Setting out to War - Part 11

"Are you ready, my Lord?" Verdant asked.

"I am," Oliver said. "Goodbye, Nila. Take care of the village – take care of yourself."

…

…

It was a carriage that Oliver was confined to as he made his way beyond Ernest to meet up with Lombard and the first fragments of Lord Blackwell's gathering army. It tossed him to and fro as they wound their way over the bumpy country roads, along routes that were not so often travelled.

Usually, from Ernest, travellers would go west, or south, down towards the Capital, but their destination was east. It was likely the most traffic that the eastern road had seen all month.

The villagers had rushed to see them off, even though there had been no announcing it. They cheered the marching soldiers, and cheered for Oliver, almost celebrating his victory in advance of the occurrence. Oliver was suddenly beginning to feel an awful lot of pressure.