The Thick Of It 43.

Winter.

"Sir there's a messenger up ahead" says a subaltern who has just ridden down the line.
"From the capital" adds the subaltern as the snow continues to fall on what's a cold and cloudy winter's day in this part of the city-state of Kuradum.
"We'll be there shortly" says subcommander Phogarn, who continues with "Have him wait off the side of the road".
The subaltern nods, then turns his mount, and heads back up along the line of march.
While the subcommander walks over to the nearby trees, where councilman Hirrye and others are waiting for the snow to lessen.
Joining them beneath the branches of the trees, the subcommander who is the assistant to the rebel councilman, quietly tells him "Messenger up ahead".
Phogarn, who was one of the first army officers to turn against the ruling council, and join councilman Hirrye then adds "From the capital".
Councilman Hirrye nods, then as he looks up at the falling snow, asks "Think it'll lighten up?".
"No idea sir" says the assistant to the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum.
"I know it's not getting heavier, so that's something" adds the subcommander in the rebel army.
Councilman Hirrye grunts in agreement with that, then he turns to the others and tells them "Mount up" followed by "Join back up with the line, and move forward".
Then he and his assistant, along with the sorceress Losmena, and two of the councilman's personal guards.
Make their way over to where their horses are tied up, and after they mount up, they and the others rejoin the line of march. Which is heading north, to the capital city of Kuradum.
It's been slow going over the last few days, especially since it's been snowing on and off for the last couple of days, here in the south of the city-state of Kuradum.
The rebel army, which is even larger than their forces in the east of the city-state, where the frontlines of war are located.
Is having a rough time of it over the last few days as they make their way northwards towards the capital city.
The supply wagons, and the camp followers are continually being left behind by the army proper.
Wagons are being bogged down on the muddy and snow covered road. So much so at times, that many of them have reverted to traveling on the lesser used roads that go north.
And not the main road that goes through southern Kuradum, which the rebel army is on.
A couple of general Ukaj's senior staff members have gone back to make sure the trailing wagons on the main road.
Are at least keeping within visual distance of the rear elements of the army.
As they don't want to lose touch of their supplies, as well as their siege engines.
The group make their way forward along the line of march. The army, predominantly foot soldiers, both rebel troopers, and hired mercenaries.
Cheer are heard as the so called duke of Kuradum rides by, as he and those with him head forward.
Councilman Hirrye waves at the cheering soldiers, then he looks back and asks the teenage sorceress "Can you do anything about this weather?".
"Like I've already told you" replies Losmena the sorceress, who follows that with "This snowy weather is over a vast area".
The powerful sorceress, continues with "Someone a lot more powerful than me would need a long time to shift these winds".
Losmena briefly pauses before adding "No one like that is in the vicinity".
The rebel councilman who intends to be the duke of the city-state of Kuradum grunts at hearing that.
For though things are going fairly well in the war against the ruling council of Kuradum.
Councilman Hirrye wishes things were going a hell of a lot better than they currently are.
As they've lost ground along the frontlines in the east of the city-state. While here, with this force in the south of Kuradum.
It's slow going as they head north towards the capital of the city-state of Kuradum.
"There they are, up there" says subcommander Phogarn a little bit later when he spots the subaltern who spoke to him a little earlier.
He's off to the side of the road, standing next to the messenger who has made his way down from the city of Kuradum.
The rebel leader gestures to a nearby wall, it's a waist high farm wall made of stone and slate.
It offers no protection from the falling snow, but it does cut down the wind that's just picked up. As the army makes it's way through a bit of open farmland at the moment.
"For you subcommander" says the messenger who hands the assistant to councilman Hirrye a missive.
The messenger, then says to the rebel leader "Sir, the enemy now know of our southern army, and that it's making it's way north towards the capital".
"It was to be expected" says councilman Hirrye, who knew keeping an army nearly twenty thousand strong from being detected, was going to be impossible.
The self proclaimed duke of Kuradum nods for the messenger to continue, and the recent arrival from the capital says "They're bogged down in the north at the siege of Gensa".
He follows that with "And since they sent so many of the city garrison north to help out with what's happening at Gensa".
The messenger continues on with "That they're recalling some of the their forces from the frontlines in the east, to help with the defence of the capital".
The rebel councilman and his assistant share a look, then the both of them grin as their plans so far are working. Better than expected as it turns out.
"How many from the city garrison did they send north to help defend Gensa?" quickly asks subcommander Phogarn.
"About fifteen hundred sir" is the reply of the messenger, who then tells them of the refugees from the northern town of Gensa, who have turned up in the capital recently.
And spread word of what's happened in the largest town in northern Kuradum.
And how when the last of them left, they saw the defenders were preparing for the worst.
"Hell, we might get lucky and actually take Gensa, and have that diversionary force in the north come south and attack the capital from the otherside" quietly says the self styled duke of Kuradum as he shares a look with his assistant, as the wind blows the falling snow around.
