(Posts, other than letters, relating to the Karmenys Campaign should go in this thread!)

In the months since Valenti had regained the throne, Karmenys had churned in chaos. As the only county that refused to swear allegiance to any of the many Kings over the past years and had refused to join sides in the conflict between the Princes, it had become a stronghold for those that wished none of those men on the throne. Self-rule was the cry in the southernmost county, however with three factions all asserting their right to rule, the reality was no rule, only conflict.

Every faction refused to swear to the rightful King of Nharati and declared that should the others win, those others would sell out the people of Karmenys by swearing to King Drysllthen. Blood ran hot in Karmenys, but they were safe, safe from the King. He'd not send his troops through the mountain passes, at least not until spring, and history said that he would negotiate first. Had he not won even the throne with words? He hadn't the bloodthirst to try to take Karmenys by force, such men as lived there would never be conquered! If the rest of Nharati knew that for the lie it was, those fighting for rule in Karmenys refused to set aside their claims lest one lord gain more passes than another. Protections went up and were torn down, each pass contested.

Whatever the argument in Karmenys, the King wished no delay in fully uniting Nharati, and it was mere weeks after the coronation that the garrison was deemed strong enough to hold. Crown Prince Tyltin and General Alexston were now to pay a visit to Karmenys with the bulk of Nharati's military at their beck.

She woke from the quiet voice of the servant timidly standing in the doorway. "Highness, it's time."

Sleep instantly left her eyes, and the blond head turned toward the empty spot beside her. He'd already risen, and a slight smile touched her lips. She could almost feel the residue of his excitement and anticipation.

Blood is on the horizon.

The thought tore the smile off her face. "I suppose it is, isn't it?" Her voice trickled with something so strange the poor maid couldn't tell if the girl was speaking to her, or herself. When no further instruction came from the heavy closed drapes of the bed, the woman stepped out of the room and closed the door.

With a deep breath, Maeryn pulled herself from the warm nest of the bed and shrugged on a thin robe as she walked herself to the balcony. The crisp pre-dawn breeze licked at her legs and threatened to penetrate her flimsy garments. Great slashes of purple slowly began to tear apart the black night, though still too weak to offer sufficient light. But the jade-eyed girl had no trouble seeing the gathering army below. Torch flames illuminated the mass and threw shadows of dancing demons around the busy men and solemn looking horses. And soon, her own dancing demon would join theirs.

It's time.

Maeryn tore herself away from the chilly balcony and back into the warm safety of the bedroom. A glance around proved Tyltin had already had her single trunk hauled out of their quarters. Pleased that it spared her a few more moments of solitude, she turned toward the mirror to give herself a bit of a pep talk.

"You will be fine, Ryn," she uttered, using the affectionate nickname he'd blessed her with. "You've a duty to him, and to the rest. Now gather your light and go do it. You are not allowed failure."

After a firm nod, and a wink punctuated by a giggle, she moved away from the mirror and crossed the room to her wardrobe. Her fingers proved almost too hesitant to open the doors, but after a few attempts, they found success and the innards were exposed to her. There, nearly shining from her recent hard cleaning, were the leathers Naiia had gifted to her.

Gingerly, she plucked them from the mass of silks and lace and other pretty girly things. She draped the manish clothing over a chair and shrugged from her robe and sleeping gown. With reluctance, she fitted the breastband over her scarred chest. Within moments, the padded leather pants and simple shirt were on. The fitted leather jacket would certainly be too warm, so she decided to put it in her saddlebag when she reached her steed. She stood for a moment and glanced down at herself. It all felt terribly awkward. After some mental coaxing, she sat herself down, laughing at the quiet creaking of new leather. The trousers proved a few inches too long, as Naiia had predicted. Maeryn, however, found this suitable and used such length to her advantage, the ends pulled over her stocking feet and tucked into man styled boots.

Still feeling awkward, she rose and crossed the room, testing the boots. They made her feet feel heavy, but tolerably so. Finally she wrapped a black shawl over her head and wrapped it over her face so only those deep jades were exposed so she'd breathe in none of the road dust. Blond curls were protected further by a black hooded cloak.

Finished dressing, she paused again in front of the mirror to study herself. "Why, Ryn, you could pass as an adolescent boy." She uttered in her best boyish tones. The giggle that followed exposed her gender to her reflection. "That could be useful," she murmured and finally turned away, and left her warm, safe bedroom behind.


Outside the stable, she found her, thus far unnamed, horse. He'd been fully groomed and fitted with a proper saddle and the shining, twisted spike helm that held his mane in a prison of metal. Her eyes sparkled slightly at the sight of him. His formidable size, his deep black coat, and his fearsome helm made him look like a proper war steed. All that exposed him to be not so, was his sweet demeanor. She wandered close to him, and with leather gloved hands, she reached up and stroked his muzzle. "You should have a name," she murmured and cocked her head in thought. In mere seconds, it came to her and she smiled at the beast. "You will be Sunflare. You and I shall put light into the darkness of war." She was surprised when the beast nuzzled her hand, as if he agreed.

Maeryn looked over her shoulder at the gathering of war men. With a deep breath she turned back to her horse and mounted him.

"It's time."

Update on the Karmenys campaign:

-Tyltin, William Alexston, Thodrik Ronghyl, and other highborn commanders left the castle after the Eastern levies mustered; men from Pfoergarth and Ygriss joined their lords to do battle on behalf of the King, though their contribution was small owing to the lateness of the season and the general exhaustion of the people for further war.

-The generals were given wide latitude over their own forces; William's force consists mainly of horse-archers and cavalrymen, to be used after the rugged passes have been secured by Tyltin and Thodrik's footsoldiers.

-An early setback came when a North-Karmenynn Lord named Bryswal got wind of the impending attack and crossed the mountains himself, intent on raiding (or perhaps conquering) Hnestor; Tyltin's feudal obligations forced him to come to the county's aid though he would rather have crossed the mountains virtually unopposed.

-Moving quickly, Tyltin used his infantry to decimate the Karmenynns; Hnestor's mountains and foothills made combat less than ideal, but last-minute reinforcement from Zsongrill surrounded the raider-conquerors.

-Once the mop-up was complete, the Nharati forces made camp at the base of the Pruitshank Pass, one of the main routes into Karmenyss. Autumn rains currently hold the pass closed, and the King's army must wait for Mother Nature to let them through. Morale has become tenuous, as an injury of Tyltin's has festered; he's rumored ill, or perhaps even dead in the farther corners of the camp.