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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 10:52:22 GMT -5
The men from Eddard's Rest arrive at the army's location four days later. The camp is well-ordered and they had met sentries a good two miles from the camp. The men disperse to find places to set up their tents while Prince Benjen, Gerald Bolton, Karyl Crowl, and Titus Grafton are led to the commander's tent.
The Lord Ronnyld Redfort is old, perhaps sixty, and while healthy is hardly an imposing figure; five foot four and skinny. He rises and bow. "Prince Benjen. It is good to see you again. Welcome to your new army."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 10:58:08 GMT -5
"Lord Ronnyld, it is an honour," Benjen said. "I hope you are doing well? As for the men, I cannot wait to command them in the field. Draven will not be a threat for much longer, or so I hope."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:00:47 GMT -5
"Well enough, my prince. No one gets younger, after all." He adjusts the spectacles on his face. "I beg you to be cautious, Prince Benjen. This chieftain has avoided many fine generals already, and beaten several who have cornered him. This is the finest force we have sent against him, but he is wily and knows these mountains as though he can see them from above."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:12:40 GMT -5
"I will not rush into this, I promise," Benjen said, sitting down. "Quality will be victorious in the end, though I expect a drawn out struggle." He frowns. "We can of course always try and have the man assassinated."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:14:41 GMT -5
"How, my prince? His men are fanatically loyal to him, his tribesmen, anyway; they think he is blessed by their god as some deliverer sent from the Far North." Ronnyld shrugs. "Maybe one of the pacified tribes could blend in with his men, though I don't know who I'd trust with such a task."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:18:44 GMT -5
"Who is the most knowledgeable about the tribes, Lord Ronnyld?" Benjen asked. "Though perhaps an ambush will do, which of course means we will need to find out Draven's location and movements." He sighs.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:21:34 GMT -5
"Ser Krieger Templeton," the old lord said. "He tracks them well enough, and with Coldwater on the Goldlander front he is one of the few who could find him in these damned mountains."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:28:03 GMT -5
"I'll need to speak with the man, see what tactics he think we should employ," Benjen stated. After a moment of thought he spoke up again. "I want to avoided meeting Draven directly in the field, come at him in surprise attacks, which will be hard on his home turf. Raids, ambushes, night attacks; we need to be swift on foot."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:30:05 GMT -5
"Which means ditching the armor of which we're so fond," Ronnyld says. "The problem becomes rather clear soon, for without our superior equipment, our common soldiers are no better than theirs, and Draven's men, at least, are armed as well as any knights."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:34:45 GMT -5
"What approach would you take?" Benjen asked, grimacing at the old man's words.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:37:10 GMT -5
"If I knew the answer, my prince, I would be burning them out of Draven's fortress as we speak."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:43:10 GMT -5
"I will wait for the scouting reports then, and Ser Krieger," Benjen informed him. "Now to wash the road off me."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 24, 2012 11:46:12 GMT -5
Lord Ronnyld nods. "I will be back to my own castle soon; to make sure my lands are safe. Gods bless, Prince Benjen."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Oct 24, 2012 11:46:59 GMT -5
"And you, Lord Ronnyld," Benjen said with a friendly grin as he left.
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Karyl Crowl
Prince
Proud Proprietor of Crowl's Crossbone Construction Company
Posts: 1,022
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Post by Karyl Crowl on Oct 24, 2012 14:26:43 GMT -5
///////
Karyl Crowl arrives back at the Host and tries to look around to see if Prince Benjen and the rest of the northern forces had already arrived.
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