There was nothing these outcasts and outlaws could do. Each one of them was bound for the front lines to face Veerland's forces. Under Galmand's command a force of 1500 conscripted Dwarves, and Gnomes marched down to the the border. The commander at the fort provided troops and handed over the prisoners in the dungeon. With this assembled force Galmand pressed on to the nearest train station. Every locomotive station in the east lead straight to the border with Veerland. Galmand and his 1500 man army waited for a whole day before a locomotive hauling no more than 60 cars behind it arrive. Realizing the urgency of their mission his army climbed on the moment it arrived. Time was precious forcing the conscripted army to move every passenger's luggage out for them. Each item was placed in a dry place against the wall under the roof that hung over the platform. All they did was rest and waited for the locomotive to start up again after its cargo and passengers got off. When the locomotive pilot announced it was half way to the front the conscript army awoke. Galmand sat in a more private car with officers and his starting troops. In his mind he remembered the Veerlanders and their 56 tribes and clans who often fought one another. Verlanders as Dwarves called them, fought each other until exhausted or a warlord rose up to command all of them.
Knowing the Verlanders they would send a wave of their unwanted, black sheep of clans, aggressive individuals, and the dimwitted no one wants to babysit in first. That would be followed by two waves of soldiers, infantrymen, and clansmen. He had fought the Verland Clans multiple times during his youth and in his adulthood. Ehkbullar used various weapons including older style weapons to reduce the cost of making more modern weapons. They kept the modernized weapons locked up in armories of every city. Older style weapons were allowed in the household and office of every citizen or subject of Ehkbullar. Whether that subject was a Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, a Zunia, hoofed humanoids who either horns or not, it did not matter who served in Ehkbullar's armies. Galmand was aware the new invader was allied with the Verlanders. That meant all those clans would be armed with better weapons. Seeing an enemy with advanced weapons was a bad sign in the field. There was nothing more dangerous than an enemy with modernized weaponry. Galmand estimated the battles would be even more fierce than the ones in the past. He laid his head against his seat to rest his eyes as the locomotive made its way to the front. One of his officers joined him at rested herself in the seat across from him. They gave each other glances saying the same thing. Wherever they were headed, chaos would be all over the place.
For a few hours the locomotive traveled on the tracks towards the central front lines. Galmand slept through out much of the journey. The Dwarf could not stop thinking about their borders and how many rangers and militia were at the front already. He had a dream of what he thought would happen at the front, only it was more of a few glimpses of what he perceived as parts of a dream. Details of the dream were unclear as they meshed together. The dream sequences were disrupted by the locomotive coming to a halt. Galmand awoke to rally his army of outlaws, outcasts, goons, soldiers, and conscripted bandits. As he walked out of the car he discovered they were at the front.
With his force of 1500 men Galmand marched up to the border that was lined with watch towers, outposts, forts, and artillery positions. Looking at the map he located their position which was in the center of the borders with Veerland. In this part of the front they found a brigade of rangers, militia men, archers for some reason, random fighters, more bowmen, guards, drafted robbers, and other outlaws manned this section of the front. It appeared to be reinforced by a battalion of conscripted soldiers and outlaws forced to march here. Galmand was not surprised by the number of troops who were armed with older weapons and melee weapons. Veerlanders were an enemy who used traditional weapons in combat. There was the occasional battle where a tribe or clan managed to get a hold of guns. He marched up to the nearest fort that was manned by the rangers who had three other forts for bases. Here there were 425 Rangers at the border, which was not the total number that defended the border. Ehkbullar's borders could be defended by a minimum of 5000 to 10000 Rangers combined with ordinary infantry.
He ordered his forces to rest and make camp near the closest fort. Marching up to this fort Galmand found an entire encampment of militia, archers, fighters, bowmen, and other individuals who eyed them as they approached. He read their faces and glares that said where the crud were you? Others demanded why there was only a battalion coming in. Galmand ordered for his officers to maintain order as he made his way the commander's quarters. Every fort along the borders had a commander's quarters in the base each tower. Galmand did not need to ask where the Commander's Quarters were since he spotted the tower. He showed his badge, and the papers containing his orders to a guard who let him inside the fort. Inside the fort he had to find the quarters while forced to pass the rooms, and barracks of the angry garrison who eyed him with hatred for city dwarfs. Galmand wanted to think it was because his beard was better groomed than their wild beards.
Ignoring the glares he made his way through the halls to the commander's quarters. This fort's commander was a Half Dwarf and Half Gnome female with an exotic taste for other females. She had two female dancers in her quarters and a band playing music. Galmand watched as she made out with one of them before interrupting with a bang on the door. The dancers screamed and rushed out. Whoever this commander was she appeared more like a four foot teenage human. She sat down looking disappointed in the fun being taken away. Her expression said he was a killjoy, which appeared more like an irritated expression. All she did was give out the number of troops stationed her and the situation. According to her records they had 1,296 militia in the area so far, 360 archers since modern weapons are reserved for the soldiers and in armories. There were currently 246 random fighters, bowmen, guards, drafted robbers, and outlaws drafted at the front. Another force of 601 militiamen were on the southern flank. A total 1082 clansmen of Verland had been killed so far in the last attack. No more than 589 of these clansmen were taken prisoner. She did not know how large the Veerlander force was since most of the prisoners either had their tongues cut out, mute, dimwitted, managed to escape, tried to fight their way out, or took their own lives.
