Chapter 50: The Noble Coalition

Where exactly was the Hafdan army?

Every noble in the earldom wanted to know. A month had passed since the Hafdan invasion began. Initially, the nobles frequently received news from all directions about baronial or knightly domains being attacked, detailing casualties, enemy numbers, and more. However, starting from the third week, the Hafdan seemed to have vanished.

Baron Henry Lockwood of Hangdi Rivermouth, leading the hastily formed noble coalition, searched extensively across the vast earldom but couldn't find a trace of the enemy. Recently, Earl Annon received a letter from the Duke's regent in the north, reporting a massive Hafdan force in the eastern ducal main battlefield, vastly outnumbering previous years. The situation was dire, and Earl Osborn was urged to send reinforcements immediately.

Earl Osborn hesitated, his own problems unresolved. The duke's regent's letter clarified that the Hafdan in Annon Valley numbered only seven to eight thousand, not the tens of thousands they had feared, and urged a swift resolution.

Though unsure of the duke's source, Earl Osborn couldn't ignore the command. He promptly mobilized all his standing guards, rallied his knights, and summoned six thousand conscripts, forming an army of six thousand eight hundred to march westward. His plan was to unite with local nobles and confront the Hafdan in a decisive battle.

The earl dispatched cavalry with instructions for the local noble coalition to prepare for war, including locating the enemy's main force.

But where were the Hafdan, really?

No one knew.

Days later, Baron Lockwood's coalition army, four thousand strong, camped three leagues west of Talgas, near the ruins of Windermere City. The coalition, formed by nine baronies and twenty-one knightly domains, mostly comprised hastily gathered conscripts. Only about six hundred were trained guards, nearly all the western Annon Valley's military strength.

Despite the losses many baronies suffered in surprise attacks, facing eight thousand Hafdan with this force left everyone uneasy. To increase their chances of victory, they needed to expand the army's size.

After Lockwood's camp was established, Gwynnis' castle soon received a messenger from Baron Hangdi Rivermouth. The letter first praised Gwynnis' swift crisis response and his well-preserved strength. Then, Lockwood explicitly requested Gwynnis to immediately bring all available forces to the Windermere ruins to join the coalition against the Hafdan.

Gwynnis read the letter expressionlessly. "Whose will does this letter represent? Earl Edmond Osborn or Baron Henry Lockwood of Hangdi Rivermouth?" Gwynnis asked the messenger.

"Lord Baron, this letter is personally written by Baron Lockwood, but he acts on Earl Osborn's orders," replied the messenger.

Gwynnis nodded, inquired about the coalition's specifics, and got detailed answers. "Understood. Rest for now; you've had a long journey," Gwynnis said, gesturing for Jervis to see the messenger out.

Seeing Gwynnis' lukewarm response, the messenger, hurriedly before being led away, asked, "My lord, your reply?"

"Tell Baron Lockwood I will consider it."

...

Sitting in his study, Gwynnis was troubled. Truthfully, he had no desire to join Lockwood's invitation. Besides the commanding tone in the letter, the key issue was command. Gwynnis, a new baron under twenty, had no chance of leading.

Reluctantly giving up his hard-formed two hundred guards and five hundred conscripts, letting them be commanded by others, especially under dangerous circumstances, was unacceptable. Why leave a well-fortified castle to camp in an open area miles away? It was beyond unwise; it was madness.

Moreover, with the enemy's location unknown, it made sense to wait for the earl's arrival before joining forces. Gwynnis considered inviting the coalition to camp near his castle, providing the walls and high ground for protection, but feared Lockwood would refuse. After all, joining forces near Talgas would logically include Gwynnis in command, which some might not want, as the letter suggested.

Gwynnis' speculations aside, if the earl insisted on gathering local nobles before his arrival, Gwynnis had to comply, lest he be accused of insubordination.

But direct assembly entailed too many uncertainties, making a decision difficult for Gwynnis. Whether he extended his neck or retracted it, the blade seemed inevitable.

Gwynnis sprawled on his bed, summoning Baldwin to relay his message. "I've suddenly fallen ill and need a few days of rest. No one is to disturb me!"

He then covered his head with a blanket, cutting off the world.

...

But where were the Hafdan, after all?

...

Could they have already left?