Phidestros peered across the low-lying valley to study the Hostigi troop disposition upon the opposite hillside. He was using a captured Hostigi 'Farseer' as one of the prisoners had called it. This magnifying tube had been discovered by one of his soldiers and brought to him by Geblon, who had been forced to finish a bloody engagement on the northern flank started by an impetuous Hos-Agrysi Prince who had never fought in a Kalvan-style battle. The Hostigi position had been overrun and the enemy routed, but at a horrendous cost. Too many more such victories would cost him the war.
It was obvious that Great King Kalvan had selected his ground with care. He'd picked a position on a long hillside with gentle slopes, facing a similar but lower ridge. Both centers stood higher than the sides, except for Kalvan's right flank.
A fortified manor house and outbuilding lay before Kalvan's center and Phidestros could see emplaced guns in front of and behind the manor. Kalvan's army was divided into three divisions, with the Great King's maroon standard at the center. It was a position that slightly favored the Hostigi, since Kalvan had a fortified defense; but not enough so that it would abort an attack by the Grand Host.
The Grand Host had chased Kalvan for half a moon and now were a day's march outside the Princedom of Hostigos. Phidestros wondered if it were wise to follow where Kalvan led. True, he had the superior force in terms of manpower, but Kalvan would not have picked this valley to make a stand if he did not perceive some strategic advantage.
However, to take the war into Hostigos, rather than fight the battle here, would give Kalvan the advantage of having his men know there would be no retreat or escape-not with the Investigation in full rampage. No, the coin was tossed for better or for worse. Besides, he might never be able to position the Blethans so advantageously again for their surprise attack. To say nothing about their desertion problem, which had grown worse daily, ever since their comrades had left for Hos-Bletha.
Also, his Grand Host was a large and unwieldy force with far too many different voices and commanders. It was becoming more and more difficult to hold the 'Unwieldy' Host, especially the Investigator, Archpriest Roxthar, to one purpose. Once they reached Hostigos proper, Roxthar would want to 'borrow' entire companies to pursue fleeing Hostigi.
Over the winter, he had heard stories of the Investigation and put them down as child's tales, told to scare youngsters into behaving. Then the Grand Master had acquainted him with tales of the Investigation's excesses in Balph. He'd kept discipline over the Investigators, though he suspected he was buying an enemy in Roxthar, until they'd left Tarr-Veblos and crossed into Hos-Hostigos territory. Then Roxthar's Investigators had begun their 'work.'
Phidestros had tried to ignore the Investigation; the war against Kalvan was enough to occupy any general's mind. But this morning a Beshtan trooper from the Green Hawks, a mercenary company that had changed sides at the Battle of Tenabra, had brought a young boy whom he'd saved from one of the Investigators to tell his tale. The story he told was a perversion of the Code of Galzar, and not the first such story he had heard. Killing innocent civilians, especially women and children, was against all of Galzar's teachings.
As soon as the Wargod's highpriests in Agrys City learned about the Investigation's civilian atrocities in Hos-Hostigos, the Grand Host would be put under the Ban of Galzar. Maybe he'd get lucky and Roxthar would catch one of Kalvan's rifle bullets.
But the mercenary had also presented him with a new worry: the possibility that his own soldiers might mutiny against the civilian depredations of the Investigation and rise up and kill the Investigators. This might leave his army fighting both the Hostigi and Styphon's House! With Great King Lysandros still anchored in Hos-Harphax, lest one of his princes revolt while the Royal Army was fighting in Hos-Hostigos, Phidestros would have to find a way to rein in the Investigator-or failing that, find a way to silence him for good.
There was a loud boom as one of Kalvan's big guns fired a ranging shot from the opposing hilltop. The shot went wide and to the right of the packed Ros-Zarthani wing. There was some movement among the front line of Ros-Zarthani archers as they broke ranks and reformed. Phidestros prayed to Galzar that Stratego Zarphu had more control over his soldiers when the battle was actually joined.
Grand Master Soton, accompanied by Captain-General Mythross of Styphon's Own Guard and Knight Commander Orocles, rode up alongside Phidestros. "Phidestros, when do we start this blood bath?"
Phidestros grimaced. "General Kyblannos said he would have his mobile guns in position in another candle."
"Good. The sooner we come to the clash of arms the better. We do not want to give Kalvan's big guns a chance to disorder our ranks before we've joined. By Galzar's Mace, I just hope those western barbarians fight as well as they brag."
Phidestros nodded. Soton was in command of the right wing, to the rear of the Ros-Zarthani. He had a Wedge of Knights and two thousand light cavalry to ride over the Ros-Zarthani if they showed signs of faltering before Kalvan's veterans. Phidestros himself was in charge of the Center, although it was really Geblon his subordinate who was in command, since Phidestros was charged with directing the battle from the hilltop.
