The Shining Wyrm

8.9

The Mustering was nearly complete with the arrival of marching footmen and levies from the southernmost manors of Viznove expected within the day.

Rochford had heard the final answer to its call for levy and they had either arrived armed with heavy cloth, helm, shield and spear from their local stores or been outfitted by Father’s dwindling store of arms.

Old helms had needed to be bartered for with arriving lords or old broken heaps dug up for repairs for the last dozen Men to arrive.

And all the levy of Rochford, three hundred men including Footmen and Bromthil were but a drop in the mass of the rest of the Army.

The halls and rooms of Fort Rochford that had seemed so empty and unused all Jewel’s life were packed full to accommodate the lords, captains and footmen of the army of Viznove.

Not even when Bathory had visited to acknowledge Jewel’s inclusion in Father’s family was the Fortress so full.

There had not been room for any but the officers, captains and their direct retinues in the manor house itself!

For the rest it was camping or accommodations secured in the lodgings of the village.

Every fallow field and now even the just harvested hay fields were filled with the camping tents of Levies.

They lined every road that would not block the wagons of the Harvests.

And they had kept coming day after day long after Jewel had thought her Father’s Demesne was going to burst for the sheer humanity filling it.

What houses could accommodate soldiers were already claimed when some of the latest of lords arrived and there had been discussion and argument all through the manor to trade for accommodations in Jewel’s home.

When Father had said that it would break Viznove to muster Twenty-Thousand men Jewel had not fully understood what that meant.

But now there below her covering her home and filling every house and hall was the might of Twenty-Five Thousand Men.

The combined armies of Viznove and Zekhedge arrayed all over every scrap of open land.

More people than lived in all of the Barony of Rochford ten times over had marched into her home.

Not even the skies were free of the army.

Gryphons flew in formations and drills with one another all around the Demesne and the Barony beyond. They took up bets and challenges with one another to prove their speed, their grace, the accuracy of their arrows.

After the four that were pledged to the Count of Zekhedge Bathory’s own Knights and the three other Gryphon lord’s that owed her Fealty arrived.

And then three more questing Gryphon Knights from lands afar answered the call against tyranny.

All told there were now thirteen Gryphon Riders, most of them lords.

With Jewel she supposed it could somewhat be counted that there were fourteen knights on Wing for the Army.

Compared to the sheer mass of knights on horse, levy and footmen, it felt utterly insignificant.

Jewel practiced against three hundred men in melee and felt it an overwhelming force to contend with.

These thousands upon thousands of armed soldiers seemed an overwhelming obstacle.

And word had it that Thurzó might have mustered more than their match in soldiers from the rest of the Realm to press his claim.

Calling up errant soldiers and mercenaries with coins taken in good faith in his former position of trust as regent.

In Rochford, though, Jewel knew that the mustering, whether complete or not, would soon have to end.

Any stragglers from far-flung allies would have to meet them later upon their road.

The mass of men and their hunger demanded it.

Rochford and Jewel’s family could simply not feed the army from their stores. They would be emptying most of their stock simply to supply for the troops as they left.

And that was with those that had marched carrying rations for the upcoming march into the Barony.

Jewel twisted and dodged in lighthearted maneuvers and drills with some of the newer arrived Gryphon Riders.

Each of them had wanted to test her mettle and get the measure of her maneuverability. And Jewel was glad for all of Father’s training and practice.

These most junior of Gryphon Lords or simple knights were made clumsy against Zephyrvam’s grace. But in one aspect she had to admit that Countess Bathory had been right.

Father’s steed did struggle under the weight of his bulk.

The lighter and smaller riders, although yet unable to match her in maneuverability, could climb even faster and higher than Father did. Although they mostly dove about as fast as Zephyrvam and a few were even slower in the dive.

Eventually though, the sun was moving towards dusk and Jewel gently tilted a wing to plead off for her other obligations from her fellow flyers near and far.

They saluted her in Flight Cant in turn. With arms for those close enough, and with maneuvers of their steeds for those farther. The special terms and gestures she had worked on with Father had spread easily amongst the Gryphon Riders.

Although many had not yet come to terms with how far her sight could see.

Jewel called piercing and sharply as she descended.

With all the traffic of foot and horse through the courtyards it was necessary to warn well ahead of her arrival. And nearly all cleared the space with haste.

The stragglers who still had yet to learn what her warning preceded pulled along by their fellows.

Jewel shook herself out and did not even need to call Smithson before he was there to unburden her from her kit. The other stablehands gingerly removed the lodestone first that onced weighed her down so much and yet now barely felt like any burden at all.

Then off with the panniers and then the straps.

“Is my bathing room cleared and ready?”

Smithson nodded sharply. He was getting better at holding the bearing proper of a Lady’s Squire after attending his own training with Kraok.

“Yes, I checked with Jorge to make sure at noon! No one should be there to disturb you Lady Jewel.”

She nodded and once fully unburdened of all her harnesses strode into the hallways.

Even in these once-empty rooms, there was a bustle of officers, captains and lords moving too and fro between the various rooms. Words filled the hallways.

Murmuring men and the occasional woman from the army caravan that had already been forming despite the consternation of Father and the Lords.

Some of the footmen of the other lords had brought their wives!

Some hired mercenary soldiers brought their Children!

Still, Jewel had over twenty days to grow used to moving through the now crowded halls of her home. And most of those that stayed in the Fort’s rooms had grown to learn that no matter how strong they were they were nothing to a determined Wyrm on her way to her bath.

She nodded to Jorge at his post guarding her bathing room. A necessary act with the mass of strangers and curious men liable to take an opportunity with her bath before she was done with it.

Apparently the opportunity to have hot bath water every day was among the luxuries that had nearly started outright duels of honor for the right to stay in Fort Rochford proper.

Still Jewel took solace in the muffling of the noise that now filled her home at nearly all hours.

She was just ready to get her pail down from its shelf when a most unmistakable corner appeared in the middle of the room just between Jewel and her tub.

“Greetings, Lady Jewel of Rochford, To your preference I have come to you before your bath. It took some doing but I am very pleased to announce that as per our agreement I can pledge defense of you and your father. Five Wizards of our venture to your protection. We will rally to your campaign in addition to the aid of Jaksa the Red and Tsulogothulan.”

Jewel sighed heavily and turned to glare down at the black cat in his stupid floppy red hat. It had been a long day and she simply had not the patience for this.

“Fine, go tell my Father and the Generals and let me have my BATH in PEACE you insufferable knave!”

To which the cat smugly turned around a corner in the middle of the room and was gone.

Jewel glared at her bath then determinedly got into it.

She was going to enjoy herself in spite of the insufferable actions of Wizards.