Crusade - James Lowder [78]
"I don't care if the local watch isn't any help," Azoun said loudly. He glared at Lord Harcourt, the commander of the Alliance's cavalry. "Why aren't the nobles doing something about this? We should have some type of military watch." He paced nervously around the temporary command center, located in Telflamm's government offices.
The general shrugged. "Well, Your Highness," he began tentatively. "It's, uh, a, uh-"
Brunthar Elventree leaned back in his chair. "What Lord Harcourt is trying to say is that his men are right alongside mine-passed out in an alley somewhere or spending their day in a whorehouse." The red-haired dalesman smiled. "However, I don't see what the problem is," he added snidely. "If you'll let us fight beside orcs, a little debauchery won't-"
"That's enough, General Elventree," Azoun snapped. "One more insubordinate comment like that and you'll be relieved of your command." He stormed across the room and stood in front of the dalesman. "I need your cooperation, now more than ever. I have accepted the orcs to fight the Tuigan. You will enforce that. Do you understand?"
Brunthar slowly sat up straight. The poor lighting in the room cast deep shadows over his face, masking his expression, but making him look demonic. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Then that's settled," Azoun said firmly. "This crusade is floundering. If we are going to be able to face the Tuigan, we need to get the men out of here right away." The king paused for a moment, then turned to the dalesman.
"General Elventree, since your men are lying facedown next to Lord Harcourt's, you two will gather the troops together. Any questions?"
The dalesman smiled at the king's slight jab at the nobleman. "No, Your Highness."
Lord Harcourt had been a soldier long enough to realize what Azoun was doing. Even though he disliked the commoners from the Dales, he knew the king had to find some way to draw the army together. "Anything you command, Your Highness," he replied as cheerfully as he could. Straightening his ever present mail shirt, the nobleman stood and bowed.
"Good," the king said. "I'll find Vangerdahast and Farl, and we'll do what we can from here." As the generals prepared to leave, Azoun added, "I want the army on the march by highsun tomorrow at the latest."
Neither Brunthar Elventree nor Lord Harcourt thought that possible, but they didn't say so. Instead they made their way into the streets and started a search for soldiers sober enough to serve as military police. Luckily they were more successful than they'd hoped possible. The city did offer a myriad of distractions, but the mercenary troops hired by the Sembians were generally far too experienced as campaigners to fall prey to the vices of a port of call.
Within twenty-four hours, much of the Army of the Alliance had gathered to the south, outside the walls of the city.
Razor John was very pleased to learn of the mustering. Though he, like many of his companions, had never been outside Cormyr before, he rarely drank to excess and never dabbled in other vices, even when he was at home. Why start now? he reasoned. After all, Telflamm offered little that couldn't be purchased in Suzail. The price would be higher in Cormyr, of course, and each particular vice wouldn't be advertised so openly, but that made little difference to the fletcher.
Many of John's compatriots found the invitation to debauchery irresistible.
Mal, in particular, had spent his time in Telflamm drinking and fighting. The ham-fisted man had even registered himself for a death duel in an arena.
John and Kiri had managed to talk Mal out of fighting, but the temptation was great to let him go through