Subcommander Phogarn just slightly nods at that, for though if they were to happen, it would make the attack upon the capital city a hell of lot easier.
He's not holding out that things will be that easy as they attempt to take the capital of Kuradum.
For if the city falls to them, the war will essentially be over, and councilman Hirrye will get his hearts desire.
Having sole rule of the city-state, which he'll turn into a dukedom, with him as it's duke.
With plans to extend it's borders in the future, so that one day it will become a kingdom.
As many city-states throughout the Southlands have done through the years. Some more successful than others.
"Anything on the defence of the city now that they know we're coming?" asks subcommander Phogarn.
"I left before they started to do anything of significance" says the messenger, who is a member of the rebel army, who is posing as a wandering worker.
"But i guess those foreign mercenaries will take over it, like they've done everything else" continues the messenger who has traveled south from the capital city Kuradum.
Both the subcommander, and the rebel councilman grunt when they hear that.
For they, like nearly everyone else in the rebel army. Have heard about the black clad mercenaries, from some southern nation called Farque.
Who have basically taken over the war effort of the ruling council against the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum.
"What else can you tell us?" asks subcommander Phogarn to the messenger.
Who over the next little while shares with them all of the information he knows of the current situation in the conflict.
After he does the subcommander tells him to get something to eat, and to get some rest before he begins the return trip back to the capital city Kuradum.
The rebel councilman Hirrye is just about to turn and rejoin the others, when his assistant Phogarn, quietly tells him "This way sir".
The subcommander leads the rebel leader to a gap in the chest high wall, it has enough room to pass through it.
They do so, and Phogarn moves behind the wall, and kneels down to get out of the wind.
Hirrye, the self styled duke of the city-state of Kuradum does likewise, as it continues to snow in this area of southern Kuradum.
The subcommander takes out the missive, unfolds it after breaking the seal.
Then reads it, easily translating the message in his head from the code he has memorized.
"Message from your spy master in the capital" quietly says subcommander Phogarn.
The rebel councilman's eyebrows lift up, and he glances at the message, which he's unable to read as it appears to be just a series of random letters and numbers.
"What does it say?" quietly asks the man who wishes to be the sole ruler of the city-state of Kuradum.
As he believes the ruling council to be a bloated body politic, stuck in their ways, unable to do the best for the city-state.
"He says our plans go as well as they can" says the assistant to the rebel councilman.
"But he has his doubts about somethings" continues subcommander Phogarn.
Who shares with the rebel leader, the doubts of the spy master in the capital has.
Then he tells councilman Hirrye "He thinks one of his most important informants might be compromised".
"Does he say who?" asks the rebel leader as they crouch down out of the blustery wind on this cold and snowy winter's day, here in southern Kuradum.
The subcommander shakes his head no, then says "He doesn't". Phogarn follows that with "Just that he believes the informant may have been found out, and is now being discreetly followed by the enemy".
Hirrye grunts as he can't do anything about that, then he asks his assistant "Anything else?".
"Just that one of your backers, the shipping magnate Golinmar might succeed in getting another of the holdouts in joining our cause" says subcommander.
"Oh?" says an interested councilman Hirrye, who continues with "Which of Kuradum's wealthy elite is that?".
As a large number of the rich and powerful of Kuradian society, are backing him in the war against the city-state's ruling council.
"Daveed Morris" is the reply from subcommander Phogarn, who has never really cared about who it is within the rich and powerful of Kuradian society who backs the rebellion.
Just that there are those willing to do so, and that they're willing to keep supplying the funds to do so.
"Daveed huh" quietly says the rebel leader, who continues with "That's a bit of a surprise, considering how conservative he and his family are".
Councilman Hirrye then adds in a slightly dry tone with "Though he wants to join our cause now as word of our army here is on the march to Kuradum, is spread throughout the capital".
His assistant Phogarn nods in agreement with that, then the rebel councilman tells him "Still, more of the rich and wealthy getting behind our cause is a good thing, no matter how late they are in deciding to join us".
Hirrye is silent for a moment, then he asks his assistant "Anything else in that message?".
"No, just that" replies the rebel army officer, who joined councilman Hirrye's cause due to the treatment of the army. And how over recent years, it's been neglected by the city-state's ruling council.
The rebel leader nods, then says "Come on, let's go". They get up from kneeling down, and the wind hits them.
It does more so, after they go through the gap in the roadside wall, as the falling snow, swirls and blows around in all directions.
The rebel councilman and his assistant take the reins of their horses from Hirrye's personal guards.
Then after they mount, subcommander Phogarn says to those who have been waiting for them "Back into line".
He follows that with "Still got a bit of the afternoon to go" followed by "Let's see how far the army can go in that time".
Once on the road, councilman Hirrye calls out encouragement to the predominantly infantry soldiers and mercenaries in his army.
As they continue the march towards the capital city Kuradum, on this cold, windy, snowy and cloudy winter's day, here in this part of southern Kuradum . . . . . .