simon! You must go back to Mountass immediately. Mr. Ludwig, Selin's father is in trouble. "
Simon hearing the shouts rushing down the street to the door. "John, what happened?"
"One of Drevor's men managed to reach Vanein for help. Reginald's adventurers are already leaving. We await your orders. The merchant group was chased from Luberistan by a foreign armed force. We are talking about hundreds of soldiers. "
"Shit! What is the count doing? "
"He can not intervene. They have not yet crossed the border, so technically it is not an invasion. "
"Desmond! Igor! Sell the horses, we leave immediately. You dwarves follow us later. We will have to go without the new special weapons, but I can load all the other weapons in the demonic bag. I want to leave in fifteen minutes. You, John! I know you'll be tired, but I want you to leave as soon as possible. You must arrive before us. Mobilize the troops, but do not arm them. We will travel light, I will have them armed when we are near the border. We find in the valley of our first mission, Gregor will surely be passed by that path. "
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A three-day gallop from the dwarven village, the Force of the Fate company meets with its commander. The first person to run towards the small group is Selin crying "Simon! Help my father! Please."
"What's the situation?"
"The merchants are stuck along the border, from what my father's man told us, they are barricaded in a small valley. Adventurers should have already arrived. "
Simon tries in the bag and while hugging the girl activates the runic box "Reginald?"
"Simon! Hurry up. The soldiers are an official troop of Luberistan. They surrounded the valley by siege. With my adventurers we are doing disturbing works so as to prevent them from acting. They will soon understand that we are few. "
"Give me a few hours, then take care to protect the merchants and leave the fight to us."
Moving in front of the troops, Simon opens his deposit and begins to deliver the new equipment to the soldiers. Once ready, the troops are ordered to walk along the path to reach the adventurers.
The company, thanks to the months of exercise now behaves like a real military body. Organized and efficient. In a few hours he comes in sight of the enemy army. About four hundred soldiers divided into various battalions are holding a small valley in check.
As soon as we arrived, Simon recounted Reginald "How is it going?"
"We managed to find a way through, we infiltrated the steep rocks and managed to reach the merchants. I pass you Gregor. "
"Tell me Gregor!"
Drevor "I have to talk in here ... Yes .... Ok .... Simon! Boy! Those bastards kept an eye on each trip. Usually it was enough to pay a small amount to make them turn a blind eye. This time they insisted. They said it would be the last time and then they kept all the swag and jailed my wife. I could not stay still, we freed her and with her some slaves. They are all inhabitants of Olmaria. They chased us up to here. We did it big. I'm glad you came to help us, but they're too much for adventurers like you, retreat, they want us, they will not follow you across the border. "
"Sir, I'm sorry but I can not accept it. I promised a very important person that I would have saved you. "
"Simon do not be stupid, retire!"
"The Force of the Fate company is stronger than it looks and you should know that I'm a coward, I would never participate in a battle I do not know about winning."
"Reginald is confident. We have not seen each other for months. I hope you will not regret it. "
Simon closes communications and calls his most trusted to analyze the battlefield.
Drew, Selin, John, George, Desmond, Igor and of course Simon gather in a flat area along the trail.
Drew starts "There are several, but I do not think they ever fought along the mountain paths. Mine have spent years among these peaks. "
George "I think so too. If we could make a small armored front, we will keep them occupied while our archers will deflate them. "
Desmond "The number problem still remains. We can not use this strategy for too long. They will create some countermeasures and crush us with numbers. "
Simon "You're right. We have to find something. However, I am convinced that this will be the hardest battle ever fought. I can not decide for myself whether to accept it. "
Drew "You're the only one who ever thought of being a mercenary without risking your life. Great dangers, great benefits. And then we're talking about Selin's family! "
John "Let us not forget the slaves, it will be someone sold by the old count. We must do it for them too and the noble Zacharias will be grateful. "
Simon stands up and his voice turns to the troops and asks loudly, "Are you going to fight? Here today against a foreign army? "
"Yes, sir!"
"I can not guarantee that we will all come back alive. But I know for sure that today we will win! I repeat, I do not need heroes, I need soldiers who are afraid of dying and do whatever it takes to come back alive. "
A soldier advances outside the line "Commander! Terror is our enemy, our friend fear. The mountain reminds us where we come from and what stars we aspire to! "
All together "Let's send them home!"
Simon "Get ready for the fight. I want you ready anytime. When Drew gives you the signal, I want the archers on the side of the mountain, use this time to study the terrain and choose hidden places from where to shoot your arrows. Armored troops will position themselves in three compact rows. You will have to be a wall. The lancers will follow them. Swordsmen will protect their hips from any encirclement. "
George watch his armored men "We do not let the wind pass. Let's see what we have learned from our training. Compact. No fear! "
The soldiers begin their preparations by exchanging phrases of encouragement.
Selin follows Simon on a small natural rise. "Are you sure? I will not blame you if you do not help my parents. We can not lose too many lives to save a few. "
Simon staring before him towards the enemy "For the moment we have the surprise. I am convinced that the plan will work. However, I have an idea that I have not shared with others. When the time comes, trust me and do not worry. "
The boy takes a dagger from his belt "This is an enchanted dagger. I built it to try my own theory but when I finished it I thought it was right for you. Launch him and he will always come back to you. I am like him, I will always come back. "
Selin hugs him and kisses him gently on the cheek.
Simon "Sooner or later the war would reach us. Better a little battle like this as a baptism of the blood. I would have liked more time to prepare myself better but it went like this. "
Selin holds it louder.
Simon in the meantime takes a dwarf device from his magic bag. A sort of special glasses. The boy wears them and thanks to them he can observe objects in the distance with much greater clarity.
He can see the enemy troops. Three battalions from a hundred swordsmen and one from archers. This will be a big problem, if they start firing too, there will be a lot of deaths. That man with the bright armor must be their officer. Two wolves facing each other are engraved on the armor. Unfortunately Simon does not know the heraldry of Olmaria let alone the one of Luberistan.
Drew beats in the shoulder of his commander "It 's almost time, the sun is high in the south, if we attack to the north where they are, we can use the light in our favor."
Simon "We prepare in complete silence. Surprise is our trump card, let's not waste it. "
