Read Online A Whisper After Midnight by Christian Warren Freed - Free Book Online
Authors: Christian Warren Freed
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it takes to make it out alive .
Rebuked, Piper dipped his head. “Yes sir. What are our orders?”
Taking a deep breath, the red-haired general almost couldn’t bring himself to speak. “The king has ordered two full battalions to assist the Goblins in driving the Pell Darga out of the mountains. They are to report to Grugnak at dawn.”
“He does hate us, doesn’t he,” Ulaf, master of engineers, said.
Rolnir couldn’t help but grin. “It appears that way, doesn’t it? Regardless of his likes or dislikes, he is our king and we are honor bound to obey. Herger, I need two of your best.”
The dour-faced Herger grimaced with displeasure. His thick beard hung just below the rim of his chest armor, as black as midnight. “Why my best, General? Chances are the damned Goblins will turn on them the moment they see the advantage.”
“Of course they will. Which is exactly why I need the best. Grugnak is about as trustworthy as a prostitute. I’m counting on the Goblins turning.”
Piper finished chewing and added, “Gives us an excuse to finally do what’s right, and get rid of a fair chunk of their combat force at the same time.”
While he couldn’t disagree, Rolnir realized they were getting off the topic. “Make no mistake, gentlemen, our troops are going up into the Murdes Mountains in the middle of winter to fight the Pell Darga on their own ground. I wouldn’t care to take them on under the best of conditions but the choice isn’t mine.”
Herger finally nodded, more excited at the prospect of killing Goblins than anything, and said, “Very well. I will go inform the commanders. How long do we expect them to be deployed?”
“Weeks at a minimum. Prepare for a month. We’ll resupply as necessary. I want swords sharpened and shields strong. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“They know their jobs,” he said and left the command building.
Piper ruefully rubbed his chin. “You’re asking a lot from his infantry.”
Rolnir fixed him with a baleful glare. “I’m not the one asking.”
They waited until the rest of the commanders left. A hollow silence filled the space between them. Best friends since joining the Wolfsreik, Rolnir and Piper struggled to find the right words, any words, to say. They felt stretched, spread too thin across an enemy kingdom and cut off from the much needed support from home. Every citizen they encountered was hostile, despite the false smiles and occasional waves. Over a hundred men had been lulled to their deaths by the conquered people.
Morale began to plunge the moment the Goblin army arrived and continued to drop the longer into the campaign they got. Soldiers fought for varied reasons: friends, the absence of friends, kingdom, or plunder. Not a one wanted to be away from home longer than necessary. They floundered in the occupation. Mistakes continued to rise. Men flooded the surgeons’ tents with careless injuries. Drunkenness became a large problem as the winter lengthened. The brig was constantly filled as discipline broke down. Rolnir felt the famed Wolfsreik discipline slipping away and couldn’t find a way out. They’d never experienced a prolonged occupation and it was taking a heavy toll.
“What’s on your mind?” Piper asked. “I haven’t seen you this stoic since you relieved my vanguard a few months ago.”
Rolnir got up to pour a glass of water. “Want one?”
“No thank you.”
Finishing half of it in a single gulp, Rolnir sat back down and looked his friend dead in the eye. “I’m questioning the authority in all of this. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around.”
“I’m serious, Piper. The invasion was all well and fine, but nothing we’ve done since has served any purpose I can see. We are an army wasting itself away at the whims of a madman.” His voice trailed off to a low whisper.
Piper stared at him hard for a moment, unsure if he was being tested or not. More than one man had been
Rebuked, Piper dipped his head. “Yes sir. What are our orders?”
Taking a deep breath, the red-haired general almost couldn’t bring himself to speak. “The king has ordered two full battalions to assist the Goblins in driving the Pell Darga out of the mountains. They are to report to Grugnak at dawn.”
“He does hate us, doesn’t he,” Ulaf, master of engineers, said.
Rolnir couldn’t help but grin. “It appears that way, doesn’t it? Regardless of his likes or dislikes, he is our king and we are honor bound to obey. Herger, I need two of your best.”
The dour-faced Herger grimaced with displeasure. His thick beard hung just below the rim of his chest armor, as black as midnight. “Why my best, General? Chances are the damned Goblins will turn on them the moment they see the advantage.”
“Of course they will. Which is exactly why I need the best. Grugnak is about as trustworthy as a prostitute. I’m counting on the Goblins turning.”
Piper finished chewing and added, “Gives us an excuse to finally do what’s right, and get rid of a fair chunk of their combat force at the same time.”
While he couldn’t disagree, Rolnir realized they were getting off the topic. “Make no mistake, gentlemen, our troops are going up into the Murdes Mountains in the middle of winter to fight the Pell Darga on their own ground. I wouldn’t care to take them on under the best of conditions but the choice isn’t mine.”
Herger finally nodded, more excited at the prospect of killing Goblins than anything, and said, “Very well. I will go inform the commanders. How long do we expect them to be deployed?”
“Weeks at a minimum. Prepare for a month. We’ll resupply as necessary. I want swords sharpened and shields strong. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“They know their jobs,” he said and left the command building.
Piper ruefully rubbed his chin. “You’re asking a lot from his infantry.”
Rolnir fixed him with a baleful glare. “I’m not the one asking.”
They waited until the rest of the commanders left. A hollow silence filled the space between them. Best friends since joining the Wolfsreik, Rolnir and Piper struggled to find the right words, any words, to say. They felt stretched, spread too thin across an enemy kingdom and cut off from the much needed support from home. Every citizen they encountered was hostile, despite the false smiles and occasional waves. Over a hundred men had been lulled to their deaths by the conquered people.
Morale began to plunge the moment the Goblin army arrived and continued to drop the longer into the campaign they got. Soldiers fought for varied reasons: friends, the absence of friends, kingdom, or plunder. Not a one wanted to be away from home longer than necessary. They floundered in the occupation. Mistakes continued to rise. Men flooded the surgeons’ tents with careless injuries. Drunkenness became a large problem as the winter lengthened. The brig was constantly filled as discipline broke down. Rolnir felt the famed Wolfsreik discipline slipping away and couldn’t find a way out. They’d never experienced a prolonged occupation and it was taking a heavy toll.
“What’s on your mind?” Piper asked. “I haven’t seen you this stoic since you relieved my vanguard a few months ago.”
Rolnir got up to pour a glass of water. “Want one?”
“No thank you.”
Finishing half of it in a single gulp, Rolnir sat back down and looked his friend dead in the eye. “I’m questioning the authority in all of this. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around.”
“I’m serious, Piper. The invasion was all well and fine, but nothing we’ve done since has served any purpose I can see. We are an army wasting itself away at the whims of a madman.” His voice trailed off to a low whisper.
Piper stared at him hard for a moment, unsure if he was being tested or not. More than one man had been
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