Phidestros had always been a front line commander and did not take to the idea of being out of the thick of things. But, as Soton had pointed out, in a battle where the wings were larger than the armies at Chothros Heights and Phyrax, someone had to direct the Grand Host. Soton had gone so far as to extract an oath out of him-never again!-not to join in the fray unless there was no other recourse.
So here he was to sit out the battle with the reserve, his own bodyguard the Iron Band, the Royal Dragoons and the Harphaxi Royal Lancers. The Lancers, if possible, were even more disconcerted about being out of the battle than he was. But he had wanted the Lancers where he could keep an eye on those iron-headed fools.
If this battle was to be lost, it would be through his stupidity-not theirs.
"Remember your promise," Soton said echoing his thoughts.
"Dralm blast it! I made a promise and by Galzar's Mace I'll keep it!"
"See you do! If I'd stayed out of the front lines so that I could see what Kalvan was doing at the Battle of Phyrax, we wouldn't be fighting here today."
Soton's self-effacing words softened his nagging, but it still served to remind Phidestros that despite his title of Grand Captain-General he wasn't completely in charge of the Grand Host. Regardless of what King Lysandros desired, this was Styphon's war paid by Styphon's gold and run by Styphon's generals. Of course, he'd rather be upbraided by Soton, a military commander he admired, than Great King Lysandros who believed himself to be the greatest commander in the Five Kingdoms. May Galzar bless the Hos-Agrysi inspired unrest in Arklos that had kept Lysandros penned in with the city bands at Tarr-Harphax.
"I will stay here. I'm just worried about Marshal Zythannes."
"Zythannes is a good commander and he has some of the best soldiers in the Five Kingdoms under his command with the Holy Squares. All he has to do is keep the Hostigi right from outflanking our center. Great King Cleitharses would have taken it as a deadly insult if we had not put him in command of one of the wings."
Phidestros had to choke back an insult to Zythannes, whose idea of military tactics was forming his men into giant squares, or tercios. These might have been good tactics before Kalvan, but now it bordered on suicide.
It appeared that ten thousand reinforcements had bought Zythannes more say in the Grand Host than Phidestros owned. Yet there was no denying that the arrival of the Holy Squares, delayed by a peasant revolt in Hos-Ktemnos, had raised the Grand Host's morale as well as Zythannes' stature.
"Let us hope Zythannes' deeds match the ferocity of his words."
"Nobody's that good!"
They both sniggered.
"On the other hand," Soton added, "if they don't, well, accidents have been known to happen in the midst of battle."
They both grinned at each other.
"I'm off, Captain-General Phidestros. May Styphon's Will be done."
"So be it, Grand Master. Kill some Hostigi for me!"
Captain-General Mythross pulled up beside him as Soton wheeled and rode down hill. Styphon's House had been generous, not only with food and gold but with Styphon's Own Guard as well. Almost half of all the Temple Bands, about nine thousand men in all, were under Mythross' command. Another eight bands accompanied Roxthar's Investigators, which were now acting as a rear guard. If the Grand Host lost here, there would be little military resistance to Kalvan from Styphon's House.
Phidestros grinned; he liked playing for big stakes.
"Not that I would question the wisdom of your orders, Grand-Captain General, but is it wise to place my entire command at the center behind the Sacred Squares? Might they not be better employed supporting the Grand Master or as an anchor for Marshal Zythannes' wing should his resolve melt in the heat of battle?"
Phidestros carefully studied Mythross' face for duplicity. Unlike Grand Commander Xenophes, he had served in the ranks as a mercenary for twelve winters and risen as high as Captain-General on his own merit before committing to the Temple Guard. However, like Xenophes, he was known to have Roxthar's ear and should this battle be lost his support might be all that would save him from the Investigation. Phidestros judged him sincere.
"I have complete confidence the Sacred Squares will hold the center. On the other hand, I am concerned about the steadfastness of these Ros-Zarthani, who have little experience facing cannon and salvo fire. I would like Styphon's Own Guard to be near at hand should heart leave them in the heat of battle."
Mythross answered him with a toothy smile. There was little love shared between the Temple Guardsmen and the Holy Order of the Zarthani Knights, since both bodies viewed themselves as the martial arm of Styphon's House on Earth. Mythross would pray on his knees all day for a chance to save Soton's bacon from Kalvan's troopers.
"You may well prove to be the right foil for the Daemon's witchcraft." Phidestros took that as a high compliment, coming from the commander of the Red Hand. He pointed down at the forlorn hope, the forward arquebusiers and skirmishers, who were already within range of Kalvan's army. "As long as they are properly used, it is the common soldiers who will win this war for us."