The Amber Sword

v3c329p1
The Holy War(13)

It was already late into the night when they arrived at the Mar Highlands; the silver moon hung high in the skies, reflecting moonlight into the mountains. The forest was silent and trees covered the mountains and rivers on both sides, but at the intersection of the foothills, the river opened wider, forming a valley.

The officers of the Royal Calvary Academy planned to investigate the terrain throughout the night, but they were stopped by Brendel. Brendel told everyone to rest where they were, and get up in the early morning instead to prepare their defenses. The noble private army was alright with this. After a long night of walking, they were already exhausted and praised Brendel’s orders. But the young officers whispered among each other – how could they lay defenses without exploring the terrain first? Even the most rudimentary line of defense needed to be adapted to the local terrain. This was basic military practice written clearly on the Infantry Handbook. What was the commander thinking? But since commands were absolute, no one could challenge Brendel. They could only fall asleep, full of doubts.

In the early spring, when the snow and ice had just begun melting, the mountain glades were particularly cold at night. Due to the lack of preparation, the officers only had a thin blanket with them; naturally, in this temperature, the consequences of this were as could be expected. Brendel many of the young people’s faces turn blue from the cold, neither they nor Audine’s private army had tents with them, so it could not be helped. As for Brendel himself, all he could do was just to patrol around the campsite, looking for any other things that he could help with.

Count Audine’s private army, the Nagas, the officers of the Royal Calvary Academy, and the Dragon Calvary of the Southern Army did not bond well. The military discipline of the private army was not as good as expected. Considering many of the Royal Cavalry Academy’s officers were girls, Count Audine was afraid something might happen and therefore personally placed restraints on his army. The Dragon Cavalry needed to take care of their mounts too, so of course, they wouldn’t allow outsiders near them. The Grey Fin Nagas from the Shining Sea, on the other hand, could get used to the cold climate, but the dry land made them uncomfortable. Thus, they all rested under the river bed, curling up their body.

For Brendel, once his physical fitness reached the Gold-rank, sleep was no longer an absolute necessity. His metabolic system was constantly self-improving, so it was fine to not sleep for several days and nights. He walked slowly along the edge of the black pine forest. The sky was littered with stars; such a sight was rare in the other world. Brendel could not help but stop and enjoy the beauty of this scenery.

However, cold winds blew from the south pass, and the storms outside Ampere Seale were gathering again, inevitably bringing a dark and dreary air to the impending battle before them. Brendel suddenly heard the crunching noises of feet stepping on dried wood behind him. He pulled out his long sword and turned around. A bright outfit entered his vision, the half-elf Aouine princess now clad in a set of silver armor and a modified skirt. Standing in the woods, she looked elegant and heart-stopping.

“Mr. Brendel.”