Galmand slammed his fist on her desk demanding she take him and his troops as the reinforcements. They may be on the front lines, however more of their countrymen will march to this front before the invaders even reach the borders of Lornav, Dormany, and Derol. She sneered a little, but agreed with him. She reminded him of the two goblin tribes of 4500 in the southern parts of the borders. Galmand looked at the map on the wall. Sure enough the Goblin tribes occupied the southern portion of Ehkbullar. It appeared that front would be covered for some time.
Knowing the Verlanders they would send a wave of their unwanted, black sheep of clans, aggressive individuals, and the dimwitted no one wants to babysit in first. That would be followed by two waves of soldiers, infantrymen, and clansmen. He had fought the Verland Clans multiple times during his youth and in his adulthood. Ehkbullar used various weapons including older style weapons to reduce the cost of making more modern weapons. They kept the modernized weapons locked up in armories of every city. Older style weapons were allowed in the household and office of every citizen or subject of Ehkbullar. Whether that subject was a Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, a Zunia, hoofed humanoids who either horns or not, it did not matter who served in Ehkbullar's armies. Galmand was aware the new invader was allied with the Verlanders. That meant all those clans would be armed with better weapons. Seeing an enemy with advanced weapons was a bad sign in the field. There was nothing more dangerous than an enemy with modernized weaponry. Galmand estimated the battles would be even more fierce than the ones in the past. He laid his head against his seat to rest his eyes as the locomotive made its way to the front. One of his officers joined him at rested herself in the seat across from him. They gave each other glances saying the same thing. Wherever they were headed, chaos would be all over the place.
For a few hours the locomotive traveled on the tracks towards the central front lines. Galmand slept through out much of the journey. The Dwarf could not stop thinking about their borders and how many rangers and militia were at the front already. He had a dream of what he thought would happen at the front, only it was more of a few glimpses of what he perceived as parts of a dream. Details of the dream were unclear as they meshed together. The dream sequences were disrupted by the locomotive coming to a halt. Galmand awoke to rally his army of outlaws, outcasts, goons, soldiers, and conscripted bandits. As he walked out of the car he discovered they were at the front.
With his force of 1500 men Galmand marched up to the border that was lined with watch towers, outposts, forts, and artillery positions. Looking at the map he located their position which was in the center of the borders with Veerland. In this part of the front they found a brigade of rangers, militia men, archers for some reason, random fighters, more bowmen, guards, drafted robbers, and other outlaws manned this section of the front. It appeared to be reinforced by a battalion of conscripted soldiers and outlaws forced to march here. Galmand was not surprised by the number of troops who were armed with older weapons and melee weapons. Veerlanders were an enemy who used traditional weapons in combat. There was the occasional battle where a tribe or clan managed to get a hold of guns. He marched up to the nearest fort that was manned by the rangers who had three other forts for bases. Here there were 425 Rangers at the border, which was not the total number that defended the border. Ehkbullar's borders could be defended by a minimum of 5000 to 10000 Rangers combined with ordinary infantry.
He ordered his forces to rest and make camp near the closest fort. Marching up to this fort Galmand found an entire encampment of militia, archers, fighters, bowmen, and other individuals who eyed them as they approached. He read their faces and glares that said where the crud were you? Others demanded why there was only a battalion coming in. Galmand ordered for his officers to maintain order as he made his way the commander's quarters. Every fort along the borders had a commander's quarters in the base each tower. Galmand did not need to ask where the Commander's Quarters were since he spotted the tower. He showed his badge, and the papers containing his orders to a guard who let him inside the fort. Inside the fort he had to find the quarters while forced to pass the rooms, and barracks of the angry garrison who eyed him with hatred for city dwarfs. Galmand wanted to think it was because his beard was better groomed than their wild beards.
Ignoring the glares he made his way through the halls to the commander's quarters. This fort's commander was a Half Dwarf and Half Gnome female with an exotic taste for other females. She had two female dancers in her quarters and a band playing music. Galmand watched as she made out with one of them before interrupting with a bang on the door. The dancers screamed and rushed out. Whoever this commander was she appeared more like a four foot teenage human. She sat down looking disappointed in the fun being taken away. Her expression said he was a killjoy, which appeared more like an irritated expression. All she did was give out the number of troops stationed her and the situation. According to her records they had 1,296 militia in the area so far, 360 archers since modern weapons are reserved for the soldiers and in armories. There were currently 246 random fighters, bowmen, guards, drafted robbers, and outlaws drafted at the front. Another force of 601 militiamen were on the southern flank. A total 1082 clansmen of Verland had been killed so far in the last attack. No more than 589 of these clansmen were taken prisoner. She did not know how large the Veerlander force was since most of the prisoners either had their tongues cut out, mute, dimwitted, managed to escape, tried to fight their way out, or took their own lives.
Galmand slammed his fist on her desk demanding she take him and his troops as the reinforcements. They may be on the front lines, however more of their countrymen will march to this front before the invaders even reach the borders of Lornav, Dormany, and Derol. She sneered a little, but agreed with him. She reminded him of the two goblin tribes of 4500 in the southern parts of the borders. Galmand looked at the map on the wall. Sure enough the Goblin tribes occupied the southern portion of Ehkbullar. It appeared that front would be covered for some time.
No comments:
Post a Comment