Read Online Die for the Flame by William Gehler - Free Book Online

him, and those who had not met him asked questions. Rokkman patted him on the back, helping him with the answers,. Lillan stood back smiling broadly, and when he looked over at her, she gave him a big wink. He smiled back, his first smile in quite a while. In the back of his mind he was wondering how in the world he was going to achieve all that was needed in the coming crisis. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Lillan again. She held his glance, and then someone stepped in front of him.
     
    Clarian stood by a long wooden table. Over it stretched a map of Karran and the lands surrounding it. Citadel officers crowded around the table, pointing and commenting. Next to Clarian stood Lillan, Rokkman, and Martan.
    “What have our scouts to tell us about the Maggan plans?” asked Clarian.
    Martan answered, “We believe, based on all our information, that the Maggan will attack at night on the next full moon or the one after. We’re not sure how prepared they are at this moment to march. We haven’t yet observed them bringing up supply wagons. We may have four weeks to eight weeks to prepare.”
    “How many soldiers do they have compared to our army?” Clarian asked.
    “We do not know that for sure, either. The Forest of Darkness is a vast area, and they could have soldiers anywhere under those trees. Our best guess is five thousand soldiers,” answered Lillan. “We have five hundred Citadel guards and, at best, a few thousand new soldiers with only a few weeks of training.”
    Clarian tried to think how they could hold back the enemy with so few soldiers. There must be a way to offset their greater numbers. “What is their army made up of? Archers, spearmen?”
    “The Maggan are mostly foot soldiers, armed with lances and short swords. They have a lesser number of archers and several small units of mounted soldiers who carry bows, long spears, and swords. Not so many mounted troops. Horses don’t thrive well under the trees without pasture,” explained Lillan.
    “Then if we are mounted, we will have the advantage of mobility and speed. And we will have large numbers of mounted archers, which is new,” said Clarian.
    A young officer with a black beard spoke up. “But if they outnumber us by so many, how can we defeat them?”
    “If they attack before we can train a large army, we will be overrun,” said Clarian, “and the city will be lost. But if they give us time, we will have a chance.”
    The officers leaned over the table studying the map, each considering the implications of defeat as they pondered how the Maggan would attack.
    “Is it obvious that they will attack down this road that leads from the Forest of Darkness?” asked Clarian.
    Lillan ran her finger down the map. “They are overconfident. The shortest route to our city is down the road from the Forest of Darkness directly to our doorstep. They could come at us from several other directions, but it’s a long way around, and they would be forced to leave the cover of the forest for many days before they could get here. They would be in the open and more exposed.”
    “I think you’re right, Lillan,” agreed Rokkman. “They will come down this road, and we’ll have to be ready for them.”
    “How will we stop them?” Lillan asked. “And if they overrun us, what would that mean?”
    Martan answered, “I will tell you what it means. Several years ago they attacked the Doman people, who lived far to the north. Now there are no Doman people. All gone. Wiped out.”
    Rokkman spoke. “We heard stories back in the Great War that they ate their captives. I never talked to anyone who actually witnessed it, but I can believe it.”
    “We haven’t enough soldiers, Clarian,” Lillan said.
    “I know. And I know if they overrun us, we will disappear forever like the Doman. And they will take the Flame. Let’s hope that the Maggan are in no hurry to attack. If we can gain time to train our soldiers, we can stop them.”
    Everyone looked at